バングラデシュにてロヒンギャ難民を継続的に支援している学校の話
【2018年11月の活動報告】
By November, we distributed approximately 410,000 meals (progress rate: 18%) against Euglena cookie distribution target of 2.3 million meals for this term (October-September 2018).
1. The story of a school that continuously supports Rohingya refugees
Do you remember the refugee issue that the Islamic minority Rohingya escaped from the crackdown and flowed into Bangladesh last summer in 2017 from Rakhine State in western Myanmar? The number of Rohingya refugees, which was 800,000 in December last year, has now increased to 1.2 million, and many are still forced to live in refugee camps, according to a UN report. However, with the support of UN agencies and many other countries, the living environment is gradually improving compared to a year ago. To give a specific example, WFP (United Nations World Food Program) mainly distributes IC cards such as Suica to refugees, and refugees eat food such as rice and beans and soap at shops in refugee camps. You can now buy daily necessities such as sanitary goods. In addition, the school was built, and children can now be seen carrying school bags on their backs.
This month, we would like to introduce the current Rohingya refugee support activities of the OBAT Helper School, which was introduced in the report last October. The NGO that runs the school has been providing supplies to refugee camps since last year and continues to provide refugee assistance. Last year, we delivered urgently needed supplies such as leisure sheets and food. Currently, we deliver medicines to hospitals in refugee camps and provide educational support. The support method is very unique, and children study using tablets instead of textbooks. Connected online with the Overt Helper School in Dhaka, the teacher teaches 75 refugee children while in Dhaka. In addition, a donation box has been set up at the school, and children and people living in the neighborhood are collecting donations. We donated 150 new clothes to refugees with NGOs on an important Islamic holiday called Eid in August this year. In Eid, it is customary for everyone to wear new clothes and celebrate. These days, the issue of Rohingya refugees is not often addressed in Japan, but Bangladesh continues to provide such steady support.
Photo-1: IC card used when shopping at a shop in a refugee camp
Photo-2: Refugee children studying on tablets
Photo-3: Distributing clothes to refugee children
Photo-4: Create posters for children to call for donations
2. Introduction of Mr. Zahid who aims to go on to high school
Euglena cookies in many GENKI programs, but this month we will introduce Mr. Zahid, a second-year junior high school student. Zahid is a boy who has loved growing home gardens and growing plants in small flower pots since he was a kid because his house is near a large park called "Botanical Garden". I take the initiative in taking care of the garden trees in the school as well as the house.
He hopes to study agriculture, one of Bangladesh's major industries, at university in the future. Bangladesh's education system consists of 5 years for elementary school, 5 years for junior high school, 2 years for high school, and then to university and junior college. Junior high school is divided into two stages, 1st to 3rd grade and 4th to 5th grade. You can take the exam at the end of the 3rd and 5th grades and go on to school if you pass. When you go on to the 4th grade, you will be divided into three specialties: liberal arts, science, and commerce. Therefore, Mr. Zahid needs to take an examination at the end of the third grade next year and go on to science. School teachers recommend going on to science because of his good math grades. Tuition fees for 4th grade and beyond will increase from the current 400 yen per month to 650 yen per month. He currently lives with his father, mother and brother. Dad works as a milk delivery driver at a milk maker. After graduating from junior high school, his older brother works at a garment factory and supports his family, and his household income is about 26,000 yen. Mr. Zahid had a hard time talking about his desire to go on to school and his dreams for the future, but when he confessed, "Mother goes to work if necessary" and "It's okay if you cut down on your family budget a little", the family says. He said he did. Mr. Zahid said, "It is difficult to go on to university unless it is a national university with a low tuition fee. It is a very narrow gate to get a scholarship, but I would like to challenge!"
Photo-5: Mr. Zahid
Photo-6: Mr. Zahid pruning a school garden tree
Photo-7: Study scene at school
Photo-8: Botanical Garden, a place of relaxation for Dhaka citizens
3. About the situation of going to and from elementary schools in Bangladesh
How do you think Bangladeshi children go to and leave school? This month, I would like to introduce the circumstances of children in Bangladesh who are different from Japan in going to and leaving school. In Bangladesh, more parents pick up their children than in Japan. Due to the poor public transportation in Bangladesh, it is common for wealthy families living in the capital Dhaka to pick up their children by car due to fear of kidnapping. Even if you become a junior high school student, some families will pick you up, and when it's time to go to school in the morning, there will be a line of cars and a crowd of parents and children in front of the school. On the other hand, at elementary schools in slums, children take about 10 minutes to go to school on foot. There are about 40 students in one class, and about 10 of them are picked up by their mothers and relatives on foot. The reason for picking up is to avoid the risk of kidnapping and to support children who are unfamiliar with school life. Whether you are a wealthy family or a slum family, parents are watching over your children so that they can live safely and develop soundly. Parents' love for their children is universal.
Photo-9: Pick-up and drop-off of wealthy families
Photo-10: A slum mom waiting for her child to return after class
Thank you for your continued support.
Euglena Co., Ltd.
Overseas Business Development Department / Bangladesh Office