But in 1998 his life took a new turn when he enrolled at the Underprivileged Children's Educational Programs (UCEP) Bangladesh. He completed basic education in 2002 and then underwent a one-year training course at UCEP Technical School in 2004. At present he is working as a machine technician at a garments company and earning Tk 7000 per month. Rafiq is understandably grateful to UCEP as he can now afford to stay in a flat instead of slum.

"Without the help of UCEP, it would have been impossible for me to come this far. Although my family enrolled me there, at one point they insisted that I quit and take up a job to support the family. But my teachers at UCEP helped me to continue," said Rafique.

Like Rafiq, more than 1.28 lakh underprivileged children have already changed their lives with the help of UCEP since its inception in 1972. The programme is funded by SDC Switzerland, Royal Danish Embassy, DFID-UK, Royal Norwegian Embassy and SCSD.

Only working children (boys over the age of 11 and girls over the age of 10) are eligible to join UCEP. As there are limited seats the authorities check an individual's interest in studying before accepting him or her. This is done to avoid students from dropping out of school.

UCEP's work is based on activities such as general education for working children up to grade VIII, vocational and technical education for working children in various trades, employment and field services for the graduates, para-trade (basic skill) training for working children, development of integrated general and vocational education and skill training. It provides general education through its 32 schools located in the four metropolitan cities -- Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi. Each school operates in three shifts a day, each of two and a half hour's duration. This allows a working child to choose a shift of his or her convenience.

These schools run two academic sessions in one calendar year, each of six month's duration, with a target of 135 schooling days. In this way, a child can complete up to grade VIII in four and a half years including six months of preparatory schooling. To learn the textbooks within the shorter academic year UCEP general schools follow the curriculum and textbooks of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) but in an abridged form. But students do not face any problems in coping with this curriculum.

Fatema, who had gone to a primary school before enrolling at UCEP said: "Our teachers make the text easier for us to understand than primary school teachers."

After completing general education UCEP provides vocational education to general school graduates in three technical schools and para-trade training in eleven schools in four divisional headquarters. It imparts technical education on 17 trades and para-trade skill training on nine trades. These centres run two three and a half hour shifts a day for students to learn while they earn. Then they join the technical school according to their merit. Those who fail to enroll in technical schools usually join the para-trade centres. It imparts skills training on short courses of six-month duration.

Umar Faruq, a hawker and a UCEP student finished his graduation (class-VIII) and enrolled into technical training. He is now pursuing new goals. "If my family can afford it, I want to acquire higher education on fabrics," said Faruq.

Employment and Field Service (EFS) section does all the work regarding job facilities for UCEP graduates. The main responsibilities of this section include surveying the job market, organise job hunting days and employers committee meetings. It analysis employers demand to upgrade their graduates to get better jobs.

"Other than these facilities UCEP has started SSC programme under Bangladesh Open University (BOU) and SSC vocational programme under Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) this year," said, Arifur Rahman, program officer, advocacy and communication.

"We are also offering up to Tk one lakh in loan to the students for self-employment under Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) credit programmes," he added.

He also informed with the help of Dutch Bangla Bank's interest free revolving fund UCEP have placed 35 graduates in jobs abroad in 2003. Now UCEP has three technical schools and is going to open two more technical schools at Dhaka's Sayedabad and in Rajshahi.

"We are also planning to implement Integrated General and Vocational Education (IGVE) programme", Said Mokhlesur Rahman, programme officer, management information system. "Under this programme, from the general level students will gather basic knowledge about technical and para-trade training."

The government has adopted UCEP's activities as a model and formed a new project 'Reaching out of school children'. Under this project the government will provide primary education. Later these students will get education and training at UCEP for two years.