Para Kendra

Changing lives in the hills

Juthika Chakma, aged five, wants to be a doctor. She is preparing for admission to primary school. She goes to Moshpara Para Centre to learn Bangla.
“My father, Anupom Chakma, a turmeric trader, drops me at the centre and takes me home at the end of study,” Juthika told this correspondent in broken Bangla.
“My dad wants me to become a doctor, for that I am studying hard here,” she continued. “My teacher informed me that I would be able to get admission to a primary school next year.”
Like Juthika, 13 other children aged three to six, from the Chakma community of a remote hilly area in Rangamati district, are studying in the para centre to prepare themselves for primary school admission.
Shefali Chakma, a  teacher at the centre, said the children are being taught through song, dance and play to make their lessons more interesting.
 “They cannot speak Bangla, but they can understand it. We are teaching them Bangla, besides their community language,” said Shefali.
“So far, we have been able to send 84 children to primary school after necessary tutoring at the centre,” she added.
Lily Chakma, a para worker, who visits the centre regularly, said many parents are reluctant to send their children to the centre because it is far from home and road communication is very bad.
“Because of difficulties with travelling, especially during the rainy season, the children are reluctant to come to the centre,” she said. “Also, we do not have ceiling fans, games, required books and other materials, making it difficult for us to teach them.”
Usha Dewan, whose son Iman is studying in a primary school, said her child took lessons here for more than three years.
“All the children love to come here because of the fun of having lessons with play and cultural activities,” she said.
Para kendras are local pre-school and primary healthcare centres set up under the Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). About 4,000 such centres have been set up in the three hill districts so far. The Moshpara Para Centre was established in 1997.
Mong Yai, project officer at Rangamati sub-office of UNICEF, said underprivileged children and women of tribal communities have started to reap the benefits of para kendra (centre) in the remote hilly areas of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban.
“Set up under the joint initiative of CHT Development Board and UNICEF, the para kendras are playing significant role in improving education and healthcare in remote hilly areas,” Yai said.
“The scenario is changing there as  children aged three to six are receiving pre-school education at para kendras under the supervision of women of their respective communities,” he added. “Mothers of these kids are also learning about healthcare, nutrition as well as water and sanitation issues at the centres”.
Construction of most para kendras is supported by the local community, which provides land, labour and locally available materials, said Md Jan-e-Alam, an ICDP project manager.
Like the Moshpara Para Centre, this correspondent also visited another such centre, named Boropara Para Centre, under Bhai-Bun Chora union, 19 kilometres from Khagrachari town.
Navy Tripura, in-charge of the centre, said not only are children given lessons here, but also problems related to health and other issues are discussed and solutions suggested.
“We have prepared an action plan for the Boropara centre. We will implement it with the help of government and NGOs,” she said. “Local union parishad members are also helping us to resolve problems”.
Charan Bikah Tripura, an elderly man from the Tripura community of the area, said they needed safe drinking water, electricity and a place of worship.
“We have to fetch our drinking water from far away places,” he said. He also wants the roads in the area to be developed to ease their communication problem.
Increasingly, para kendras are becoming the focal point of all development activities of the locality, offering preschool education, training for parents on early childhood development, gardening demonstration, information about low cost hygienic latrines and safe drinking water, fortified biscuits for children and vitamin A capsules for lactating mothers.

Photos: Writer

Para Kendra

Changing lives in the hills

Juthika Chakma, aged five, wants to be a doctor. She is preparing for admission to primary school. She goes to Moshpara Para Centre to learn Bangla. My father, Anupom Chakma, a turmeric trader, drops me at the centre and takes me home at the end of study, Juthika told this correspondent in broken Bangla. My dad wants me to become a doctor, for that I am studying hard here, she continued. My teacher informed me that I would be able to get admission to a primary school next year. Like Juthika, 13 other children aged three to six, from the Chakma community of a remote hilly area in Rangamati district, are studying in the para centre to prepare themselves for primary school admission. Shefali Chakma, a teacher at the centre, said the children are being taught through song, dance and play to make their lessons more interesting. They cannot speak Bangla, but they can understand it. We are teaching them Bangla, besides their community language, said Shefali. So far, we have been able to send 84 children to primary school after necessary tutoring at the centre, she added. Lily Chakma, a para worker, who visits the centre regularly, said many parents are reluctant to send their children to the centre because it is far from home and road communication is very bad. Because of difficulties with travelling, especially during the rainy season, the children are reluctant to come to the centre, she said. Also, we do not have ceiling fans, games, required books and other materials, making it difficult for us to teach them. Usha Dewan, whose son Iman is studying in a primary school, said her child took lessons here for more than three years. All the children love to come here because of the fun of having lessons with play and cultural activities, she said. Para kendras are local pre-school and primary healthcare centres set up under the Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP) in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). About 4,000 such centres have been set up in the three hill districts so far. The Moshpara Para Centre was established in 1997. Mong Yai, project officer at Rangamati sub-office of UNICEF, said underprivileged children and women of tribal communities have started to reap the benefits of para kendra (centre) in the remote hilly areas of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban. Set up under the joint initiative of CHT Development Board and UNICEF, the para kendras are playing significant role in improving education and healthcare in remote hilly areas, Yai said. The scenario is changing there as children aged three to six are receiving pre-school education at para kendras under the supervision of women of their respective communities, he added. Mothers of these kids are also learning about healthcare, nutrition as well as water and sanitation issues at the centres. Construction of most para kendras is supported by the local community, which provides land, labour and locally available materials, said Md Jan-e-Alam, an ICDP project manager. Like the Moshpara Para Centre, this correspondent also visited another such centre, named Boropara Para Centre, under Bhai-Bun Chora union, 19 kilometres from Khagrachari town. Navy Tripura, in-charge of the centre, said not only are children given lessons here, but also problems related to health and other issues are discussed and solutions suggested. We have prepared an action plan for the Boropara centre. We will implement it with the help of government and NGOs, she said. Local union parishad members are also helping us to resolve problems. Charan Bikah Tripura, an elderly man from the Tripura community of the area, said they needed safe drinking water, electricity and a place of worship. We have to fetch our drinking water from far away places, he said. He also wants the roads in the area to be developed to ease their communication problem. Increasingly, para kendras are becoming the focal point of all development activities of the locality, offering preschool education, training for parents on early childhood development, gardening demonstration, information about low cost hygienic latrines and safe drinking water, fortified biscuits for children and vitamin A capsules for lactating mothers. Photos: Writer