Recipients

VAB Awards 202 Scholarships

A total of 202 poor students from 20 high schools located in seven thanas (similar to U.S. counties) have received scholarships in 2002. While most of these students received VAB scholarships in 2001, local committees through an open and well-publicized competition selected them.

The VAB scholarships make it possible for the students to continue their secondary education by paying the costs that they and their families cannot affordótuition and fees, books and supplies, selective tutoring and school dress. The depth of poverty of the studentsí families can be gauged by looking at the average household income and the size of these families. Their average monthly household income is between $17 and $35. The median family size is between 6 and 7 members, which represent 40% of all the studentsí families. Another 25% have 5 or fewer members while the remaining 35% had 8 or more members. Thus, each family member has to get by from an about $2 to $4 per month.

Most of these poor families earn their livelihood from agriculture, either from small farming or day laborer (63%). About 30% earn their income from mostly non-agricultural activities-- small business, service or self employed. And about 7% are totally jobless, living on charity and very occasional work. Small business includes various types of vendors, petty traders on market days and others running small shops or tea stalls. The service category includes teachers, office work, and drivers; lift operators while self ‚employed covers tailoring, rickshaw and van pullers, carpenters, welders, weavers and maids.

Finally, the vast majority of students (7 out of every 10) receiving scholarships are from the last two grades 9 and 10 in high school while the remaining 30% of scholarships went to students in grades 7 and 8. As secondary education in Bangladesh is not fully funded by the Government as in the U.S., the VAB scholarships are helping to bridge a serious gap in the lives of underprivileged but bright and talented youth.

VAB Awards 285 Scholarships

During 2001, VAB awarded 285 secondary school scholarships to impoverished students in rural Bangladesh. These scholarships included exam fees and tutorial support for 37 SSC examinees and 248 full year scholarships for students in twenty high schools located in six thanas. VAB received 912 applications for its scholarships and chose 248 students based on factors such as the students' capacity and interest in studies, parental commitment to education, and each family's level of poverty. SSC examinees, supported by VAB scored a 70% pass rate against the national average of 35%. The remaining 30% failed only in one subject for which they were allowed to sit for a supplementary examination. The performance record of 248 scholarship holders shows very encouraging results as all of them were promoted to the next class and many of them improved their class rank. So far for 2002, VAB has provided over 200 scholarships that includes a new item of school dress and made provision for coaching all SSC examinees in all VAB supported schools.

VAB supported high schools include: Bancharampur : Daria Daulat; Salimabad; HK Asmatunnessa; Ayubpur. Nabinagar : Bitghar; Shibpur; Salimganj. Sapahar: Dangapara; Koch Kurulia;Veoil; Mohjid Para; Zaman Nagar. Parashuram: Mirza Nagar; Fulgazi. Gazaria: Dr. A. Gaffar; DA mannan. Raipura: RM; Alhaz Bazlul Hoq. Dhaka : Nabakumar Institute; Islamia.

VAB Supports Computer Training Centers

VAB has allocated $14,000 of its funds to Prakritajan to open 5 computer-training centers in the thana headquarters of Bancharampur, Jessore, Parashuram, Sapahar and Satkhira. In July of 2002 VAB will grant an additional $5,000 to Prakritajan to ensure that the centers are fully equipped with computers, accessories, furniture and qualified instructor. Each center will have four Pentium III computers, one printer and all accessories. These centers will be organized on a tripartite support base: VAB will provide full equipment cost including furniture and partial support for the trainer for one year, local people will provide free premises and utilities, and Prakritajan will provide training, managerial and overhead support funded by the fees from trainees.

VAB will only provide support to these centers in the first year, after which Prakritajan will be responsible for collecting training fees and donations to continue to fund the overhead costs, instructor’s fees, management and equipment maintenance expenses. Prakritajan will submit bi-annual reports on the training courses offered in these centers and an annual financial report on their operations.

Based on successful outcome of this arrangement, VAB plans to organize more such centers in the future.

VAB Provides Secondary EducationScholarships for 100 Poor Students in Bangladesh

One hundred poor students from ten high schools in three Thanas (Police Stations) were awarded VAB scholarships, of Taka 2,500 (US $50)each to pay for tuition, books, supplies, examination fees, and coaching in Math and English. All but one of the recipients are boys, as girl students get government scholarships, funded by the World Bank. The students are in grades eight through ten, which is the last class in high school. All of the students are from poor families where the father (the main breadwinner) is typically either a subsistence farmer or a laborer. Selected Scholarship recipients of the Bitghar Radhanath High School The average family size of most scholarship recipients ranges from 4 to 12 members. The average monthly family income is hardly enough even to provide for the minimum needs. Two-thirds of these families have a monthly income between Taka 1,500 (US $30) and Taka 2,499 (US $50). In terms of macro income analysis, most of the VAB scholarship recipients' families fall below the poverty line in Bangladesh A school-based selection committee finalized scholarship recipients unanimously. Selection Committee of VAB Scholarship at the Bitghar Radhanath High School This Committee comprised of the head master, social leaders, teachers, and local officials of Prakritajan, our partner NGO that administers the VAB program in Bangladesh. Scholarship cash will only be paid directly to the schools for tuition, and will not be disbursed to the scholarship holders or their parents. The continuation of scholarships will be contingent upon the student's regular attendance and grades, to be monitored by a designated teacher in each school that will work closely with the Prakritajan field staff.

Some of the Very Poor Scholarship Recipients

All the students selected for VAB-PrakritajanScholarships are very poor, but are serious about their studies and eager to continue to the university level.ÝTypically from remote rural areas, the students'Ý families posses little, if any, land.Ý Their struggle for survival is enormous and painful.Ý

MohammedAbu Taleb is in tenth grade at Bheoil HighSchool and College (Sapahar, Naogaon). He is the top student in his class forthe last three years.Ý Taleb is the second of 8 brothers and comes from a family that owns 0.08 acres of land onwhich subsistence farming supplements a meager income from contract labor.Ý Taleb dreams of passing the SSC exam andstudying in a university, though he does not know how that will be possible.Ý He works as a part-timeagri-worker to assist his family.

Komol Hemron is an aborigine known as Santal, and is now in tenth grade of Sapahar Danga Para High School (Sapahar, Naogaon). He ranks number three in his class.Ý Komolhas 4 brothers and 1 sister, who have only their hut for shelter, but no land for cultivation.Ý Komol is the youngest among his brothers, and they have decided to support his studies because he is the most serious student.Ý All of the brothers are day laborers.Ý Komol's only sister aged 24, is still unmarried.ÝWhen asked about his dream, he laughed and replied, îto surviveî and to be the top student in his class.Ý Komol explained that he ranked third in his class last year because he did not have any books.Ý He also told us that on many nights he goes to bed with just water for supper.

Azina Khatun is the only girl among the VAB scholarship recipients, because all the female students get some (although usually insufficient) stipends from the government.Ý We selected Azina because her father is disabled and cannot work and her mother is a maidservant.Ý The family is landless and Azina has 6siblings.Ý Her merit serial is 47 in eight grade, but she is very eager to continue her education.Ý She is in Sapahar Zaman Nagar Girls' HighSchool (Sapahar, Naogaon). She did not have any books last year, and borrowed them from her friends in order to keep up with her studies.Ý Azina's mother earns only Taka 500 permonth, but also gets food from her employer on which to feed the family.