Chalantika Slum | Life Changing Story of Lipi

Chalantika slum is a place in the capital Dhaka of Bangladesh where many people from different parts of the country come with dreams to develop their destinies. A large part of these people come from the coastal areas of the southern part of the country.

Chalantika Slum Children Development (CSCDP) project staff are working untiringly to figure out distressed children in the slum to ensure their primary education. Lipi is one of them. Childlike Lipi doesn’t know whether they got the opportunity to accomplish their education or not!

A 10-years-old girl was raised in poverty. Lipi is living in the Chalantika slum with her parents and two sisters. Her father Rahim Bari is a day laborer who earns BDT. 7,000.00 per month and her mother Rahima is a housemaid who earns BDT. 3,000.00 per month. All of their money is being spent on maintaining their house rent and food costs every month. Thus, parents of Lipi don’t think of educating their children as they won't be able to afford educational costs.

Lipi’s parents came to know about the ADRA CSCDP center from one of their neighbors. They came and enrolled Lipi in the CSCDP center when her age was six. Lipi likes to come to the CSCDP center. She likes English subject the most. From the CSCDP center, she learns politeness, manner, and culture. Now, she attends class three and goes to Islamia Govt. Primary School.

“I want to be a teacher in the future and help poor students who can't get quality education due to financial crisis. I want to make my family financially stable. I want to live in a better place than the slum and make my family happy,” said Lipi.

Lipi is a friendly, polite, and smiling girl. She helps her mother with household work like cleaning dishes, taking care of her younger sister, tidying clothes, cleaning their house, and more. Lipi can draw nice pictures as well.

CSCDP is not only educating children but teaching them a wide range of norms aiming to bring out positive behavioral changes. Lipi has many positive changes after coming to the ADRA CSCDP center. Now, she washes her hands before taking a meal and after using the toilet, brushes her teeth two times a day, goes to school on time, drinks safe boiled water at home, and conveys greetings and respect for elder persons and teachers.

“I am so grateful that Lipi got the chance to go to the CSCDP center and continue her education. I’ve learned to sign by attending the adult literacy program at the CSCDP center as well. Lipi can eat nutritious food from the CSCDP center. I am so happy as Lipi’s life is changing which was not possible if we couldn’t admit her to the ADRA CSCDP center,” Rahima (mother of Lipi) express her feelings spontaneously.