Marist Solidarity is working in partnership with the Marist District of Asia to improve access to education for young people living in rural tea plantation communities in Bangladesh.
A new secondary school is under construction in Moulvibazar—an area located to the north east of Bangladesh in the district of Sylhet—and is due for completion in mid-2016.
The brothers are also establishing a hostel for girls, which will be completed early in the new year. The hostel will enable students from disadvantaged backgrounds to live and study in a safe, clean, and supportive environment.
Of Bangladesh’s 153 so-called tea gardens, 91 are located in Moulvibazar. Communities that work in these plantations are the most vulnerable in Bangladesh. They are poorly paid and more than 75 percent of their children cannot read or write.
Most students finish their schooling at grade five and have no way of accessing secondary education.
In many cases, tea plantation workers have lost their traditional languages, cultural heritage, and dignity. They are isolated from the majority of Bengali communities and are often treated as ‘untouchables’.
The Marist Brothers are working with the Catholic diocese of Sylhet to break this cycle of poverty and exploitation by establishing the secondary school and hostel next to the tea plantations. The secondary school will cater for up to 200 students, from grades six through to 10.
The new school and hostel is being constructed in partnership with local building professionals. Project coordinator, Brother Eugenio Sanz, says the relationship with these builders has been like dealing with “family”.
He says, “For us, they are not only builders. Now, they have a name, a family, and personal stories.
“I wish this to be an advancement of the good spirit that we want to establish in the school when it will be up and running.”
Brother Eugenio says, “We greatly appreciate the support of all those who help us with their words, their prayers or their money.”
Click here to find out more or to donate to the Moulvibazar secondary school or girls’ hostel. Alternatively check out Br Eugenio’s blog or follow the story on the Marist Moulvibazar Facebook page.
Construction of the new secondary school is due for completion in mid-2016.