BRAC builds 500 Boat School: 04 December 2012
BRAC has initiated a new program of building floating ‘Boat Schools’ for children from disadvantaged background living in flood plains of remote areas of the country. Under ‘Educate A Child’ (EAC) program launched recently in Doha by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, wife of the Emir of Qatar, BRAC will set up 500 floating schools by 2014. One hundred such schools have already started functioning. After visiting the program recently in Derai, Sunamganj she said, the floating schools would serve a dual purpose of ‘school bus and class room’.
EAC will also provide funds for 2000 schools in slums in urban areas.
Professional Women Drives: 05 November 2012
The first batch of 21 women out of 600 has graduated from BRAC School of Driving recently. The school has been set up for promoting women drivers in the country breaking deep gender prejudices. All the 21 have already received job assurances from two private firms on the day of their passing out. In addition to driving, the training includes basic vehicle maintenance, traffic laws, parking, lane discipline, and practicing on simulator. Each graduate will earn at least Tk 10,000 ($ 122) a month, three times the salary of a garments worker.
BRAC Director and head of the program Najmul Hussein hoped the well-trained women drivers will find good employment opportunities in the NGO sector which is well-known for vigorously promoting employment of women especially in ‘unconventional’ fields.
The country has only 265 professional women drivers against an estimated 2.4 million males. The 8-week course is funded and conducted by BRAC in cooperation with Bangladesh Road Transports Authority (BRTA) of the Government. Female drivers’ involvement in fatal accidents is 50% less than male drivers, said Chairman of BRTA.