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Volunteering for Girls’ Education in the Rohingya Camps
“In Myanmar, I studied until class 3. I liked going to school there; I had many friends,” says 20-year-old Rahima, remembering her childhood as a student. Rahima’s educational journey faced an abrupt halt when she fled her home in 2017 and reached the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Forbidden to go outside alone afte...
Article
Teachers breaking the chains of childhood lead poisoning, one classroom at a time
In Mirzapur, Tangail, seventh graders at Maa Fatema School and College are engaging in lessons beyond traditional science classes. The classrooms, illuminated by the mid-day sun, have become a powerful setting for imparting life-saving information on ending childhood lead poisoning since the day their science te...
Article
Community leaders come forward to protect at-risk families against dengue
As a new day begins in Dhalpur - a ward in Jatrabari, Dhaka - Sheuli Khatun, a dedicated field supervisor at the Dhalpur Aalo Clinic, gets ready to start her work in the local community. Sheuli's unwavering commitment to her community's health has never been more crucial, especially in the face of the alarming den...
Article
Communities rising: Tackling COVID-19 and building back better
Shirin Akhter, 35, starts her busy day at 5 am. After taking care of her household needs, she sets off to work at 8 am as a community volunteer for UNICEF partner Village Education Resource Centre (VERC). Shirin works in Gazipur District, Bangladesh, home to almost 6 million people. Gazipur faces both urban and ...
Report
Looking back to see forward
A Case Study Collection on UNICEF’s Response has been developed by UNICEF Bangladesh Communication for Development. Each of the case studies in this collection focuses on a particular aspect of UNICEF’s humanitarian response to the world’s fastest growing refugee emergency since 2017. The case studies also provide...
Report
Art brings light into the darkness
UNICEF partnered with Artolution, to deliver life-saving information through community-based art initiatives to promote behaviour change and increase awareness among affected communities. Thousands of refugee and host community members have participated in a number of creative art events and workshops and have col...
Report
More than words
This explores the impact of language obstacles on the humanitarian assistance in the refugee camps and details UNICEF’s response. From the onset of the emergency, language barriers have been a serious cause of concern for the refugee population. In December 2017, UNICEF partnered with Translators without Borders t...
Report
Making needs and rights visible
Without reliable evidence, it is not possible to identify where programme interventions are most needed and whether interventions are successful in making a positive difference. The most recent reports on the Grand Bargain and World Humanitarian Summit commitments, and on the Sustainable Development Goals, clearly...
Report
The role of faith in the humanitarian response
The majority of Rohingya refugees living in the camps of Ukhiya and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar district are Sunni/Hanafi Muslims, for whom Islam is an integral part of their cultural identity and social life. Religious leaders are highly respected in the Rohingya community and have a powerful influence on individual an...
Report
Staying tuned
In an emergency, when information providing technologies such as television and internet are not readily available or difficult to reach, radio plays a critical role in safeguarding the right to life, which is a prerequisite for all other rights. It also helps secure the right to access information and the rights ...
Report
Mobilizing for change
UNICEF’s large-scale community outreach and mobilization activities in Cox’s Bazar are carried out in close partnership with the Bangladeshi NGOs. This narrative documents their combined efforts to establish several multi-purpose community mobilizer groups. These groups are aligned with the humanitarian response o...
Report
Information and Feedback Centres
In close partnership with the local NGOs, UNICEF established information and feedback centres (IFCs) in key locations in the refugee camps and host communities with community volunteers for outreach and dialogue. IFCs provide information and referral on available services and receive and respond to community feedb...