Filed under: Bangladesh, Children, Community, Donate!, ECHO, Education, Food, Orphans, Shelter | Tags: Bangladesh, Donation, Education, Orphans
By Naoshin Haque
There are an astounding 250,000 to 400,000 children living on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, according to a study done by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Looking at a typical day in the lives of these homeless children is a big reminder of how much we tend to take for granted in our own day to day lives. Children such as Yusuf, 14, and Smaile, 10, start their mornings at 4AM, after sleeping on hard wooden planks, and soon after begin their search for empty bottles, which they will try to sell after filling them with fresh water. Later in the day, they go to the harbor in search of more work, consisting of carrying bags and boxes. Even after working 6 hours or more, they earn less than $1USD and normally must resort to begging for meals at local cafes.
There does seem to be a silver lining to this cloud though, as Yusuf and Smaile will soon permanently move to a center supported by UNICEF, where they can eat, sleep, and receive informal education, as well as vocational training. However, not all children living in the slums of Dhaka are so lucky – many continue to remain homeless and without an education. To help mitigate this problem, ECHO has recently partnered with GiveLight Foundation to build an orphanage for 50 orphan girls.
Already, half an acre of land in Savar, an area near Dhaka, has been generously donated by a family in Bangladesh for the construction of the orphanage, slated to begin this spring. ECHO’s mission has always been to not only help children in the short term, but to also help them in the long term by providing them with the tools to become self-sufficient members of society. Therefore, this orphanage will not just provide food and shelter, but will also provide education for these girls through an on site school. Together with your help, we can make this orphanage a reality sooner, so please, give the gift of housing and education by making a donation today.
*Photo Credit: Casey McCarthy of UNICEF*
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bangladesh, Education, Healthcare, History, Humanitarian, Social Cause
By Samihah Azim
Wedged between India and Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and situated right above the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh was once part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Pakistan separated from India, to jointly become the nation of Pakistan, with Bangladesh known as East Pakistan. In 1971, Bangladesh gained its independence from Pakistan.
Today, with much of the country affected by the monsoon season, many people are forced to live on and cultivate land that is prone to flooding. Bangladesh is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world with approximately 84% of the country living on less than $2 per day. The Educational, Charitable, and Humanitarian Organization (ECHO) was founded in 2003 with the objective to improve the educational and social status of Bangladesh and other developing nations.
ECHO has a number of projects that are primarily focused on healthcare and education. Donations are used to bring better healthcare and treatment to the poor, as well as bringing healthcare education to poor communities. Donations are also used to provide skill development training to economically disadvantaged men, women, and the youth. One of the primary objectives for ECHO is to improve the self-reliance of those in need, so that they may become self-sufficient by engaging in income generating activities.
Since its founding in 2003, with virtually no overhead, ECHO has already established itself in providing healthcare training, education, computer literacy programs, engineer trade training, and other sustainable income generating activities.
We encourage any questions or comments, and they can be directed to echoglobalorg@gmail.com in addition to the comments section of our blog. We also welcome donations and the direct link for online donations can be found here. Please visit us on the web at www.echo-us.org
