Adult Literacy Classes and Village Primary Schools

RED International's partner in Bangladesh is HRDP. The local staff reports that primary schools and literacy classes are going well. Some international partners recently visited several project sites to encourage the young learners and observe the projects. Around 30 children sat at the edge of the classroom and eagerly received visitors with dances and cultural songs. A primary school by morning, the classroom in many villages transformed into an adult literacy classroom by afternoon, where many of the children’s mothers learned to read and write.

Many adults are going against cultural norms by sending their children to school, as pressures are high for children to rather go to work to make money for the family. By educating both the children and teaching the parents to read and write the value of education is passed on. It becomes a cycle of learning together as entire communities are uplifted and can know stand up for themselves in the marketplace, being able to read and write.

Still others, like Forida, have more complex stories.

Forida is a young student, age 10, in studying in grade 3 of HRDP’s primary school. She is growing up in a very poor family in northern Bangladesh. Her father is in prison now and her mother was released from jail a few months ago for buying illegal goods. Forida has another three brothers and one sister in her family. With her father in prison, Forida's mother is trying hard to establish a new life with her family. But still Forida works every day at a neighbour’s house except during the time when she is at school. She is good at her studies and already has completed grades one and two. She has the dream to finish her education.

Forida is very happy to come to class every day. She has many friends in class and, in addition to reading and writing, she is learning how to sing songs and dance and she loves it. But she has a fear that after she finishes grade three at HRDP’s school, classes only running grades 1-3, she has to be admitted to a government school for class four. She does not know if she can study or not because she has to buy most all of the school materials needed and school uniform. Some days she feels she cannot carry on her studies in the future, because her parents do not look after her well. Even though she is only 10 she must work in a house like a woman. Forida’s desire is that her father will come back to them which will allow her to keep going in her studies.

Thanks to partners like yourself, HRDP is able to provide for children like Forida by supplying a teacher’s salary and all their supplies free of cost. In some cases, HRDP also helps extremely poor families with emergency food and basic supplies. HRDP’s development work aims to create a better future for many children like Forida, and an environment of joy and hope in the classroom.

Thank you for bringing hope to families like Forida's.