エクマットラアカデミーでのユーグレナクッキー配布
【2018年9月の活動報告】
In the April-September period of 2018, we distributed Euglena Euglena cookie distribution target of 1.1 million meals. The number of schools targeted for the program was 52 at the beginning of this term, but it has increased to 59. In addition, the number of students distributing cookies per day increased from about 9,000 as of the end of March 2018 to 9,800.
1. Distribution Euglena cookies at Ekmattra Academy
Ekmattra is an NGO that supports independence by providing children's homes in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, where children living on the street can learn the rules of social life. Hiroki Watanabe, who is currently an advisor to Ekmattra, jumped into Bangladesh after graduating from university and launched the NGO in 2003 with local university students.
In August 2014, we started distributing Euglena cookies to children at the Children's Home in Ekmattra with the desire to support children with Mr. Watanabe, who is struggling locally. In July of this year, Ekmattra opened a new Ekmattra Academy in Mai Meishin, 170km north of Dhaka. Ekmattra Academy is a next-generation boarding leader who learns the rules of social life at a children's home and then acquires the higher education and specialized skills necessary for independence in society. It is a training facility. The academy also provides education to develop human resources who are full of human power through culture and education such as theater. A total of 28 children aged 5 to 16 who have moved from the Dhaka facility are currently living at the academy. We received a request from Ekmattra to Euglena cookies, and decided to deliver them to children at the Academy in addition to Children's Home. In the future, with the addition of children living on the streets in My Meishin, nearly 100 children will live in the academy in the future.
Computer courses are especially popular with children at the academy. Bangladesh, a neighboring country of India, an IT powerhouse, is promoting a policy of "digital Bangladesh" under the initiative of the government, and is focusing on developing excellent human resources to make up for the shortage of IT human resources in developed countries. There are introductory courses to familiarize yourself with computers and specialized courses to learn graphic design. Currently, children are taking introductory courses to get used to computer operation. Like Japanese children, playing games and watching manga on a computer seems to be fun. The children told our local staff that they would like to acquire programming and graphic design expertise in the future and become an online game developer after graduating from the academy.
Photo-1: Children eating cookies and Mae Watanabe (spouse of Daiki Watanabe) who is involved in the management of the academy
Photo-2: Computer introductory course class
2. Introduction of Chairman Shohan, Steering Committee of Matricia School
This month, I would like to introduce Mr. Shohan, who chairs the steering committee of the Mattrichaia School in Dhaka. The committee acts like the board of education in Japan. The main purpose of the Steering Committee is to establish an educational policy, listen to requests from parents with the teacher at the parent-teacher association, and improve the management of the school. In addition to Mr. Shohan, a total of six people, including the principal and company manager, belong to the committee. Mr. Shohan holds a master's degree from the Faculty of Education, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh's most difficult school. After graduating, he was involved in the management of a clothing manufacturing company that his father started, and at the same time, he wanted to utilize the knowledge of pedagogy that he learned when he was a student, so he set up a steering committee when the Matricia School was established in 2010. rice field. As chairman, Mr. Shohan faces various problems. The most serious problem is child marriage of female students. As we've seen, nearly 20% of slums are under the age of 15 and have to get married. Child marriage increases the likelihood that girls will drop out of school because of household chores. There is also a risk of increasing the mortality rate of girls due to pregnancy and childbirth when the body is immature. Mr. Shohan visited the families of female students who are going to marry children and persuaded their parents, and appealed to local voters to eradicate child marriage and asked for cooperation because they wanted to educate them equally. I am. However, not all child marriages can be prevented. Every time a schoolgirl leaves school due to a child marriage, he feels unfocused.
Meanwhile, the GENKI program is a great hope for Mr. Shohan. Two years have passed since the distribution Euglena cookies began in August 2016. He visits school between jobs and continues to convey to his children the importance of continuing to eat cookies. He finds a ray of light in the smiles of children who are willing to eat cookies, despite serious problems.
Photo-3: Mr. Shohan explaining cookies
Photo-4: School Steering Committee
3. A state of the sewing class for extracurricular activities
Introducing the sewing class at SSKS Elementary School (SSKS Free Primary School). Bangladesh's main industry is the garment and garment industry. Recently, "Made in Bangladesh" clothes are also available in Japan. The teachers at the school want children to acquire skills that are useful for work after graduation, and since 2011 they have been teaching sewing mainly to children as extracurricular lessons after school twice a week. The sewing class will be held for 6 months. The admission fee is about 200 yen, and the monthly fee is about 70 yen. Even with the monthly tuition fee of about 450 yen, you can take classes without putting a heavy burden on your family. So far, 122 children have learned for a total of 14 terms. Currently, seven children in grades 4-5 are taking the course for the 15th term. Two mothers of the children are also taking the course, and a total of nine people are learning sewing.
11-year-old Moniya, a fifth grader who attends a sewing class, is very much looking forward to the class from 15:00 after school. At first, I learned the basics from the teacher, such as threading needles, attaching buttons, and cutting dough. After that, I learned how to use a sewing machine, and now I am making traditional Bangladeshi women's clothing such as Shalwar Kameez (Photo 6) for my family. Moniya's family consists of six people, a father and a mother, three older sisters and Moniya. My dad works as a day laborer and my mom is a housewife. The second sister works in a textile factory and helps her household. Moniya said, "I'm making clothes for my family at school now, but I want to save money with my family, buy a sewing machine (about 15,000 yen) someday, and be able to make clothes at home. My sister wants to be able to make clothes early in the morning. It's really hard to work at a textile factory from night to night. After graduation, I want to work as a tailor with my mom and sister. " Lotion teacher of the sewing class said, "By learning sewing, children have come to want to make money independently. It may not be possible to change the course due to family circumstances, but we will continue to do so. I would like to help broaden the career paths of children, "he told our staff.
Photo-5: Lotion teacher teaching how to cut
Photo-6: Moniya-chan making a Shalwar kameez with a sewing machine
(The clothes she wears are also Shalwar Kameez)
Photo-7: Mothers and children willing to show off the clothes they made in the classroom
Thank you for your continued support.
Euglena Co., Ltd.
Overseas Business Development Department / Bangladesh Office