Ayesha and her siblings lost their parents in Myanmar, and then were forced to flee brutal violence in 2017. Unfortunately, their situation isn’t unique.

Ayesha’s little sister Amina goes to a local learning centre for two hours each day. However, there isn’t space in the local classroom for her brother Rashed. “I lost my mother when I was a child and I wasn’t able to study,” Ayesha explains. “But I will help my brother and sister as much as I can.”

Since 2017, more than 740,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh. As more than half of these refugees are children, our partners have been focusing on guaranteeing access to education. It’s a massive task, but one that’s vital in helping these children to shape better futures. So far, we have enrolled more than 62,000 children in education by constructing classrooms, hiring teachers and creating a range of clubs and learning centres.

In the last two years, we recruited 1,257 teachers from both the Rohingya community and surrounding towns in Bangladesh. We have trained these committed educators in how to respond to this unique emergency, providing them with essential skills, such as psychosocial support practices.

However, due to funding shortages, more than a third of children under 15 lack access to education, while a staggering 91% of older children are unable to attend any educational facility at all.

We are committed to ensuring that there will be no lost generation of Rohingya learners – but the massive scope of the emergency and restrictive policies have limited children’s consistent and meaningful access to education.

“My little brother and sister are all I have, and the ones I am living for.”

Ayesha missed out on education herself but is committed to giving her brother and sister the best opportunities she can. She hopes that her sister will be able to continue her studies at the learning centre, and that her brother will be able to start attending class in the near future.