SONGSHOPTAQUE has been working with enormous participation of Marginalize/disadvantaged & Indigenous people since 2000. It exposes different issues of children and adolescents of under privileged section of our society. Recently it has successfully run a project ‘Modhur Hasi’– Phase-1 & Phase-2 under SISIMPUR outreach program highlighting psychophysical development of the children of 3-6 years of age. It has also launched a human communication process ‘Dialogue and listen the voice’ of the Childs and adolescents having different abilities. While implementing the Modhur Hasi project in Chittagong urban area, Hilly & Coastal zone of Anowara & Banskhali upazilla Songshoptaque has identified that early childhood education care and development status of this area is very fragile in the area where the livelihoods are not available.
The area where SONSHOPTAQUE is running its programs is located mostly in the coastal belt & urban slum of greater Chittagong among the unions of Anowara,Haildhar, Burumchhara and Barakhain, Poroikora, Chaturi, and slum of Ambagan, Jawtala, Bihari Coloni are the most underdeveloped areas. The literacy rate of these areas is below 35%. People have less access to watch TV. The children can hardly enjoy the child friendly TV programs. Most of the children are forced to work with their parents as a part of earning sources. Addressing the problem, the SONGSHOPTAQUE began to think about the necessity of raising awarness on ECD among the parents/caregivers and it can be done effectively through train up them on this respect. Thus SONGSHOPTAQUE had successfully implemented the Modhur Hasi Phase –1 & Phase –2. Consequently, we have established five(05) SBK (Child Development Center) & five(05) Pre Primary School at Chittagong urban and Anowara upazilla.
In 2006 Songshoptaque started Garments based intervention on HIV-AIDS with the support of GFATAM. As part of the program we conducted some baseline survey, FGD and conducted some dialogue with garments owners. Conducting these activities we found that huge number of garments are working here who have no facilities for their lactating children. So production is being hampered as garments workers faces tension about their children staying as outside factory area in unsecured place. Long stay of children without lactating mothers violation of child rights. So children of garments workers are growing with malnutrition, which is a violation of child rights to development. While discussing this matter with garments owners they realized the problem and expressed their interest in promoting the baby care center as they have compliance obligation about these as per FLA (Fair labor Association). Being as an organization working for child rights Songshoptaque has been successfully Functioning 14 Garments based DayCareCenter in industrial area of Chittagong.