Rohingya Project
Adolescent girls have next to no opportunities in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. In this emergency context, girls are vulnerable to child marriage and gender-based violence. To compound the problem, adolescent girls are excluded from school as there are no culturally appropriate options available to them.
Maiya School aims to bridge this gap. In April 2022, we opened our first girls-only school in Kutupalong refugee camp. We now have two full classes of 80 Rohingya adolescent girls getting an education!
What makes Maiya School different?
Maiya School uses gender-inclusive strategies that align with the Rohingya culture to ensure that girls and their families feel comfortable attending our school. This includes the following:
Only female students and teachers
Clean female toilet with hand washing facilities
Regularly distributing menstrual hygiene kits, so students can manage their period with dignity and still attend school
Secure fence around the school grounds, so students do not get harassed by men and boys
Solar-powered fan and light, so girls can comfortably attend school in the heat while wearing their modest clothing
Rohingya Field Manager to check-up on the individual wellbeing of students
Teaching the formal Myanmar curriculum – developing skills in Burmese and English literacy, numeracy, life skills, health and wellbeing.
Maiya School believes that education will not only change the lives of our students, but of their families and wider Rohingya community – by bringing up a generation of girls who are educated, empowered, and motivated to advocate for their rights and future.
