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ASPIRE
Your Monthly News & Updates
February 2020
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OBAT is a Favorite with Global Giving!
Great to receive the staff favorite badge from our partner, Global Giving! The badge was awarded as OBAT was selected by someone from their team as their favorite! Prior to this, Global Giving has awarded OBAT four other badges for effectiveness, site-visit verified organization, top-ranked as well as vetted organization of 2019. Thank you Global Giving!
View our projects hosted on their platform:
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| Students admitted into vocational education |
47 Students Receive Admission Into Vocational Education Programs
T
echnical vocational education, and training (TVET) is important for promoting economic development, increasing employment opportunities as well as improving the quality of employment. Bangladesh is a rapidly growing country and hence also needs a trained and growing workforce to keep pace with the demands of the economy. OBAT has also been promoting skill-based education and the program has been very successful in Chittagong. This year, 47 students were admitted in BKTTC (Bangladesh Korea Technical Training Center) and in CMTTC (Chittagong Mohila Technical Training Center). OBAT's School in Chittagong provides an education up until grade 8. After the students take their JSC (Junior School Certificate) exams, OBAT provides them with financial assistance for obtaining admission into vocational programs.
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Student Assessments Ensure Provision of Quality Education
During January, all OBAT students in levels 1 and 2 in the Rohingya Learning Centers, were evaluated based on their performance in the December examinations.
Our Education Team worked hard to adjust class lists accordingly, ensuring that children who passed the exams moved up a level for the new year of learning. Evaluation and assessments are vital to ensuring that quality education is provided and that the children's abilities have grown as a result of the education we provide. Our team held parent meetings for all our 23 Learning Centers, and parents were given progress cards that reported on last year's performance of their children.
Digital Learning assessments are being conducted at present as well, with the assistance of Teach the World Foundation (TTWF), OBAT's partner organization. The results will not only determine which students advance to the next level of study but will also provide useful data to the TTWF team, which they will use to continue studying the impact of a Digital Learning curriculum on students' learning outcomes worldwide. Learning Center 1's teacher, Ubaidua, proudly shared with us that all his students scored above 90 percent on their exam two weeks ago.
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| Zach & Auden greet the scouts team |
Videography and Photography Duo Visits the Projects
2012 was the first time Zachary Rockwood (
www.zacharyrockwood.com), a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer from Los Angeles visited OBAT's projects and created a beautiful
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| A student receives the text books |
New Partnership Offers Free Education to OBAT Students
OBAT's Dhaka English School offers an English medium instruction to students from kindergarten to grade 5. In January, OBAT joined hands with CZM (Center of Zakat Management). CZM runs the Granada School. Under this partnership, the graduating students from OBAT's English School will be able to continue studying in 6th grade and onward at Granada School. The Chairman of CZM, Mr. Niaz Rahim, kicked off the partnership by distributing books among the students. The students' education up to high school will be free of cost. We are grateful for this valuable partnership which enables our students to continue their education.
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Some youth play ball outside the center
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New Digital Learning Program for 84 Rohingya Youth
OBAT Helpers USA and Prantic Unnayan Society are partners in providing 180 children in the Rohingya Camp and Host Community with access to 'Digital Learning' education, with partnering organization, Teach the World Foundation. OBAT is now expanding the current Digital Learning Project to reach youth and adolescents. Youth and adolescents are a neglected and vulnerable demographic in the camp, with limited opportunities to access education, life skills sessions, and capacity building. This group is vulnerable to joining radicalized groups, child marriage, human trafficking, and child labor. Thus their engagement in programming such as our new project, will serve to minimize this vulnerability. Our new project will mean that 84 vulnerable youth and adolescents have the opportunity to engage in classes that will build their capacity in English, Burmese, Mathematics and Life Skills, as well as build their confidence.
Enrollment of adolescent girls and boys took place in January, and at present, nearly all the spots in this new project have been filled! We anticipate that classes will be able to begin in the coming weeks.
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| Mr. Khan speaks to the camp families |
OBAT's President Mr. Khan is Visiting Bangladesh
OBAT's President and Founder, Mr. Anwar Khan, along with his wife and co-founder of OBAT, Mrs. Afshan Khan, are currently in Bangladesh. Mr. Khan spends a few months every year visiting the projects, speaking to the camp residents to discern their issues, meeting with the staff as well as monitoring and evaluating the projects. This time, the couple are accompanied by family members from Pakistan, Mr. Ehsan Khan, Mrs. Tasneem Khan and Mrs. Perveen Alam. More photos of the visit can be viewed
here.
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A child holding the picture book
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Rohingya Children Receive Psycho-Social Support Through Volunteer Initiatives
"Dear Child," is a letter to refugee children in picture book form, created by Jade Hawes, Founder of Humanitarian Picture Books. Jade is a humanitarian specialized in Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluation and holds a Masters degree in International Development and Humanitarian Crisis Response. Jade spent 10 days with us in the Kutupalong Camp, assisting with various areas of education and health programming, as well as researching for her picture book through dialogues and interactions with Rohingya children and adults.
Humanitarian Picture Books 'convenes crisis-affected communities, story tellers, humanitarian actors, and artists to deliver tailored, healing stories to children coping with crisis.'
They are an organisation on the forefront of what is needed most in the camps- psychosocial support.
Thank you to Jade for everything, and for gifting copies of her precious book, "Dear Child." The kids adore them!
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Students with their certificates
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New Batch of Students graduates from Syedpur IT Center
Short IT introduction courses are also offered to students who have taken the SSC (secondary school certificate) and JSC (junior school certificate) exam. These are students who are studying in various educational programs of OBAT (schools and computer training centers) and are not currently attending classes as they await the results of the government-mandated exams they have taken. OBAT encourages them to spend their free time productively by enrolling in these short courses.
A batch of 34 JSC students from the Syedpur IT Center just completed their Office Applications course. The Center held a small ceremony to distribute certificates among the graduating students.
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| Competing students from OBAT's School |
OBAT Students Make us Proud!
The Bangladesh National Children and Seasonal Competition 2020, was held at the Bangladesh Railway Government High School grounds in Chittagong. 35 students from OBAT's Junior
High School participated in a competition attended by 8 public schools.
Twenty-one of our competent students received a prize- two of these students won three events. We are proud of our students who excel not just academically but in extracurricular activities as well.
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| Rangpur School student is excited to receive new books |
1,4
97 Students Receive New Text Books
Bangladesh holds a countrywide celebration of National Textbook Festival every year on January 1st. As a part of this festival, the government of Bangladesh provides free text books to elementary school students. OBAT's educational projects also participate in this event which generates a great
deal of excitement among its students. Among the schools that held a book distribution ceremony were OBAT's Khulna, Syedpur and Rangpur Schools.
A total of
1,497
text books were distributed among OBAT students.
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| Prof. John Packer & Anne-Lise with Rohingya community members |
Rohingya Projects Receive Teams from North American Universities
John Packer is a Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution in the Faculty of Law, and Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, at the University of Ottawa. He has held a professional career in the field of international human rights, diplomacy and security for over 30 years, having worked in the United Nations and serving as a current adviser to the UN and many international NGOs and human rights organizations. Professor Packer and his Research Assistant, Anne-Lise Boch, visited the Health Post of OBAT Helpers, and spoke to a group of Rohingya community members there, as their visit coincided with the most recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the Rohingya case put forward by Gambia. Professor Packer led a discussion about the ICJ case, asking the Rohingya community members gathered about their thoughts and opinions on the trial, and what it meant for their people.
A team of researchers from the University of Arizona led by Professor William Simmons, visited the OBAT Office in Ukhiya as well, to learn about the projects OBAT runs in the camp and Host Community. Professor Simmons and his team recently received a grant from National Geographic to implement a study and project with Rohingya children. They are currently conducting a site visit to determine the scope and format of their future study. The team visited our Host Community Digital Learning class and was impressed by the level of community engagement OBAT and our partner organization Prantic ensure when implementing all projects. The University of Arizona team donated a framed picture to us, drawn by a student of a high school in Dhaka about the Rohingya Crisis- the picture was hung up in our office.
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| Drawing gifted by Univ. of Arizona |
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| The drawings of the kids hung outside the clinic |
Art Project of Children Brightens up Clinic
In the bleak environment of the camp, especially in the somber atmosphere in the clinic, cheeriness is often missing and much needed. Volunteer Jade Hawes tried to add some cheer by bringing her art supplies and materials to our Health Post for days of art making and poster creating with the children in the Rohingya clinic's waiting room. The children had so much fun drawing on large colorful posters and were so happy to see their work displayed in clinic at the end of the day. Patients and staff love the new cheerful clinic décor and the children have since often returned to see their work on display.
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WHO Donates Two Truck-loads of Medical Supplies to Rohingya Clinic
The World Health Organization donates medicines for OBAT's Health Clinic from time to time. The medicines and supplies come in really handy for keeping our pharmacy fully stocked. The latest donation arrived in late January and comprised of two truck-loads of 24 different medicines and medical supplies. We are very grateful to WHO for helping us provide quality care to the patients visiting our clinic.
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| Think Tank receives their prize |
Think Tank Bags 3rd prize in Competition
The Maizvandari Academy organized the 13th Children and Youth assembly 2020 in January.
The ceremony was held at the Chittagong Government Boys' High School. Many schools and organizations participated in cake shop (setting up a stall that sold traditional Bangladeshi cakes), Science projects, Islamic History, Drawing and Cultural programs.
OBAT's Think Tank in Chittagong participated in the cake shop whereas OBAT Primary and Ju
nior school students participated in quizzes, drawing, singing and folk dance competitions. Seems like the Think Tank has an eye for design as they won the third prize for best decorated shop! Congrats to the group!
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Use Facebook to Multiply your Philanthropic Impact!
Most of you probably have hundreds of friends on Facebook. Imagine harnessing all their philanthropic leanings into a fundraiser that you create for OBAT on Facebook!
The result could be tremendous!
All you need to do:
- Go to your Facebook home page
- Click on "Fundraisers" on the left side of your screen, under the "Explore" heading
- Next click on, "Raise Money" and then "Get Started"
- Choose OBAT from the Nonprofits area
- Enter a few details and invite your friends
- You are all set!
The good news is, a full 100% of the amount you raised will be sent to OBAT- Facebook does not deduct transaction fees for nonprofits.
Raise away!
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Inspired?
DONATE to our projects!
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OBAT Helpers Inc.
317.203.0603| contact@obathelpers.org |www.obathelpers.org
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