EchoStars Christmas Story of Hope and Opportunity

Dear Friends of EchoStars, 

Our Christmas Advent calendar has begun and hence the days have begun to count down to the Wonder of Christmas when I hope you will all share a great Joyous event with your family and friends.

 Christmas is very special for me as I grew up in a less than privilaged family and am now blessed with much comfort and privilage to enjoy the festivities to the full. Having this opportunity has driven me to my work with EchoStars to try to give back to those less privilaged. 

I would like to share a story with you that Chitto (my Bangladesh partner who founded SLUM) shared with me today.  We were discussing the costs of the computer / internet connection for BrightStars. Internet connection for BrightStars is an expensive option for the school hence our conversation turned towards the viability of this for children who will most likely return to a life of poverty. We found ourselves falling into the trap of victimising our Stars. Chitto and I realised this and returned to our motto that BrightStars was to offer our Stars the best possible primary education and computers must be part of that if we can possibly afford it. 

Rose and Chitto with Lal Mia whom Chitto educated and cared for in his early life.

As the first candle was lite on the Advent wreath this last Sunday I found the story of Lal Mia particularly poignant and symbolic of the Hope that EchoStars is striving for. 

As well as the rudimentary three R's BrightStars gives students the opportunity to learn self disipline, personal hygenie, to have access to pastoral care and to be encouraged to pursue excellence in whatever they do and to have a creative expression in life. Lal Mia's story is a reflection of this influence.

In a country that is breaking out of the third world mire – a country that was 100% World Bank dependant in 1972 this is one of many uplifting stories of hope and survival that I hope will affirm your belief and support in EchoStars work.

The story to Chitto's relationship to Lal Mia:

Chitto  met a young boy in the school he was working at in 2000 who was a maid servant in a house near by the school he was working in.  One day Chitto found this boy Lal Mia being very unattentive in class. When Chitto enquired what was wrong with the boy who opened his shirt and Chitto saw the most dreadful results of a beating.

Police action was out of the question as Chitto knew it would achieve very little for the boy. Chitto took this boy to home and confronted the 'master' of the house and saying that they were beating the boy and it was illegal and he was taking the boy home with him. 

This young 7 or 8 year old  (still the disenfranchised of Bangladesh do not have their births recorded) lived with Chitto and his family. Kazhul his wife and son both welcomed Lal Mia into their home happily.  Lal Mia had to change schools as Chitto lived far from the school. 

After admission to the new school Chitto visited  Lal Mia’s village . He met Lal Mia’s 8 siblings and his parents who were extremely poor and lived in hut in a village surviving on rice they grew. The parents appreciated what Chitto had done for Lal Mia and were very happy for Lal Mia to have this opportunity to improve his life.

Lal Mia was very happy for three years but then Muslim neighbours  poisoned Lal Mia against Chitto. Chitto was a Christian and religious antagonism was fuelled against Chitto through this young boy. The religious propaganda was impacting on Chitto's family as the community whispers began against Chitto and his family that he was trying to turn Lal Mia into a Christian. Chitto had no choice other than to return Lal Mia to his family in the village. 

Interestingly after two years he came back to Chitto and wanted to live with Chitto but it was now not possible for Chitto to do this. Chitto returned Lal Mia to the old master as he knew it was the Mistress of the house who had been beating him three years previously.  This mistress had died and the master had remarried and like the prodigal son Lal Mia was overwhelmingly welcomed back into the home with promises of never another beating. Returning to this home that had once persecuted him he was now treated with care and taught how to cook. 

From this training he became a very competant and valued cook. Mean while his 'master' expanded his business to real estate and now the family travel to many countries and the family pay Lal Mia a very good salary for his services as a cook.

He is nown married with two children and two months ago he approached BrightStars for school admission of his eldest child who is now 4. Chitto did not admit the child as he is too young but told Lal Mia to come back next year.

Although Lal Mia's formal education did not go past 6 years  he was able with Chitto’s love and care to find an avenue out of the poverty trap he was born into.The self discipline acquired early in life through the intervention of a primary education changed this young boys life and set him on a path to a far better and fulfilling life than he would have experienced in his local village trapped in poverty.

The purpose of telling this story is to share with you what I mean about our work with EchoStars being about a story of Hope and Opportunity for these young stars.  Chitto has many such stories which I look forward to sharing with you over time .