Not a Visit, Not a Project - A Shared Journey of Transformation

[Sadia Jafrin]

Yesterday was not just a visit, it was a powerful reminder of what becomes possible when communities lead and others come to learn, not to give.

For all of us at Grow Your Reader Foundation (GYRF), and for the people of Pahariapara, it was a day filled with pride, connection, and hope.

Where It All Began
Last year, we shared our ARC initiatives in Byaspur and Pahariapara with one of our grantees Dhaka American Women’s Club (DAWC) and their network partner FAWCO. We spoke about our work, but more importantly, about our approach, SALT facilitation, a community-led model rooted in strengths, dignity, and local ownership.

What followed was encouraging.

We were invited to share the story of Pahariapara Agamir School a school not built for the community, but by the community, in collaboration with us at a DAWC event.

In February 2026, we joined their event and extended an invitation:
Come, visit the community. Learn from them.

But this wasn’t a traditional donor visit.
We designed it as a paid immersion experience where participants would invest their time, intention, and resources to truly engage and learn.

Many expressed interest.
Five committed.

The Day That Brought It All Together

On April 11, we finally made the journey together.

The group included two teachers from the American International School Dhaka, along with the Chairperson and a Board Member of DAWC.

As we arrived at the school, the community welcomed us warmly, especially the mothers, who gathered with pride. The guests didn’t come with checklists or assumptions. They came with curiosity. 

Instead of focusing on needs, they appreciated strengths, the community’s heritage, effort, and ownership.

Even under the intense sun, they noticed something remarkable:
the classroom was about 3 degrees cooler than outside.

Learning, Sharing, and Joy

The day unfolded with laughter and learning.

Guests sat with children, reading stories, drawing together, crafting, even writing the school’s name with leaves. The children were fully present, joyful, and engaged.

Then came one of the most powerful moments.

Shefali, a community member, demonstrated how they maintain the school using mud plaster after the rainy season. Guests didn’t just observe, they joined in, hands-on, learning by doing. 

As they worked, Gaffur Chacha shared how he has been passing on mud-building skills to village youth for preserving their heritage. His voice carried pride, experience, and legacy.

The guests listened deeply. They appreciated him.
And you could see it that he felt valued.

Before leaving, he quietly asked them to pray for his health because he is not doing physically good due to his age.

It was a simple, human moment.
But it meant everything.

Walking the Village, Tasting Life

Later, we walked through the village.

Guests bought fresh green chilies directly from a farmer’s field, small interactions that created genuine connection.

Lunch was prepared by a community member on a traditional mud stove.
It wasn’t just food, it was care, culture, and authenticity served on a plate.

What Stayed After the Visit

During the reflection session, something shifted.

This was no longer just a visit. It became a shared commitment.

The guests expressed their interest in:

• Advocating within their networks, inviting others to join future immersion visits and learn from community and about the community-led approaches
• Creating opportunities for teacher development and student exposure, helping children and educators dream bigger. Because they saw the curiosity and potential of our students
• Exploring solar solutions for the school, so it can become fully green and carbon-negative. But more than donor, they expressed a desire to become partners in this journey.

A Dream We Chose to Build

Two years ago, as an organization, we made a difficult but important decision.

We wanted to move towards a self-generative revenue model to sustain our work through community-led approaches and reduce dependency on grants.

It wasn’t easy.

But we started with dream building and self-assessment.

And today, we are beginning to see the results.

• We have launched monthly immersion visits to support Pahariapara Agamir School with the profit we received from the monthly emersion visit. Because the school is partially sustained by student fees but this additional efforts are helping bridge the gap.
• We are generating income through training, workshops, and books

This progress didn’t happen overnight.
And it certainly wouldn’t have happened this quickly without clarity, commitment, and the right support.

 

Gratitude That Goes Beyond Words

We are deeply grateful to the Global Fund for Children for giving us the opportunity to be part of the ARC Initiative.

Being part of this cohort didn’t just support our work, it transformed how we think, plan, and grow.

 

What This Really Means

Pahariapara Agamir School is not just a school.

It is proof that when communities are trusted, when their strengths are recognized, and when partnerships are built on respect,
sustainable change is not just possible, it is inevitable.

And sometimes, all it takes is a visit not to give, but to truly listen.

You can watch the short video to revisit this journey with us: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/p2UmcfBFEEU

[Sadia Jafrin]

Thank you very much Priya for your kind words. 

[Nusrat Jahan Priya]

how beautifully you express your thought Sadia apu! I felt like I am revisiting those moments again. Thank you for writing from heart❤️