Jaago Foundation celebrated the Universal Children’s Day (UCD) in Bangladesh this year for the fifth time since they started in November, 2009. Guided by their slogan, “breaking the cycle of poverty through education and rebuilding the nation,” the UCD celebrations are an effort to promote and secure children’s rights and equal access to education through festivities that allow children to be children, despite their place in society.
Over the previous four years, Jaago has arranged a number of fun activities and trips to amusement parks for less fortunate children on the occasion of UCD, while tasking its volunteers to take up the mantle of these street kids for the day by raising funds through sale of flowers, balloons etc.
This year, Jaago has reached beyond social campaigning to engage the country’s youth in innovative and sustainable social business plans which would benefit the children. They organised a brainstorming session called Innovation Lab, the purpose of which was to devise business plans for child development.
Celebrations for UCD were held on November 22 this year in 14 districts. The Dhaka festival kicked off in Banani Society Field where all the street children had gathered for a day of fun. There were rides such as the nagordola (a small Ferris Wheel), magic and puppet show and popular mascots around the field entertaining the children with their antics. The children had short breaks for breakfast, lunch and snacks provided by Jaago before returning to their shenanigans.
Besides the fun, there were also medical checkup points where doctors provided the children health checkups along with essential vitamins. Jaago estimates a total of 2,000 children and volunteers participated in the Universal Children’s Day celebrations in Bangladesh this year.
Visiting guests at the carnival reiterated the importance of equal access to education for all. Managing Director of Transcom Foods Limited and a Freedom Fighter Akku Chowdhury said: “The darkness that befalls during political crisis can be overcome by any nations whose citizens are educated and equipped to face the challenges of development.”
Rights-activist, writer and development practitioner Wasfia Nazreen of Bangladesh on Seven Summits said: “I would like to hope we can assure the access to education for every child in Bangladesh. Let’s take a pledge today, to spread happiness to not just our own child but also to the underprivileged children of Bangladesh, who are the real future of our nation.”
