The challenge

To solve global challenges, we need to cultivate the understanding that we all share the same earth, we are all resources who can take collective action for a more humane world.

In Bangladesh there is a large gap between economically rich and poor as well as between people of high and low social status. There is little interaction across the groups. Economically poor who live in the streets or slum areas face harsh discrimination. Other people tend to avoid those who live in the streets or the slums and create stereotypes that they are dishonest, dirty and cause trouble. Hence, they would not invite them into their homes. The way economically poor children and youth are treated by the community impacts how they see and feel about themselves.

Our response

We share the story of EDS and the dedicated EDS change agents so people learn that all children and youth are resources who can make positive change when they are met with empathy, trust, given responsibility and support. The EDS change agents collaborate with international children and youth at Blindern high school and Marikollen secondary school in Norway. The EDS children and youth’s transformative stories inspire the Norwegian students to feel they are also able learners and potential change agents who can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for themselves and others. The Norwegian students teach English and ICT to the EDS children and youth. Together they create shared understanding of being children and youth how we can be resources for each other.

Alamin inspiring Nepalese community development programs by sharing how children and youth become change agents in EDS.

Hafiz telling Norwegian teacher students at the NMBU about action research and change agents in EDS

Hafiz presenting EDS to the Oslo center for peace and human rights

Teaching Norwegian students about the EDS change agents and dancing together with the EDS children

More pictures of where we have presented EDS in Norway

The value of social capital and how to use it

In Bangladesh, people with high social capital normally do not interact or become friends with vulnerable children and youth. International leaders, who visit projects in Bangladesh, normally become friends with the project leaders, not with the children and youth.

At a Norad conference in Norway, Hafiz told the Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon about his transformational story and EDS.

The Crown Prince said surprised: Your story is like a movie, it’s unreal. You could get a lot of funding for EDS. Most people at this conference are looking for funding, why are you not doing that?

Hafiz: If you had given me one million crowners for EDS, I would use every single crowner for the purpose. Many children would get education, but when the money would be completed, the children may forget about it. If you, the crown prince would instead call an EDS child to tell that you had heard what great volunteer work that child was doing. If you had told the child how proud you were to know that child was a teacher giving vulnerable children education, the child would feel so acknowledged and proud and carry this feeling with him or her for life. The impact would last longer. Imagine, that someone you really look up to call you and said, “I’ve heard about you, you are doing a great job, I’m so proud of you”. Imagine how inspired you would become to continue your good work. For the vulnerable children who come to EDS it is unthinkable that a person with high social capital would bother about how they are doing, acknowledge them, give them time nor treat them like a friend.

In EDS we see feelings, care, love and acknowledgment as driving forces for development. When we asked the boys in the Shishu Palli governmental orphanage what they need and whether we could give them pens, books, clothes or toys, they said: We want a family and people who love us, care for us and play with us”. For this reason, we in EDS try to make every child and youth feel we are a family who love, care for and value each other. We give each other time, play and enjoy together and treat each other as resources.

Therefore, we invite people with high social capital to join EDS and connect with and show their love to the EDS children/youth, including the boys at the Shishu Palli governmental orphanage, so they can inspire each other.

“When Hafiz first asked me to call and motivate the EDS children, I felt uncomfortable and believed that my call would not have any impact on them. After calling Ibrahim, I realized that my call made him feel valuable and he became increasingly confident that he was a teacher and did a valuable work in helping other children to get education. I realized that my call indeed had an impact and that I could play a role in development by being friends with the children and youth. My belief in them increased their belief in themselves.” Trine

Results

Vulnerable children and youth who earlier identified themselves as problems, troublemakers and unable learners now identify themselves as resources like leaders, teachers, change agents and volunteers. They feel proud to take on roles and responsibilities sin EDS.