Community Support

Several factors contribute to whether a someone pursues an education or not. Vialisa strives to engage and accommodate the community as much as possible to help these excluded youth create better future prospects for themselves.

First Aid Responder

Due to the high population density and intensive construction in slums, the risk of accidents is significant. Additionally, poor hygienic conditions provide a breeding ground for bacteria, and people are reluctant to visit a doctor due to the associated costs. Minor wounds can easily escalate into major debilitating and sometimes life-threatening infections, which are also expensive to treat.

 

Vialisa has started training students to provide primary medical assistance. This includes cleaning and dressing minor, superficial wounds, as well as identifying more serious injuries that require professional care and promptly referring them to a clinic or hospital. The caregivers may charge a small fee for their services and also gain a respected status in the community as someone to turn to for help.

Library

In our current building, a library has been set up on the top floor. The books included in it have been donated by various parties, such as the British Women Association, American International School Dhaka, and Thrive. The library is not only accessible to our students but also to their parents and members of the community.

 

Day Care Centre

After it became clear that especially girls were frequently absent because they had to take care of their younger siblings, a daycare centre was opened in mid-2012. Since our educational sessions last a maximum of six months, attendance is crucial. Falling behind can happen quickly. Our students can temporarily leave their younger siblings in the capable hands of our daycare staff so they can attend their lessons themselves. The daycare centre accommodated an average of 12 preschoolers and toddlers simultaneously in 2018.

 

  • Preschoolers are cared for during lessons until their older sibling completes the education.
  • Preschoolers build a file at Vialisa, making it easier for them to be admitted to other NGOs through the contacts Vialisa maintains with various local schools and other NGOs (including BRAC, Jaago, and Intervida). Without the file at Vialisa, they would have difficulty qualifying for this.
  • Parents gain access to the NGO network.