2017年上半期GENKIプログラム進捗報告
【2017年10月の活動報告】
1. GENKI Program Progress Report for the First Half of 2017
This year, the fourth term of the GENKI program, we are working to distribute 2 million cookies a year. The number of cookies distributed in the first half of the year was about 1.01 million, and we are making good progress toward achieving our annual goal. The average attendance rate of the children was about 70%, and we were able to distribute cookies to about 8,200 people a day. Currently, there are 42 schools that distribute cookies, and the target children are 12,252. In the model that started last month, where local supporters provide program activity fees and distribute cookies, we have signed contracts with two new schools (60 and 80 people) this month. We will continue to work so that we can reach our goal in the remaining 5 months.
Photo-1: Children eating cookies
2. Parents' Association for GENKI Program Improvement
This month, we would like to introduce the parent-teacher association held with schools and mothers to improve the GENKI program. Once a month, with the help of the school, we invite mothers to come to school and hold a parent-teacher association to discuss the program. Schools in slums have only two or three drinking water services per school, regardless of the number of students. The average number of students in the program is 300, so there are long lines in front of the water services during breaks. The teacher said, "Euglena cookies, children want to drink water, but it is difficult to drink water immediately after eating." The reality is that many mothers are so busy with their daily lives that they cannot afford to be interested in their children's school life. To solve the problem, the teacher and staff discussed and asked the mothers to put drinking water in an empty plastic bottle instead of a water bottle and give it to the children.
As a result, children can now bring a bottle of drinking water from home every day and drink it when they want. I am happy that this proposal has led to some improvements in school life.
Photo-2: Scenery of discussion with mother
Photo-3: Mothers and children going to school with drinking water
3. Introduction of the principal who created the school in the slums
Many of the schools covered by the GENKI program are located in slums. This time, I would like to introduce the principal who established the Matrichaia Bidda Niketon School in the slums.
Principal Toslima grew up in a wealthy family. After graduating from graduate school, I got married and lived as a full-time housewife, but at the age of 26, I was preceded by my husband. In the midst of sadness, her brother, who had a teacher's license, suggested that she do something for her children, and participated in activities to support children living in slums. Through these activities, I thought it was important for children to acquire education, so I raised funds from a company run by my brother and built a school in a slum in 2011. At the time of school opening, it was very difficult to gather students, and she visited each house and persuaded parents and children to come to school. The number of students has gradually increased, and the number of students, which was 192 at the time of opening, has now doubled to 363. She is now loved like a mother in slums.
Currently, the school is run with a tuition fee of about 300 yen and a grant from her brother's company. She is also very supportive of the GENKI program and encourages teachers and parents to keep the program running smoothly. A further dream of Principal Toslima is to make the school even bigger so that cookies can be distributed to all children in the slums where the school is located.
Photo-4: Principal Tosurima
4. The story of a school supporting Rohingya refugees
Currently, in Bangladesh, there is a problem that the Islamic minority Rohingya have escaped the crackdown and are flowing from Rakhine State in western Myanmar to Bangladesh. The harsh conditions of Rohingya refugees, which are not well known in Japan, are reported daily in the field. According to UN agencies, more than 600,000 refugees have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since August this year. Refugees live in a refugee camp at Cox's Bazar, located on the southeastern tip of Bangladesh. Local governments, NGOs, companies, etc. also provide assistance in sending funds and supplies. This time, we would like to introduce the support activities carried out by the schools targeted by the GENKI program.
OBAT Helper School is a school where NGOs support Bihari * children. For those who also live as refugees, this event was very heartbreaking. After hearing that NGO staff would provide supplies to the camp, the teacher discussed with the children what they could do. We set up a donation box at the school and brought in clothes, dried food, candles, matches, etc. that we no longer wear. In addition, the children live in the Bihari camp, saying, "Let's make 20 taka (about 30 yen) for sweets twice a week into 10 taka (15 yen) for one time and donate the remaining 10 taka to Rohingya refugees!" I also called out to people and raised about 5,000 yen. Together with the NGO's support, we delivered a vinyl sheet to the refugee camp.
Photo-5: NGOs supporting refugee camps
Photo-6: Sheet sent with money collected by NGOs and Bihari
* The Bihari are Muslims who migrated from India and West Pakistan (now Pakistan) when Bangladesh was East Pakistan, and are a people whose official language is Urdu, the official language of Pakistan. He supported West Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War, was unable to return to Pakistan after Bangladesh's independence, and lives in a stateless bihari camp in Bangladesh.
Thank you for your continued support.
Euglena Co., Ltd.
Overseas Business Development Department / Bangladesh Office