Satyaranjan Saha from Harimampur, Manikganj

Nearly 40 families of poor Rabidas have been living near Jhitka Hat since ancient time. The main source of income is the small repair shoe business. Education can be the medium of development of the livelihood of poor people like hunger waits for no delicacy. “Hatbasudebpur Rabidas Education Health Center (Pre-primary)” has been made with the promise of spreading the light of education among poor children. In November 2017 the education center started the journey with 25 students of Rabidas family.

Chair of the Panchayet of Hat Basudebpur Rabidas Jagadish Rabidas (70) said, Jhikka Hat is the famous name of Manikganj. Our settlements beside the hats. We are being marginalized by living in such a beautiful place. Our children have no education, can‘t get a job, people do not respect us. We remain small to other people.” He went on saying “Our small shoe repair business goes slower than before. Because the rubber sandals are available at low prices, Most people use this sandal. These sandals do not need to be repaired. As a result, our earnings decreased. We do not dare to let the children go to schools due to decreasing income. They are growing up being illiterate and unconscious. Now we all want to grow up with the initiative to provide them the light of education. We want to see our children to be educated.”

Nagen Rabidas (45) said , “Through this initiative, the hope of improving quality of life of our children awakened through the education. BARCIK’ is encouraging and suggesting us for our life and livelihood development. In the development of our lives, BARCIK assisted in creating “Education Health Center” for being literate our children. The boys and girls went to school to study, we are very much happy.”

The school’s activities primarily start under the open sky in front of Loknath Temple. Later, school houses was built in collaboration with help of government and non-government organization, individual and political people. Initially, Rani Rabidas, the teacher of the Education Health Center, is teaching the students freely with love and care. An appeal was made to link the Education Health Center to Temple Vicious Activities. In the meantime, the activities of the school are monitored by the representatives of the temple’s fearsome educational activities. It is seen in school monitoring that students of the Education Health Center is studying through dance songs, paintings, poems, and reading in a joyful environment.

The little boy and girls are coming to school with the parents and grandparents. Parents are filled with joy. New possibilities are created through this initiatives. The Rabi das people thus said, “We will not be lagging behind anyone, We all want to go with the tide of development. These children will play an important part in the development by removing poverty through education.”  Through the launch, this school, obtaining public and private services opportunities will be created.

-translated by Bahauddin Bahar