For Taka 300 only
For Taka 300 only
Faizul Khan Tanim looks at the work done at ‘Provatee’, a pre-school for slum children where they are given elementary lessons to help develop their brains and which will last them a lifetime
photo by Momena Jalil
photo by Momena Jalil
‘Assalamualaikum Sir, amar naam Khadija’ says a three-year old girl barely able to formulate her speech with a wide grin across her face. Soon, I am surrounded by an army of children smiling and shouting assalamualaikum, barely reaching the height of my knees.
Ten to fifteen minutes off the Mirpur sector 13 main street, inside the Baisteki slum, sits two pre-schools named ‘Provatee’ on the east and west end of the slum. In a two-hour session 25 toddlers, between the ages 3 to 5, are enrolled in each of the three batches divided amongst the two schools.
On reaching the spot, one is overwhelmed by the endearing site of the innumerable toddlers. The schools, started in 2007, are run by Eminence, an organisation which works on public health and social research, and a unique concept in the fact that the teachers have been recruited from inside the slums while the children, from now on, will be supported by private Bangladeshi individuals instead of the regular custom of taking international donations.
The education at Provatee is set on the principles of Early Childhood Development (ECD), based on the curriculums of the Children’s Affairs Bureau, PLAN International and BRAC, where these young children are given elementary lessons in recognising colour, are told stories and given toys all of which creates a stimulation in their brain and helps them develop speech, logic and other parts of the brain.
‘It is very important to develop these specific skills from early childhood,’ says Dr Md Shamim Hayder Talukder, chief executive of Eminence. ‘What these children will receive now will remain with them throughout the rest of their life not just as knowledge but as something that will make them sharp, intelligent and enhance their survival skills. It is hard to make up for this time later on life,’ he adds.
‘We intend to make these children computer-literate by the time they reach five,’ he says.
Interestingly, Eminence does not take any international donations, private or organization-wise, and has developed scheme in which for only Taka 300 a month, interested Bangladeshi individuals can virtually adopt a child.
An interested individual or family can take part in this program by donating the sum of 300 taka (less than 5 US$) a month for three years as a micro-donation, which would cover tuition fee, a regular tiffin, uniform and stationery items for one child. However, besides the donation, the individual or family must pay regular visits to the child as a form of social support and contribute to his growth.
‘Our theme of starting this program was mainly so that we decrease our dependency on foreign donors and increase the social responsibility of Bangladeshis living both locally and internationally,’ says Dr. Shamim.
According to studies conducted by a number of government and non-government agencies in 2005, around 60 percent of more than four lakh street children in Dhaka are living under vulnerable conditions and are involved in anti-social activities.
Children wander around the city streets, parks, bus terminals, kitchen markets, and railway stations in the country. Some of them work as porters while some as helpers of bus and tempo drivers and others are involved in risky jobs like motor mechanic helpers. Far from being carefree, as is expected in their age, an alarming segment of children do not have access to the basic necessities- food, shelter, clothing and education.
And this is exactly where Eminence plays an integral part in stressing the concept of early child development. A brainchild of Dr Shamim, research coordinator S M Shajedul Haque Palash and assistant coordinator of Research Golam Rabbani Jewel are also actively involved with the project.
According to Eminence officials, the reason for locating in Mirpur is because there are lots of garment workers whose children are deprived of basic care and necessities. Often these children are left alone at home, while the parents go to work.
The population of Baisteki is around 10,000 with 1500 households in which on an average five people live in a 76-100 Sq ft room. And on an average, every alternate three families have three to five year-old-children.
Eminence first started it’s a project with a ‘Parenting Program’. The first step was to motivate the community and make them understand the importance of ECD with several meetings with the community and personal door to door motivational activities over the year 2007.
The parents were explained the importance of parenting and as well ECD for their children. The next step was to select the children and start the school.
Today, at the two schools, they have batches at different hours where children receive informal schooling, six days a week.
The teachers, as mentioned above, of are from the same slum and have passed secondary level education as well received training on ECD. This helps the children be more comfortable with familiar faces. Even when children leave the school, these young and energetic teachers keep track of them and ensure they receive proper care, when ever needed.
Another significant part of Eminence is the social responsibility program.
For giving support to Provatee, one needs to choose a child by filling up the ‘Parenting Application’ form, provide ‘Micro-Donation’ and ‘Provide Social Support’.
The families can choose a child as Eminence has detailed information of each child including their socio economic status and photographs. All the families need to do is to choose the child to whom they would like to provide support for the next three years till they turn five and are ready to attend a regular school.
The social support, as indicated by Eminence officials obviously include, apart from providing financial support, supporting the child to socialize by doing the following activities.
One must visit the child once a month if the family is a Bangladeshi resident or once a year if the family lives abroad. Taking the child for a picnic or to a amusement park once a year and also taking the child to the family’s house once a year and provide the child with clothes in occasions like Eid or Christmas, is also encouraged. Moreover, the families have to take a monthly report of the child from the ECD Coordinator of Eminence and keep a close contact with the child whenever it is possible.
‘Our ECD program started in June 2007 but the ground work for the project started a year back. The way Dhaka is getting urbanised, if we do not look out for these poor children, improve their activities, we would never attain overall development and a proper urban society,’ says Dr Shamim.
‘The conceptual part of this exciting program is always monitored and looked after by executive committee members of Eminence - Dr Quamrul Hassan from Apollo Hospital and Dr Giasuddin Ahmed, a retired Open University professor.’
‘Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate’
For only Taka 300 a month you can ensure a safe childhood and hopes for a brighter future for one single child. Eminence invites interested Bangladeshi individuals and families to come forward.
Eminence
8/4, Block A, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207, Phone: +88028144299, Fax: +88029115488, E-Mail: ce@eminence-bd.org, info@eminence-bd.org, eminenceassociates@yahoo.com, rabbaniea@yahoo.com. Web Site: http://www.eminence-bd.org/
Ten to fifteen minutes off the Mirpur sector 13 main street, inside the Baisteki slum, sits two pre-schools named ‘Provatee’ on the east and west end of the slum. In a two-hour session 25 toddlers, between the ages 3 to 5, are enrolled in each of the three batches divided amongst the two schools.
On reaching the spot, one is overwhelmed by the endearing site of the innumerable toddlers. The schools, started in 2007, are run by Eminence, an organisation which works on public health and social research, and a unique concept in the fact that the teachers have been recruited from inside the slums while the children, from now on, will be supported by private Bangladeshi individuals instead of the regular custom of taking international donations.
The education at Provatee is set on the principles of Early Childhood Development (ECD), based on the curriculums of the Children’s Affairs Bureau, PLAN International and BRAC, where these young children are given elementary lessons in recognising colour, are told stories and given toys all of which creates a stimulation in their brain and helps them develop speech, logic and other parts of the brain.
‘It is very important to develop these specific skills from early childhood,’ says Dr Md Shamim Hayder Talukder, chief executive of Eminence. ‘What these children will receive now will remain with them throughout the rest of their life not just as knowledge but as something that will make them sharp, intelligent and enhance their survival skills. It is hard to make up for this time later on life,’ he adds.
‘We intend to make these children computer-literate by the time they reach five,’ he says.
Interestingly, Eminence does not take any international donations, private or organization-wise, and has developed scheme in which for only Taka 300 a month, interested Bangladeshi individuals can virtually adopt a child.
An interested individual or family can take part in this program by donating the sum of 300 taka (less than 5 US$) a month for three years as a micro-donation, which would cover tuition fee, a regular tiffin, uniform and stationery items for one child. However, besides the donation, the individual or family must pay regular visits to the child as a form of social support and contribute to his growth.
‘Our theme of starting this program was mainly so that we decrease our dependency on foreign donors and increase the social responsibility of Bangladeshis living both locally and internationally,’ says Dr. Shamim.
According to studies conducted by a number of government and non-government agencies in 2005, around 60 percent of more than four lakh street children in Dhaka are living under vulnerable conditions and are involved in anti-social activities.
Children wander around the city streets, parks, bus terminals, kitchen markets, and railway stations in the country. Some of them work as porters while some as helpers of bus and tempo drivers and others are involved in risky jobs like motor mechanic helpers. Far from being carefree, as is expected in their age, an alarming segment of children do not have access to the basic necessities- food, shelter, clothing and education.
And this is exactly where Eminence plays an integral part in stressing the concept of early child development. A brainchild of Dr Shamim, research coordinator S M Shajedul Haque Palash and assistant coordinator of Research Golam Rabbani Jewel are also actively involved with the project.
According to Eminence officials, the reason for locating in Mirpur is because there are lots of garment workers whose children are deprived of basic care and necessities. Often these children are left alone at home, while the parents go to work.
The population of Baisteki is around 10,000 with 1500 households in which on an average five people live in a 76-100 Sq ft room. And on an average, every alternate three families have three to five year-old-children.
Eminence first started it’s a project with a ‘Parenting Program’. The first step was to motivate the community and make them understand the importance of ECD with several meetings with the community and personal door to door motivational activities over the year 2007.
The parents were explained the importance of parenting and as well ECD for their children. The next step was to select the children and start the school.
Today, at the two schools, they have batches at different hours where children receive informal schooling, six days a week.
The teachers, as mentioned above, of are from the same slum and have passed secondary level education as well received training on ECD. This helps the children be more comfortable with familiar faces. Even when children leave the school, these young and energetic teachers keep track of them and ensure they receive proper care, when ever needed.
Another significant part of Eminence is the social responsibility program.
For giving support to Provatee, one needs to choose a child by filling up the ‘Parenting Application’ form, provide ‘Micro-Donation’ and ‘Provide Social Support’.
The families can choose a child as Eminence has detailed information of each child including their socio economic status and photographs. All the families need to do is to choose the child to whom they would like to provide support for the next three years till they turn five and are ready to attend a regular school.
The social support, as indicated by Eminence officials obviously include, apart from providing financial support, supporting the child to socialize by doing the following activities.
One must visit the child once a month if the family is a Bangladeshi resident or once a year if the family lives abroad. Taking the child for a picnic or to a amusement park once a year and also taking the child to the family’s house once a year and provide the child with clothes in occasions like Eid or Christmas, is also encouraged. Moreover, the families have to take a monthly report of the child from the ECD Coordinator of Eminence and keep a close contact with the child whenever it is possible.
‘Our ECD program started in June 2007 but the ground work for the project started a year back. The way Dhaka is getting urbanised, if we do not look out for these poor children, improve their activities, we would never attain overall development and a proper urban society,’ says Dr Shamim.
‘The conceptual part of this exciting program is always monitored and looked after by executive committee members of Eminence - Dr Quamrul Hassan from Apollo Hospital and Dr Giasuddin Ahmed, a retired Open University professor.’
‘Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate’
For only Taka 300 a month you can ensure a safe childhood and hopes for a brighter future for one single child. Eminence invites interested Bangladeshi individuals and families to come forward.
Eminence
8/4, Block A, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207, Phone: +88028144299, Fax: +88029115488, E-Mail: ce@eminence-bd.org, info@eminence-bd.org, eminenceassociates@yahoo.com, rabbaniea@yahoo.com. Web Site: http://www.eminence-bd.org/
Comments
But here is something from the Eminence website: "Our funding partners include World Health Organization (WHO), ICF Macro, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Population Reference Bureau (PRB) Save the Children, GMMB (a full-service, strategic communications agency with offices in Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles), Alive & Thrive (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded), ActionAid, ACF International (Action against Hunger), Plan Bangladesh, Micronutrient Initiative (MI), Concern World Wide, CARE, Concern Universal for a range of research, advocacy, BCC activities."
Of course, your story is almost five years old. GMMB is a heavy-hitter PR ("spin-doctor") firm in Washington, DC, heavily used by the US Democratic Party.