ラマダン中の補講でのユーグレナクッキー配布
【2017年6月の活動報告】
1. Cookie distribution in supplementary classes during Ramadan
今月はラマダン（断食月）のため、多くの学校が休校となりましたが、その間も契約している39校の約12,000人のうち、補講を実施した12校の約1,500人に対し、約15,000食のクッキーを配布することができました。ラマダン中の補講でクッキーを配布したのは今年が初めてです。補講を担当している先生にはご協力いただけるよう、ていねいに状況を説明し、理解いただいたうえでクッキー配布を実現することができました。
バングラデシュの補講は塾のような存在です。毎日1時間行われ、さまざまな科目を勉強します。補講の授業料は月300タカ（約400円）で、通常の授業料とは別に先生に支払います。なお、ラマダン中でも、病気の人や子どもたちには日中の飲食が許されています。クッキーを受け取った子どもたちからは、ラマダン中のクッキー配布が大変好評で、来年も実現すべくさらに多くの学校の子どもたちに配布できるよう計画を立てていきます。
Photo-1: Children taking make-up classes
Photo-2: Children eating cookies after make-up class
2. Cookie distribution to orphans
Currently 39 schools are eligible for the GENKI program, of which 3 are for children without parents. Among them, DAM Mohila Mission HighScool is a girls' school, where 65 out of 375 children are orphans and live in dormitories adjacent to the school. There are only 5 staff in the dormitory, and we are not satisfied with the support. In addition, some children are emotionally unstable and may throw the distributed cookies. Therefore, the local staff in charge of the GENKI program also attaches great importance to supporting such children when visiting the school. Given that the dormitory cannot provide enough food, we will continue to support children so that they can continue to eat cookies, which is an important source of nutrition.
Photo-3: Orphans living in the dormitory
Photo-4: Dormitory for orphans
3. Home introduction
What kind of home environment do children eating cookies from the GENKI program live in? This month, I would like to introduce Nahida-chan's family who attends Nanyantara UCLC School. Her family is a family of five, her parents, a fifth grader, 10-year-old Nahida, a younger sister (4 years old), and a younger brother (2 years old). I live in a tin plate house in Dhaka's Bolaslam district with five family members. My dad works as a rickshaw driver, but he can only work for about half a month due to poor physical condition, and his monthly income is 4,500 taka (about 6,000 yen). On the other hand, my mother works as a housekeeper and has a monthly income of 5,000 taka (about 7,000 yen), so she lives on a household income of 9,500 taka (about 13,000 yen). Considering that the average monthly income of a slum in Bangladesh is about 15,000 taka (about 20,000 yen), life is very difficult.
Since the diet is mainly cheap rice, it is difficult to eat a nutritionally balanced diet such as vegetables, meat, and fish. When I run out of money, I can't eat supper and fall asleep. Also, since the kitchen and toilet are shared by 20 households, hygiene is by no means good. For her living in such an environment, going to a school that distributes cookies is the most enjoyable thing. However, her siblings are unfortunately preschoolers and cannot receive cookies. She hopes that the day will come when her siblings will go to school and eat cookies.
Photo-5: Galvanized iron plate house
Photo-6: Nahida-chan (left photo), mom, younger brother
4. Job introduction of local staff Mohiminul
This month, I would like to introduce the work of the local staff, Mohai Minul. When he was a student, he volunteered for children, teaching studies at schools in slums and raising funds for poor children. I joined the company in 2016 because I wanted to make use of these experiences. His main job is to understand the current situation from conversations with children and teachers through school visits and to listen to their requests. Specifically, I want to eat cookies with a new flavor, I want to know the blood type at the time of blood test, I want to increase the number of target schools, etc. Since it is difficult to meet all the requests with limited personnel and budget, we check the background of the requested requests and the necessary expenses, and gradually reflect the opinions of children and teachers in the project.
One of the most important tasks that Mohai Minul is in charge of is blood testing. Children have no experience with blood tests, so just looking at the needle can make them scared or cry. It is his job to calm these children and make sure they can complete the blood test with peace of mind. Thanks to Mohai Minul steadily building a relationship of trust with the people around us, we are able to proceed smoothly. In the future, his major mission is to listen to many requests from children and teachers through school visit activities and to encourage local people to understand the GENKI program.
Photo-7: Interaction with children during school visits
Thank you for your continued support.
Euglena Co., Ltd.
Overseas Business Development Department / Bangladesh Office