The school of inclusion
Eight-year-old Khadija Akhter has never been to school. She is also well past the eligible age to enter a primary school.
A member of the Manta community, she was born and lived her whole life with her family in a boat at a riverbank in Char Montaz Launch Ghat area, a remote shoal in Patuakhali’s Rangabali upazila.
The community survives on fishing and leads a nomadic life in boats since losing their lands to river erosion and climate change. They have no identity, like National Identity Cards or birth registration.
Attending school is, at very best, an alien concept to her.
But the unthinkable has become possible for her, thanks to an initiative of local nongovernment organisation Jago Nari with funding from UK-based donor agency Muslim Charity.
They inaugurated a floating school at a remote shoal area near her fishing community.
Her nineteen-year-old brother Md Ripon, never having had the privilege of attending school himself, recently enrolled his sister in the free school.
“I never got an opportunity at education. But I should send my sister when there is a chance of a better future,” Ripon told The Daily Star.
There are a total of 86 Manta families in Char Montaz area, with a population of 350, including 100 children.
Thirty-five children have already gotten admitted to the 50-seat floating school, said Hosneara Hasi, executive director at Jago Nari.
“We will be providing these children with pre-primary education for one year. Once they are eligible, we will then send them to a nearby government primary school so that they can continue their studies,” she added.
Under the three-year project -- ‘Education for Inclusion of Manta Community (EIMC) -- a floating boat like structure -- 75 feet long and 18 feet wide -- was built at a cost of Tk 20 lakh. The total cost of the project was Tk 60 lakh, which includes payment of teachers and costs of books, stationery, bags, tiffin boxes, mats and lifejackets, said Fazlul Karim, project coordinator.
The boat includes modern equipment, including computers and televisions, that are run by solar power and an in-house generator. Two teachers have been appointed to run the school from 10:00am to 5:00pm daily, he added.
We have provided tiffin boxes, but the children bring their own snacks to eat, said Nazmunnahar, a teacher at the school.
Md Matiul Islam Chowdhury, deputy commissioner (DC) of Patuakhali, inaugurated the school on October 18 as the chief guest in presence of Dr Md Jahirul Islam, Rangabali upazila chairman, Md Mashfaqur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer, Abu Shamsuddin Ahmed, Rangabali upazila Awami League unit acting president and Md Hanif Mia, local UP chairman.
“We will take an initiative to settle them on land by building an Ashrayan project and bring them under different government social safety programmes, like adult allowances, fisherman allowance, Vulnerable Group Feeding and Vulnerable Group Development,” said the DC.
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