Children living in the Bandarban Hills, Bangladesh, struggle to attend school. The dense forest makes the journey to the nearest school unsafe, and the paths between the scattered houses are steep and dangerous.

Yet, despite these challenges, the Bawm tribe wants to educate their children. The community wanted to build dormitories so their children could live closer to local schools and continue their education. In response, Global Mission Partners helped to establish a hostel in 2012.

Today, Rowangchari Hostel currently has 38 students. The hostel is a safe place to call home, especially for girls who would otherwise need to walk long distances in the dark to reach their homes.

The hostel management has started initiatives to help the program become self-sustainable. This has included agriculture, farming and raising livestock. The small enterprises help provide subsidies for accommodation, food, clothing, and education. 

The most recent initiative is two three-wheeled tuk-tuks. These were purchased for Rowangchari Hostel and another hostel nearby, which would also benefit. The Chuanchu Hope of Children Home Residential School has 65 students. 

The hostels offer a small taxi business in the local area. Two drivers receive income to support their families, and the hostels gain financial support for their operation costs.

Vana Bawm, Project Director, reported they can also access vital emergency care. They have driven young people living at the hostels to the hospital to receive help when sick. Without the tuk-tuks, this access to healthcare wasn’t possible.

Thanks to your support, some of the poorest families can send their children to school. The problematic walk through the Bandarban Hills is no longer an obstacle to their education.