23/07/2023
The village of Jura Pani Chara is a situated in the Dighinala sub district, (Upazila) of the Khagrachari District in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, (CHT). The CHT is located in the south eastern region of Bangladesh.
The geography of Khagrachari is series of heavily forested hill ranges cut by three rivers, Chengi, Feni and Myinee.
Jura Pani Chara is a settlement of dispersed houses and farms, mostly constructed on the hillsides to avoid flooding in the narrow valleys. There are currently 233 residents of which 32 are children. The houses are mostly constructed of clay and timber with steel corrugated roofing.
The village is approximately 24km from the sub district town of Dighnala. The nearest hospital, Kaghrachari Sadar, is 30km away. Transport by motorcycle, car or truck is severely impacted in the rainy season due to roads and tracks made impassable by mud.
Electricity is supplied by solar panels however these have a limited lifespan. A permanent electricity supply is scheduled to be made available to the community sometime in 2024.
The Village Development Committee of Jura Pani Chara and the CHIE Foundation have identified a need for preschool education in their community. This year we have raised funds via a Gofundme appeal for the construction of a bamboo classroom and a small amount of educational materials. The village also hired a preschool teacher, at a monthly cost of 5050 Taka, to support the education of our children. However it soon became clear the bamboo classroom was simply not big enough to hold the number of children attending. With the short and long term situation in mind, the Village Development Committee and CHIE Foundation wish to construct a cement, brick and iron roofed school. Consisting of one large classroom and a small storage room. This will not only create a permanent focal point for our educational activities but also a more comfortable environment for our children.
