Bicycles, mattresses and school uniforms for 150 street children in Dacca, 850 Euro

Dacca Home provides a home to street children in Dakka, Bangladesh. Moments of Joy has had the privilege of supporting this project since 2002. There are now 150 children in five homes run by Dacca Home, and they are doing well. All children from forms 6 to 10 live in one house, in separate quarters for boys and girls. All small childen live together (also by gender) and all disabled children live together. 

The extra resources which they have been able to buy with the support of Moments of Joy have been very effective. There is a new computer, and a new teacher to help the children with their IT skills. This has already resulted in three older boys finding a job. The children's school results are also satisfactory, and so far all children have found jobs after their graduation. Some of them now work in one of the Dacca Homes. The children, who come from the most difficult circumstances, are thus able to build an independent life. This is not the case for the disabled children. They need 24 hour care and will never be able to live independently despite the efforts of the volunteers to provide basic education to them (disabled children are not allowed to attend state schools). 

With the help of donors, the homes are running well. And they are full. Dakka Home is unable to take on more children, but they do not always have the heart to turn new children away. They recently managed, with the help of a lawyer, to get three children released from prison. They were wrongly serving life sentences, the youngest was only five years old! In Bangladesh, too, childen are not supposed to be sent to adult prisons for long periods, but in reality this does happen frequently. They have also helped abused children to deal with an abusive home environment and has taken them in as permanent residents of Dacca Home. 

Moments of Joy would like to continue supporting these children, and has the following wish list: 

150 Matresses: 300 Euro 
The mattresses wear out quickly; sometimes several children sleep on one mattress. Due to the climate, mattresses get mouldy. Also, virtually none of the children in the disabled children's home are toilet-trained. 

Two bicycles: 110 Euro 
There is quite a distance between the homes. There is one bicycle, which was donated by Moments of Joy, but that is no longer enough. Every day, two boys go to the market in Savar to do the shopping for the homes, and at the moment they have to take rickshaws for transport, which is costly.
Two carrier bicycles would resolve this problem. 

Two telephones: 70 Euro 
Monir and Pronoy visit the homes daily and travel a lot for the children. A telephone for them is essential. 

100 school uniforms: 215 Euro 
All children have to wear school uniforms at school in Dacca. 

Casette player: 35 Euro 

Sports equipment: 80 Euro 

Emergency fund for costs to help children at particular risk (e.g. prison): 90 Euro. 

Total €  850,--

paid for by the general fund of moments of joy 

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