pre-primary education benefits children in remote areas · pdf fileanyone who doubts that...

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N E W S I N B R I E F

Anyone who doubts that pre-primary education in Bangladesh is a good intervention should ask five-

year-old Sakiba Sultana Meem.

“I play with my friends here, I sing and dance,” she says. “I can draw pictures, do you want to see?”

“I come here everyday. I don’t feel well when there is no school.”

Sakiba is among 59 children who attend three hours of pre-schooling classes in this Shetpur village of Budhhata Union in Satkhira, southwestern district town of Bangladesh.

It is not only Sakiba – educationists agree that such learning is essential, especially for children from deprived backgrounds.

With only one government primary school for class one to five, hundreds of elementary school goers face academic trouble when they are directly enrolled in class one without school preparedness and are hardly ready for entering into the domain of learning.

Under a UNICEF-supported programme, a rare opportunity has been created for dozens of children aged 5 years to enroll in pre-schooling – enabling them to learn through fun and games.

Country-wide plauditsIntroduced in 1997, the programme is critically important when it comes to promoting the quality of primary schooling. That is especially the case for children with illiterate parents.

In underprivileged families, parents in general do not have the education and awareness necessary to teach children foundational literacy, reading and basic mathematical skills.

Pre-primary education helps children make the smooth transition from home to formal schooling. The programme prepares under-privileged children for mainstream entry into primary schools.

Pre-Primary education benefits children in remote areas

In Focus: Education for childrenThis edition focusses on different initiatives undertaken for promoting education for children in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh, civil society organizations and international NGOs.

Sakiba Sultana Meem, 4, performs a play as a part of her preschool class at Shwetpur Government Primary School in Ashashuni, Satkhira, Bangladesh

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NewsletterUNICEF Bangladesh

www.unicef.org.bd

I s s u e 2 3 , J u l y 2 0 1 3

Continued on page 7

2 U N I C E F B a n g l a d e s h N e w s l e t t e r

I N T H I S I S S U E

Editor-in-Chief: Shima Islam

Editor: Arifa S. Sharmin

Editorial Contributor: Iftikhar Ahmed Chowdhury

Consultant: Alastair Tancred

Design & Layout: Syed Makhlesur Rahman

Photo Editor: Ahsanuzzaman Khan

Writers: Raffat Binte Rashid, Zahidul Hassan, Munima Sultana, Julhas Alam, AM Sakil Faizullah

C o n t e n t sIn Focus

Focus: Basic Education Programme ................... 3

RespIte FoR chIldRen In pRIson ........................... 4

FlouRIshIng AFteR BeIng sAlvAged FRom the stReets ................................................ 6

events ...........................................................

suRvey 2011-12: nAtIonAl mIcRonutRIents stAtus ........................... 8

stAte oF the WoRld’s chIldRen 2013: chIldRen WIth dIsABIlItIes ...................................... 9

In the FIeld

young RuRAl entRepReneuRs BRIng chAnges ...... 10

“meenA” lIve RAdIo shoW mesmeRIses AudIence ... 12

outcAsts Rescued FRom lIves oF IsolAtIon ........ 13

WIth thAnks

the emBAssy oF the kIngdom oF the netheRlAnds ............................................... 14

speAk out

pRe-school chIldRen tAlk ABout theIR expeRIences In school. ............................................................. 15

neWs In BRIeF ............................................... 16

Q&a with unicef staff

nabendra dahal, a Nepali national, served as the Chief of the Education Section of UNICEF Bangladesh for around five and a half years. He has recently been posted as the Chief of Education and Adolescence Cluster in UNICEF Indonesia.

what are the key changes that you saw in the education sector during your tenure?

Education has become a more prominent issue in the national development agenda. The process of forming the National Education Policy and the third phase of the Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP3) generated substantial national dialogue on different aspects of education.

There has been steady progress, more children are enrolling and completing all levels of education nowadays.

The PEDP3 has designed specific strategies and allocated funds to reduce disparities in primary education with increased focus on marginalised children.

The nationwide expansion of pre-school education is expected to benefit the most deprived children, including children from urban slums and ethnic minorities.This would create a level playing field for them when they enroll in Grade One of primary education.

NGOs and civil society organisations are more engaged in strengthening the national education system and demanding better quality and equity in education.

The government decision to turn all non-government registered and community schools into government primary schools is an important step in reducing disparity in education.

how do you see unicef’s role in the development of the education sector in bangladesh?

UNICEF is a trusted partner in Bangladesh - it is trusted by the government, donors, NGOs and civil society alike.

Today, the challenge for UNICEF is to be able to look beyond the UNICEF funded activities and support the government, donors and the NGOs by bringing high quality technical expertise and by playing the role of a neutral but critical friend to all.

what are the major challenges in this sector? how can those be handled?

Bangladesh has made substantial progress in enrolling children in school. However, the quality of education at all levels needs urgent attention.

Although prominent educationists have been consistently raising the issue, accountability in the education system is weak. The quality of education will not improve unless there is organised demand for it at all levels. r

UNICEF is funded entirely through voluntary contributions. ‘Regular’ resources are unrestricted in their use, while ‘other’ resources are tied to specific programme funding. The top five government contributors to regular resources are the USA, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and the UK. The staff and activities of the Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships section are supported by Regular Resources.

3I s s u e 2 3 I J u l y 2 0 1 3

UNICEF’s Education programme aims to support equitable access to quality early learning; pre-primary, primary and equivalent non-formal education for marginalized children aged five to 14. UNICEF works

in partnership with the relevant ministries of the Government of Bangladesh, donors and civil society organizations to achieve this goal.

The objective of the third Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP3) is to achieve “an efficient, inclusive and equitable primary education system delivering effective and relevant child-friendly learning to all of Bangladesh’s children from pre-primary through Grade V.

The decentralized planning and management tools ensure local level plans to take into account access, equity and quality aspects of education to benefit 15 million children in more than 67,000 schools.

The Diploma in Education programme is intended for improving the quality of education country-wide and will benefit 10,000 teachers per year. Each Child Learns initiative intends to develop learning outcomes by improving the quality of teaching.

The pre-school course reached about 150,000 children in the convergence districts and urban slums and other disadvantaged areas in a year. In addition, one year early learning opportunity is provided to 50,000 ethnic minority children through community-managed Para Centres in the Chittagong Hill Tracts districts.

UNICEF provided technical assistance to develop a comprehensive Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) policy and the institutionalisation of Life Skills Based Education in secondary curriculum as part of an effort to support the adolescents’ education, which will benefit 7.5 million children per year.

Under Basic Education for Hard to Reach Working Children (BEHTRUWC), more than 146,000 children have graduated on basic education, and among them over 12,000 graduates acquired competencies through training on livelihood skills and received seed money.

focus: basic education Programme

Children sing a song during class at a Shishu Bikash Kendra or childhood development centre, Bhaluka, Mymensingh.

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Shahida and her two-year-old son, Zahiul, have been living in the Dhaka central jail for the last two months.

Along with 30 other infants and pre-schoolers, he spends 10 hours a day – from seven in the morning until five in the evening – in the children’s day care centre of Dhaka Central Jail.

While both have found their new environment to be claustrophobic and challenging, the Day Care Centre – set up with UNICEF support – has provided some welcome respite.

“Confinement is still new and hard to adjust to,” Shahida says.

“Zahiul cries most of the time and is not interested in anything. The matron summons me quite often to calm him down - he gets upset if he sees too many people.”

Conditions in the prison for young mothers and their children may not be ideal, but the alternative could be far worse.

Life of confinementLovely is a bright young detainee who claims that she has been falsely accused of peddling drugs. She has

been waiting three years for the courts to pass a verdict on her case.

She arrived in prison when her child was only six months old. He is now three-and-a-half and has known nothing other than a life of confinement.

“He has never seen the world outside these walls,” she reflects, “but he is a happy child and I feel relieved when at night he recites his rhymes for me”.

“The recent addition of this spacious play corner in December 2012 with the support of UNICEF and through the Institute of Child and Mother Health (ICMH) is like a breath of fresh air for the toddlers,” explained jail Social Services Officer Dipika Rani Shaha.

The centre has three spacious rooms - one for toddlers like Zahiul with double beds lined along the walls where infants below the age of two can sleep, play and rest.

There is a spacious classroom with wooden desks and chairs and colourful charts adorning the walls. This is where children of pre-school age spend most of their time.

On another floor there is a newly-built playroom with plastic cars, see-saws, slides and balls.

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Children attend classes at the early learning development centre in the Dhaka Central Jail.

resPite for children in Prison

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“Good environment”There are also facilities for physical exercise, storytelling, reading and writing in Bangla, pre-maths, health and hygiene awareness and singing. Warm clothes are also provided in winter.

All are part of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy curriculum overseen by dedicated teachers such as Amina Khatun. Because of her, every child gets special care.

“Every day I see a new face or have to say good-bye to an old one,” she says.

“This is how my classroom runs, but in general the two-and-a-half-hour study time following the curriculum helps the children learn many things.”

Children after pre-school are transferred to other institutions with their mothers’ consent or sent to their guardians.

The rules allow a child to stay with its mother up to four-years of age, but they can in certain circumstances get

special permission from the jail authorities to stay for an additional two years.

Women’s cell Chief Matron Nur Jahan says that there have even been occasions when a mother is transferred but the child does not want to leave because they are so attached to the centre and the teacher.

She says that while most children in the centre are better off than they would be in the outside world, it is still not an ideal existence for them to be confined to a single room for much of their day.

Jail Superintendent Mohammed Farman Ali agrees, arguing that ultimately it is better for a child to grow up in their own space.

“No one can lead a better life in prison. I strongly feel it is important to give these innocent little ones a chance. This project is as good as it gets for these young ones,” says Mohammed Farman Ali. r

I N F O C U S

The project is funded by the Global Thematic Fund for Education.

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Learning is fun at the day care centre. Many toddlers and preschool-aged children are denied their right to a safe and stimulating environment, but these children are not amongst them.


The impact of their father’s death was profound. As little girls it meant that Chadni and Moyna passed

many days and nights feeling destitute, hungry and dispirited.

Because their father was the only earner in the family, they ended up on the streets.

To make money, they were forced to collect vegetables in a kitchen market in the south-western city of Khulna.

The two girls can still remember how difficult it was for them and their two siblings to cope with hunger. For their jobless mother, it was a constant challenge to look after her son and three daughters.

“We passed many days without having proper meals,” Chadni Aktar, now 12, says. “I can still remember those days, it was terrible. Staying hungry is very difficult,” she continues.

Now a Grade-V student in a government primary school in Khulna, Chadni, 11, says that her life of unrelenting misery has now been transformed. She and Moyna are the top two pupils in their class of 84 students.

Both girls live with their family in a rented one-room, bamboo-and-tin home in the city. It may not be everyone’s idea of the ideal home, but it is tidy, well kept and above all a secure home for the children.

A new journeyThe girls’ rehabilitation from children who used to live on the street to top school children clearly shows how the lives of seriously disadvantaged young people can be radically changed for the better in a country like Bangladesh.

But it has not been an easy journey and the girls still have some way to go.

Volunteers from a government-sponsored non-formal education programme spotted them collecting vegetables in the kitchen market, knowing it was not a safe place for them to work.

Realising that the pair were in danger of being physically violated, arrangements were made for them to be placed in a drop-in-centre for girls.

Here, scores of children experiencing similar predicaments are taught basic non-formal education and life skills.

The scheme is part of a government programme entitled “Protection of Children at Risk” supported by UNICEF.

“We stayed there for two years. We learnt many things there,” says Chadni.

I N F O C U S

(Left) Chadni,12, and her sister (right) Moyna,11, share a laugh at their home in Sonadanga, Khulna, Bangladesh. With support from UNICEF, they were able to reunite with their families.

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Flourishing aFter being salvaged From the streets

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Pre-primary education

Joyful learningThe girls were taught how to sing songs – including the national anthem – musical instruments and acting.

“We also learnt how to protect ourselves and others from social evils like child trafficking, child marriages and torture,” Chadni says.

“We took part in interactive theatre and enjoyed participating in street theatre to spread awareness,” she says.

Social workers under the project Child Sensitive Social Protection in Bangladesh (CSPB) were able to find Chadni and Moyna’s mother and were reunited she was living in a slum and working as a domestic help.

The girls enrolled in a different government-run primary school in Grade-III.

Their mother received 1,500 Taka ($20) a month under the cash transfer initiative supported by UNICEF for 18

months on condition that she would find some form of income generation of her own and ensure the education of her children.

“It worked, and their mother can now pay for that and their home,” says Khadija Akhter Nupur, a social worker engaged with the CSPB project.

The two girls meanwhile look happy and relaxed, eager to demonstrate their singing talent to any willing audience.

But it is not just music that inspires them - both say they are determined to continue their studies.

“I want to be a journalist. I want to talk about street children and work for them,” Chadni says.

Moyna says she wants to study at a university. r

I N F O C U S

Nor are they equipped with the kind of enthusiasm for the demands and routines of formal schooling that is common to better-off, educated parents.

The pre-school education programme provides a basic academic foundation, and the crucial emotional and physical development required for success in primary schools.

With one teacher for every 25 to 30 children, the pre-schooling project has earned country-wide plaudits and is widely regarded to have provided a significant contribution towards increasing net enrolment in primary schools and better education for rural children.

After completing a one year pre-primary course, all graduates are enrolled in the nearest government or registered non-government primary schools. Through a regular monitoring process all children are kept under surveillance up to the completion of primary education.

UNICEF has supported 4,200 schools with some 4.35 million children completing the course annually.

The school in Shetpur village in Satkhira with 60 pupils enrolled in two separate timings, is in its second year. The implementation oversight of the project lies with the Bangladesh Shishu Academy, the lead agency under Ministry of Women & Children Affairs.

‘Positive development’The first batch of 30 students graduated in 2012 and were enrolled in a regular schooling programme in the same primary school.

“This is a great success,” says Rabidra Nath Par, headmaster of the Swetpur Government Primary School. “Kids are learning from this method. This is giving them a strong foundation.”

He says most of the children are aged between five and six years and are from poor families.

The classroom in the pre-schooling section is decorated with colourful drawings and a map of Bangladesh. There are posters of birds and flowers. The children have equipment to draw pictures.

While Sakiba feels encouraged, her parents co-operate with teachers so that their children come to class daily.

“The parents feel their children are learning some basic education and they are thrilled to see their improvement,” says pre-school teacher Chitra Rani Ghosh.

“They are so good! They learn so easily. You ask them to dance, just ask them, they will start dancing,” she says.

“I pass three hours every day with these children, and that’s the best time of my day.”

Chitra, who earns only Taka 1,250 (USD 16) a month says “My teaching makes their entry into class one easier. They can easily cope with the curriculum and learning package they need to study later”. r

Continued from page 1

The project is funded by the Global Thematic Fund for Protection.

The project is funded by the German National Committee for UNICEF.


I N T H E F I E L D

UNICEF Bangladesh and its partners, GAIN and ICDDRB, recently conducted a survey with the

objective of estimating the status of key micronutrients (vitamin A, iron and iodine) among selected population groups including pre-school children, non-pregnant non-lactating women of reproductive age (NPNL, 15–49 years of age), and school-age children (six–14 years old) in rural and urban areas.

highlights of the survey:Vitamin A:The survey revealed that vitamin A deficiency in Bangladesh has not changed much over the past decade, especially among pre-school and school-aged children. One in five children are living with vitamin A deficiency. The disparity exists in the coverage of vitamin A supplementation in young children between the “richest” and “poorest” sections of the population. The prevalence appeared to be higher among children living in slums around 38 per cent in pre-school aged children and approximately 27 per cent in school-aged children.

Anaemia and iron: Anaemia is one of the most significant public health problems in the country. Over half of young children, over one -fourth of school aged children and over one-third of women are living with this condition. The prevalence of anaemia in pre-school aged children was found to be 33 per cent. The prevalence in school aged children was around 19 per cent and more than 17 per cent in those aged six-11 years-old and 12-14 year-old children. Among NPNL women anaemia was 26 per cent. Iron deficiency is 10 per cent or less depending on different population groups.

Status of iodine and salt iodization: Iodine is present in the salt of 80 per cent of households, however, slightly over 57 per cent of households use adequately iodized salt. One-fourth of households use widely available “open” (non-iodised) salt, where usage of non-iodised salt is higher among the poorest households”.

Every four in 10 school-aged children and women are suffering from iodine deficiency, and the trend appears to be rising.

Zinc status: The survey also reveals that the burden of zinc deficiency is high with 44 per cent of under five children suffering from zinc deficiency. It appears to be higher in children living in urban slums (above 51 per cent) compared to other urban children (above 29 per cent).

Among NPNL women the national prevalence was around 57 per cent, while the prevalence in women living in urban slums was above 66 per cent.

The relatively high burden of zinc deficiency among the Bangladesh population can be attributed to dietary intake, which depicts that consumption of zinc was below the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) amount.

Consumption of zinc from food appeared worse among NPNL women. Average daily zinc consumption from food in NPNL women is 4.87 mg, which is only 54 per cent of RDA (RDA 8-9 mg). The majority of zinc

consumed comes from plant sources, which is poorly bio-available.

Dietary intake of micronutrients: The survey revealed that the dietary intake of micronutrients (vitamin A, iron, zinc) among the Bangladesh population is lower than the reommended daily requirement; especially the intake of nutrients from animal-source food products.

Consumption is lower among lower socio-economic groups and in households with food insecurity. Urban slum populations seem to

suffer more from vitamin A and zinc deficiency than the urban non-poor and rural populations.

The findings of this micronutrient survey will be used for developing a National Micronutrient Control Strategy to influence policy and programming for nutrition.

UNICEF will support the Government of Bangladesh in developing the national micronutrient control strategy, which will include an appropriate mix of short, medium and long term approaches that will lead to a reduction of micronutrient deficiency disorders, and improved nutritional outcomes for women and children in Bangladesh.

survey 2011-12 national micronutrients status

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E V E N T S

Children with disabilities have many abilities but often face discrimination and lack of support from

society. UNICEF calls for inclusion of these children in policy planning and social services as it will benefit both communities and societies that they are living in. Societies need to concentrate on the abilities and potential of children with disabilities to foster their talent, says the UNICEF report.

Children with disabilities have the same rights as all other children, including the right to be recognized and provided with the same opportunities to flourish as enjoyed by others. However, lack of reliable data often makes these children invisible in policy, planning and limits their access to basic services provided by the government and non-government organizations.

UNICEF launched its annual flagship report, the State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with disabilities on 23 June in Bangladesh in the presence of the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid as chief guest. The meeting was also attended by Suraiya Begum, ndc, Secretary of the Social Welfare Ministry as special guest. Mafia Akhter Payel and Rakib, two children with disabilities and UNICEF Representative Pascal Villeneuve also spoke at the event.

Speaking at the launch,Mafia Akhter Payel and Rakib urged to make the school system accessible and affordable for them. “Teachers are not often sensitive and do not

understand our needs, therefore, we often face restriction in enrolment into schools”, says Payel who has completed her Junior School Certificate Examination and is now studying in class VI in a regular school.

The Education Minister, Nurul Islam Nahid said , “The government is committed to inclusion of children with disabilities in the regular education system by making schools more accessible to these children and providing training to teachers “. “The Government is collecting data on children with disabilities and we are committed to provide appropriate and need based support to these children,” added Suraiya Begum.

UNICEF Representative Pascal Villeneuve urged the government and partners to ensure that children with disabilities are a part of the daily lives of their families, communities and societies. “They must be visible, valued and seen as active participants and contributors, rather than beneficiaries of charity. By working together to make this distinction it will lead to an enormous difference for children living with disabilities,” said Pascal Villeneuve in his speech.

The report states that children with disabilities are the least likely to receive health care or go to school. They are among the most vulnerable to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect, particularly if they are hidden or put in institutions – because of social stigma or the economic cost of raising them. The full report is available on: www.unicef.org.bd

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(Left to right) Pascal Villeneuve, Representative, UNICEF Bangladesh, Mafia Akhter Payel, 14, Nurul Islam Nahid, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh, Rakib, 11 and Suraiya Begum, Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare unveiling the report.

state of the world’s children 2013: children with disabilities

unicef calls for inclusion of children with disabilities


I N T H E F I E L D

When most people talk about beauty parlours they would probably imagine them to be located in

central Dhaka or in some cosmopolitan cities.

They probably do not have a remote village in south-eastern Bangladesh in the forefront of their minds.

Yet 16-year-old orphaned entrepreneur Roksana Akter was able to set up a parlour near Cox’s Bazar after attending a three-month beautician’s training course.

The course has enabled her and other girls to escape the evils of under-aged marriage and instead earn an income.

Roksana started her new venture with 8,000 Taka ($ 102) she received under the programme. Her parlour now provides the teenager with a decent income of about $25 a month (2,000 Taka) after she completed elementary training as a beautician.

The people in her village were initially a little apprehensive about having a beauty parlour in their neighbourhood, but, now they appear to have come to terms with it and are regular customers.

Roksana’s parlour is located in an area where people either farm or are daily labourers.

Opportunities for women in employment are hard to find. But the training Roksana received gave her the confidence to become an entrepreneur, enabling her to bring an income to her family.

“I get a decent amount to lead my life now,” she says.

“I do not have to depend on my mama (maternal uncle) and nani (grandma). They no longer pressure me to get married.”

Roksana’s parlour may not have the most up-to-date beauty products, but it does have the essentials such as threads, make-up boxes, clips, face powder and hair spray.

She runs it without the high-powered light bulbs, wide mirrors or air conditioning found in the more luxurious parlours. There is no voluminous black leather chair in her premises – neither is there any ornate desk displaying the latest beauty products.

But that does not bother friends, aunts or other relatives in her remote village.

For them it’s a joy to get a professional to pluck their eyebrows, or give them a facial or a haircut in a different style.

Roksana Akter,16, dresses hair for a bridal client in her community.

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young rural entrePreneurs bring changes

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Bridal clients are also grateful for her services, paying her about Taka 1000 ($13) ahead of their big day.

Roksana learnt about the stipend programme after attending a “Shonglap”(discussion) facilitated to empower adolescents to act as change-makers through life-skill and occupational development organized by a partner organization of UNICEF.

She said that the Shonglap encouraged her to speak out against child marriage and dream of becoming a beautician.

“I got stipend from the programme when I was in training which has helped me to stick to my decision not to marry at an early age. I was also able to buy the necessary items for starting my parlour business”, says Roksana.

Necessary life skillsThe Shonglaps are organised under the Enabling Environment for Child Rights (EECR) project to make the younger generation aware of various social issues in addition to the perils of early marriage.This includes sessions on dowries, divorce, polygamy, hygiene, girls’ education, reproductive health, gender equality and environmental and disaster management.

“Shonglap programme is specifically designed to help young people get the necessary life skills and

occupational skills to earn their own incomes,” says Nilufar Bani, a training officer involved with the project.

Inspired by Roksana, her friend Fatema took training to pursue a career in Karchupi, an ornamental embroidery done in clothes and dresses.

Fatema now earns about Taka 2,500 ($32) a month by preparing dresses on client demand.

The oldest of her five siblings, like Roksana she comes from a poor family and would otherwise have found it difficult to go against her parents will regarding her marriage.

“Now I encourage other people of my village whenever I hear any news of an impending marriage of a small girl,” Fatema said.

With the support of UNICEF, the EECR Project under Ministry of Women and Children Affairs is working in partnership with local organizations to provide life skills training to the adolescents girls. Roksana and Fatema are two examples from many other empowered girls who have benefited from the project. r

I N T H E F I E L D

The project is funded by the Italian National Committee for UNICEF.

Fatema Akter works on ornamental embroidery outside her house.

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I N T H E F I E L D

The words of Kajoli, 13, were so mesmerising when she rang a live radio programme to tell her story that

you could hear a pin drop in the studio. Thousands of listeners were no doubt similarly enraptured.

Kajoli used to work as a housemaid in Dhaka and was occasionally beaten by her employer.

“I used to cry every night after being beaten, there was nobody to console me,” she told her spellbound audience.

“One day when I was asked to go downstairs to throw away garbage, I decided to run away - I ran until I reached a far-away unknown location,” Kajoli told the show.

She managed to complete her dramatic escape with the help of a UNICEF-supported project. She was rescued from the streets and is now studying in fifth grade.

More than 1,000 calls were made by children to the radio show at Bangladesh Betar, where popular and iconic cartoon characters Meena, Mithu and Raju were the presenters.

Entitled “Aami Meena Bolchi” (This is Meena Speaking), the show focused on various child-related issues during each episode.

Inspiring callsThe emotion created by Kajoli’s story was soon equaled by a live phone call from Aleya, 9, as she recited a famous rhyme.

Before Meena could appreciate the recitation, Aleya’s uncle took the phone and announced that he is giving the child a gift of 500 taka ($6.34) as a gesture of appreciation of her skill.

The one-and-half hour show contained many such inspiring calls from children along with their parents and close relatives. All six dedicated phone lines were constantly busy throughout the broadcast and studio managers struggled to cope.

There were even calls made by children from the remote island of Hatia, located in the northern Bay of Bengal and from the inaccessible border area of Kolmakanda which is surrounded by the Indian state of West Bengal.

The first episode of the programme covered the issue of child labour and attracted an estimated 1,000 calls in a half an hour programme – sadly only 23 were actually able to speak to Meena, Mithu and Raju.

A platform for children The initiative provides space for all children including vulnerable and marginalised children to air their views on a national radio through a live children’s show every weekend with Meena, Mithu and Raju.

It is the culmination of a pilot project initiated by UNICEF last year in partnership with ABC radio station to broadcast shows on various child-related issues presented by Meena, Mithu and Raju.

The initial programmes received good feedback from children - during each show there were on an average 100 calls from children on issues of the day.

But during the pilot phase the show’s audience reach was limited to Dhaka and its surrounding districts.

To address this, UNICEF took the initiative to build a partnership with the government-run radio station Bangladesh Betar, which has country-wide coverage.

Bangladesh Betar is now running the live show every Friday (starting from 5 April 2013) from 10.15 am to 11.20 am at FM 97.6 and Dhaka-Ka MW 432.90. r

“meena” live radio show mesmerises audience

This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.

Children are in conversation in a LIVE Meena show.

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13I s s u e 2 3 I J u l y 2 0 1 3

I N T H E F I E L D

Monzila Das, 26, is HIV positive. She lives with her in-laws on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Because of her condition she was initially ostracised by her husband’s family, even though she contracted the illness through him.

Such was the extent of her isolation that at one point she had her own dining area in the family’s home and had to eat behind a wooden door.

She had to stretch out her plate from behind the door to receive food. Her mother-in-law would shovel a few morsels on her plate and thrust it her way while she served the other family members in a separate area.

She seemed to think that even by touching Monzila’s plate she would become infected with the same illness as her daughter-in-law.

“Being HIV positive was like double jeopardy for me. They did not care that I was infected by their son, my husband,” Monzila laments.

“My infant child was taken away from me; I was not allowed to do household chores. I was barred from sitting with my family. My life was nothing less than hell.”

But Monzila’s life changed when a counsellor from Ashar Alo Society, an organisation of people living with HIV, came to her neighbourhood to offer help.

Her husband received treatment from them and his health started to improve.

“Now we are living in our own separate house and doing well with my husband’s small income as an ironsmith,” Monzila says.

Lives changedMeela Akter is a strong, confident woman. She too is HIV positive and she too has had to overcome challenging obstacles to restore her life.

She can now begin to dream of a better future.

“My husband was a migrant worker in a foreign country, I had a son and a shop of my own, I lived with my in-laws and things were going fine until January 2009 when my husband abruptly returned home with the illness,” she said.

“He did not tell me why he came back but I could see that he frequently became sick with fever, jaundice and diarrhoea.

“He said he had diabetes for which he was ill. We took him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with AIDS.

“I was nine months pregnant at that time with my daughter and my husband passed away shortly afterwards,” says Meela

No sooner was he dead than her brother-in-law asked her to be checked by doctors to see if she had been infected.

It was then that her horror story began.

“When I tested positive they threw me out of my own house, took away my son, my shop and all my savings. It all happened almost at once,” she says.

“I gave birth to my daughter. I was given medicine for reducing the risk of HIV transmission to my baby.

“She tested negative at 18-month. My mother took me in and gave us shelter.”

With the help of a non-government organization (NGO) working for HIV positive women, she now has a job and has regained her self-respect and is part of her family.

There are many other women with stories similar to that of Monzila and Neela. Some were infected by their migrant worker husbands and some got infected from blood transfusions.

Fear and stigmatisation“In Bangladesh, like many countries, discrimination against people with HIV is not uncommon as people infected with HIV are often unfairly judged by the society including by health service providers” says Dr M Ziya Uddin, HIV/AIDS Specialist, UNICEF Bangladesh.

In partnership with UNICEF, a local NGO is working to empower HIV positive women including those who are pregnant to be economically independent and access information and services required for HIV treatment, care and support including prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

The NGO also provides infected women with a platform to receive counselling on anti-retroviral drugs and human rights and gender issues.

So while much effort to address discrimination faced by people living with HIV are on-going, much more efforts still needs to be done. r

*As per UNICEF editorial policy, original names have been changed to ensure security of the women living with HIV.

outcasts rescued from lives of isolation

This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.


The development programme of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is one of the

largest bilateral programmes in Bangladesh, with a delegated embassy budget of approximately 60m Euros a year.

The Dutch development initiative aims to contribute to Bangladesh’s socio-economic development under four strategic objectives:

1) Increasing transparency and accountability in public sector management

2) Stimulating private sector development through policy dialogue and increased use of Dutch private sector development and economic instruments.

3) Increasing sector performance for greater service delivery impact in water management, education, health and water and sanitation

4) Investing in human rights and civic engagement with an emphasis on women’s rights

UNICEF Bangladesh has recently started a new partnership with the Dutch embassy in the water and sanitation sectors in association with the The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

UNICEF received a grant of nearly $7m ($6,986,651) for a project titled “Rural Water supply Sanitation and Hygiene in difficult and hard to reach areas of Bangladesh”, comprising of three components: aquifer recharge, arsenic-free villages and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools.

The WHO and UNHCR will focus on WASH facilities in health clinics and refugee camps. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.

Aquifer Recharge in the Coastal AreaOver the last two years, UNICEF has supported research to develop a totally new system of water supply. Under this initiative fresh water is collected from roofs and ponds, and treated before being injected into saline aquifers during the monsoon to gradually create a “bubble” of fresh and safe water which the community can access by pump and which is free of bacterial pollution throughout the year.

The aquifer recharge programme is being scaled up from a successful research project to a mainstream water supply technology. The aim is to turn the idea into a sustainable community based system.

Arsenic mitigation in Narail DistrictNarail district is one of the most severely affected districts for naturally occurring arsenic in water supplies. It is an area where the Dutch embassy has been working for many years on water management, and where UNICEF has been working on water supplies and sanitation.

Based on proven technologies and models of social organisation from women’s groups, UNICEF and the Dutch embassy have now combined forces to make a major reduction in the exposure to arsenic for approximately 100,000 people in the affected communities.

WASH in Schools Initiative Ensuring safe and hygienic access to water and sanitation facilities in schools is a challenge, particularly in secondary schools where there are often more than 600 students.

The WASH in Schools project aims to implement hygiene activities in 500 schools - comprising of 400 primary and 100 secondary schools - in seven districts.

The project uses the School-Led Total Sanitation approach, whereby the school is used as an entry point into the community to create demand for improved water and sanitation facilities and the effective practice of key hygienic behaviour.

The project is working to construct new WASH facilities, rehabilitate existing ones, form school brigades and train teachers, students, school management committees and education officers about key WASH messages. r

The embassy of The Kingdom of The neTherlands

W I T H T H A N K S

15I s s u e 2 3 I J u l y 2 0 1 3

S P E A K O U T

Pre-school children talk about their experiences in school.

“I’m in the habit of going to school every day. I want to learn a lot and would like to become a doctor!”Sultana, 12

“I would like to become a teacher, to help those who are illiterate. When a person is educated it makes them a better person.”Azizur Rahman, 10

“I especially like learning to read and write. I feel good about moving into grade one next year.” Abida, 5

“I feel very lucky to have the school nearby at by resident. I’ll attend high school next year and will get a job outside the tea garden.“Shabnur Akhter, 12

“I am happy to be able to go back to school because of the money from the urban cash transfer. I enjoy my time in school and prefer to not work on the streets” Mohammad Aslam, 11

“During lunchtime, when my mother

comes to visit; she sometimes asks me what I learnt today.

When I can say a new rhyme she kisses me,”

Fatema, 8

“I play with my friends here, I sing, dance, I come here everyday. I don’t feel well when there is no school.” Sakiba Sultana Meem, 4

“My father works at a garments factory. When he is away for work, I enjoy time with my friends in school by singing songs, reciting rhymes and playing games. I like my teachers very much.”Nooruddin, 8

Abida

Shabnur Akhter

Sultana

Fatema

Azizur Rahman

Meem

Mohammad Aslam

Nooruddin

16

N E W S I N B R I E F

U N I C E F B a n g l a d e s h N e w s l e t t e r

1Children’s’ online news service launched

An innovative online news service for children has been launched with the aim of promoting children’s voices in the Bangladeshi media.

Under the “Hello” initiative, children are trained how to write news stories across the country which are then uploaded onto a website (<http://hello.bdnews24.com>). The site is accessible daily to all national and district-level media outlets.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu termed the initiative “a new start”, pointing out that it added a fresh dimension to the country’s mass media which in turn would benefit the government, civil society and the democratic process. The minister urged young journalists to represent the interests of deprived children across the society.

“It is your duty to project their sorrows and sufferings,” he told them.

The inaugural session was attended by BDNews24 Chief Editor Toufique Imrose Khalidi and UNICEF Bangladesh representative Pascal Villeneuve. Two child journalists also took part.

“We are very happy to create this ‘space’ for children with BDNews24 where they will be able to raise their concerns, share their hopes for the future and contribute to decisions that affect their lives,” said Pascal Villeneuve.

BDNews 24 started in September 2012 and provided journalism training to selected children in 20 of most deprived districts of Bangladesh.

3Supporting child rights is profitable for business

UNICEF in association with Save the Children and the CSR Centre organised an orientation session on Children’s Rights and Business Principles (CRBP) for business managers.

The main objective of the workshop was to introduce the CRBP Principles to a group of business managers in charge of corporate social responsibilities and sustainability issues for their respective companies.

The meeting was organized as a part of continued dialogue on child’s rights with the corporate sector so that they can begin to see the benefits of respecting and supporting children’s rights through their business activities.

The workshop highlighted the main features of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

It provided an opportunity for private sector to learn and clarify their understanding about issues related to child rights and how those issues might affect their businesses.

The session was conducted by Professor Dr Ferhat Anwar, from the Institute of Business Administration, Dhaka University. Participants through various group activities came up with ideas on how they can incorporate child rights issues into their products and services.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or to send comments to the editor, please email: [email protected]

UNICEF BangladeshBSL Office Complex, 1, Minto Road, Dhaka 1000Bangladesh

For more informationabout UNICEF Bangladesh,

or to download this newsletter, please visit:

www.unicef.org.bd

2Workshop on Community Radio Monitoring held

Participants called to create provision to co-opt members from relevant sectors and revisit roles and responsibilities of the advisory and monitoring committees in a workshop titled “Monitoring of Community Radio: Challenges and Opportunities”.

Inaugurated by Mr. Hedayethulal Mamun, NDC, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information, the workshop was chaired by Haroon-Ur-Rashid, Joint Secretary (Dev) and Project Director ‘Advocacy and Communication for Children & Women (4th Phase) of the Ministry of Information.

Among others, the participants recommended for simple reporting format for monthly monitoring, clarity on the issue of broadcasting development advertisement, capacity building of the Community radio broadcasters and greater collaboration with Bangladesh radio.

Supported by UNICEF, the workshop was also attended by relevant government officials and the members of the Central and Local Monitoring Committees set up for monitoring community radio activities and 14 Community Radio Initiators.

pre-primary education benefits children in remote areas · pdf fileanyone who doubts that...

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