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Bangladesh Subornogram Schools
In Sonargaon, life on the river is hard, and a qual-ity education – something that might break thecycle of poverty – is a rarity. When Books forAsia first learned of Shahed Kayes’s amazing worksupporting education for river peoples on theMeghna River, we decided to help immediately.Through his Subornogram Foundation, Shahedstarted several schools to serve these disadvan-taged groups – providing river children with basicmath and literacy skills, as well as basic Englishclasses. Books for Asia has already donated severalhundred books and educational materials to theSubornogram Schools.
On the river near Sonargaon, the SubornogramFoundation established a school on a boatbecause of the familiarity the children have withthe communal space of the river. Bede, or “rivergypsy,” children, though allowed access toBangladesh’s public schools, often do not attend
for reasons ranging from economic necessity todiscrimination to the impracticality of leaving theriver to attend a school on land. The “boat school”is a very effective way to reach this marginalizedcommunity, and the children who attend are nowextremely excited about school, and the prospectof learning subjects like Math and English.
A forty-minute boat ride from the Bede commu-nity is the island of Mayadip, where, in 1983, thegovernment of Bangladesh relocated anothergroup of river people from Southern Bangladeshto live on this island. The community was grate-ful for the land, but was left without access tomany public services such as schools or a hospital.The Subornogram Foundation addressed theproblem by moving a school into a small one-room building on the island. Here, like the boatschool, education is provided free of charge, andis operated by a dedicated staff of volunteers. The
Not far from Dhaka, the modern capital city of Bangladesh, is the country’s ancient capital - an area nowknown as Sonargaon. Here, on the Meghna River, live two communities of once-nomadic river peoples.Forgotten and overlooked by much of society, they have lived for decades without electricity, hospitals,schools, and other basic services. Many of the families here survive on less than a dollar a day, and fewof their children attend any form of school. Illiteracy is rampant, economic opportunities are limited, andmodernization has rendered much of the traditional work of these river communities obsolete.
The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program is the only regular book donation program in Bangladesh, and has provided more than 2 million books since the country’s independence in 1971.
The Asia Foundation
has been programming
in Bangladesh
since 1954.
In 2008, the
Foundation distributed
nearly 54,000 books
and journals
to schools, colleges,
universities, and NGOs
in Bangladesh.
BANGLADESH
HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) [email protected]
BANGLADESHHouse 3/BRoad No. 50Gulshan 2Dhaka-1212, BangladeshTel: + 880 (2) 882-6941 to 44Fax: + 880 (2) [email protected]
www.asiafoundation.org
illiteracy rate runs high on theisland, but now many children areable to read; the first generation inmany of the families to be able todo so.
Books for Asia provides thousandsof books and materials to communi-ties across Bangladesh every year,and we work with leaders and inno-vators like Shahed Kayes to ensurethat our donations are used in themost effective ways possible. And ifthere is anyone who understands the importanceand inherent value of books, it’s Shahed, who,himself, was born in Sonargaon but managed toescape the cycle of poverty through hard work,tenacity, and a quality education. Our partnersextend and enhance our ability to make a differ-
ence in areas where opportunity is a rare thing. Books for Asia is proud to work withSubornogram Foundation and others like it toassist in the educational development ofBangladesh.
11/09
The Asia Foundation is
a private, non-profit,
non-governmental
organization. Through
its programs, the
Foundation builds
leadership, improves
policies, and strengthens
institutions to foster
greater openness and
shared prosperity in the
Asia-Pacific region. It is
funded by contributions
from corporations,
foundations, individuals,
and governmental
organizations in the
U.S., Europe, Canada,
Australia, and Asia, and
an annual appropriation
from the U.S. Congress.
