Momota has been married for over 10 years, and lives with her husband and two sons on a riverine island (char) called Khockhali in Gaibandha district. Even though it has been quite some time, Momota has yet to receive her mehr (dower), a mandatory payment from the...
Rani, meaning queen in Bangla, lives up to her namesake. She was the oldest among her siblings in the remote village of Radhabalabh, 28 km from the nearest district town. At the age of 15, Josna Rani’s family married her off to a day labourer; being forced to do so...
For several years, Jobeda remained in abject poverty. Her first child was born to every financial disadvantage, seeing as there were no options available to him. His father, a day labourer, could not add much to the household, and Jobeda, uneducated and married as a...
In the rural regions of Bangladesh, such as the hard-to-reach chars in the north of the country, women are seen as the guardians of seeds. Women play the primary role in the preservation of seeds from the time they are harvested and stored until they are planted...
When Chandra was a girl, she lived in a char (riverine island) so remote that she did not have any access to education. In her village there were no schools, or even opportunities to learn in an informal setting. She lived most of her life without even knowing how to...
Twelve-year-old Akhi is a student at one of Friendship’s secondary schools. She is one of five children in a family living in the chars of Bangladesh. Since her mother stays at home to take care of the house and children, the burden of earning household income...
Friendship paralegal in Gaibandha fights for a 12-year-old girl to give her exam and stay in school by NAUSHAD ALI HUSEINJanuary 28, 2020 It’s exam day for the grade fivers. The exam centre buzzes with activity as students arrive and prepare to take the test. As exam...
Young volunteer rescuers spring into action during climate disasters Shahjadi Begum on the spot where her home was before the flood by Naushad Ali HuseinNovember 21, 2019 Shahjadi Begum woke up at 1 a.m. to find the river roaring through her veranda. Before going to...
Shamim Mia is a student of class 8 at a Friendship Secondary School. These secondary schools use a proprietary ICT-aided system that combines lessons that are pre-recorded by teachers from reputed schools in Dhaka, computers and monitors, and solar technology to power...
Mashkura, aged 28, wife of Abdul Hamid a shrimp-farmer, lives in the coastal village of Abadchondipur. She has grown up there, having had a happy, healthy childhood, and got married to a man that she thought would be able to give her a good life. By all rights, the...
Bangladesh, a low-lying, deltaic country criss-crossed by 300 rivers and streams is at the forefront of climate change. In the southern coastal belt, lies the village of Jhapa, in the sub-district of Shayamnagar, in the district of Sathkhira. If that sounds remote,...
To commemorate friendship day, we present to you the meaning of friendship, as expressed by children in our schools. Samima Age: 10 Friendship Learning Centre Rohingya refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar Song of Friendship Mst. Jasmine Akther Grade: IV Friendship School, Sidhai...