Education Amid Urban Poverty
Bangladesh runs two education crises. Dhaka’s slums house 1.4 million children working on the streets, exposed to exploitation and violence. Flood-prone regions isolate children from schools every year. READ Foundation addresses both. Drop-in Centres shelter and educate street children. School on a Boat reaches students in Kishoreganj through floating and land classrooms. Different problems, adapted solutions. Goal? Turning barriers into pathways that save children from lifelong poverty.
From Dhaka's streets to, Kishoreganj's waters: education is changing stories
Street children in our Drop-in Centres achieve remarkable outcomes, 98% enter work, study, or both after programme completion. In flood-prone areas, 100% of boat school students passed Grade III, progressing toward formal school integration by 2026. Climate education in Faridpur empowers 1,800 students and enables them to protect their communities. This is how your support changes stories.
98%
DiC graduates enter work or education.
420
Students learn despite annual flooding.
10
Land-based and 2 floating classrooms.
Case Studies
School on a Boat
Rina’s Story
Drop-in Centre (Night Shelter)
Fatima’s Story
Drop-in Centre
Barnali’s Story
Zayneb’s Story
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“ EDUCATING A CHILD IS EMPOWERING A NEW GENERATION WITH THE TOOLS FOR CREATING A BETTER TOMORROW.
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Areas of Work
Our work supports children on the streets and in flood zones. Drop-in Centres shelter children, and school boats reach flood areas, making education work in any circumstances.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
"It’s equally our field too." Despite societal barriers, girls in Pakistan are proving they belong in STEM. Discover how young women in Kashmir are defying expectations and bridging community gaps with the help of targeted sponsorships.
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digital
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International Day of Education 2026
In the communities we support, education is more than classrooms, textbooks or certificates. It is also protection, inclusion, and stability. With young people under the age of 30 making up more than half of the global population, their lived experience is essential in shaping learning.
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Drop-in Centre & Night Shelter
Our Drop-in Centres support street children with education, meals, counselling, and skills training. The Night Shelter provides vulnerable girls with safety, care, and round-the-clock supervision.
School on a Boat
In flood-prone regions, our floating classrooms bring education to children cut off by rising waters. Boats and land-based classrooms help children keep learning despite climate challenges.
Climate Education
Faridpur teaches 1,800 students disaster prep through green gardens, emergency drills, and climate awareness. Building resilience against Bangladesh’s climate threats through awareness education.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bangladesh faces widespread poverty and increasing climate risk. Many children live on the streets or in areas hit by flooding every year, which disrupts or ends their education. Continued support helps children stay safe, return to learning, and build skills that reduce long-term poverty and create more stable futures.
Two boats converted to classrooms navigate Kishoreganj when floods isolate communities. Ten land classrooms on higher ground stay safe from waters. Together, the programme reaches 420 students. Every year, flood waters come, but education can’t stop for months because of the floods. Boats not only transport students, but also convert into classrooms.
Girls on the streets are more vulnerable. Sexual violence, trafficking, and exploitation spike after dark. Night Shelter takes extremely vulnerable girls at any point during the year. Female staff supervise overnight in a secure space with counselling and support. Both genders access the daytime Drop-in Centre equally.
Faridpur reaches 1,800 students through practical education. They maintain green gardens, run mock emergency drills, and learn disaster response for their region. Bangladesh faces serious climate threats. UN estimates 13.3 million might become climate refugees within 30 years. Teaching children to recognise signs, respond fast, and protect families gives them tools for disasters likely to happen.
Numbers tell it. 98% of Drop-in Centre children transition successfully. Literacy climbs from 45% to 95%. Boat students all passed exams despite the floods. Why? Government-recognised curriculum enables them. Community teachers understand contexts. We provide food and safety alongside academics because hungry children can’t focus. Each programme fits its challenge rather than importing generic models that ignore local problems.
Our Blogs
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
"It’s equally our field too." Despite societal barriers, girls in Pakistan are proving they belong in STEM. Discover how young women in Kashmir are defying expectations and bridging community gaps with the help of targeted sponsorships.
-
0 min read
International Day of Education 2026
In the communities we support, education is more than classrooms, textbooks or certificates. It is also protection, inclusion, and stability. With young people under the age of 30 making up more than half of the global population, their lived experience is essential in shaping learning.
-
0 min read
International Day of Persons with Disabilities: all must mean all
3rd December marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a day to
promote the rights and wellbeing of people with disabilities across all areas of
society, and to raise awareness of the importance of inclusion. The 2025 theme,
“Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress”, underscores
the principle that genuine progress is only possible when everyone is included.
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