Takmina's Tale of Breaking Barriers with the Bangladesh Bridge School Project
In a village in central Bangladesh, young Takmina Akter's aspirations to serve and protect her community glisten with determination. This 12-year-old's dream of joining the police force to combat child marriage and aid her neighbors is a powerful echo of the change she wishes to see. "I will stop child marriage and help people in my village," Takmina asserts with unwavering resolve, even as the harsh realities of poverty threatened to anchor her dreams to the ground. Her education, once halted by financial hardship, has found a new beginning with the "Bridge School Project," an initiative by BRAC, supported by Education Above All Foundation's "Educate A Child" programme, designed to bring educational opportunities to out-of-school children like her. This chance for learning could turn Takmina's dream from a distant possibility into a transformative reality for her entire community.
Yet despite her aspirations for a future filled with service to her community, Takmina’s day-to-day reality was overrun by the ravages of poverty. This fact alone held her dreams in check and had swiftly taken Takmina out of primary education four years ago. Her father, Abdullah Mia, drives a van for a living and is the family’s sole breadwinner. Unfortunately, his modest wages rendered education a relative luxury for Takmina and her five siblings, as making the household’s ends meet was a daily struggle. On most days after dropping out, Takmina spent her time idly, saddened to see her friends going off to school while she had no choice but to stay behind...
Takmina grew anxious about her future as the prospect of ever going back seemed to be irretrievably lost. That is, until a knock occurred at Takmina’s door by a project staff member, Mohammed Kashem, conducting a survey for the Bridge School Project.
“Conducting door-to-door surveys are one of the most important steps to identifying OOSC and engaging community members to build greater awareness on the importance of children’s education” says Kashem. Without such close, in-person contact and face-to-face interaction, countless children, like Takmina, may never have the opportunity to realise their right to quality primary education.
As a result of Kashem’s efforts at the door, he was able to speak frankly with Takmina’s parents and allay their concerns regarding associated costs and the provision of learning materials, such as textbooks and khatas (notebooks), all of which are completely free of charge in BRAC Schools! Furthermore, he explained that the school was close to their home and that a female teacher from the community would instruct Takmina. In light of what her parents learned that day, they decided to register Takmina for admission at the project school and she was elated!
Her parents are delighted that Takmina is back in school again, too, and her mother, Selina Begum, who strongly believes in the transformative power of education is hopeful that her daughter will turn out to “be someone meaningful in society” now. Moreover, she and her husband, Abdullah, wish that a new project school would open every year in their village so that more neighbourhood children can seize the opportunity for education.
At the moment, Takmina is taking full advantage of this opportunity. In addition to studying Bengali, her favourite subject, she applies herself across the entire syllabus, learning about proper hygiene and enjoying extracurricular activities, such as singing, dancing, and arts and crafts.
The "Bridge School Project" is five-year nationwide initiative is poised to tackle these challenges head-on, aiming to re-enroll 60,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) and ensure their retention through quality primary education. The program targets urban slums and remote areas with acute dropout issues, focusing on re-enrolling those who have left formal schooling, helping them complete their primary education, and providing a learning experience that nurtures all facets of development. This comprehensive approach includes setting up 2,500 schools across 36 districts, each offering a learner-centred curriculum that not only covers basic literacy and numeracy but also fosters critical thinking and social skills.
