The Tea Plantation workers of Bangladesh are among the poorest social group in the nation. The families are indentured to the tea gardens and live in extreme poverty.
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The workers in the tea plantations in Bangladesh are probably the most disadvantaged social group in the country, working basically as slave labour for less than one Australian dollar a day. Their poor living and working conditions, as well as the social discrimination against them as members of minority tribal groups, deprive them of basic human needs and rights necessary for personal and societal progress. These conditions create a vicious circle in which their children in turn have no other option than becoming tea workers themselves. Social norms give boys distinct preference in terms of getting any formal education at all. Uneducated girls are married off during adolescence, the age group where maternal mortality is extremely high in Bangladesh. In 150 years since the first generation of workers was brought to the tea plantations, not a single member has reached tertiary studies.
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Now, thanks to Lentiy Australia, working in partnership with AMS and St. Marcellin High School in Moulvibazar, the children of the tea gardens a chance to better themselves through education. Specifically, Lenity Australia has provided female scholarships so that the girls of the tea gardens can attend school. These scholarships have meant that the school provides a balanced male and female cohort.
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St Marcellin School, Moulovibazar aims to strengthen the education system in the Tea Gardens as well as the individual abilities, knowledge, attitudes and skills of the students. The school requires additional donations to continue their vital work in the community. To find out more about our work in Bangladesh or to donate please visit our website: Bangladesh
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