By Ohidur Rahman, Netrakona

Chakpara of Netrakona, where 35 Horijan (Marginal indigenous community) families live. These people have been working as cleaners and sweepers in the towns for a long time and there have been no changes in the occupation for the last few decades. Thus being unaware they never realize the importance of education leading them to engage their kids in these sorts of works. They have been habituated to live in congested houses with many family members where good sanitation is absent.

The Horijan community people have been deprived from different civic services and facilities they are entitled to enjoy as citizens, due to their ignorance and unawareness. However, good things are to come for the communities as 2 girls from the communities for the first time have appeared secondary school certificate (SSC) exams in 2019 and successfully passed. The two girls are Payel and Priya. BARCIK has played an important role to motivate and aware the communities through series of activities which resulted in their eagerness to send their kids to schools.

However. Priya and Payel want to continue their study and get admission to higher secondary school certificate. Priya and Payel have saved them from early marriage in early dates by informing the police administration and have returned back the dowry money that their fathers paid to the groom families through the helps of others. Thus, in spite of adverse situation, deprivation, poverty and discrimination these two girls dream to go ahead and do something for their society. Priya wants to become police officer while Payel wants to become a teacher after completion of their studies.

Toma Roy, a teacher is the person who inspires and motivates the two girls and coaches them in their house. Toma Roy herself has come from a Dalit and poor community. She has been working for the development and education of Dalit and children in the area. It is Toma Roy who has encouraged these two girls and other study for changing their luck. Priya and Payel were invited in program in Netrakona where the district commissioner (DC) and representatives of civil society were present. Priya and Payel received books from the DC and they shared their views and feelings in the program which gave messages to the concerned authorities regarding the poverty, deprivation and discrimination of the communities. These two girls now are the inspiration for their communities and seeing them some other kids are becoming encouraged and eager to receive education and enlighten their society.

Translated by Silvanus Lamin