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Introduction
Throughout 2024, UKBET has continued to drive transformative change for 384 young girls and their families through education, micro-grants, and awareness initiatives. Our dedicated UKBET community teachers and fieldworkers have reached girls trapped in domestic servitude, bringing education directly to them. At the same time, UKBET has provided small grants to parents, empowering them to establish steady family incomes and end their reliance on their daughters' earnings.
In Bangladesh, it’s estimated that over a million young girls are compelled by family poverty to work as domestic labourers. These girls, separated from their families, spend their days and nights cooking, cleaning, and caring for others, often hidden away and exposed to mistreatment. Deprived of their family’s support, their childhood, and any education, they remain invisible despite laws against child labour, the Sustainable Development Goal to end child labour, and the fact that we are now in 2024—not 1824.
Our Doorstep Learning Programme remains the cornerstone of our work, with remarkable success in helping girls leave harmful domestic labour and return to school or transition into safe vocational training.
All the children in our programme are learning to read, write, and work with numbers. The joy and pride of being able to sign one’s name cannot be overstated—the sense of belonging and empowerment that comes from literacy and numeracy is truly transformative.
Doorstep Learning Programme
In 2024, UKBET’s community teachers have brought the invaluable gifts of literacy, numeracy, and essential life skills to 384 young girls trapped in the unforgiving reality of domestic servitude. Alongside this, the charity has extended small grants to parents capable of launching modest enterprises, enabling them to secure a stable income and lift their families out of dependency on their daughters’ earnings. This dual approach is not just alleviating poverty but dismantling the very circumstances that force young girls into labour.
Each child in our programme has formed a trusting, positive, one-to-one relationship with their community teacher—an experience these 'discarded' children say they will never forget. Beyond progressing in foundational skills, they are becoming:
- More self-assured and confident,
- Better equipped to stand up for themselves,
- Healthier through improved nutrition, hygiene, and daily care,
- Officially registered citizens with brighter futures.
And crucially, none will become child brides.
The Doorstep Learning Programme has made significant and measurable progress in 2024, achieving transformative outcomes:
- Engagement of Working Children: We have engaged 426 working children so far this year, including 52 former child laborers who have progressed through the program and continue to receive support.
- Transition from Child Labor: We expect at least 136 children to transition out of child labor, with 84 set to begin school by December 2024.
- Vocational Training and Employment: A total of 73 children are projected to join vocational training by year’s end. Of these, 50 have already completed their training, with 20 securing employment. Additionally, 5 were provided with age-appropriate, safe employment opportunities.
Additional Achievements:
- Self-Defense Training: In November 2024, 40 girls are scheduled to participate in self-defense training.
- Micro-Grants for Families: Forty-eight families received micro-grants to establish or expand small businesses, a crucial factor in enabling their daughters to transition from work to education or vocational training. We plan to support an additional 20 families with grants this year.
- Educational Support for Siblings: Forty-four siblings of working children are now enrolled in mainstream education rather than entering work. This support includes covering admission fees, school supplies, uniforms, and other essentials.
- Vocational Training for Siblings: Fourteen siblings have been supported to pursue vocational training.
- Improved Employment and Health Services: Ten family members of working children were connected to better employment opportunities, and five family members received essential medical care.
Community teachers have regularly visited the families of working children, assessing their needs, providing targeted support, and connecting them with additional services as appropriate. Furthermore, 33 neighborhood awareness programs have been conducted, effectively shifting community attitudes on child labor, child marriage, and the importance of education. Plans are underway to conduct an additional three awareness sessions by the end of the year.
Case study:Marufa’s(Not real name) joins Vocational training
Marufa (Not real name) previously worked as a domestic worker, but with the support of Ukbet, she is now pursuing sewing training. This opportunity will enhance her skills and boost her confidence, playing a vital role in shaping a bright future for herself.
As the eldest daughter in her family, Marufa(Not real name) carries significant responsibilities. She cares for her younger sisters, manages household tasks, and navigates the family’s financial challenges each day. Through her sewing training, she aspires not only to improve her own circumstances but also to uplift her family, striving for self-sufficiency while chasing her dreams.
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