We have 57 Rohingya Community Teaching Volunteer (RCTV) in 60 learning centers engaging 4,800 students. Our education initiative in the camps is made possible by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
When the roads were purple on the way to school, Hasan* (21) looked forward most to the walk with his siblings. He recollects,
S pyay see (java plums) would color the roads during the summer months, and we’d pick some on the way to school as a sweet treat.
With five of his siblings, he would sometimes take the fruit to their father’s rice shops.
My father would sometimes give us a treat for bringing him a plum or two. We knew he was happy that we took the time to visit.
Those walks became memories when they had to come to Bangladesh. It was the routine that Hasan missed the most:
We were no longer children. There were days that we went hungry, so our everyday focused on getting food and staying safe.
Despite the crowded conditions in the camps, Hasan’s family found ways to make ends meet. He continues,
My father and I would collect wood and rattan to sell in the camps.
Making his way to the camps, he wondered if he would find solace in those walks and the time to be a child again.
In 2018, our learning center enrolled Hasan in Grade 3. He was one of thousands of Rohingya children returning to learning. “Going to the center made me feel like I was a student again.” He also found the center as a safe space and looked forward to the classes. Hasan continues, “I became interested in learning because the teachers made us participate and engage in learning.” He completed Grade 5 at our learning center and continued his education through other programs. Hasan continues, “I was fortunate that my parents were so supportive and made sure our education expenses were covered.”
Determined to recreate those childhood walks with his students, Hasan walks to one of our learning centers, where he is a RCTV. “I love that the two-room learning center is covered by trees. It’s like a little oasis outside our colorful classrooms for my students to make the same kinds of memories that I did.”
Continuing despite the uncertainty, Hasan reminds his students that education will one day give them ownership of their future:
“I dream of continuing my education. For now, I am able to teach and give my students that same bit of hope I had once they opened the learning center. And I never want them to lose that.”
