Teenager Mim helps her mother selling "Chitoi pitha" (cake) at a roadside shop in Rayerbazar area of Dhaka to earn their living.
The story of 12-year-old boy Rashed, who works at a motor workshop in Jurian area of the capital to help his family earn a living, is also the same.
The story of several other destitute children including Ayesha, Abhi, and Rima are also similar. They help their families to earn a living, at their early age, to fight poverty and scarcity of the world.
Although they have the desire to study, opportunities are very little for them, as the timing, and distance are the material factors for their studying.
Due to lack of opportunities, these working children cannot go to school to study. So a special mobile school on a bus has come to give them the light of education. Yes, in fact, two buses travel to different points of the capital, and the city of Chittagong to teach these disadvantaged children on certain days of the week.
The bus called "Nurul Islam BSc-Hope Mobile Quality School" is basically a mobile school.
The story of the beginning is not new. In 2012, the Austrian company, Hope'87 Bangladesh branch, started planning a school for underprivileged children in the port city of Chittagong. Eventually, they learned about a special school run by the Chittagong Awami League leader, and former expatriate welfare minister Nurul Islam BSc.
This particular school was on a bus. At different points of the port city, the school is catering to underprivileged children with educational materials. However, after a few years, this great initiative came under various obstacles. Due to the lack of support, the school once had to stop its activities.
After learning of this, Hope'87 Bangladesh officials changed their mind. They decided to revitalize this different kind of school. Based on that thinking, they took a fresh look at the initiative. The mobile school has been reopened afresh.
Nurul Islam BSc-Hope Mobile Quality School started functioning in the capital from the beginning 2018. At present, their activities are ongoing at several points in the capital, including Eskaton, Jurine, Mirpur, and Rayerbazar. In Chittagong, operation is also being carried out normally.
In this special type of school, children get the opportunity to obtain education from play group to fifth grade.
At each of the points, the vehicle stays three hours to spread the light of education.
Mohamed Rezaul Karim, the head of Hope'87 Bangladesh, told Dhaka Tribune: "We first conducted a survey in a certain area to look for underprivileged working children. We send the vehicle in an area where we get at least 50 children.”
“Teachers in Dhaka, voluntarily teach the children without taking any fee. Most of the teachers are young.”
Last year, six students from this school participated in the Primary School Certificate (PSC) examinations. They were registered under a night school run by the Hope'87 in the Jurain area, he added.
Mohammad Rezaul Karim said that they intend to expand their activities in the future.
The mobile school is being assisted by Hope'87 Austria, ZF Hilft, and EU Foundation- Education for Children in Need.
Dr. Karin Kneissl, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, visited the school in February, and spent some moments with the children.
The School not only provides education to the students, but also organizes extracurricular activities alongside taking classes.
Officials, engaged in and involved with the school, believes that such initiatives will bring positive change to the society.
