Hei Verden Visits ECDO’s Project Areas
Ingrid Vikse, the Executive Director of Hei Verden and Stine Arstad Jecobeson, Project advisor came to visit Sylhet for three-days on 8th October, 2022. The purpose of their visit was to monitor whether project activities are running smoothly or not in the project areas. It should be mentioned that, ECDO has been implementing Education Support for Marginalized children and Promoting Manipuri Language (ESMCPML) project with the support of Hei Verden, a Norwegian Development agency from 2021. Since 2015, ECDO and Hei Verden have been working together for ensuring quality primary education for marginalized children of Sylhet Region. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, Hei Verden representatives couldn’t visit Bangladesh for the last two years. As Covid- 19 situation has gradually improved, Stine Arstad Jacobeson, Project advisor and Ingrid Vikse, Executive Director of Hei Verden paid three day long visit (from 8th October to 11th October) at ECDO’s project areas.
On their arrival, they at first came to ECDO Office and Ms Murshida Rahman, Project Coordinator presented a detailed power point presentation on last two years project activities, its impact and project limitations and solutions. Mr. Lakshmikanta singh shared visit schedule with them. They also visited Lackatoorah Education Support Center on the same day. The children performed various cultural activities in front of the visitors. On the second day, ECDO and Hei Verden team visited to Bhanubil Majhegaon MLC and Mongolpur MLC at Kamalganj, Moulvibazar. The teachers and students welcomed visitors warmly with flowers and scarf made of Manipuri handloom. Students performed traditional dances wearing Manipuri costumes on Manipuri songs. Hei verden representatives were also met with the former students of Bhanubil Majhergaon MLC who obtained good positions on Manipuri script writing competition arranged by Manipuri Shahittya Sangsad, Kamalganj. The guardians thanked Hei Verden for supporting their children at the time of pandemic. Hei verden representatives were also very pleased to see all the former and present students at the center after two years of their visit. They thanked both the teachers of Bhanubil Majhergaon and Mongolpur MLC for their dedication and devotion for teaching these indigenous children.
After that, they visited to Jugibil, Srinathpur village where people of Shabdakar communities are living. Shabdakar communities are one of the most disadvantaged and marginalized communities in Bangladesh, faced discrimination due to the caste system of society. Hei Verden representatives paid a visit to the several houses of the village, met with the community people and saw their miserable situation. On the way to back to Sylhet, ECDO and Hei Verden team went to meet with Mr. Sifat Uddin, Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Kamalganj (UNO, the Executive head of the Local Government) at his office. The UNO thanked Ingrid Vikse and Stine Arstad Jacobeson for visisting Bangladesh and he said that he is feeling very honored that they visited at his office to meet him. He assured that concerned authority of local government always try to provide indigenous people different government’s assistance but as the people of shabdakar community are not enlisted as indigenous community, so it is not possible for him to provide them all those privileges that are allotted for indigenous community.
On the next day, the visitors went to Doldoli and Alaibahar Education Support Centers (ESCs). At Doldoli, the teacher and students welcomed the visitors with flowers and Mr. Bulbul, president and Mr. Abul Kashem Khaled, member of Center Management Committee were also present at that meeting. The guardian, president and member of center management committee said that ECDO’s project implementation strategies during Covid-19 situation were very innovative. The center’s teacher did very hard work at that time as they went to the student’s home every day and taught students with special care. Another guardian also thanked Hei Verden for providing health protection materials to their children as it is very difficult for them to bear this additional expense of face masks, soaps and hand sanitizers.
