Moulovibazar education programme

Tea plantation workers are one of the most disadvantaged social groups in Bangladesh. They belong to different ethnic groups, each with their own language: Garo, Kashia, Bengali, Munda, Santal, Kondo, Uriah, Tripura and Anglo. They should have special attention from the government, but unfortunately they remain socially excluded, are mostly illiterate, receive very low wages (about 69 taka per day, i.e. 69 euro cents), and are marginalised and isolated. In the huts inside the plantations they seem to live on islands, detached from the rest of the population that often treats them as ‘untouchables’. They have no access to education and do not speak Bengali. At the same time, they have difficulty maintaining a sense of belonging to their community and culture of origin. All this makes them vulnerable to exploitation and even more marginalised.

Poor housing conditions, low wages, long working hours and social discrimination deprive workers and their families of the satisfaction of basic needs. The daily diet is very poor and living conditions are poor, especially with regard to water supply and sanitation. This together with the lack of education is at the root of the spread of diseases, especially among children. The existing primary schools, most built by the plantation owners, others by the government and some run by NGOs, remain few in comparison to the number of children and adolescents in the area, and secondary schools are minimal in number. The education provided also remains a problem due to the poor training of teachers. Most children drop out of school before the end of the school term to help their parents with their labour as labourers or do not acquire the necessary basic training. These conditions mean that the children of tea workers have no alternative but to become tea workers in the future.

AIM OF THE PROGRAMME: