A Discussion with Bela Cruze, Primary School Teacher, Notre Dame Literacy School, Dhaka, Bangladesh
With: Bela Cruze Berkley Center Profile
June 5, 2014
Background: As
part of the Education and Social Justice Fellowship, in June 2014 student
Kendra Layton interviewed Bela Cruze, a teacher at Notre Dame Literacy School
in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Founded in 1971, the school is part of the Literacy and Health Care Program for the Children of Slums at Notre Dame College (a prestigious secondary school co-located with the literacy school) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The program is also supported by Misereor, a German Catholic development organization, and the Congregation of Holy Cross Society of Priests. In this interview Bela Cruze reflects on how
Mother Teresa’s legacy informs her work and her own unwavering commitment to
serve the poorest of the poor.
Please
tell me about your background and how you came to teach at Notre Dame Literacy
School.
I have taught here for 24 years. Before coming here I was with the congregation of Mother Teresa [the Missionaries of Charity]. I learned so many things from Mother like how to serve the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa was a very holy person, and we learned from her by living with her. While holding a needy baby she told us, “Hold this baby close to you so she can feel she is in the lap of her mother.” I served there for about nine years. Then, for family reasons, I had to leave the society. Before leaving, I came to Notre Dame and I said to Father Vannes, “I have to leave the society to help my younger brother. He is a very good student and wants to study higher education. Please give me an opportunity.” He said, “We need one teacher if you want to come. Pray and see. If you want to come, we will take you.” I prayed to God. I wanted to help my brother so I left the congregation and I came here. I felt bad because I was at the congregation for so many years. I felt homesickness, but with the children here, that homesickness is gone, because we do the same type of work here. We serve the poorest of the poor.
Could you describe what goes through your mind when you visit the slums?
When I see the suffering of people with my own eyes I think, “They are people, and we are also people.” We have many rich people in our country, but they do not care about those in the slums. We [as teachers] cannot help, but we can talk to them and show them the way. I feel so bad for them because of the way they are living: it is a very dirty place and there is water pollution. Children are suffering. They are getting sick. If they are sick, they can come to Notre Dame where there is a doctor who can help them. I tell the parents, “This is your duty. Make sure the child eats something in the morning. Kindly keep the child in your care.” I feel pity about what to do. We are a poor country. Yesterday we went to the slum and two of the boys we saw came to gain admission at the school. I was happy!
Take me back to the moment when you saw Mother Teresa. How does that experience continue to affect you?
I saw Mother Teresa with my own eyes. She was picking up unwanted babies from the dustbins during wartime. She cleaned, fed, and took care of the children. They grew big and went to school, like our students here. Mother did many things for poor people, for India. She said, “India is my own country. I am an Indian.” She served the poorest of the poor. For the rich people, there is someone there. Middle class people also, there is help. But these kinds of people, there is nobody, unwanted people. I feel for them, and I understand them because my husband is jobless. I am earning alone. One third of what I earn I have to give for house-rent. I only earn 3000 taka, which is for eating, traveling, education (my daughter is attending university), so I am in an awful condition. I feel how they are in condition because mine is the same. That is why I feel very bad for them. Life is very difficult.
What is it that keeps you coming back to school every day? What gives you your strength?
To give service, this has become our habit. If we do not see the children, we do not feel okay. If we have a holiday, we stay for two days at home and we get bored, because we become used to seeing their small, smiling faces. Even though we receive little money, when we hear them say “Good morning” or “Namaskar,” they wish us respect. They think, “She is a teacher and someone special.” We feel very grateful. We have no money, but we have this respect. This is the fruit of our service.
It seems like the students really love to come to this school. Why do you think they love coming here so much?
First of all, they have this open space, this playground. Second, they receive something to eat. Third, we have many cultural programs, singing, and dancing. It is by singing they learn. We play the Bengali national anthem every day. Nearby schools are not like this. In a government school, the teacher comes one minute before the day begins and leaves after the final bell rings.
Is there anything else you would like to share about the work you do?
In this school we teach poor, dirty children who would not have a chance in any good school. They need dress and they need materials. But in our school, whatever they can wear, we respect as a child of God, as our own child. Even though nobody likes dirty people, we go close to them and we are used to it. We love them. We go to their houses, next to them, just to share. We cannot do anything, but we share with them and tell them they have to do well because their parents are working hard for them. Grow big, learn every day and come to school, and you will be educated, you will get a job, and you will help your parents. It will be very good for your life.
I have taught here for 24 years. Before coming here I was with the congregation of Mother Teresa [the Missionaries of Charity]. I learned so many things from Mother like how to serve the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa was a very holy person, and we learned from her by living with her. While holding a needy baby she told us, “Hold this baby close to you so she can feel she is in the lap of her mother.” I served there for about nine years. Then, for family reasons, I had to leave the society. Before leaving, I came to Notre Dame and I said to Father Vannes, “I have to leave the society to help my younger brother. He is a very good student and wants to study higher education. Please give me an opportunity.” He said, “We need one teacher if you want to come. Pray and see. If you want to come, we will take you.” I prayed to God. I wanted to help my brother so I left the congregation and I came here. I felt bad because I was at the congregation for so many years. I felt homesickness, but with the children here, that homesickness is gone, because we do the same type of work here. We serve the poorest of the poor.
Could you describe what goes through your mind when you visit the slums?
When I see the suffering of people with my own eyes I think, “They are people, and we are also people.” We have many rich people in our country, but they do not care about those in the slums. We [as teachers] cannot help, but we can talk to them and show them the way. I feel so bad for them because of the way they are living: it is a very dirty place and there is water pollution. Children are suffering. They are getting sick. If they are sick, they can come to Notre Dame where there is a doctor who can help them. I tell the parents, “This is your duty. Make sure the child eats something in the morning. Kindly keep the child in your care.” I feel pity about what to do. We are a poor country. Yesterday we went to the slum and two of the boys we saw came to gain admission at the school. I was happy!
Take me back to the moment when you saw Mother Teresa. How does that experience continue to affect you?
I saw Mother Teresa with my own eyes. She was picking up unwanted babies from the dustbins during wartime. She cleaned, fed, and took care of the children. They grew big and went to school, like our students here. Mother did many things for poor people, for India. She said, “India is my own country. I am an Indian.” She served the poorest of the poor. For the rich people, there is someone there. Middle class people also, there is help. But these kinds of people, there is nobody, unwanted people. I feel for them, and I understand them because my husband is jobless. I am earning alone. One third of what I earn I have to give for house-rent. I only earn 3000 taka, which is for eating, traveling, education (my daughter is attending university), so I am in an awful condition. I feel how they are in condition because mine is the same. That is why I feel very bad for them. Life is very difficult.
What is it that keeps you coming back to school every day? What gives you your strength?
To give service, this has become our habit. If we do not see the children, we do not feel okay. If we have a holiday, we stay for two days at home and we get bored, because we become used to seeing their small, smiling faces. Even though we receive little money, when we hear them say “Good morning” or “Namaskar,” they wish us respect. They think, “She is a teacher and someone special.” We feel very grateful. We have no money, but we have this respect. This is the fruit of our service.
It seems like the students really love to come to this school. Why do you think they love coming here so much?
First of all, they have this open space, this playground. Second, they receive something to eat. Third, we have many cultural programs, singing, and dancing. It is by singing they learn. We play the Bengali national anthem every day. Nearby schools are not like this. In a government school, the teacher comes one minute before the day begins and leaves after the final bell rings.
Is there anything else you would like to share about the work you do?
In this school we teach poor, dirty children who would not have a chance in any good school. They need dress and they need materials. But in our school, whatever they can wear, we respect as a child of God, as our own child. Even though nobody likes dirty people, we go close to them and we are used to it. We love them. We go to their houses, next to them, just to share. We cannot do anything, but we share with them and tell them they have to do well because their parents are working hard for them. Grow big, learn every day and come to school, and you will be educated, you will get a job, and you will help your parents. It will be very good for your life.
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