Why wait for others when we can do it ourselves?
While some of us sit and wait for the world to change, others step up and create change themselves. A Managing Director of a commercial bank, who wishes to remain anonymous, and his three daughters are prime examples of how individuals can improve our society.
Despite their busy schedules, the family members take turns throughout the week to teach the street children for an hour every evening, in the parking garage of their building. The books and stationery are provided for free, animated English films are screened through a projector, and hearty meals are enjoyed each Friday.
It began in 2015, when the banker asked the street children to sit with him and from their first conversation he realised the potential behind each bright face. He believes that nurturing people opens roads to freedom and growth; these kids are no different from us, we simply fail to give them a proper environment.
The friendly colloquial atmosphere in the garage parking lot is a favorable learning platform for the children. Some of them state that the long hours and systematic way of learning in formal settings is not for them; especially, if they are earning during the day. One boy, who introduced himself proudly, by spelling out his name Alamin, mentioned that his stepfather restrains him from entering school but now he can learn the essentials without informing his parents.
On a typical Friday class, as the children eagerly do their math calculations and are immersed in their reading of Rabindranath Tagore's Chelebela, the youngest daughter, a school student herself, supervises them. She admits that minor challenges exist, such as irregular attendance, but she is happy to be contributing to society.
Equipped with basic education, opportunities have opened up for the kids. Few former cigarette sellers are currently hired in grocery stores and showrooms due to their ability to read, write and calculate. The banker believes in higher possibilities in the future, he expects to see them as HSC/SSC and university graduates, and hopes that some are employed in his own bank one day.
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