Bangladesh

Bangladesh has achieved significant strides in human development since independence, however it has endured great poverty, famine and political turmoil that has left vast inequality throughout the country. While more than 15 million Bangladeshis have been brought out of poverty since 1992, there are still approximately 47 million people living below the poverty line. Bangladesh has one of the largest primary education systems in the world with approximately 18 million primary school aged children (6 to 10 years), but the country still faces major challenges such as access, equity and the quality of education.

The Marist Brothers first arrived in Bangladesh in 2007. After being immersed in the culture and building relationships with the local community they begun to identify areas that were rife with disadvantage and inequality. The realisation was that the children of the tea plantation workers were the most disadvantaged social group in the country. They have since been working alongside these people to determine their needs.