The name was changed from Chittagong to Chattogram recently. I have fond memories of Chittagong of my visit when I was 16 and stayed at my aunt’s (father’s sister) home for several weeks, crossing the rather rapid current of karnaphuli river by boat and roaming around the beach.
Now, I have been visiting the slums to the eight learning centers and have made several friends in the process. There are five Child Happiness Centers in the Rohingya camps near Cox’s Bazar, but I will not be visiting that this time, as that will require at least three days and I will not be able to muster that in addition to 51 Centers I am planning to visit.
It is the friendliness of people that attracts me to this place – soft spoken, patient, and civil. Same is true in our learning centers in the slums. I tremendously enjoy interacting with the teachers and staff who would do their best to service and cater to the students.
The two new schools are way outskirts of the town and remind me of the two in Karachi in Saiful Marri goth Surjani town. There are no schools there, and just recently they had a paved road done. I found the children to be just fine and keeping up with the studies.
The meeting with the teachers and staff of ISDE was very informative as I was exploring how the quality of education can be improved from where they are. Ideas were flowing without hesitation and I always enjoy when such exchange takes place without any hesitation, in the interest of serving the students.
Chattogram’s lure of friendly people will always bring me back, whenever opportunity is presented to me.
Photo: Teachers and staff at ISDE offices in Chattogram
