Women and children who benefit

Ronni

It has been common practice for young Bangladeshi boys to be kidnapped and taken to the Gulf States to be camel jockeys. Ronni was taken at the age of 3 and held in a training camp in the Middle East. He was kept for three years in a small room with an enclosed outside area for exercise. At the age of six he was taken to the race course and strapped onto a camel to learn to ride . Within a few months he had fallen off and broken his leg.

He was given good medical care as they needed him fit to race and was back on the camel in a short time. The reward for winning was extra food a loss would bring a beating and no food.

A group of Bengali women lawyers have been working to bring home many of these traumatized children and when Ronni was rescued none of his family could be traced, so he came to Sreepur. On arrival he was very withdrawn and his back was scarred by obvious beatings. Within weeks Ronni made new friends and began to settle into the school at Sreepur. He is now a happy little boy with the opportunity to make a new life for himself.

Momotaz

Momotaz came to Sreepur from the Save the Children, Nutrition Unit in Dhaka where she had been admitted by her father with severe malnutrition. This was associated with a lower respiratory tract infection, vitamin A deficiency, tetanus and a corneal ulcer. On admission to hospital she was five years old and she had weighed just 7 kilos. When she was ready for discharge the hospital wrote to the father and finally sent someone to the address given but they could not find him.

Momotaz had a slow start at Sreepur but gradually as she got stronger she began to flourish and did very well in school. It was found that she had a particular flare for music and won prizes at a local and district level.

Having passed SSC (O levels) a lady at a Dhaka music college took an interest in her and with her help she gained a place at the music college in Dhaka to study for HSC (A levels). She specializes in playing the harmonium and singing. During college holidays she comes back to Sreepur and plays music and sings for the children. She also teaches music classes whilst she is here.

She has finished her first year, were she did well, and is now in her second year. She is very keen to take up a career playing and teaching music.

Rusia

Rusia was a young mother with three children who was unable to cope following the death of her husband. She came to Sreepur with her children Muklas, a boy of 7, Henna a girl of 5 and one year old Dolly.

She had a gastric ulcer and was grief stricken by her bereavement and had not been able to look after her small children who were malnourished and all had fevers and multiple parasites. After a short time in the clinic at Sreepur the children soon recovered . The older children were soon attending the school at Sreepur and their Mother who was illiterate began a basic literacy course. The family stayed at Sreepur for five years until they were able to cope on their own.

Muklas is now working for and electronics company in Dhaka, repairing fridges. He finished his apprenticeship three months ago. He is still receiving some support from Sreepur as he needs more supervision than his mother (who lives in a rural area) is able to give him. Henna passed SSC (local equivalent of O levels) and then got married but is studying for her HSC (A Levels). The youngest child, Dolly, has passed class 8 but is not very academic and is working in a garment factory.

Rusia has now re-married and lives with her family and husband in Netrakona which is about two hours drive from Sreepur. During her time at Sreepur she was helped to establish a savings account and on leaving had a small amount of money that enabled her to set up a small business raising poultry and goats.

Rusia is now independent again and living with her family .

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