AUW is an institution which aims to educate women to be leaders. From this perspective, how can it leave the cleaning staff of AUW that works to keep the campus clean and peaceful, behind?
In fall 2013, an initiative was taken by AUW to teach the cleaning staffs who had not seen the light of education. To turn this dream true, seven UG1 students of AUW did a survey to find out how many people are interested in learning reading and writing Bengali.
Having the Vice Chancellor of AUW, Dr. Fahima Aziz as the initiator, the program has the director Dr. Christian Girard and the advisors Ms. Sharmistha Ghosh and Ms. Fahria Kabir. The seven UG1 students who are the hardworking teachers of the program are, Nur E Jannat, Bibi Joynab, Taslima Khatun, Mousumi Alam Mili, Marina Afrin, Sadia Islam and Sharmin Akter Shitol.
With a great response from the cleaning stuff, on 8th November 2013, the first class of the program was started with the hope to enlighten their lives with the light of education. At first the program started its journey with 30 students, but later 10 more people became interested in learning and were welcomed. The aim of this continuing project is to reveal the meaning of written words which were once a mystery for them staff. The guidance of the faculty advisers works as a great support and inspiration for the program.
Throughout the year, the teachers of the literacy program found the students very enthusiastic about learning. The response from the students for being literate was intense enough to drive the teachers to work even harder for them and their expectations grew higher.
By the end of spring semester, 2014, the Literacy team arranged an event where the yearlong program was showcased in front of the Vice Chancellor and the Faculty. The Bengali Literacy Project Team hosted the Vice Chancellor, and 9 faculty including Dr. Jinnie Garret, Prof. Andrea Phillot, Prof. Sara Amin, Prof. Margaret, Prof. Christian, Ms. Sharmistha, Ms. Meeraal and Ms. Kathrine. Above 40 cleaner ladies who are the students of this program, participated in this event.
In this showcase, a short movie on the yearlong activities such as, meeting with founding members of the program, class works, teaching process etc was shown to the audience. Then the Vice Chancellor, the Head of the program and the advisors gave their valuable and enthusiastic speeches on the inevitable importance of literacy in our day to day life. They also thanked the teachers of this program for holding such an extra-ordinary mission of social improvement. Later, one of the students shared her experiences of her time in the Literacy Program. She expressed, she was very lucky having such kind of opportunity in her workplace. At the second part of the program, the Vice Chancellor awarded prizes to the students who performed the best. After the showcase of the program and the prize giving ceremony, the students enjoyed a surprise party so that the students who hadn’t given prizes could cheer themselves up. They cut cake, sang and danced. The experience of joining in such a party was a great joy for them as being the cleaners and always being busy with serving the other people; they never got such opportunity to be in a program where they were the center point. The prizes and the party were a great inspiration for them to continue their studies for gaining the literacy skill.
In fall 2013, an initiative was taken by AUW to teach the cleaning staffs who had not seen the light of education. To turn this dream true, seven UG1 students of AUW did a survey to find out how many people are interested in learning reading and writing Bengali.
Having the Vice Chancellor of AUW, Dr. Fahima Aziz as the initiator, the program has the director Dr. Christian Girard and the advisors Ms. Sharmistha Ghosh and Ms. Fahria Kabir. The seven UG1 students who are the hardworking teachers of the program are, Nur E Jannat, Bibi Joynab, Taslima Khatun, Mousumi Alam Mili, Marina Afrin, Sadia Islam and Sharmin Akter Shitol.
With a great response from the cleaning stuff, on 8th November 2013, the first class of the program was started with the hope to enlighten their lives with the light of education. At first the program started its journey with 30 students, but later 10 more people became interested in learning and were welcomed. The aim of this continuing project is to reveal the meaning of written words which were once a mystery for them staff. The guidance of the faculty advisers works as a great support and inspiration for the program.
Throughout the year, the teachers of the literacy program found the students very enthusiastic about learning. The response from the students for being literate was intense enough to drive the teachers to work even harder for them and their expectations grew higher.
By the end of spring semester, 2014, the Literacy team arranged an event where the yearlong program was showcased in front of the Vice Chancellor and the Faculty. The Bengali Literacy Project Team hosted the Vice Chancellor, and 9 faculty including Dr. Jinnie Garret, Prof. Andrea Phillot, Prof. Sara Amin, Prof. Margaret, Prof. Christian, Ms. Sharmistha, Ms. Meeraal and Ms. Kathrine. Above 40 cleaner ladies who are the students of this program, participated in this event.
In this showcase, a short movie on the yearlong activities such as, meeting with founding members of the program, class works, teaching process etc was shown to the audience. Then the Vice Chancellor, the Head of the program and the advisors gave their valuable and enthusiastic speeches on the inevitable importance of literacy in our day to day life. They also thanked the teachers of this program for holding such an extra-ordinary mission of social improvement. Later, one of the students shared her experiences of her time in the Literacy Program. She expressed, she was very lucky having such kind of opportunity in her workplace. At the second part of the program, the Vice Chancellor awarded prizes to the students who performed the best. After the showcase of the program and the prize giving ceremony, the students enjoyed a surprise party so that the students who hadn’t given prizes could cheer themselves up. They cut cake, sang and danced. The experience of joining in such a party was a great joy for them as being the cleaners and always being busy with serving the other people; they never got such opportunity to be in a program where they were the center point. The prizes and the party were a great inspiration for them to continue their studies for gaining the literacy skill.
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