A Visit to Nangolbanga,
A Response from Le Dorat

Kevin and Debra returned to France with a school in mind. During their stay at The Garo Experience, they had visited Nangolbanga Primary School, which serves an Indigenous Garo community in northern Bangladesh. The visit sparked a practical idea: help its teachers get a laptop and internet access.

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English has been a particular challenge at the school. Opportunities for teachers to develop their language skills and teaching methods have been limited, as have the resources available for their lessons. A laptop with an internet connection could help them find materials and take part in training.

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Back in Le Dorat, the small French town where they live, Kevin, an Englishman, and Debra, an Irishwoman, shared the idea. People responded, and the plan grew.​ The school has now received two laptops, a printer and a large screen for learning together. Three years of internet access have been paid in advance, and teacher training has begun.

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The internet funding matters as much as the equipment. It gives teachers a reliable period in which to learn, practise and bring new resources into their classrooms, without immediately having to find money to keep the connection running.

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For The Garo Experience, we hoped a stay in Nalikhali might make the connection between Nangolbanga and Le Dorat possible. Visitors spend time with people, learn about their lives and sometimes find a reason to remain involved after returning home.

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Kevin and Debra’s visit became one such relationship. Their idea found support among people thousands of kilometres away, many of whom have never visited Bangladesh but chose to contribute to this school.

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Our thanks to them, and to everyone in Le Dorat who helped. The teachers now have the equipment, a connection and training underway. That is a substantial result from a visit that began with the hope of providing one laptop.

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