Project

Programme Goal: To reduce drop-out ratesat primary schoolsand to improvethe health of children from poor families through providing good-quality after-school education with closesupervision, together with nutritious meals and food education

Sector Focus:Health and Education

Status:Completed

Duration:2011-18

Donor:Project Bangladesh (USA)

Number of beneficiaries:15,000 (direct 5,000,indirect 10,000)

Working area:Digholia(in Khulna district)

Activities:

• randomly selecting 40-60 poor children in years 2, 3 and 4 from the Kawracommunity;
• supplying school uniforms, bags and education materials;
• providing daily after-school education to those children;
• supplying daily nutritious food to the children, four teachers and the supervisor;
• arranging government officials to visit the Kawra site in Aranghata and sharing with them our methods;
• arranging annual sports days for the children;
• arranging bi-monthly meetings with parents/guardians on children’s progress;
• sharing the support of Project Bangladesh USA with the Kawra community and the Aranghata Primary School managing committee;
• quarterly progress meetings with deputy commissioners and monthly updates for the upazila nirbahi officer, Dighalia;
• monthly examinations by teachers to monitor children’s progress and the impact of the project;
• appointing a doctor and a nurse to serve the Kawra community including the children;
• providing basic medicines, free of cost; and daily oversight of the centre, teachers and children by the programme supervisor and fortnightly visits by the director.

Success Story03: Joyonto Das

Joyonto Das (10) attends the state-run Aranghata primary school in Dighalia (Khulna district). Before joining the HED project in 2016, when he was in year2, he suffered a great deal from illness including rheumatic fever and malnutrition. Because his parents were unableto afford any medical attention, he stopped attending school. On joining the programme, he received the treatment and medicine he needed at no cost from the HED project and now he is continuing school. His mother Anita Das said: Because of his continuous illness, we had decided to discontinue his school, but when the Nice Foundation supported us, we got the courage to

continue his schooling.”         

Success Story04: Etee Mollick

Etee Mollick (10) attends the same school as Joyonto. Her parents were so poor they could not even afford two daily meals and they could not afford to meet any educational expenses. Only after the field staff met with Etee’s parents and offered to meet all Etee’s educational expenses were the parents able to allow her to continue her education. She studied with renewed dedication and in her first term she came second out of 155 students. Etee’s mother told the NiceFoundation’s Director that Etee wants to continue her education and to get job with the Nice Foundation after her matriculation.