バングラデシュにて新たなユーグレナクッキー配布モデルの開始
【2017年9月の活動報告】
1. Launch of a Euglena
GENKIプログラムでは、バングラデシュに住む子どもたちの栄養問題解決を目標とし、ユーグレナクッキーの配布を行っております。このたび生徒数約350名のマドラサ学校（Madrasah School、以下マドラサ校 ）とGENKIプログラムの契約を締結しました。こちらの学校では、バングラデシュの教育課程に加えて、毎日イスラム教聖典のコーランをアラビア語で勉強します。また、今までのように無料でクッキーを配布するのではなく、プログラムの活動内容や目標に賛同いただいた現地支援者に活動費の一部を負担していただく、新たなユーグレナクッキー配布モデルを開始しました。
今回支援者となったアジズールさんは、精米事業を営みながらマドラサ校の先生をしており、さらには教育委員会の一員でもあります。彼の叔父が1999年に学校を設立して以来、一族で学校運営に携わってきました。マドラサ校に通うためには、月200~300円の授業料を納めなければなりませんが、非常に貧しい家庭は無料または半額にするなど考慮しています。また、生徒の80人ほどが孤児で、学校が運営する寮に住んでいます。アジズールさんは「子どもたちの家庭は貧しく、満足に栄養が摂れていません。寮で提供される食事も予算の都合でご飯、豆スープ、マッシュポテトなどと栄養が偏っています。子どもたちがユーグレナクッキーを食べて毎日必要な栄養を摂り、健康的な生活を送れるようにしたい。」と話して下さいました。
Photo-1: Mr. Azizur (center) and the principal
Photo-2: Children studying Koran in Arabic
2. Children who did not transfer because of Euglena
Children eligible for the GENKI program live primarily in slums in Bangladesh, with monthly household incomes of JPY 10,000 to JPY 15,000. Parents pay tuition fees from their limited income and send their children to school. A 10-minute walk from the Arban D Block School, which is attended by about 150 people, a new school was established as part of the CSR activities of a major local confectionery maker. The family of the child who attends the school receives a monthly support of 150 yen from the school. This can reduce the burden on the household budget. Parents who saw the recruitment for a new school informed their teachers that they would transfer their children to receive support. However, the children Euglena cookies every day, so I don't want to transfer!" Knowing the children's wishes, the teacher visited the home and discussed with the parents about the living conditions and the nutritional aspects of Euglena As a result, parents said, "Even if you get 150 yen a month, you can't eat a nutritious meal. It's important for your child to grow up healthy." Canceled the transfer.
The staff was surprised that the children did not transfer because of Euglena In order to contribute to the health of children, we will further enhance the content of the program.
Photo-3: 15 children who canceled the transfer
3. Introduction of play that children play in the rainy season
In Bangladesh, the rainy season is from May to October. Some children will not be able to come to school due to flooding of the road during the rainy season, and some children will not be able to attend school if the rain continues even if the road is not flooded. We have held a traditional indoor play tournament in Bangladesh at the Nayantra UCLC School so that children can go to school and eat cookies even on rainy days. I will introduce the situation.
This play is similar to Japanese leapfrog, but with a few differences. First, make a group of 6 to 7 people and decide the horse with rock-paper-scissors. The losing child becomes a horse, and the winning child must jump the horse and sing the "rain song". The child who cannot jump the horse or who has stuck the song when jumping becomes the next horse, and the child who sings the song to the end while jumping the horse is the winner. The children sang loudly and the tournament was very exciting. "Let's all come to school tomorrow and play this game! Euglena Build up your strength with cookies and win tomorrow!" Said the children.
We will continue to carry out activities that can be done indoors to improve children's motivation during the rainy season.
Photo-4: Leapfrog children
Photo-5: Winner Biprop
4. A meeting where children talk about their dreams for the future
The BDP Club 10 School, which has about 80 students, has held cricket competitions, which is a national sport of Bangladesh, in order to improve the school attendance rate. This time, we held a "Meeting for Children to Talk about Future Dreams". At this event, children talked about their dreams for the future one after another and discussed how they could make their dreams come true. Among them, I would like to introduce the dreams related to the GENKI program of 3rd grade Jewel and Russell.
Jewel's future dream is to become a teacher. Although his brother was poor, he attended high school * 1 and became an elementary school teacher. Jewel's mother was in the second year of junior high school * 2 when she was 17, but she had to quit school because of her parents' marriage. My mother has been telling me the importance of studying since Jewel was small, and Jewel wants to be a teacher like her brother. Jewel's best friend, Russell,'s dream is to open a second small grocery store run by his father. And the common dream of Jewel and Russell is to make Russell's shop bigger and use the proceeds Euglena cookies at the school where Jewel works.
"The GENKI program has given us hope even if we are poor. We will continue to study hard and we will hand out cookies to our children in the future!" Jewel and Russell said with their eyes shining. I did. Since that time, the two have helped distribute the Euglena
* 1 In Bangladesh, you can take the teacher employment examination for elementary and junior high schools after graduating from high school.
* 2 In Bangladesh, you cannot advance unless you pass the annual year-end exam. Russell's mother was in the second year of junior high school at the age of 17 because she didn't have enough days to attend the exam due to family reasons.
Photo-6: Jewel and Russell handing out Euglena
Thank you for your support this month as well.
We continue to thank you.
Euglena Co., Ltd.
Overseas Business Development Department / Bangladesh Office