Ukhiya (in Cox's Bazar), Bangladesh

WITH OBAT HELPERS

Why are we here?

During a visit to Bangladesh in 2018, we saw the dismal state of affairs of Ukhiya, one of the poorest upazilas in Bangladesh. Located in the Cox’s Bazar district, Ukhiya is one of the host communities to the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. Unfortunately, Ukhiya has been overwhelmed by this influx as the number of Rohingya refugees in shelter camps has exceeded the total population in Ukhiya itself. 

What are we doing?

To support this local population, in 2018 we partnered with OBAT Helpers to launch our high-engagement digital curriculum in a local school. There were 25 children, aged 5-7 years, enrolled in this program who learned Math, English and Bangla. The program was run in two shifts of 120 minutes each.

What is the impact?

It was easy for the young children to adapt to the technology - and they enjoyed learning on tablets. The success of this led to the launch of a second pilot in Ukhiya with ~50 children ranging from 4-8 years old. A baseline test was conducted at the start of the pilot and an endline at the end of 2019. The result showed learning gains in English, Math and Bangla. Ongoing visits to this pilot by international and national agencies is a regular feature.

What’s next?

Both pilots are continuing with equal enthusiasm. With adequate funding, there is the potential to scale the program to thousands.