Abida receives a scholarship from SOS to go to school

October 7, 2011: Abida is a teenage girl who studies at an SOS Children’s Villages School in Bogra, Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world. Even as a young child, Abida worried about her own education. Her mother, a maid who earned less than $1 USD per day, was often unable to provide basic necessities despite her best efforts.  In the middle of her sixth grade year, Abida was forced to drop out of school because her parents could not afford to pay her school fees. Had it not been for an SOS scholarship program, she might not have been able to ever attend school again, let alone higher education.

Dreams of an Education Shattered  

Many children in Bangladesh grow up without ever gaining an elementary education. Even an estimated 1.5 million children in Bangladesh never attend school at all.  According to UNICEF, the country’s illiteracy rate is as high as 62% with around 13.4 million children working to support their families.  

Abida works on her homework

A Scholarship from SOS Children’s Villages Lights up Abida’s Life

Abida’s life was changed when her mother met a Family Strengthening staff member from SOS Children’s Villages. The SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Bogra helps to provide an education to children of poverty-stricken families in the community through a scholarship program. After enrollment, Abida began to receive a scholarship of $12 a month to attend the school and is now able to complete her education.

Today, Abida is an eighth grader with dreams of becoming a doctor. Her favorite subjects are English and geography. She helps her family by managing the family budget, maintaining a diary of income and expenditures, and paying the grocery bills. “I cannot believe this smart young girl is my timid Abida; I am so happy she could go back to school,” her mother proudly says.  

SOS recognizes that education is a right, and works to provide educational opportunities not only to SOS children, but also to children who live with their families in the communities around our SOS Villages. The SOS Hermann Gmeiner School Bogra consists of 7 primary school classrooms and 12 secondary school classrooms.  It benefits up to 640 children in the Bogra community.

Many children like Abida in Bangladesh do not have access to primary school education. Donate now to help SOS provide quality education to children around the world.