Bulbuli’s struggle for education
6-year-old Bulbuli and her mother, Sajeda.
Families in Bangladesh are struggling to keep their children in school as they battle hunger and frequent climate shocks.
In the southern coastal region of Sarankhola in Bangladesh, widespread poverty and the impacts of climate change are impacting children’s education.
Sajeda is desperate to keep her 6-year-old daughter Bulbuli in school, because she knows education is the only hope she has for a better future. But it’s difficult when she has to send her to school hungry. And with the region hit by an increasing number of cyclones and major weather events, schools are often forced to close.
Sajeda can feel her hope for her daughter’s future being snatched away. “It hurts me when my daughter goes to school hungry,” says Sajeda. “When she comes back after school, we feed her with whatever vegetables and rice are available in the house. We try our best so our daughter doesn’t suffer from hunger."
But hunger is becoming a familiar feeling as the family struggles to earn an income from fishing. 10 extended family members live together in a house made of bamboo, wood, straw and polythene on the roadside. The house is frequently damaged by regular storms and cyclones.
"Storms and floods destroy everything. Houses, furniture, clothes and food were gone. We needed money to rebuild broken homes. There was no money saved. We had to take a loan," says Sajeda.
The situation feels hopeless. “We don’t dare to hope for much for our girl in this situation,” she says. “All we want for her is to continue going to school. It will be good if she can complete her education. Then she can get a good job.”
But with an increasing number of climate-related weather events forcing the school to close for days at a time, even education is not guaranteed. “When the studies are stopped like this, our girl forgets many things. She has to be taught again from the beginning. If there is a cyclone, there is a flood, it is a problem from all sides,” says Sajeda.
Like many families living in poverty, Sajeda’s greatest hope is that things will one day improve for her daughter. “We want to continue my daughter's education. We are used to fighting cyclones, storms and poverty. We want our daughter's life to change. She will study, get a good job, live in a good place.”
Thanks to your love and kindness, we are working in Sarankhola to make sure children like Bulbuli have a brighter future. With your generous partnership, we will empower families to improve their incomes and become resilient to climate shocks like cyclones, so they can provide for their children and continue their educations.
Thank you for helping transform the lives of children and families in Sarankhola.
In the southern coastal region of Sarankhola in Bangladesh, widespread poverty and the impacts of climate change are impacting children’s education.
Sajeda is desperate to keep her 6-year-old daughter Bulbuli in school, because she knows education is the only hope she has for a better future. But it’s difficult when she has to send her to school hungry. And with the region hit by an increasing number of cyclones and major weather events, schools are often forced to close.
Sajeda can feel her hope for her daughter’s future being snatched away. “It hurts me when my daughter goes to school hungry,” says Sajeda. “When she comes back after school, we feed her with whatever vegetables and rice are available in the house. We try our best so our daughter doesn’t suffer from hunger."
But hunger is becoming a familiar feeling as the family struggles to earn an income from fishing. 10 extended family members live together in a house made of bamboo, wood, straw and polythene on the roadside. The house is frequently damaged by regular storms and cyclones.
"Storms and floods destroy everything. Houses, furniture, clothes and food were gone. We needed money to rebuild broken homes. There was no money saved. We had to take a loan," says Sajeda.
The situation feels hopeless. “We don’t dare to hope for much for our girl in this situation,” she says. “All we want for her is to continue going to school. It will be good if she can complete her education. Then she can get a good job.”
But with an increasing number of climate-related weather events forcing the school to close for days at a time, even education is not guaranteed. “When the studies are stopped like this, our girl forgets many things. She has to be taught again from the beginning. If there is a cyclone, there is a flood, it is a problem from all sides,” says Sajeda.
Like many families living in poverty, Sajeda’s greatest hope is that things will one day improve for her daughter. “We want to continue my daughter's education. We are used to fighting cyclones, storms and poverty. We want our daughter's life to change. She will study, get a good job, live in a good place.”
Thanks to your love and kindness, we are working in Sarankhola to make sure children like Bulbuli have a brighter future. With your generous partnership, we will empower families to improve their incomes and become resilient to climate shocks like cyclones, so they can provide for their children and continue their educations.
Thank you for helping transform the lives of children and families in Sarankhola.