Photograph by Mr. Hamada

COVER STORY

(Photograph by Mr. Hamada)

Mr. Hamada, a professional photographer and Mrs. Noriko, a journalist from Japan visited Bangladesh, recently. They are supporters of ESA, an Organization that sponsor our tribal children for education. ESA stands for “Education Sponsorship in Asia”. In June 2001, ESA arranged a forum in Tokyo on International Education Support in which Rev. Fr. Emil Moraes, OMI, among other speakers, addressed the audience (See pg. 3). Impressed by the talk Mr. & Mrs. Hamada decided to visit Bangladesh and experience for themselves the situation in Bangladesh. During their stay in Bangladesh, they visited many schools and children supported by ESA.

Noriko said that one of the things that impressed her very much regarding the children in Bangladesh was their beautiful eyes that express optimism and hope. While visiting a school in a tea estate she was captivated by the sparkling eyes of one little boy who stood up, showed his book and said “ I WANT TO LEARN”. Their eyes met and Hamada captured the beautiful scene through the eye of a camera.

Photographed by Mr. Hamada the cover picture shows one of the many village schools initiated by the Oblate Fathers in order to provide the tribal children with an opportunity to have at least a minimum basic elementary education. These can hardly be called schools, because they lack required facilities. These schools do not have proper shelter, furniture and facilities. Most schools have only one teacher to take care of more than 100 children. These schools need to be uplifted to a better standard, which require financial assistance, and we look forward to the support of generous well wishers and benefactors.

WELCOME TO MR. OTA

The Oblate Fathers, the Oblate Seminarians and sponsored children extended a hearty welcome to Mr. Hiroyuki Ota, the chairperson of ESA who visited Bangladesh unit in order to encourage and assess the support work carried out by ESA. His last visit was a year ago to participate in the priestly Ordination of one of the sponsored seminarians, Fr. Linus Kazal Gomes. The main objective of his visit, this time, was to identify some village schools with a view to assist them under the group support system of ESA programme. We take this opportunity to thank the ESA staff, supporting members and sponsor parents for their love and concern for our poor children. Mr. Ota had a pleasant stay in Bangladesh.

EDITOR

MESSAGE FROM THE DELEGATION SUPERIOR

Jesus called us Oblates and that is why we are here in Bangladesh. With every passing day the plan unravels and more commitment is demanded as we try to discern where lies the emphasis. The black and white loom in the horizon as the grey areas appears with triumphalism and uncanny certitude. It is only time that brings clarity and sharpness to our actions. A good example is the education apostolate, a felt need of the people.

When our mission was established in Sylhet areas, there was unbelievable crass ignorance. The Oblates saw education as the pearl of great price, more they saw the Lord looking at all these tribals as pearls of great price: their pristine value could emerge only with education. The establishment of primary schools increased in inexplicable ways.

Rev. Sr. Fujita founded a Congregation to promote education in Asia. Her movement called ESNAC together with another movement dedicated to the same cause called ESA reached out to children of all faiths. There were many other donors who contributed much at different times and helped us build many primary schools and the infrastructure for a good network of schools. Dogged perseverance and faith alone made the benefactors continue to give, and understand the insurmountable hurdles to be overcome.

Today many years later we thank God as we see tribals holding their heads high as they move into higher education, get better jobs, compete with others, speak Bangla fearlessly, enter religious life, fight shoulder to shoulder with others for their basic human right.

Is it good that more are interested in education or is it bad? We certainly have to brace ourselves and be ready to plunge into the future with the added responsibility that it entails. I think this is what our apostolate is all about. The Lord guides our hands as we place them on the plough, our hope is in the seed but it is he who gives the increase.

In retrospect we thank God for ESNAC and ESA, and other donors, because they saw with a greater vision. Many were able to enlist the support of thousands of benefactors who sacrifice much to share what they have with the more unfortunate children in our world. Inducing motivation to enlist support for our students, makes them missionaries par excellence. These are our co-workers who have led so many to the light. May their tribe increase as they bring many to the fountains of knowledge. May our Oblate Priests, and Sisters in the field, who patiently toil in God’s limelight to bring about this change, be always blessed.

Angelo J. Martyn, OMI

BASIC EDUCATION IN BANGLADESH AND INTERNATIONAL AID

(Fr. Emil, a co-ordinator for sponsorship programme for the education of poor children was invited by ESA an NGO in Japan that support the Oblates, to participate in an International Aid Conference where he addressed the audience. We are happy to reproduce his talk.)

GENERAL BACKGROUND:In 1971, when Bangladesh came into be an independent state following a nine month war of liberation against Pakistan the literacy rate was only 16. The UNDP in its Human Development Report, 2000 ranked Bangladesh in the 146th place out of 174 countries in terms of its literacy. The present state of illiteracy can be attributed to many causes. Of the many, there are some outstanding contributing factors worth mentioning.

POVERTY: Bangladesh is easily prone to natural calamities. The many consecutive floods and cyclones have caused unaccountable losses of crops and damages of houses and had brought about a great poverty. Thus it is only the constantly recurring natural disasters that keep Bangladesh in the attention of the world. The real problem and needs of the country are largely unknown, one of which is the resulting Mass Illiteracy.

COLONIAL RULE: While colonial rule brought about some economic development, still this land was pushed backward. Among many long lasting effects of colonial rules, the permanent settlement of 1793, introduced by the British Rulers for private ownership of land created class society of few landlords which created a social division and groups of various forms among the people, one of which is the elite literate and mass illiterates.

MALE DOMINATION: The role and position of the vast majority of women in Bangladesh society has been shaped by Islamic culture in the background of Hindu tradition. While the Indian caste system is not openly manifested in the Islamic oriented society, it still remains in the sub-conscious state. Thus, there is a substantial male/female difference in literacy, 40% and 25% respectively.

INTERNATIONAL AID AND ESA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BANGLADESH: Though Japan too had a bitter and painful experience in the World War II, it had come out of the scare of the war as an emerging modern, developed country. All because of many international communities that came to its aid and because of the untiring efforts of the Japanese people to improve literacy. The magnanimous gesture of gratitude to the world is that Japan had in turn come forward to the aid of the other under developed countries, such as Bangladesh. Bangladesh has a tremendous deal to learn from the example of the people of Japan, their spirit of patriotism, their love for poor people, their enthusiasm in life, their strict discipline and their manner of hard work.

Providence and luck have brought ESA in contact with the Oblate Fathers in Sylhet, SMRA sisters in Dhaka and

Mr. Pervez Khan a social worker in Chittagong. For the past 18 years or so ESA had contributed a great deal in the educational field. Though numerous NGOs have engaged in the education programmes in Bangladesh, there are some specialities about ESA and its spirit of service, which we are happy to enumerate.

PRIORITY TO BASIC EDUCATION IN ASIA. Many NGOs serve all over the world in many countries and they carry out education aid programme as one of the many development programmes that they have under taken. But, ESA as the very name itself reveals – Education Sponsorship in Asia – has chosen Asia (India, Bangladesh and Nepal) as its only continent of focus. Because, it is well known that Asia is a continent that is teaming with a young generation and with an uncontrollable growth of population added to the extreme poverty and unemployment.

ESA has a purpose to concentrate on only education and give its full energy in the support of education while other NGOs would have partial attention paid to education. ESA’s philosophy is that educating the people and raising literacy will be ultimately a powerful means of any development. Because if the mind is not developed then poverty will be perpetuated. ESA also focuses only on the basic and primary education, though partially it is supporting a secondary education. The main reason for it is, as psychologists would put it, “laying a solid foundation at the initial and early stage of life is very important in the life of a person.”

PERSONAL ADOPTION ANDSPONSOR-SHIP OF POOR CHILDREN.

ESA’s principal is not merely to provide financial aid for education but to create a bond of love and unity between countries and persons. A parent adopts a poor child and the child becomes a sponsor child, thus a special relationship is created between them.

The sponsor parent and child keep in contact with each other through exchange of photographs and letters. The parents and child pray for each other. A spirit of making sacrifice is also created. We are aware that the parents who sponsor children for education are not all rich. Some have to make daily sacrifices in order to raise the money to help the child for education. This is far more valuable than any material help.

Not only is there a personal relationship between the parent and the child, but there is also a special love and interest shown by the board members and staff of ESA by their regular correspondence and regular visits to the country of the children and occasionally bringing gifts for them. We also appreciate the spirit of sacrifice and service offered by the ESA staff because we understand that most of them are giving voluntary service to the ESA office and not receiving a salary.

SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CHILDREN

Seminarians: The students who are preparing to be priests are in the heart of the ESA sponsorship. Since they are under training to be spiritual leaders and pastors there is a great care and love paid towards their formation. Therefore ESA supports them even after their college studies. There are three stages of seminary programme. Juniorate, where a student lives for five years and attend college studies while the initial spiritual formation is given. Then the second stage is the period when a student attends classes on Philosophy after which he makes his Novitiate, a period when he receives an intense spiritual foundation for religious life. The third stage is when he follows classes in Theology at the National Major Seminary. It takes about 15 years of formation before he is ordained a priest. ESA finds sponsor parents to support them during this long period.

URBAN POOR CHILDREN: The plight of the poor children living in the city and towns is very sad since these children have to face a very strong competition with students of rich families. Apart from the need to rise up to the demand of the school they also have to compete with the standard of education. This is again due to malpractice in many government schools. Many teachers do not perform their duties well. Therefore there is a need for children to have recourse to extra coaching classes, outside school hours which the rich people can afford. The children of the poor family cannot afford to pay for private tuition. The sponsorship from ESA is a valuable help to complement the fees incurred.

TRIBAL CHILDREN: This is a depressed and neglected group of children. Since they do not form part of the major ‘Bengali ethnic group they are easily marginalized. Very serious efforts are made by the Oblate Fathers to educate the children of the aborigines. A special character of the tribal people is that they are matriarchal in their family pattern, where the woman becomes the head of the family. A special concentration must be made in educating girls who later will be the leaders of the community. Efforts are made to bring these children to mission schools and house them in mission hostels. The support given by ESA is mainly used for their hostels and school fees since the parents are poor.

PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT OF ESA SUPPORT.

FOUNDATION FOR BETTER LIFE: We are happy to see that our education programme sponsored by ESA had definitely helped the children to have a better outlook in life, better family life style, good general knowledge, love for the country, ability to talk in English, able to find better life-partner and better employment. A good foundation laid at the early stage have helped many children to move on with higher education easily.

FUTURE LEADERS FOR SOCIETY:In the course of the last 18 years the ESA sponsorship programme had produced many leaders in the society. Many children who were supported by ESA have entered University and are holding employment in NGOs and social services, and in other government sectors. Some are teaching in our own schools and taking care of hostels and clinics. Some have been ordained priests and thus taking care of the spiritual life of people. Some girls have accepted religious life and are giving a dedicated service to education programmes and social work.

PROPOSALS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE.

GROUP TO GROUP SPONSORSHIP:

While we value the merits and contribution of an individual parent to child (one to one) sponsorship we also would like to enumerate a few set-backs in the system.

1) While one child gets a benefit of sponsorship in one school or class there are many others who do not have the privilege of any support. This leaves the child to feel superior while others suffer from an inferiority complex

2) In the present system, it is the child’s parents or guardians who collect the sponsorship and there can be occasions when the money can be misused by the parents.

3) In term of fairness and justice we feel that there can be an attitude of partiality shown to one child while a majority of the group is left without a benefit of any support.

Under these circumstance we need to rethink about the system and while we maintain the one system we can also introduce the group to group system where a group can share the benefit of a group support. In this case, we would like to support the group to system. We propose that many underprivileged village schools can be supported as a group whereby the school gets a facelift and all the children are benefited instead of one.

Fr.Emil Moraes, OMI

GRATITUDE TO ESNAC AND ESA

(Valentine belongs to a tribal group of Khasi [Khasia]. He is a student of philosophy in the National Major Seminary in Dhaka and a candidate to the Oblate Congregation. He is one of those boys who had been helped by sponsor programme in Japan. He writes his experience).

In 1990 my sponsorship programme started. 11 years have gone by and Today I have completed my B. A. through the help of my sponsor Parents. In 1990 I studied in class six and seven while staying in Srimongal hostel. After finishing class seven I joinedthe Minor Seminary in1992. I completed my S. S. C. in Holy Cross High School in 1995. After completing my S. S. C. in 1995 I joined the Oblate Seminary. In 1998 I completed I.A. and in 2001 I completed my B. A. at Notre Dame College. Now I am studying philosophy in the Major Seminary in Dhaka.

There are 9 students in our village including 4 of my brothers and sisters who are getting the sponsorship for study. Today we are very grateful to the sponsor parents especially to my sponsor parents, because without their help it would not be easy for our parents to bear the expenses of our studies. Sometimes I realized seriously that it would not have been possible to continue our studies without their support.

This happens to most of the Khasi students. Many Khasi students are able to continue their studies because of the help of ESNAC and ESA groups. Most of the Khasi students are poor and without the help of the sponsor parents will not be able to go to schools. There are no high schools and colleges close to the Khasi villages. Therefore, the students have to go to the city in order to get higher education. But it is expensive and the parents cannot afford to send their children to the hostels without the support of the sponsor parents. The Khasi students and guardians are very grateful to the Japanese friends for helping them in studies.