I Feel very happy when I go to ESC -Tuktuki Bauri
Tuktuki Bauri (6), a student of grade one at our Doldoli Education Support Center (ESC), Sheis growing up without her parents. Her father, Bikrom Bauri was a tea labor, died of major heart attack. That time, she was only 7 months old; she even couldn’t remember her father’s face. After her father’s death, Sabita Bauri, Tuktuki’s mother started to work in the tea garden as labor. Most tragedy incident happened in the year of 2020, when Tuktuki’s mother got married to another person then her (Tutuki’s) mother did not want to keep Tuktuki along with her new family. Then she was left by her mother and she (Tutuki’s mother) didn’t even feel necessary to keep communication with Tukituki anymore.After left by her mother, now Tuktuki is living with her grandparents and uncles. Her grandmother, (55) is also a tea labor. Her grandfather has a small grocery store in front of their house at Doldoli tea estate.
After left by her mother, now Tuktuki is living with her grandparents and uncles. Her grandmother, (55) is also a tea labor. Her grandfather has a small grocery store in front of their house at Doldoli tea estate. Later Tukituki’s uncles wanted that Tukituki should have engaged as an assistant at any family, so that she could also earn some money for their family. But Tuktuki’s grandparents opposed it and wanted to send her grandchild at school. But it was very difficult for them to manage both living expenses and educational expenses of nine member’s family.
“Her mother left her; we can’t fully meet all the needs of Tuktuki. She becomes very quiet after her mother left her. We are grateful to ECDO for supporting our granddaughter with all kinds of necessary education materials; otherwise it will not be possible for us to send her in the school,” said Tuktuki’s grandmother.
While ECDO representative went to meet with Tuktuki, she was very scared and embarrassed. Without proper upbringing in the absence of her parents, Tuktuki become much introverted. After trying for a while, Tutuki started talking with us. “I miss my mother very much; everyone is saying that my mother has left me. Am I too bad that my mother doesn’t want to stay with me!We go to ESC not only for study, the Teacher of ESC takes care of us like our mother.She loves us very much. When I meet my friends and teachers at ESC, then I feel very happy.” We couldn’t hold our tears after hearing these emotional words from Tuktuki.
It should be mentioned that ECDO initiates bilingual teaching and learning process particularly for the indigenous children to address the problem of their language barrier. Because the school text book is written in mainstream language (Bangla). As a result, the indigenous children could not understand their text book. Considering this problem ECDO initiates Education Support Centre (ESC) activities, where indigenous children learn their lesson with the help of their own language speaking teacher.It should be mentioned that ECDO has been implementing Education Support for Marginalized children and promoting Manipuri Language (ESMCPML) an education project since 2015 with the support from HEI VERDEN, a Norwegian Development Agency. The aim of this project is to assist the disadvantaged and marginalized children living in the tea garden areas of Sylhet and promoting Manipuri language at Moulvibazar district.
