Learning, Sharing, and Growing: What Happened in the Knowledge Fair

[Nusrat Jahan Priya]

Hello, everyone. I am happy that I got the chance to hear from you and to share my experience through this blog. I am Nusrat Jahan Priya. I have joined as a program associate at the Grow Your Reader Foundation. I will work as a documentation officer in the ARC initiative. I have always been passionate about working for children’s education and community empowerment. So, after completing my fellowship at Teach For Bangladesh, I joined GYRF. I feel very lucky that right after joining, I got the opportunity to work closely with the community. I heard their story from them. Based on their story, I planned the program and performances, wrote the performance scripts, and planned other things for the Knowledge Fair. On 19/04/2025, I attended the Knowledge Fair for this project. So, today I am writing a detailed blog about that day. I hope you will read this blog and share your feedback on both the blog and the program.

On April 19, 2025, the Knowledge Fair of the Global Fund for Children (GFC)-funded project Addressing Root Cause (ARC) was held at Joynagar High School, Gopalganj. The event was organized by the Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF). This knowledge fair was part of the 3-day convening program of this project.  Alongside the GYRF, 10 other organizations and their community members from Bangladesh and various other countries have also been involved in the ARC initiative. In the ARC initiative, organizations work through the Community Life Competence Process (CLCP) using the SALT approach (Support, Appreciate, Listen/Learn, Team/Transfer).

One important step of this process is “Learn and Share,” where people from one community share the key lessons they learned with other communities. That’s why the event was called the Knowledge Fair. At this fair, organized by the Grow Your Reader Foundation, the Byaspur community shared their experiences with people from the 10 other communities. They discussed the root causes they identified, how they addressed them by using their own strengths, and the important lessons they learned over the year. Similarly, people from other communities also shared their stories with the Byaspur community and everyone present, creating an inspiring exchange of knowledge. People from different countries like Bangladesh, Mexico, the United States, India, Nepal, and Thailand joined the event.
The theme for this year’s fair was "Reshaping Education." The event was decorated to create the vibe of Bangla New Year. People enjoyed the program and learned from each other’s stories

Objectives Of This Program:

1. To create a space where communities could learn from one another’s experiences and journeys.
2. To celebrate the power of using one’s own strengths to solve community challenges.
3. To encourage communities to stay motivated by seeing the successes of others.
4. To strengthen the global network between communities across Bangladesh and other countries like Mexico, the USA, India, Nepal, and Thailand.
5. To promote the idea that reshaping education needs everyone’s support — not just teachers, but also parents, siblings, SMCs, and community members.

2) Event Details:

Event Name: Knowledge Fair 2025

Date: 19th April, 2025

Place: Joynagar High School, Gopalganj

Time: 10.30 am-2.00pm

The theme of the event was “Reshaping Education.” Since the start of our project in this community, many new actions have taken place. We have seen that all the stakeholders-parents, grandparents, neighbors, youth, teachers, students, and even the School Management Committee (SMC)-are becoming more active in supporting the education of children. Everyone is taking ownership and working together to build a better and more holistic education system. That is why we felt this theme truly fits our journey. Through this event, the community shared the message that education is everyone's responsibility. We chose the theme "Reshaping Education" to inspire everyone to work together for children's learning and growth. To match this spirit, we also picked colors that have special meanings:

• White for peace and new beginnings
• Red for passion
• Yellow for optimism
• Blue for purpose

We felt that these colors beautifully reflect the spirit of SALT, which we deeply value in our work and relationships. These colors were also perfect because the event took place during the time of Bangla New Year celebrations, so the whole setup gave a festive and cultural vibe. For this event, Joynagar High School gave us the entire hall room. We sent out beautiful invitation cards (link) to every GFC member, explaining the project outline. Around 165 guests attended the event (link). Guests came from Bangladesh, Mexico, the United States, India, Nepal, and Thailand. When guests arrived, they were requested to fill out a registration form (link) and wear a name badge. Shadman bhai and Prakash bhai were at the registration booth to help guests with the registration. To warmly welcome the guests, we gave each guest a traditional Bengali handmade fan made with bamboo and cane and naru (a traditional Bengali sweet). There is a saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." To remind ourselves of this, we decorated our fair with many colorful festoons, where guests found beautiful poems about all the different stakeholders. The whole hall room was decorated with elements of Bangla New Year — colorful stalls were arranged on the ground floor selling jhalmuri, chanachur, and clay toys. There was also a bioscope, water filters, a first aid box, and traditional sweets (Jhinuk Pitha) for the guests in the hall room. The guests were invited to sit in a circle to create a friendly and open environment. The program started sharp at 10:30 AM with an introduction of the MC, the Grow Your Reader Foundation, and the Global Fund for Children (GFC).

After that, the students' performances started. Each performance was linked to the SALT approach and showed how the Byaspur community is solving problems using their own strengths. For the foreign guests, we prepared an English summary of all the performances in a presentation (link). Also, a freelance translator from the GFC team translated the live performances into English using a device so everyone could understand and enjoy the program. In the below is the details of every performances-

• 1st Performance: 

The first performance was Jarigan, a traditional Bangla folk song. Through this song, our students welcomed our guest and explained what, where, and how they are applying SALT. The english version of this jarigan is given below-

Oh wow! What a grand celebration! People have gathered from every location. Young and old, from near and far, welcome, guests, to where we are! First, we greet you with love and cheer, To our knowledge fair—welcome here! From many lands, our guests arrive. In Bashpur village, the fair comes alive. This grand event we bring to you, through SALT, we’ve learned what to do. Oh dear guests, please take our love, and thanks to Grow Your Reader from above! SALT has sparked a change so bright, opening hearts and bringing new light. We are students, young and free, studying at Jaynagar High with glee. Greetings to all in this joyous weather, with blooming flowers and fruits together. From distant lands, our guests appear to see our school and customs here. In Bashpur, five villages stand. Five hundred families work this land. An old rail station lies right here, and boat races bring us cheer. "Grow Your Reader" made this fair, with honored guests from everywhere.

Monira Ma’am and Prakash Sir led this work with love and care. A hundred SALT talks, side by side, made our people aware with pride. Oh, listen, dear guests, hear us well. The tale of this fair, we’re here to tell! Each day we faced problems, small and wide. But SALT has taught us to turn the tide. So now we solve them on our own. With joy and hope, our minds have grown. SALT has shown us how to think. That problems are shared; their roots interlink. So we sit together, search for a way, and trust ourselves to lead the day. With trust and care, we build this land, Keeping it safe with a helping hand. We learn, we teach, and we stand as one to make this village second to none. So let this fair be bright and grand. Thanks to GFC and Grow Your Reader’s hand. A journey of knowledge, strong and wise. Let’s build a future where hope will rise!

• SALT & Group SALT:

After the Jarigan performance, Sadia Apu, founder and CEO of the Grow Your Reader Foundation, introduced SALT to the guests. She explained the concept of SALT, the reason behind the event’s theme “Reshaping Education,” and the significance of the dress theme in white, red, yellow, and blue. Following her explanation, she led a group SALT activity where each participant shared their strengths with their right-hand partner and appreciated each other. After the activity, Sadia Apu invited everyone to write about their strengths on the “Strength Wall” at any point during the event. The strength wall was placed at the corner of the room.

• 2nd Performance:

After the SALT activity, the second performance was a poster presentation by the students and teachers of Joynagar High School. They beautifully described how, by using the SALT approach, they are finding the root causes of their challenges and trying to solve these together. They identified the root cause of their issues, which stemmed from daily habits. To address problems like unhygienic washrooms and classrooms and to build better habits, they practiced SALT with other children. They also created posters to create awareness among other children at school. For the issue of girls not having access to play in the school field, teachers and the SMC established a separate field for girls. Teachers shared that through the SALT approach, they realized the importance of teacher training, which they are now prioritizing.

From their performance, it became clear that progress doesn’t always require new structures or things. Sometimes, it’s about shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. After their presentation, two members from our partner organizations, ECDO and BRED, shared their inspiring stories of change. ECDO shared how they created a girls’ football team with the help of a national player, who was mobilized through the SALT approach to encourage other girls to play. BRED shared their work on making iron-free water, demonstrating the impactful changes they’ve made through the process.

• 3rd Performance: (Together For Our Children)

The third performance was an experience sharing of parents from our Hijli Para community. Three parents shared their experiences. In Hijlipara, many parents were deeply worried about their children's growing mobile phone usage and lack of interest in studies. The absence of nearby tutors added to their concerns. Although the problem affected everyone, the community had never come together to discuss it—until Prakash Bhai and Monira Apa visited. Through SALT sessions, the parents began recognizing their own strengths and the power of collective action. Nipa Apa, Shampa Apa, and Sabina Apa shared their experiences. Their story was like

Afsana Apa, a community member with a background in teaching Arabic, volunteered to start teaching local children. Soon, around 20 children began studying with her. When she fell ill, the community didn’t give up. Led by Nipa Apa, the mothers decided to share the responsibility, taking turns to teach the children. As a result, the children began studying regularly and significantly reduced their phone usage.

According to them, mobile phone usage among children dropped by 50%, and study time increased by 1.5 hours daily. It is  also possible to successfully bring school dropouts back into education through SALT conversations.

After them, our partner organizations Asirbad, Dhara, and Alokito Kori shared their stories of community school (learning by playing), community school, and dropout of students.

These stories showed how, through unity, self-reflection, and local leadership, families can bring about meaningful change in their children’s lives. 

• Energizer:

After the third performance, our team member, Shadman Bhai, facilitated an energizer for the event. He played the song "Charlie Bear Agadoo," and everyone danced and enjoyed it thoroughly. The energizer instantly brought smiles to everyone’s faces, filling the room with positive energy.

• 4th Performance: (Grandparents Storytelling To Build Generational Bonding)

After this energizer, we moved to our 4th performance, which was grandparents storytelling to build generational bonding. Here our grandparents and their grandchild shared their story. 

The story was about a para called Hijlipara, where the grandparents were feeling very lonely. The children were always busy with their phones, and the parents were busy with work. No one had time to talk to the grandparents.

One day, two people named Prakash and Monira came and spoke to the grandparents. They asked them about their lives, problems, and dreams. The grandparents felt happy to share. They talked about their grandchildren’s phone habits and also shared their dreams for them.

By talking with Prakash and Monira, the grandparents realized they still had many good stories and ideas to share. They could pass on these stories to their grandchildren to help them spend less time on their phones.

So, they started a monthly story gathering. The children came to listen, and slowly, the parents joined too. The children began to enjoy the stories and used their phones less. The grandparents also became friends with one another. Now, everyone talks more, visits each other, and feels happy.

The story gatherings made the whole neighborhood more connected. In the end, the children promised that one day, they would continue these gatherings themselves.

• 5th Performance: (A New Chapter In Uttarpara)

Students from Uttarpara shared their story through a drama. Our facilitator, Monira Apa, and 2 active teams performed together in this drama.

In Uttarpara, an area of Byaspur village, a woman named Khatun was worried about her daughter, who spent too much time on her phone and avoided studying. When Monira Apa visited and spoke with the local women, they discussed the lack of teachers and playgrounds in the area and the children’s habit of using mobile phones. The children didn’t even know any games, so they spent most of their time on phones.

Soha, a ninth-grade student, volunteered to teach younger children at home. Inspired by this, the other women also decided to introduce traditional games to reduce phone usage and engage the children.

As a result, the children began studying more and spending less time on their phones. Soha taught and played with them, and Khatun was overjoyed when her daughter confidently counted money.

Impact: 

• In Uttarpara, Soha’s group reduced mobile phone usage by 0.8 hours and increased study time by 1.3 hours.
• In Kata Khali, Jyoti’s team reduced mobile usage by 0.7 hours and increased study time by 1.4 hours.
• Another team, led by Shahana in Uttarpara, is also making steady progress.

The community has found simple, local solutions by using their own strengths—setting an inspiring example for more positive change ahead.

• 6th Performance: (Masculinity, Reimagined)

The 6th performance was about masculinity. Our facilitator Prakash bhai also performed in this drama alongside our students. Two active teams performed together.

In Dakshinpara, while boys freely play cricket outside, the girls feel left out and discouraged—especially when teased by the boys. When the girls attempt to join, they are mocked and sent back by both the boys and their concerned families.

Things begin to change when Prakash, our facilitator, initiates a thoughtful masculinity conversation with the boys. He encourages them to reflect on gender roles, societal privileges, and responsibilities. Through this dialogue, the boys realized that while they enjoy certain freedoms, girls are restricted due to safety concerns—concerns caused by the boys' own behavior.

Rana and Rakib admitted their past mistakes and, with the group, pledged to change. They decided to support girls’ right to play safely. The boys raise awareness by making posters and speaking to community members. Gradually, girls like Tanzila began playing in the courtyard and reducing screen time. 

Impact:

• Tanzila’s team: Girls reduced mobile phone usage by 0.5 hours and increased study time by 0.1 hours.
• Rana’s team: Boys reduced phone usage by 1.6 hours and increased study time by 1.1 hours.

Tanzila shared a personal story—she once faced harassment while going to school, but after informing Rana, the boys addressed the issue. She now goes to school safely and plays confidently after school. Inspired by this transformation, she aspires to become a facilitator and promote mindset change in her village, believing small actions can lead to long-lasting impact.

• Experience From Other Facilitators From Other Regions:

After the students' performances, our other two facilitators, Razin Bhai from Jessore and Selim Bhai from Mymensingh, shared their stories on how they are using the SALT approach to create changes in their community. 

• Jessore Story: (The Spark That Lit The Class)

According to Rajin bhai from Jessore after school program, স্কুলের বাইরে শিখা- 

“I joined this program because I really wanted to work with underprivileged children. At first, not many children used to come to our school. So, we made fun and interesting lesson plans. We decorated the school with lots of colors. We even gave biscuits/gifts to the children. We talked to mothers during parents' meetings — all to encourage children to come to school.

But we didn’t see much change.

Then we decided to try something new — we decided to do “SALT” conversations with the parents. We didn’t wait. We, all the teachers, went out for a home visit. First, we visited Maya’s mother. Maya was a very shy girl. At her home, I opened her drawing book. It was full of colorful birds and flowers — full of imagination. Her mother was amazed. She didn’t know her daughter was so talented. She only saw Maya doing house chores. I praised Maya’s art and shared how our after-school program is helping her grow her talent. We talked for hours. Then we went to the homes of Aslam, Maria, and Rabeya. We shared their hidden talents with their parents. Aslam’s parents learned about his quick thinking. Maria’s parents heard about her storytelling skills. Rabeya’s parents heard about her problem-solving ability. These were one-to-one SALT sessions with mothers. Later, we thought, why not do one group SALT with all mothers and children together? This way, everyone could learn about each other’s strengths — and even their own! Many people don’t know they have so many good qualities. And without praise, we often don’t show our talents. In that group, SALT, we explored each other’s strengths. Then, we told the mothers to write down their dreams for their children. We asked the children to write down their own dreams. In groups, they wrote and presented their dreams in front of everyone. Mothers learned what their children dream about. Children saw what their parents think about their future. We encouraged them to think about how these dreams could come true.

And then... what happened?

Our empty classroom is no longer empty! Children filled it with laughter and joy. Parents, full of hope, started sending their kids to school regularly. Before, we had only one classroom. Now, we needed two! Student attendance increased by 50%. Now, mothers check if their kids are attending school. Some even sit in class to see their progress. Because now, they all dream together — not separately. Even me!

Just a few SALT sessions helped us turn our empty classroom into a joyful space full of learners.”

• Mymensingh Story: (The School We Dreamed, The School We Built)

After Rajin bhai, Selim bhai shared how they are building a mud school in their community, Mymensingh Pahariyapara Agamir School. Sadia Apa also joined Selim Bhai to share her experience with this school. According to Selim Bhai- 

“Most people in our green and fertile village work in farming, fishing, or brickfields. In the past, many of us lived in mud houses. But now, because of modern times, people don’t live in mud houses anymore. They live in brick or tin houses. Mud houses are now used only as storehouses , kitchens, or for animals. People feel poor if they live in a mud house. In our village, there are 2 very poor quality primary schools, but they are 3 km away. And the roads are muddy. Since parents are busy with work, they can’t take the kids to school. So many kids don’t start school even at age 9 or 10. Later, they lose interest in studying.

One day, I saw on Facebook that the Grow Your Reader Foundation made an after-school program in Jessore. I messaged them, hoping they would build us a school too. But they didn’t build it for us. Do you know what they did? They came to meet us. They talked with us. They learned about our village and our people. They encouraged us and showed us how we could build a school with the things we already have.

Then we understood — the mud house, which we thought was a sign of poverty, is actually our strength, our uniqueness. We realized how powerful a mud house can be.

In our village, only one man, Gafur Chacha, knew how to build a mud house. After him, no one else knew. So, the young boys in the village asked him to teach them. Then, everyone started working on the school together. Villagers worked with an architecture firm called Perceived. People gave their labor. Many volunteers like me worked without taking any money. People donated land, soil, bamboo, wood, and bricks. In just a few days, we finished building the school! And today, look — this is our school! Soon we will start academic classes there.

Thanks to Grow Your Reader — not for giving us money, but for helping us realize our strength. Before, we thought villagers were not capable, but now we believe — if a person has confidence, anything is possible. Now many villagers know how to build a mud house. By building this school, we also learned something we had lost. In the future, we will teach this skill to the next generation. We have reduced 60% cost of the instruction as well.” 

3) Gallery walk:

To showcase our work and give our guests a chance to explore the efforts of different communities, we organized a gallery walk. We are working with 5 paras, one school in Byaspur village, such as Moddhopara, Dakkhinpara, Uttarpara, Hijlipara, and Katakhali, and the Jognagar High School. So we set up six galleries, each displaying work from our communities. These galleries were creatively built using bamboo sticks and rope made with jute, a material abundant in Byaspur village, allowing guests to feel a connection to our local culture.

Guests visited the galleries on the ground floor, where our team members, community people, teachers, parents, and students were present to answer any questions. After viewing the galleries, guests shared their thoughts by writing reflections on the comment wall.

Following the gallery walk, guests were invited to return to the hall room for the remainder of the program.

4) Reflection Sharing:

After the gallery walk, guests were invited to sit in a circle once again. Sadia Apa facilitated the session, encouraging everyone to share their reflections on the event. She asked thought-provoking questions such as, How are they feeling? What did they learn from the Knowledge Fair? What is one thing they will apply in their life or community?

Guests from various countries, as well as students, actively participated in this reflective session. Shadman Bhai played a crucial role in translating between Bangla and English, ensuring everyone could follow the conversation and share their thoughts comfortably.

We also took reflection from the community people after the program. Here is the link to their reflection (link).

5) Photo session:

After the session, Shadman Bhai invited everyone to come forward for a group photo. Everyone was excited and happy to take pictures together, and we also captured some videos to remember the moment. 

6) Lunch Time:

After the photo session, we served lunch to our guests. Some guests enjoyed their meal with us, while others took their lunch to go. Afterward, the guests headed to their respective destinations.

7) My Role In The Event:

I attended the Knowledge Fair of the Grow Your Reader Foundation as the MC (Master of Ceremonies). Before the program, I visited the community, talked with them, and then, based on their experiences and actions, I wrote the script of their performances. Also, I helped prepare the performers before the program. Sadia Apu, Monira Apu, and Prokash Bhai also helped prepare the performers.

I enjoyed the event a lot. It helped me learn new things and see things from a different perspective. I learned how to properly use available resources by finding strength within people.

8) Key Highlights From The Program:

The most important part of the program was the performances by the students, which showed how they are changing their community through the SALT approach. They are not using any external help; instead, they are recognizing their own strengths and using them. Their performances perfectly conveyed the message they wanted to share.

Another important part was the group SALT activity. Although everyone in the room was familiar with SALT activities, this one felt different from the usual. Normally, people from the same community share their strengths with each other. But in this event, there were people from different communities and even different countries. It was very inspiring for everyone to learn about each other's strengths.

The event also ended on time, which was another big plus point for the program.

9) Logistics & Technical Challenges:

Although we ended the program on time, there were some challenges as well. 

• First of all, we told our community people to come to the event at 10:00 AM, as our guests were supposed to arrive at 10:30 AM. We thought we would welcome the guests through our students if they came at 10:30. But the guests arrived before 10:30 AM, so there were no students to welcome them. I, Adila Apu, and Razin Bhai then welcomed the guests.
• Second, we didn’t appoint a full-time person at the registration booth. We thought everyone would come between 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM. But many people came at different times, so it was not possible to register everyone’s name properly.
• Third, and the most important challenge, was the sound issue. Though we checked the sound system the night before, on the event day the sound was not working. It was difficult for the translator to translate our performances. If we had known about the translator earlier, we could have sent her the English summary of our performances so she could understand better. There was a communication issue. Also, the community people were complaining about the sound. It became difficult to deliver the message we truly wanted to give.
• Fourth, the font size of the presentation and the placement of the projector were not good. Our font was too small to see from the back, and people sitting in the back could not watch the presentation properly. It was difficult for the audience to stay focused.
• Fifth, during the food distribution, we faced problems. We could not count the total number of people properly from the register form. Also, we couldn’t ensure who got food and how many food packets were given because of the rush.
• Last but not least, at the end of the event, we found that we had very few perfect pictures. Our photographer didn’t click the most important moments. We haven’t taken any GYRF group photos. 

10) Learning Of The Event:

1. Call community people earlier than guests: Next time, invite the community people at least 1 hour earlier than the guest arrival time to prepare the welcome properly.
2. Appoint a full-time person at the registration booth: Someone should stay at the booth for the whole event to register everyone, even if they come late.
3. Check the sound system again on event day and share the script with the translator: The sound system should be checked again in the morning. If possible, keep a backup microphone or speaker. Also, share the English summary of performances with the translator before the event to avoid communication gaps.
4. Use large fonts and a better projector setup: Make sure the font size is big enough to be seen from the back. Place the projector at a good angle for all audience members. If possible, use another projector at the back.
5. Plan food distribution carefully: Keep a team ready to handle the rush. Count people properly and fix a system or use a token system to track who got the food packets.
6. Give a clear plan to the photographer: Make a shot list (important moments) and tell the photographer what pictures are important to capture.

11) Conclusion:

The Knowledge Fair on April 19, 2025, was a successful event that brought together communities from different countries to share their experiences and learn from each other. It highlighted the importance of collaboration in addressing community challenges and emphasized the theme of "Reshaping Education." The event provided valuable insights and inspired everyone to continue working together towards creating positive change.

Links:

1. Photos: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/162fBkBUeP/
2. GYRF internal team AER Report: AER of GYRF (Knowledge Fair)
3. Community reflection: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DlL7thzZYBzaW2UMYWOtx4otDsPEpyQBhL_rKpoAgWE/edit?usp=sharing 

 

 

[Sadia Jafrin]

Thank you very much, Priya, for your hard work and unwavering commitment. You became engaged with our community in what felt like the blink of an eye, and it has been truly heartwarming to see how closely you have worked with community members to plan the Knowledge Fair. I am genuinely proud to be your teammate.

It also seems you may have set a record for writing the longest blog ever—and it’s incredibly detailed and insightful. Thank you once again for your dedication and thoughtful contribution.