A project funded by COL-PROTEIN, the Mobile Internet-Educational Unit on Boats (MIEUB) project in Bangladesh was named a finalist in the Environment category of the 2004 Stockholm Challenge Awards. The prestigious award recognises organisations and individuals who use ICT to improve living conditions in developing countries.
This innovative project in Bangladesh, developed by the voluntary NGO Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, educates farmers in remote areas about critical environmental and health issues. Funding from COL-PROTEIN enabled the start-up of this programme in 2003. This award is significant because it provides international recognition and promotion. Already there have been a number of groups who have expressed interest in replicating the Mobile Internet-Educational Unit on Boats initiative in other developing countries
Linking literacy development and livelihoods in Bangladesh
Mobile boat schools are providing a unique learning opportunity for people who live in the most remote areas of Bangladesh. The Mobile Internet-Educational Unit on Boats (MIEUB) initiative was developed by Shidhulai Swanirvar
Sangstha, through funding provided by COLs Poverty Reduction Outcomes Through Education Innovations and Networks (COL-PROTEIN) programme.
The boats travel the extensive network of rivers and streams in Bangladesh, collecting students from different riverside areas and then anchoring at the side of the river. Using solar energy to power technical equipment such as computers and projectors, the boats provide learning in several ways:
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Library facility. Girls and young women who arent involved in the formal education system have access to books, computers and other learning resources.
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Micro-enterprise development. Targeted at young women, this
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programme provides small business training. Participants receive support in starting small-scale income-generating activities, which in turn, provide parents with the income to pay education expenses and keep their children in school.
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Evening education programmes on large screens. Children and their parents have access to basic non-formal education. The eight-month programme is arranged according to age groups and attracts 250300 people for each educational show. There are also classes in human rights education.
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Distance education for farmers. The mobile Internet-educational units provide multimedia displays, mobile phones, e-mail and Internet features that provide distance education on agricultural and environmental issues, as well as information on commodity and farm input prices.
In a country where the majority of the population is illiterate, the MIEUB programme is making a significant impact. The enrolment of girls in primary education has increased. The literacy rate is improving. The overall health of the water system and agricultural productivity are on the rise. And the quality of life has improved for thousands of people.
Reference: Connections, A news publications of Commonwealth of Learning (COL), February 2005 Vol.10, No:1
Online: www.col.org
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