“ I felt afraid to talk to my parents before. At school I used to sit in the last bench and I could not even say my name properly in front of the teachers. Arriving at ActionAid's Child Space Center, the facilitator Apa gradually encouraged me to participate in various activities and made us aware of our rights. This is how I conquered fear. Now I am the captain of our class, I lead the regular assembly. I can talk about my wishes and dislikes with my parents and family.”
Mahmudul, a 9-year-old boy studies in class 4 and has been living in Lalmonirhat with his family since birth. The scope of intellectual development was very limited in his area. Although school is the first formal institution in his life, due to lack of resources his school does not have the capacity to arrange different kinds of co-curricular activities, cultural activities, stage performances, sports, and others for their students. As a result, education in Lalmonirhat does not interest him much and the lack of opportunities to organise any event for children makes it difficult for them to increase their talents at an early age.
Lack of extracurricular activities deprives them of the opportunity to fully explore their talents and potential. Mahmudul and other children like him, who live there find themselves trapped in a cycle of disengaged lives, deprived of experiences that can help them unleash their strengths and passions, ultimately limiting their overall growth and potential.
ActionAid Bangladesh works in three unions of Lalmonirhat district. It’s a flood-prone disadvantaged area that needs to address the various barriers to child development. Around 320 children are directly linked in different initiatives of ActionAid Bangladesh. 8 child spaces have been formed in these 3 unions to provide various opportunities for the education and mental development of the children of 34 communities in these three unions of Lalmonirhat. Through these Child Spaces, 5 days per week, 2.30 hours of educational and co-curricular activities are conducted. Each child space is led by a trained female facilitator. Mahmudul regularly visits the Child Space run by ActionAid Bangladesh in his area and his 15 friends visit this Child Space. In his child's space, there is a facilitator who helps them with their lessons as well as engaging in various activities like drawing, dancing, singing, reciting, storytelling, and performing short plays which ultimately helps them to enjoy as well as ensure their mental development and increase their potency.
In addition, a total of 12 reflection action circles were established consisting of 390 members, including mothers of these children. ActionAid Bangladesh educated these members along with other community people about the significance of children's education. They also emphasised the importance of co-curricular activities alongside regular studies, which play a vital role in promoting mental development and nurturing the talents of children. Alongside other community members, ActionAid Bangladesh imparted knowledge to these members, emphasising the significance of holistic learning for the children's overall growth and development.
We have also set up 8 Child Spaces in Lalmonirhat. Through these spaces, educational support and co-curricular activities are being provided to the children. As a result, children in the area now have valuable opportunities to nurture their intelligence and talents. The child spaces have proven to be successful, with around 850 children regularly attending these spaces. This indicates the effectiveness of the initiative in providing a conducive environment for the children's growth and overall development.
By getting the opportunity to participate in different types of competitions such as drawing, dancing, singing, reciting, storytelling, and performing short plays in these child's spaces at different times, lack of motivation has decreased and courage has been created among children here. Mahmudul and other children are now getting opportunities to develop and prove their talents in various competitions from the school level to the sub-district levels.
Mahmudul added to his previous comment, "This year, I took part in a drawing competition in our area with other children. I felt incredibly happy when I got second place in the contest and received an award from the special guests. Everyone clapped and cheered for me. Now, I feel brave, and when I grow up, I want to become an artist. Previously in our area we did not get the opportunity to participate in such co-curricular activities besides studies. We all play different outdoor games together outside our child space and love celebrating special occasions. We can all happily spend time here now. We all are grateful to ActionAid for giving us this opportunity.”
Earlier, children here were afraid to act in various events or celebrations like World Environment Day, International Mother Language Day, Independence Day or Victory Day, but now they look forward to participating in those national, social, and cultural events.
This year, Mahmudul and 20 other children participated in the drawing competition organised by AAB on World Environment Day on 5th June 2024. Among them, Mahmudul won second place in the drawing competition and received an award. Two more friends of Mahmudul have won awards by competing in sports at the child space center. Mahmudul and his friends plant more than a hundred trees on World Environment Day. He also teaches his other community children about maintaining hygiene practices, such as how to wash hands properly and clean the surroundings. He participated in a cleaning campaign organised by AAB and led from the front.
Our efforts have impacted both child space facilitators and parents have embraced a positive shift in their approach to children's education. Notably, parents have actively taken on the role of teaching their children drawing, singing and other skills, fostering a nurturing environment. This newfound interest in co-curricular activities exhibits a transformation in parental involvement, as they have observed tangible improvements in their children's growth and development. These encouraging developments signify a significant step forward in creating a supportive and holistic learning environment for the children under our care.
Extracurricular activities offer a critical window of opportunity to shape a child’s holistic development trajectory. For children to achieve their full potential, as is their human right, they need health care and nutrition, protection from harm and a sense of security, opportunities for early learning and responsive caregiving like talking, singing, and playing with parents and caregivers who love them. All of this is needed to nourish developing brains and nurture growing bodies. When children miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they pay the price in lost potential before they even have a chance to grow up or go through life with poor physical and mental health struggling to learn and later to earn a living. And we all pay the price. Failing to give children the best start in life perpetuates cycles of poverty and disadvantages that can span generations, undermining the strength and stability of our societies.
