Teacher Mahmuda begins a class at the Shikhon school in Palashpur village.
Teacher Mahmuda begins a class at the Shikhon school in Palashpur village.

UAE's learning gift for children in poverty



DUBAI // Seated on the floor of a modest school in a far-flung Bangladeshi village, two Emirati aid workers were moved by the enthusiasm of children eager to show off their spoken English skills.

"They were bursting with pride when they stood up to recite a poem or write a maths equation on the board," says Asma Malik, a country programme officer with Dubai Cares, a philanthropic organisation working to improve children's access to primary education in developing countries.

Ms Malik has also assessed projects in Jordan, Pakistan, Comoros and Sri Lanka.

"They jumped at the opportunity to ask us questions and we were struck by their innocence," she says.

"They asked us, 'What is your favourite colour? Do you know how to dance? Are you married? Do you have kids? What vegetables do you eat?'."

The primary learning centre was one of several that Ms Malik and Maria Al Qassim visited as part of Dubai Cares' Shikhon initiative, reaching 50,000 students in 1,670 informal Bangladesh schools.

Shikhon means learning in the Bengali language. The project is run in partnership with the Save the Children organisation in impoverished Bangladeshi communities.

Ms Al Qassim recalls meeting parents who helped build the compact centres in Bangladesh.

"There was so much pride as they pointed out a clock, maps or mats they had given," she says. "There was a sense of ownership and pride at being involved in their child's education."

Some learning centres are part of villagers' homes that they share with the school. Other schools are basic bamboo structures with tin roofs, while in some areas villagers have built brick and mud units.

Orange and blue plastic sheets are stretched across the floor, while the walls are covered with colourful pictures of animals and the students' drawings.

The children, ages 8-12, are the sons and daughters of daily wage labourers, and farm and tea plantation workers. They are the first generation of their family to attend school.

From June to September, when floods inundate low-lying areas, the little ones walk through mud and water to reach school. Several thousand children are ferried in small boats by their parents.

Bangladesh is one of the world's poorest nations. Half of its 150 million people live on just US$1 (Dh3.67) a day. Literacy rates are dismal, with a 45 per cent national drop-out rate.

The country has been listed among 35 nations where literacy efforts must be accelerated, according to a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) 2010 report.

Dubai Cares has been involved in Shikhon since 2008. The charity was launched in 2007 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Aid amounting to US$6.1 million (Dh22.4m) over a five-year period in Bangladesh supports the purchase of books and vitamin supplements for children, educational and training material and workshops for teachers and parents.

The Dubai Cares programme officers visited schools, teachers' training centres and workshops to gauge first-hand the scheme's impact.

The project is a bridge that helps children who have never been to school to gain admission into secondary schools.

Ms Al Qassim was struck by the interaction in the classroom.

"The children would stare, their eyes so focused on what the teachers said. One teacher was so dynamic that the children were totally involved in his talk about the importance of vitamins," she says.

Maths, science and English lessons are supplemented with talks about hygiene and social skills, says Talat Mahmud, Save the Children's Shikhon programme director in Dhaka.

"They learn discipline, cleanliness, how to behave with their elders," he says. "These are very significant, besides their academic learning. We also have parenting education, where we teach parents about personal hygiene, nutrition and talk to them against physical punishment."

Support from Dubai Cares was vital, according to Mr Mahmud.

"Education helps build a child's confidence and realises a parent's dreams," he says. "Dubai Cares is on the journey with Save the Children to create an opportunity for these vulnerable communities. It's a great help for us in Bangladesh."

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The specs

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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Other workplace saving schemes
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  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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If you go

The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at. 
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.   

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

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