Today, Taslima lives in the worlds largest refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, home to 890,000 refugees. More than half are children.
In October 2017, World Vision opened it’s first child-friendly space there, protecting kids from exploitation and abuse (threats can become more common in the midst or aftermath of an emergency). Today there are 12 child-friendly spaces(CFS) for kids aged 5-12 in the camps.
Taslima is one of 1,700 enrolled. While the CFS doesn’t offer formal education, it’s a safe, fun place where children can play, learn and regain a sense of normalcy in their disrupted lives. Apart from playing and drawing sessions, children are given awareness on personal hygiene and child protection.
Taslima wants to be a teacher, “I love children”, she says confidently looking up from her notebook lined with numbers and sentences.
“I need to study so that I can teach children from our community when I grow up and help other people”. Taslima has been displaced from her town in Rohingya, Myanmar.