Social Awareness

Every month we hold a social awareness gathering at each village school for parents, guardians, and the local community. The same teaching is offered to computer and tailoring students at our district offices. We use our own materials.

Topics include child marriage and the government's Child Marriage Restraint Act, dowry, domestic violence, child abuse, the dangers of trafficking, addiction (including mobile phones), nutrition, family planning, the value of education, suicide prevention, household budgeting, gambling, unnecessary C-sections, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Child marriage is a particular focus: nationally, 46% of girls are married before 18.

Clean water and toilets are installed at every village school and made available to the nearby community. Parent meetings cover hygiene, proper use of soap, vaccines, and how to limit diseases such as dengue, typhoid, and other water-borne illness. Staff are trained in methods to control diabetes.

We also train staff in child protection, send people each year for International Child Development Programme facilitator training, and run women's leadership seminars for up to 100 women. In Geneva Camp, Mohammadpur, where girls are at risk of exploitation, we run a weekly young-teens girls' club. Rangpur also opens a girls' club at the town office.