Cheremeie Project is a student NGO set up by students of the Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, with the belief that children should have a place to learn and play wherever on Earth they are born. Together with supporters in Japan, it backs the education of ethnic minority children living in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.
Its central initiative is the foster-parent program "Chere Mama & Chere Papa." It helps children whose families cannot afford school fees, or who have no school nearby in the hills and must board, to keep learning at a boarding school through Grade 10. Supporters give 3,000 yen a month (about 100 yen a day), which goes to food, school fees, dormitory fees, textbooks and uniforms. No cash is handed directly to the children.
Supporters receive a newsletter on the activities and can exchange letters with their child about twice a year. In Japan, the project also holds report meetings, gives guest lectures at schools, puts on a panel exhibition at an international exchange association, and takes part in events in various places.
Key points
- Education support for ethnic minority children in Bangladesh, started by students
- A foster-parent program, "Chere Mama," that supports children continuously until Grade 10 graduation
- Newsletters and letters make the children's growth feel close and personal
Why this organization's work stands out
Students launched it themselves and, believing that continuity matters most in learning, built a foster-parent system for long-term support. For about 100 yen a day, people can take part in a child's education in a faraway region.
How the money is used is explained concretely, and supporters can learn about the children through letters and reports. It offers a gentle way in, built on the idea that international cooperation need not be a grand undertaking.
Editor's comment
It is encouraging to see students of a similar generation take action out of serious concern for children's education in a faraway place.
Supporter recruitment and the latest activities are on the official website. Please take a look.