Every newspaper is free in the reading room
Development Aid: In Bangladesh, information centers make up-to-date knowledge accessible to the poor as well.
Development aid In Bangladesh, information centers make up-to-date knowledge accessible to the poor. Bangladesh's major newspapers can all be read on the Internet, which at first glance seems astonishing in one of the poorest countries in the world. The Asian country is almost four times the size of Switzerland, but has a population of 135 million. Despite the low average income, Bangladesh surprises with an astonishing variety of newspapers and magazines and a remarkable freedom of the press for this region, which is, of course, repeatedly saved by self-censorship on the part of journalists. However, papers such as the English The Daily Star (www.thedailystar.net) and The Independent (www.independent-bangladesh.com) or newspapers in the national language Bengali such as Bhorer Kagoj or Akjer Kagoj can only be read by a more affluent minority. Tens of millions of people can neither afford newspapers nor do they have access to a computer. This is where CDL (Community Development Library) steps in.
Founded in 1980, nine years after the country's independence from Pakistan, the organization set itself the goal of making information in books and newspapers available to all sections of the population. It all began with a library in the heart of the city of Dhaka, the nucleus of this pioneering idea. The aid organization of the Protestant churches (Heks) supported the project from the very beginning, but left the planning to the people of Bangladesh, who know the country's needs best.
Since then, 27 CDL centers have been set up throughout the country, where children from slums, workers from all walks of life, students, teachers and business people can read books and newspapers and find out where this luxury is available by watching videos or on the Internet.
Current documentaries In the CDL center in Dhaka, staff member Oleda Sultana, a self-confident, cheerful woman, shows us the sparse, practically furnished rooms. In the reading room, dozens of visitors are engrossed in well-worn newspapers; in the library, a group of young women are reading books in Bengali. "Our library has 26,000 books," says the manager, "as books are very expensive compared to the average income, we only lend them to members." The CDL center in Dhaka has 2,000 members who pay an annual fee of 200 taka to borrow books. That is the equivalent of just under four francs. In a country where the gross national product per inhabitant is as much as 360 dollars, the contribution is only affordable for a minority. Everyone else reads the books on the spot.
At a long table, young women in saris cut out reports from piles of daily newspapers and magazines and integrate them into dossiers on a wide range of topics such as women's issues, nutrition, hygiene, environmental problems and AIDS. These documentaries are copied and are in great demand as they provide in-depth information on current topics.
In Bangladesh, the government only has very limited resources at its disposal to ensure the education of the growing population. Countless private aid and self-help organizations, often supported from abroad, are stepping in here, running village schools, enabling the publication of specific print media or - like the completely private organization CDL - making information accessible to the general public. The center in Dhaka continuously records the organization's entire inventory electronically and has recently been supplementing the documentation with the help of the Internet.
The appropriately equipped CDL outstations have electronic access to the data material from the control center. However, the hardware required for this is often prohibitively expensive, not only for individuals but also for institutions. "We need computers and photocopiers," explains one employee, "but we don't have the money for them. We are also very grateful for used equipment." Heks is still one of the most important donors today, providing CHF 80,000 a year; other donors include the German organization Miserior and Unicef.
Hotspots of social life The CDL center in the megacity of Faridpur, a few hours' drive west of Dhaka, is bursting at the seams on the day of our visit. In the largest room, flanked by high bookshelves, a youth group listens to a lecture and then sings. Later, a women's group occupies the meeting room and discusses the topic of birth planning, repeatedly interrupted by refreshing laughter.
"This center is extremely important for us," explains Kamul Hasan Jewel, Field Coordinator at the CDL center in Faridpur. In
Young people sit engrossed in newspapers and books in the reading room. Momi, almost twenty, wants to become a doctor, Taher, 18, comes here in his spare time; his career goal is to become an engineer. "Who says the youth of Bangladesh are disoriented and have no opportunities?" asks Asma Akter Mukta rhetorically. She is the rebellious director of Racine, another organization associated with CDL. In fact, the
The Community Development Library movement has created focal points throughout the country that offer young people many opportunities for further training and contacts.
The CDL centers have developed into focal points of social life through networking in all directions. For example, the Urban Information Resource Center attached to the Dhaka center has opened a school for slum children. Pieder Casura, responsible for Bangladesh at the Swiss Protestant Church Aid Organization: "In a country where the vast majority of citizens have a purchasing power a hundred times smaller than that of the Swiss, a few tens of thousands of francs a year can go a long way."
New perspectivesFaridpur, located one hundred kilometers west of Dhaka, is a poor provincial town with more than one million inhabitants. Economically, Faridpur is the center of the declining jute industry. Tourists and Western business people rarely stray here.
With its library and newspapers, the CDL Center is an important source of information and brings hope to many intelligent young people who have few career prospects. The center is also a focal point of social life for countless people, as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women's groups, political activists and artists meet here. Muslims, Hindus and Christians mix casually in all CDL centers in Bangladesh.
In the CDL centers, documentation on current topics is produced from current newspapers.
Hundreds of thousands of people read newspapers and books in the 26 CDL centers in Bangladesh.
Slum school in Dhaka, another activity of the CDL organization.
The management proudly stands in front of the gate to their CDL center.
Werner Catrina
Founded in 1980, nine years after the country's independence from Pakistan, the organization set itself the goal of making information in books and newspapers available to all sections of the population. It all began with a library in the heart of the city of Dhaka, the nucleus of this pioneering idea. The aid organization of the Protestant churches (Heks) supported the project from the very beginning, but left the planning to the people of Bangladesh, who know the country's needs best.
Since then, 27 CDL centers have been set up throughout the country, where children from slums, workers from all walks of life, students, teachers and business people can read books and newspapers and find out where this luxury is available by watching videos or on the Internet.
Current documentaries In the CDL center in Dhaka, staff member Oleda Sultana, a self-confident, cheerful woman, shows us the sparse, practically furnished rooms. In the reading room, dozens of visitors are engrossed in well-worn newspapers; in the library, a group of young women are reading books in Bengali. "Our library has 26,000 books," says the manager, "as books are very expensive compared to the average income, we only lend them to members." The CDL center in Dhaka has 2,000 members who pay an annual fee of 200 taka to borrow books. That is the equivalent of just under four francs. In a country where the gross national product per inhabitant is as much as 360 dollars, the contribution is only affordable for a minority. Everyone else reads the books on the spot.
At a long table, young women in saris cut out reports from piles of daily newspapers and magazines and integrate them into dossiers on a wide range of topics such as women's issues, nutrition, hygiene, environmental problems and AIDS. These documentaries are copied and are in great demand as they provide in-depth information on current topics.
In Bangladesh, the government only has very limited resources at its disposal to ensure the education of the growing population. Countless private aid and self-help organizations, often supported from abroad, are stepping in here, running village schools, enabling the publication of specific print media or - like the completely private organization CDL - making information accessible to the general public. The center in Dhaka continuously records the organization's entire inventory electronically and has recently been supplementing the documentation with the help of the Internet.
The appropriately equipped CDL outstations have electronic access to the data material from the control center. However, the hardware required for this is often prohibitively expensive, not only for individuals but also for institutions. "We need computers and photocopiers," explains one employee, "but we don't have the money for them. We are also very grateful for used equipment." Heks is still one of the most important donors today, providing CHF 80,000 a year; other donors include the German organization Miserior and Unicef.
Hotspots of social life The CDL center in the megacity of Faridpur, a few hours' drive west of Dhaka, is bursting at the seams on the day of our visit. In the largest room, flanked by high bookshelves, a youth group listens to a lecture and then sings. Later, a women's group occupies the meeting room and discusses the topic of birth planning, repeatedly interrupted by refreshing laughter.
"This center is extremely important for us," explains Kamul Hasan Jewel, Field Coordinator at the CDL center in Faridpur. In
Young people sit engrossed in newspapers and books in the reading room. Momi, almost twenty, wants to become a doctor, Taher, 18, comes here in his spare time; his career goal is to become an engineer. "Who says the youth of Bangladesh are disoriented and have no opportunities?" asks Asma Akter Mukta rhetorically. She is the rebellious director of Racine, another organization associated with CDL. In fact, the
The Community Development Library movement has created focal points throughout the country that offer young people many opportunities for further training and contacts.
The CDL centers have developed into focal points of social life through networking in all directions. For example, the Urban Information Resource Center attached to the Dhaka center has opened a school for slum children. Pieder Casura, responsible for Bangladesh at the Swiss Protestant Church Aid Organization: "In a country where the vast majority of citizens have a purchasing power a hundred times smaller than that of the Swiss, a few tens of thousands of francs a year can go a long way."
New perspectivesFaridpur, located one hundred kilometers west of Dhaka, is a poor provincial town with more than one million inhabitants. Economically, Faridpur is the center of the declining jute industry. Tourists and Western business people rarely stray here.
With its library and newspapers, the CDL Center is an important source of information and brings hope to many intelligent young people who have few career prospects. The center is also a focal point of social life for countless people, as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), women's groups, political activists and artists meet here. Muslims, Hindus and Christians mix casually in all CDL centers in Bangladesh.
In the CDL centers, documentation on current topics is produced from current newspapers.
Hundreds of thousands of people read newspapers and books in the 26 CDL centers in Bangladesh.
Slum school in Dhaka, another activity of the CDL organization.
The management proudly stands in front of the gate to their CDL center.
Werner Catrina
