Orphans who might have slipped through the net get the chance of a better education
26 Aug 2011
Some of the most underprivileged children in the Bangladeshi town of Mymensingh are having the chance of a better education, thanks to staff and students at the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture.
This effort was coordinated by Dr Andy Shinn who has helped this Bangladeshi school over a number of years. In fact, this is the third year Andy and colleagues have done this, raising cash and buying materials for the school. Through a series of charity events and spare change donated by staff and students from the Institute, we raised £644 this year. This effort has involved everyone here at the Institute and included raffles through stores, donations of free materials, selling of home made jewellery, sporting bizarre facial hair for a month, and of course the donation of spare change.
The cash was used to buy about 100 kg of basic learning materials and equipment for almost 100 kids aged 5 to 14. Most of the money was used to buy exercise books, paper, pens, pencils, maps, paint, rulers etc though part of the fund is used to pay the teachers a small fee for all that they do. We also try to provide small bits of larger equipment, for example this year staff visiting from the Institute made a couple of blackboards which were taken to the school.
Materials purchased in the UK have either been bought and flown out directly from the Institute via British Council in Dhaka or have been introduced with the help of the British Council.