Australia helps build school for underprivileged children
The Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Dr Justin Lee presented a cheque of BDT 18 lac to Chitto Halder of the Society for Lowest Urban Mass on 28 January, to help it build a school for underprivileged children living in the slum areas in Badda.
Thousands of people live in overcrowded areas in and around Badda with little or no access to services to meet their basic needs. Poverty and low incomes lead some parents to encourage their children into hazardous and exploitative work or crime.
Society for Lowest Urban Mass is a local NGO which will use the funding provided to complete the construction of a school building that is providing education to around 150 children at a time. All these children come from extreme poor families and are either left out or drop out from the mainstream schooling.
The Australian High Commissioner visited the school building under construction last year with Chitto Halder and Ms Rose Figtree, a supporter from Australia, and was impressed by the efforts that had been made so far to get the school up and running and the quality of education being provided to underprivileged children. Dr Lee said he hoped Australia’s support would enable the school to continue its efforts.
Funding was provided under the Australian High Commission’s Direct Aid Program (DAP), which is an annual scheme that funds around ten projects every year focusing on local community development.
So far in 2009-2010, around BDT 143 lac has been provided to support projects on: women’s empowerment through skill development; improved education facilities for indigenous children in the Chittagong Hill Tracts; sustainable safe water supply and sanitation project in Bandarban district; and prevention of avoidable blindness of poor eye patients in Gazipur.
Australian High Commission, Dhaka
31 January 2010
For further information please contact:
Senior Research and Communications Officer
Australian High Commission, Dhaka.
Tel: 8813105, E-mail: [email protected]