Challenges children and youth in Bangladesh face

In Bangladesh, adults commonly behave in authoritarian ways and control children by physical punishment and humiliation. This, coupled with lack of trust, often lead children to feel valueless, hopeless and take negative measures like dropping out of school, joining youth gangs, marrying early or committing suicide. ^{4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11}

Lack of safety and negative social control prevents girls to get education, jobs and independence. 94% of women have experienced sexual harassment in public places, there is a risk of sex trafficing¹⁵ and the rate of child marriage is very high (51% or 38 million are married before the age of 18, 13 million before the age of 15).²

The education is based on rote learning where the theory has no to little relevance to the students’ lives and there is very limited room to develop ethical and critical thinking, empathy and responsibility. Students should be obedient, quiet, study continuously and not play. This study pressure creates a strong mental stress.^4,5,7,9

10 million children and youth in Bangladesh are out of school.¹ 3,45 million (aged 5-17) work³ and recruitment to youth gangs who commit crime and violence causing deaths and instability, is an increasing challenge.^12,13,14

What we do

We believe children and youth are our greatest resource. Therefore, EDS is a community of practice run by and for vulnerable children and youth who have faced domestic violence and negative social control, are orphans, girls whom EDS helped avoid child marriage, school dropouts, beggars, child labour, and/or youth gang leaders and members. They used to feel like hopeless, valueless burdens to their families and community. In EDS, they become responsible teachers, leaders, change agents and entrepreneurs who transform their own life, family and community. From an early age, EDS children and youth:

• Identify local challenges
• Plan, implement, and reflect on solutions
• Design weekly, monthly, and yearly learning goals
• Receive pedagogical training from Norwegian researchers
• Bring out of school children back to school and prevent school dropouts
• Empower girls to stop child marriage, get higher education, jobs and become independent role models. Create safety for girls in classrooms and streets
• Teach 300 vulnerable children and youth, grade 1-12, and mentor them to become change agents, leaders, teachers and entrepreneurs
• Build empathic, trust-based relationships with their students
• Encourage play, joy and sound physical and mental health. Arrange social activities, sports and picnics.
• Create a psychologically safe environment for transformative learning, ethical and critical thinking.
• Run a 6000m² farm and a 2000m² roof garden as interdisciplinary learning arenas for sustainable development. Enhance biodiversity by cultivating a variety of vegetables, fruit trees and rice, growing fish and shrimp.
• Learn entrepreneurship, encourage families to grow vegetables at home, improving nutrition and income
• Contribute towards system change by encouraging parents, schools, police and local authorities to dialogue with children and youth, creating safe and child friendly spaces
• Use ICT to document and inspire others to do volunteer work too

Our EDS change agents also have global impact. Through collaboration with Norwegian schools, they inspire Norwegian youth to realize the value of education and how to be an agent of positive change in their classroom and community. In return, the EDS change agents learn pedagogy in Norway, English and ICT in practice.

Even though many of our change agents can’t afford meals thrice a day, they choose to volunteer in EDS up to eight hours a day, six days a week as we develop empathic and trust-based relations, and a psychologically safe environment, where they feel loved, acknowledged and celebrated.

EDS is a living example of youth-led community development, where education is not just about textbooks but about empathy, action, and responsibility.

Through collaborative action research and Living Education Theory Research with Professor Emeritus Erling Krogh PhD and Professor Sigrid Gjøtterud PhD affiliated with the Norwegian University of Life Science (NMBU) as well as Professor Jack Whitehead PhD and Head Editor of the Educational Journal of Living Theories Marie Huxtable PhD affiliated with the University of Cumbria, UK, we explore our practice and guiding values like love, joy, social equality, democracy and freedom.

Our publications contribute towards the discussion on how to facilitate children and youth for transformative learning and empowerment, so they become agents of change for sustainable development.

Welcome to join us in creating a more sustainable, just and humane world!