Peer Tutoring for Bangla Literacy: A Story of Support and Strength in the Harijan Community of Narayanganj.

[Brinty Saha]

When I think about SALT, I don’t just think about identifying problems. I think about discovering possibilities, the kind that already live within a group, waiting to be brought to life.

In Narayanganj’s Harijan community, the home language is different from Bangladesh's mainstream language. It’s the language of their everyday life, laughter, and family conversations. But in school, the national language, Bangla, takes center stage. For many children here, that shift isn’t easy. Some struggle to speak Bangla fluently, others to read or write it. By the time they reach secondary school, these challenges can feel heavy.

A group of adolescent girls gathered together to talk about what they wanted to work on as a team. Initially, they had discussed community problems, but this time, their focus shifted inward toward their own learning. “We want to work on our studies,” they said. And when they named the subjects Mathematics, English, Bangla it became clear where they wanted to start: Bangla.
But what I witnessed recently reminded me why I believe in the power of community. They chose Bangla not because it was easy, but because it was hard. Some of them struggled with reading, some with writing, and some with speaking. But instead of feeling discouraged, they made a plan together. Those who were stronger in Bangla offered to help those who were finding it more difficult. They decided to meet three times a week, to sit with their textbooks, to read, spell, and write together.

It was more than just a study plan. It was peer tutoring in its truest form that built on friendship, empathy, and the belief that everyone can learn when supported. Watching them, I realized something important the answers to many challenges are already in the hands of the people living them. SALT is about making space for those answers to emerge about seeing the potential in people and giving it room to grow. It’s about realizing that “we already have the skills among us. We just need to share them.”

[Brinty Saha]

Thank you, Santi didi & Parvez vai! 

[Santi rambari]

Written from deep feelings Brinty

 

[Parvez Hassan]

Excellent written Brinty