Photos: courtesy

Mojar School has been working with the street children since 2013. Its main goal is to reduce the number of children from street jobs or from begging. At present, it is a registered organisation which is relentlessly working for the education and proper care for street children. The permanent school of the Agargaon branch is a testimony to the hard work of the organisation. The school is established with three rooms in one of the biggest slums of Dhaka city, known as the Kumilla slum. According to Aryan, the in-charge of the school, this school is being run since March 2014, and has a plan to establish a two storied building within this month.  

The tidy classrooms are adjacent to one another and are pleasantly decorated with origami flowers and drawings done by the students. White boards, bookshelves and benches bear the meaning of a proper school. The names of the classrooms also bear a significant meaning and also make it easy for the children to learn the names of the martyrs of the liberation war in a unique way. These names are also purposefully given to instill a sense of strength, courage and liberty within a child. 

Thanks to the sponsors, Bata Children's Program, and the initiative of Odommo Bangladesh Foundation, Mojar School has been able to provide its students with school uniforms and the government provides them with National Board books. The red and green colour of their uniforms resemble the purity of our national flag and when they stand together for their assembly at 8:30 every morning, a glorious Bangladesh is represented beautifully inside the slum. The discipline when the children are standing in a line, the patriotism during the national anthem, and the love while taking the oath can cause goosebumps on those who witness it.   

At present, there are six teachers in the school and a coordinator, who takes care of all the classes and the activities. The teachers are very professional and, at the same time, very caring and responsible towards the children. According to Zerin, the coordinator, the classes start at 9 in the morning, and each class goes on for about forty minutes, with a lunch break at 10:20. After the school ends at 11:30 am, the children either go to their home or play for a bit in the free space in front of the classrooms. They have immense interest in learning about new things every day and have great love and respect for their teachers.

It was observed when they were told to memorise the spellings of the words; and they all started studying vigorously because each of them wanted to be the first one to submit the work to their teachers. Their behaviour toward their elders were impressive as well. Hasan, a student of class I, known to be both the naughtiest and the most intelligent student there, greets everyone with Salam and a warm smile. These credits go to the teachers there who work countless hours without any expectation of gaining any materialistic benefit, but to achieve the very same goal of the organisation- to raise respectable and educated members in our society.

The whole environment is heartwarming and extremely motivational for anyone who wants to contribute for the betterment of the underprivileged children in our society. Mojar School is indeed "mojar" (joyful) because the students here are taught with affection, playfulness, love and care.