Girls Education Program- India

"The Girls Education Program supports disadvantaged girls to complete secondary school with the skills needed to negotiate life decisions."

We are at the community center where the girls meet for their activities in an urban slum. We enter a basic concrete structure through a low-mantled door. Traversing a small courtyard, with even a monkey hovering nearby, we proceed to a gathering room. There is only a small table and a few chairs. The concrete walls are mildew stained and the ceiling fans don't work. It is stifling. Some of the mothers are seated on the thin mats on the floor.





We had been briefed by the "social mobilizers" (mentors) about the effects extreme poverty has had on the young girls. But little were we prepared for the joyful experience that awaited us.

We walked into a room full of bright-eyed beautiful smiling girls. They were excited about our visit and proud to show us candles and macrame purses and sculptures from jute they had made. They performed a skit they had created about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, and HIV. Even though spoken in Hindi, there was no mistaking the conviction of the message.

We also visited with the mothers. They aspire for a better life for their daughters. The girls share their life skill knowledge with them too. This, in turn, has given confidence to their mothers as well.

Here I am talking with some of the girls. They kept moving closer and leaning in as we engaged with each other. A mobilizer translated. They asked what I thought of India. I am telling them how I have had a dream to come to India since I was their age. It took me 50 years, but here I am! I'm urging them to keep their dreams and when one comes true, to always have another.

We talked about books. I asked them what they prefer.. Is it mystery? Or science? We all agreed however, that romance is fun. What would they like to be? How many want to be teachers? How many want to be doctors? How many like to draw?

We also talked of what is the same between us and what is different. They have long hair. Mine is short. They are young. I am old. (There was laughter, to be sure.) We all have brown eyes. And we are all girls together. I am telling them, it is the things that are different about us that make life interesting, but it is the things that are the same, that we share, that are important.



Somehow the sweltering heat, the melting bindi (an honor bestowed upon the forehead of guests with red powder and a grain of rice), the trickle of perspiration running down my back didn't matter. I had the time of my life. My tears came later.

There are three men and five women in our group.  Each one of us were moved by the spirit and determination of these girls.  We received more inspiration than we could ever possibly have given.

Education is Like Light

Last night a revered Bengali teacher and writer spoke at our closing event in Bangladesh. The respectful murmur of the crowd and rush of photographers followed his approach to the podium. He bestowed on all of us an affectionate smile. Even though he spoke in Bengali, there was no mistaking the warmth, humor and poignancy in his message. We are all familiar with the tale of the "genie in the bottle" but he offered this to it.

"How is it that this genie who could grant any wish, could not get himself out of that bottle? What was it that was missing in the bottle that thwarted his powers? I will tell you. It is light. Light is the power. Once in the light, the genie was capable of anything. Education is like the light. With it, one can do everything."

Traffic

Riding any form of transportation is a harrowing experience in Bangladesh. We traveled for 3 hours back to Dhaka. Many times catching our breath as buses, TA-TA's (big decoratively painted dump trucks), rickshaw bicycles, baby-taxis, and cars vied for the right to pass. The drivers seem to play the game of "chicken" with the buses being the bully. That isn't even mentioning the people, goats, and cows walking along side. At a brief stop, I quickly opened the window to capture a sense of the experience.

Boat to Read

   

Boat to Read is a service of the Girls' Education Program of Room to Read. It provides pick and drop service to school and home during the 3 months of flood season. We rode along to attend a Reading

Festival.

We are in the Char areas in the Sirajganj district. This is where the Girls' Education Program (and scholarships) are being implemented in Bangladesh.  This area has its own geographical challenges. Chars are islands and riverside sand land masses that are vulnerable to sudden forceful flooding as well as erosion and land loss. These hazardous conditions, combined with lack of infrastructure and government services make living in the Chars difficult.  This results in more Char dwellers living in poverty as compared to the mainland population.   Jute is grown in this area and is a major export.

 We may be the first foreigners they have ever seen.  Many children do not go to school.

It was important to have John Wood there to see the program in action.

The girl in the photograph just won a prize from a reading game as part of the festival.

Few non-government organizations and even government departments have ventured on to the Chars and as a result little information sharing or awareness has happened among the local population. Hence, traditional practices such as child marriage continue to be quite prevalent.
The girls in the picture live on the Chars. Some would like to be teachers and doctors. A question they'd ask of three of us women in the group was if ours were "love marriages".  They are about 12 years old.

We want to show our support to the Room to Read teams and inspire them to keep up their work. Being there also lets us see first hand what the childeren need and the challenges they have to overcome. We honor the students, teachers, families and community and their desire to progress.  It is moving to see Room to Read in action!

Note the building in the background

The soldier was tickled when I showed him the photo on my Blackberry.

No photo op yet...

Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The first impression is the heat. Then, it's the first view of the humanity. The streets are teeming with "Baby-taxis" (three wheeled motor scooters) colorfully and art-fully painted. Crowded buses. Bicycles. Car horns honk a staccato conversation with each other. People are everywhere. There are outdoor stalls making use of every inch to sell a product of some kind. Children napping on the concrete nearby. Meager housing.

Zaki Hasan is the country director for Room to Read. What fun it is to greet him. "I told you we'd be here!"

Today we will see scholarship girls and go on the "Boat to Read". Rivers are used to transport people and goods and is how many of the girls get to school.

Notes on Bangladesh

Bangladesh is about the size of Wisconsin. 156 million people. Nearly half of them cannot read and write. That means 73 million people cannot read. 73 million!

The government has made education a high priority but the country faces many challenges. For example, student teacher ratio is 60 to 1. Can you imagine 60 students in an elementary classroom?

RtR has just begun in Bangladesh. The initial goal for this year is to establish 100 Reading Rooms (A reading room is a library within an existing school.) and provide scholarships for 234 girls through secondary school. It's a good start.

Jet lag

2:30 AM Hong Kong=2:30 PM New York. Of course, I am awake. HK is our portal to Asia & Africa. Two nights is not quite enough to conquer jet lag for me. I'm sitting quietly in the dark not wanting to disturb Dave. Lucky guy is sleeping.

Hong Kong is asleep. No boats traversing the harbor. The water is still. Lights outline the shore and silhouette buildings but not even a car passes on the road below our window. We will be in Bangladesh this afternoon. We heard yesterday that traffic will be heavy and noisy. For now, I will bask in the thought that all of Asia is asleep.

Before we leave, though, I must tell you about HK Chapter for Room to Read. It has been the shining star and fundamental to the success of RtR. This is a modern city, a financial capital of the world! It is heartwarming to know its citizens are generous and caring of their neighbors. The concern for children and literacy is shared worldwide. We've made some dear friends here. We love Hong Kong.

Legoland

It is an overcast morning in Hong Kong. Much of it is industrial smog from mainland China. The harbor is teeming with container ships moving cargo and tiny Chinese junks adding a touch of whimsy to the scene. Tall and compact buildings with architectural flair tower against the hills. It is a giant Lego-land!

Hong Kong

"New York on steroids." We've just arrived.