A school on wheels turning around lives

It's Humanity Foundation (IHF), a social welfare organisation, aims to build opportunities for disadvantaged communities. Through their various endeavours, IHF intends to create facilities in education and vocational skills, while establishing a sustainable system for their beneficiaries. IHF has been providing underprivileged children with free education since 2010. Ahead of World Teachers' Day (October 5), we caught up with the team to find out more about their recent initiative, Chakar School (school on wheels).

IHF's innovative education system, based on a bus called Chakar School, is funded by Community Partners International (CPI) and TAO Foundation. Children from different slum areas attend pre-primary level classes in the bus.  After a one-year course with Chakar School, these children will be enrolled into various government schools. Through Chakar School, Mohammad Adnan Hossain, the founder of IHF, aimed to reach out to different places and create a sustainable system for education.

Teachers and students of Chakar School are equipped with face masks, face shields and other safety precautions during classes. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF IHF

 Chakar School offers both traditional and digital lessons to their students. Well-trained instructors conduct these classes and each student is provided with a tablet that helps them enhance their listening and pronunciation skills, through different cognitive games. "This is a happy place for our students, as they get to learn and play in a supportive environment. Every child deserves quality education. Through our platform, we encourage students to reinvent themselves through cognitive learning, life skills and different activities," shared Sarah Jabeen, Project Manager, Chakar School. Due to the ongoing pandemic, they are currently emphasising on safety and hygiene lessons, along with extracurricular activities.  For the first phase, Chakar School gathered 25 students from Diabari. IHF plans to reach out to slum areas in Mohammadpur and Banasree as well.

The foundation also organises Protibha, a project that empowers disadvantaged communities by providing them with handicraft training and promoting commercial sales for their products. Their other initiative, Center For Youth Development (CFYD), offers professional and soft skills training to the youth.

The team of Chakar School are currently conducting classes, following safety and social distancing guidelines as strictly as possible.

IHF further provides packed lunches to the students of Chakar School. Once a week, the instructors organise role playing, storytelling and arts and crafts sessions. They also arrange basic health checkups for their students every month. "Working with the organisation makes me feel that I am making a difference by inspiring these children to continue their education," added Tawhidul Islam Khan, an intern of Chakar School. The bus also includes CCTV cameras, an attendance machine and an emergency alarm.

Currently, the team of Chakar School is conducting the classes, following safety guidelines as strictly as possible. They are prepared with disinfectant sprays infrared thermometers, sanitisers, masks and face-shields for their teachers and students. "During classes, we show animated videos about how to prevent the spread of coronavirus. We are also trying to maintain social distance inside the bus," concluded Adnan.