Blogs for LINC Exchange Students

 In this month we started our community service today. I was very busy these days regarding my SSC exam result and could not render my service to this project but now everything has been restarted again with Shucheta.Today we went to visit the new school and talked about the school’s scheme with the teacher there. It is funded by UNICEF and managed by BRAC. The total accomodation of the school is 25 students and it is totally filled up. The students will get their books, copies and pencils today. The classroom would be properly reconstructed and facilities would be given within this month.The duration of the course is 3 years & 4 months. The proper authority of the school has a plan for opening a number of schools in an area ranging from Gazipur to Uttara Airport. When they saw that people of this slum are very eager to send their children to school they decided to open a school here. We are in a regular contact with the school. We want to make sure the continuing of the students to finish the course and thus ensure formal education for the children of “Uttara Sector-10 slum”.

We had two meetings in two weeks. We discuss about our tree plantation project. The Enlgish club members are helping us in our project work. They have talked with persons who are interested to donate for our project. We also continued our garbage colecting project. It is a good news that we have resumed our project works.

I am enjoying the project works. It is fun to work together. We met twice and discuss about our projects. This week we went to the colony where we are running our garbage project. We need a van for our project acitvity. We talked to chairman for a van and he has given  it to us. Now we need an honest person to activate the main work. We will soon start our tree plantation project again.

Last 15 days I spend very busy time to raise funds for my project from different sources. I faced lots of problems and tried to solve it. But still I failed to collect funds for my project. At first I went to my school and focused my project idea in front of my school authority but they refused to give money for this purpose. I became so upset and worried about the fund raising activities.Then I went to all of my neighbouring houses and collect some money but it is very least even to start my project. Peole are giving 10 or 20 taka. During this time I realized that money is a very important part of life for everyone. I think I faced all these problems only becasue Bangladesh is a poor country. So, money is a great deal to everybody over here. I wish, I could get the required money according to my budget for my project soon. As my project is the big one and thus I need a big amount, but I am just failing. Hope so I will overcome from the problems soon.

Hi it’s Habiba. These days are really going nice for me because last week I got my SSC exam. I got A+ which is another big achievement for me. Now from the next month hopefully I will start my college life. Now another good news is that I have already collected 10 poor children who are starving for food and that’s why they are working hard for money and food. As I am doing my project on child labor, I am going to start my project with these children. I have already visited their house and tried to make their parents aware about their childs. Now my next step is that I am going to contact Shucheta and Farhana, my LINC friends, as they are doing their project on education poor children. I heard that Shucheta and Farhana have already started their school. So what I will do is I will request them to take all my children and give them free education while I arange other things for them like giving them books to read and and something to wear.

At last I want to thank RELIEF International as they are always standing with me as a mentor

How interested it is!

We all students are enjoying our projects very much.I am teaching the students about disciplne for my project. I talked with the other students who are also enjoying their proiject. I’m very happy doing the project and my all friends are also very interested doing their projects with the other friends. We, the four students of Dhaka are trying to do something for our society and it will be our another new project.      

It has been one and half month sience my return from U.S. The exchange programme to U.S was a life changing experience for me. After coming back from L.A, I thought a lot about the utilization of my experience. I think, now I understand myself more than ever and I have started knowing what I should do with my life. This trip also changed the way I used to look into the the other people’s opinion.It has made me more tolerant and understanding. In fact it has changed my vision.

June 1-8

In this week we all gathered in a meeting at Antu’s house. We all made a budget for our projects. There were some members from English club. They gave us some instruction about our projects. We all promised for next week that we will attend in next meetings in English club.

June 8-16

In this week we planned for our trash collection project. We tried to find a van to collect the trash from the houses. So we need to meet with ward commissioner where we run our projects. We made a schedule to meet with him. But unfortunately we failed to meet with him. We also tried our best to find an accommodation for our English club because there is no permanent place where we can sit for meeting.

June 16-22

In this week in the English club we all talked about our experience in visiting USA. In 22th June our exam result was published so now I am quite busy. But in the starting of next month I hope we will start our project. In my next journal I will send all the information about our project. Bye for now.

I came back home on 21st May 06 from USA. After returning I had to face a press conference which was arranged at American Center in Bangladesh. There we met with two reporters of Prothom Alo andn Daily Star respectively. They published an article about our experiences that we had while staying in USA and focused on our future plan. After the Conference we also had a meeting in the same day at RI office where we had a discussion on our projects. In the last few days I was very busy with the budget and site for my project. I had to face a big problem with the site. The site which I selected before, it was engaged with another NGO name BRAC. So the people over there just refused my proposal as because there might occur a conflict. As my project is based on poor women education, I have work in the slum areas. After that event I had to search for another slum. In this regard, one of my friend name Naveed helped me a lot. He is also helping me in my full proejct. We were lucky that we found a slum after a long search. At first the women of that slum was refusing to my proposal but when I offered them education for food at the end of each week, they accepted. It was really a difficult job but I think we did it nicelly. But now another problem arose about the budget. I think I can solve it very soon. My exchange coordinator is also helping me in this regard. Me and my friend are working hard for raising fund but it is getting tuff as Bangladesh is not a rich country. So we are trying to raise money from USA through RI. In total my days were very busy but I am happy that I am working for betterment of my community.