The Choice to Change Foundation is dedicated to helping kids in the slums of Bangladesh find a way out of poverty through schooling. Andy Mills finds out more about a recent trip and what you can do to help out.
It can be easy to see a problem and walk away from it. For some people though, like Eva Kernova, founder of The Choice to Change Foundation (C2C), this path was not an option.
Having heard about terrible living conditions in parts of Bangladesh her drive to do something positive for people saw her taking a spontaneous flight to Dhaka back in 2010 to see for herself. ‘I don’t trust if I don’t see,’ explains Eva. ‘But what I saw I couldn’t believe. I couldn’t believe that it was 2010 and people were letting other people live like this. In our country pets have better living conditions. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t do something to help.’
Initially the UAE resident made contact with a local charity worker called Sunil Baroi, who was already trying to find ways to help people in the slums of Dhaka. They discussed ways that they could make a positive impact, and with some of Eva’s savings and his local knowledge they set out to establish a school with the belief that education might just give the children a fighting chance of making better lives for themselves. By July 2010, the first school was opened in the Lalmati slum housing 30 pupils.
Eva admits she was impressed by what Sunil had managed with such tight constraints when she returned, but she could also see the potential to go further. ‘The name Choice to Change is very personal to me,’ adds Eva. ‘Walking around those slums I kept thinking about how these people had no choice, they were born here and they would die here. I could change their lives, though, if I made the choice to. All it took was a little bit of money and some effort, but I knew more children could be helped.’
In 2011, Eva was joined by two fellow volunteers, Mark Azzam and Marius Belciug, both from Abu Dhabi, who shared her vision. They have worked tirelessly in their free time to get the C2C organisation up and running, with some impressive results.
Less than three years on from its inception the foundation now runs two schools educating a total of 128 students and employing ten full-time members of staff. A school doctor also visits the students on a weekly basis and in March of this year C2C was finally granted ‘Social Welfare Status’ by the government of Bangladesh, making the organisation officially recognised.
To celebrate the three-year anniversary the foundation organised a two-day trip to Dhaka with a group of eight people, many of whom supported the charity during this time. The 48-hour trip allowed them to see the work of the foundation first hand, experience the enthusiasm of the children and also offered the chance to hand over donations in person.
Crocs, represented by Laura Quirke from Dubai, handed out new pairs of Crocs shoes to the pupils as well as to children in the Khilkhet and Lalmati slums. DMS Global hosted two iftar meals over two evenings, which meant more than 300 people received meals, and the British International School Abu Dhabi (BISAD) sent two representatives to present Dhs20,000 to the foundation in person, raised through car boot sales, sponsored walks, tea towel sales and football tournaments. ‘The children in the Lamati and Khilkhet slums are so loving, accepting and non-judgmental. The immense joy they received from simple pure things such as human connection and a sense of community was so deeply moving to me,’ says Laura, of the experience.
This first hand involvement is something that Eva, Mark and Marius are very keen on, because they believe it not only helps to paint a true picture of what the situation is and what is being done to help, but it also builds trust. If people see where their donations are being used then they feel more comfortable about helping further in the future. ‘If people want to help, then donations of clothes, powdered milk and school supplies are really welcome, but if they want to donate time and skills in teaching English to the children then we’re always open to that. We’re sure we can benefit from other viewpoints and ways to teach them,’ says Eva.
www.thechoicetochange.org.
Dhaka and Bangladesh
Essential statistics about the area where the foundation is working to improve people’s lives
4,000 slum areas exist in Dhaka City. These slums are home to 3.5 million people; 25 percent of the city’s population of approximately 15 million people.
Bangladesh Government Statistic, February 2013.
Malnutrition is severe in Bangladesh, where 41.3 percent of children under the age of five are underweight or malnourished.
CIA World Fact Book.
Illiteracy affects approximately 43 percent of Bangladeshis over the age of 15.
CIA World Fact Book.
