BANDARBAN, Bangladesh : Crippling poverty in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) has made many a bright student drop out of school only to face an uncertain future.

Life is difficult in this hilly and forested region in the southeastern tip of Bangladesh, where parents struggle to provide food for their children, let alone an education.

Deena Chakma, however, does not have to worry about dropping out of school.

The 11-year-old girl is one of 51 students who recently received an education grant for the 2009-2010 school year from Caritas Chittagong, the regional office of the Bangladesh Catholic Church's social-service agency.

The office distributed 136,200 taka (US$1,946) for the grants, which will be renewed annually until the youngsters complete their high school studies.

"If I didn't get the Caritas grant, I would be a school drop-out like many of my classmates from the primary level," a thankful Deena said.

Now enrolled in a local high school at the sub-district headquarters in Ruma, Bandarban, she added that Caritas' monthly grant of 800 taka is enough for her school fees and board. Since the school is far fro her home, she must stay in a student hostel.

Deena belongs to the tribal Chakma community, one of the major ethnic groups in the Hill Tracts. Most Chakma follow Buddhism.

Deena scored well in the January 2009 Junior Scholarship Examination under Bangladesh's Education Ministry, gaining a Talent-pool Scholarship. She received a merit certificate from the government and will also receive a scholarship of 120 taka a month.

Her earlier education did not come through a government primary school, because her mother, like many other parents, did not want her child traveling several kilometers along a narrow and dangerous road.

Instead, she attended classes at a Caritas-run Village-based Education Center (VBEC). Caritas runs 30 of these centers in the three CHT districts.

About 3,250 tribal children from the Bengali, Chakma, Tripura, Marma, Rakhain and other ethnic communities study for free in grades 1-5 at the VBECs.

The program offers only primary level education because of a shortage of qualified teachers, but has nonetheless instilled a go-to-school habit among children of poor families. The problems arise after they finish the 5th grade.

Many poor families live in remote areas far from high schools, which are not free, so they would have to pay boarding as well as school fees. As a result, many parents do not send their children fro secondary education.

Deena's parents too had decided to stop her education after the primary level, but Caritas' grant and the government scholarship changed the situation.

Amor Shanti Chakma, 10, also successfully passed 5th grade at a VBEC and gets a Caritas grant. "My father, who is a poor farmer, wanted to stop my education after 5th grade, but I wanted to continue," he said.

"Caritas is helping me make a brighter future through education. My aim in life is to become a teacher" the boy beamed.

James Gomes, director of Caritas Chittagong, told UCA News: "It's the first ever initiative from Caritas whereby we help poor and talented students with cash. We undertook this initiative because we can not extend our education service past the 5th grade."

Poverty forces most children to drop out after 5th grade, he acknowledged. "At least we can help 51 kids who are poor but have talent."

Caritas chooses students for the grant program based on their VBEC performance.

Deena has her sights set high. "I hope to get a scholarship after the 8th-grade scholarship examinations and go on to get the highest grade point average in both the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) in science," she said.

"My aim in life is to become a doctor and extend a helping hand to the poor, deprived and marginalized 'adivasi' (indigenous) people in the remotest areas in the CHT. I'm grateful to Caritas and hope they will continue helping me."

Courtesy : UCAN