Utsho Bangladesh organizes view-exchange meeting on operating a community-initiated child daycare center

Utsho Bangladesh started its journey in 1993 with a residential school for the underprivileged and marginalized children of society. 

For almost 30 years, the organization has been working with disadvantaged children and to that end, with the determination to work together with the participation of everyone to build a safe family, society, and country for all children, Utsho Bangladesh has organized a view-exchange meeting on operating a community-initiated child daycare center for underprivileged and marginalized children. 

The meeting was held on May 6, in the capital –Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia Hall, Jatya Press Club, Ramna, according to a press release. 

Presided over by Sara Zaker, chairperson of Mongoldeep Foundation, the meeting was conducted by Mahbooba Mahmood, founder and executive director of Utsho Bangladesh. 

The meeting was also attended by Rupali Chowdhury, managing director, Berger Paint Bangladesh Limited as the special guest and Srabanti Datta, member Secretary of Utsho Bangladesh. 

The members of Utsho Bangladesh, many distinguished personalities and media personnel also attended the event. 

In the meeting, the discussants highlighted the need for child daycare centers for children from underprivileged families.

They said we must move forward with targeted interventions to ensure all the children can be brought up in safe, nurturing, and stimulating environments. 

This will make the way for them to grow up healthy and make them good citizens for the country. However, this requires the active participation of everyone from the community.

During the event, the participants emphasized that providing daycare services to underprivileged children is not only a moral standpoint, it will play a crucial role in the social and economic development of the nation. 

Furthermore, they underscored the need for everyone to participate in efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all children, regardless of their families and backgrounds.

In the meeting, participants shared their views on ways to better access daycare services for underprivileged families and discussed pertinent measures. 

Acknowledging that there’s a lot that can be done in this regard, they opined those who are operating the daycare centers need support from the community to ensure quality services for the children and by doing this, it will be possible to provide an appropriate and safe environment for children to become good citizens.

They also said we must ensure that every child can grow up in a nurturing environment and that everyone enjoys the equal opportunity to avail of daycare facilities. 

However, it is not possible for any individual or organization alone to ensure this. Ensuring child safety is a collective responsibility that requires the collaborative mentality and participation of everyone in society, including parents, policymakers, and the government. 

They think that if private companies and organizations take necessary initiatives in this regard, a safe environment can be ensured for many children.

“Currently, we are working on a ‘Child Day Care Center’ model for the children of underprivileged working mothers, which can be run effectively with support and participation from the community. If adults take a little responsibility in their respective positions, every child will become a good citizen – society will become increasingly crime-free, and together we will be able to build a great human resource,” shared Mahbooba Mahmood, founder and executive director of Utsho Bangladesh. 

“Utsho Bangladesh is being operated locally on a collaborative approach rather than depending on any project or foreign assistance. We can confidently say that the task is challenging but not impossible. Utsho Bangladesh has already successfully changed the lives of many children.”

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Originally Published at: Dhaka Tribune