 "Choose a candidate for scholarship from the PSD. Make them a part of your lives, and help them to dream of better lives in the future and make them feel as blessed as we are."
With keeping this slogan they start their journey with only 20 students during the year of 2001. They did it from a sense of social responsibility. And initially the total expenditure of this project they took on their shoulder. After just one year, a local NGO, Bangladesh Federation of University Women came forward to help them. But it was not sufficient as they paid a nominal amount of money for the salary of the teacher.
In the beginning, their target groups comprised with the area of 12 no Pearabag slums and its surrounding areas. In the end of the year when the number of students certainly increased just then in 2008 PSD started a new project 'APAN JAN' (Dear one). Anybody can be a member of this project by donating Tk. 500.00 per month or Tk. 6,000.00 per year for each student as the education expenses of one or more students of "Shopna Moder Manush Hobo" School.
What are the objectives of the programme, when we asked the Chief Executive of PSD, Shibnath Sarker, he said, "Mainly we are trying to promote those children who are economically underprivileged. Because of money they can't continue their studies despite their talents. Now these education parents are helping them. It is not because of their whims, rather they, the education parents, are committed to the children till the time these students continue their studies.
"Second thing is developing a synergy between two groups of the society, privileged and underprivileged." In this way PSD wants to change the society. Usually they follow the government's curriculum.
Primarily an education parent of one child or more have to finance for their education at least for one year. The costs may be donated yearly on in installments. They can gift the child two sets of clothing. If for any reason, they cannot continue the scholarship that they give, they must have to notify the PSD- Authority 3 months in advance. By attending PSD meeting with the children, they (education parents) get to know them better. They may also help the school by bearing expenses incurred such as teacher salaries, rent, the students' nutrition expenses etc.
On 21 February 2009 PSD, arranged its first Education Parents Meeting by introducing the students and their education parents who are the member of APANJAN project.
Right now the total number of students is 135 and the number of classes are six from pre-one to class five. The number of students of Pre one is 28, class one is 32, class two is 20, three is 18, four is 20 and five is 12. Because of space limitation problem now they have two shifts. The first shift of class starts at around 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Pre-one to class two) and second shift starts from 11.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. (Class two to five).
For the recreation of students, the NGO also arranges some study-tour near to the city such as Dhaka Zoo, National Museum. For the celebration of some special day for example on the 21st February they draw and make rally. During the observance day they also arrange some indoor cultural programmes.
For the students PSD also having 4 teachers to teach them music and acting. The Chief Executive was asked about the requirements to run this programme successfully. He said " Personally I feel that when all the sections of the society such as civil society, business and corporate people, government as well as others will extend their hand altogether towards this underprivileged students, only then we would be able to reach our goal." He also mentioned right now this school is facing severe lack of logistic and infrastructure support.
We talked to HSBC, Branch Manager, Sayeeda Sajed. She said, once she came to the PSD and became one child's education parent. Later her mother also became another child's education parent and finally when her mother went to Canada to meet her daughter, after hearing all of this she also became education parent too.
Sathi Akter, is a class four student of ISD. Her father is a driver and mother is a domestic help. When she was asked about her aim of life, very delightedly she answered "I want to be a teacher like the ones who teach us here so that one day I would teach the boys and girls of my area."
Md. Suman, is a student of class three. When he was asked about his ambition of life, he said, "I want to be a doctor so that I can help those who do not have sufficient money for treatment." He also added that after coming here he came to know how to clean himself, so when he would be a doctor, he would tell them how to clean themselves."
Shireen Rahman, President of PSD said "We started our journey with only 20 students, now it is almost 135. We hope day by day the number of students would be increased. But in the same time we really need some help from the different section of our society." She added, the first time when she was thinking about changing the lives of these underprivileged children she realised many of them were involved with crimes. Finally after talking to some of her good friends she made the conclusion that only education can bring a miraculous change in to the life of this underprivileged children. She said, "Now we need only promotion of this concept of education parent. In some special programmes we arrange get-together meetings for biological and education parents so that in future if these children want to continue their studies, they would help them."
Mahfuja Akter, a teacher of PSD, said, they have come from a different set of environment. When they are at school they study well, again when they are at home nobody is there to help them. Among them many are highly ambitious. Right now because of lack of space they cannot sit properly. So they need some help."
From the Chief Executive we also came to know that when a person wants to be an education parent, they are shown a catalogue that has pictures of all the students of the school. When we asked the reason he said, " People who are willing to become education parents can select either a boy or a girl. So from this point of view we also can make a conclusion that these education parents not only take the responsibility rather the moment he chooses a boy or a girl certainly he becomes committed. And then it is not a kind of imposition any more. It makes a strong bond. This is a very positive sign."
"Programme for Sustainable development (PSD), is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the development of the hard core poor through enhancing their dignity and status in each sphere of society and state through different types of program, such as, education, training, skill development, micro-credit, advocacy, etc. Non-formal education for the disadvantaged children of Pearabagh slum is a unique programme of the organisation, which currently has 135 children who are being educated. |