A Discussion with Sifaturnessa (Class 9) and Mayesha (Class 10), Bottomley Homes Orphanage School, Dhaka, Bangladesh

June 11, 2014

Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Fellowship, in June 2014 student Kendra Layton interviewed Sifaturnessa and Mayesha, students at Bottomley Homes Orphanage School (BHOS) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Beginning in 1946 for orphan children of World War II, BHOS now serves over 1,600 female students from first through tenth grade. Around 140 of those students live in the orphanage next to the school, which results in a mixture of socioeconomic and ethnic diversity. Sifaturnessa and Mayesha are students who commute to the school. In this interview, they reflect on their arrival at BHOS, their interaction with religiously and socioeconomically diverse students, and what they love most and least about Bangladesh.
Tell me more about yourselves and when you came to this school.

Sifaturnessa: I came in class four. The environment was very new for me because I had never studied in a missionary school, but the school adopted me in a very nice way. I felt very comfortable with time. We were the newcomers, and the teachers gave us extra attention. 

Before class four, where were you?

Sifaturnessa: My house was in Chittagong, and I studied in Holy Star. My parents thought I could improve in Dhaka so we moved here.

Mayesha: I came in class six after taking the primary school certificate. I was looking for a missionary school that taught morality. I was scared because there were 60 or 70 students to get to know. They really help us, the teachers are good, and the environment is really nice.

Here at this school some of the students come from the orphanage and others come from other more affluent areas. How do you find that as students not living in the orphanage?

Sifaturnessa: I think it is really nice because the other students are going through a troubled time. When we talk to them and share our thoughts with them, we are really friendly. They come to us with problems, and we offer solutions. Sometimes we go to them with problems too. When we feel alone, they come to us and make us feel comfortable. They fulfill any feelings of loneliness, because they also feel alone. When we communicate with them we improve. Our teachers give us the opportunity to make friends with people with other lifestyles. They learn our lifestyles, and we learn about theirs. It gives us the skills to communicate with other types of people.

Mayesha: They are all-arounders. They do all their work alone without any help. Sports, studies. They never say, “I cannot help you” or “I am too busy.” After coming to school they have many things to do.

Earlier you spoke about this being your first time at a mission school. How is it to have a mixture of Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist students here?

Sifaturnessa: I have two Christian friends as well as Muslim friends. We respect our religions. Sometimes we invite each other to Eid al-Fitr, Star Sunday, Christmas, or Durga Puja. There is no difference among religions. We all believe in one, who is God. Other students respect my religion and I respect theirs. Sometimes I see elders fight about it, but that does not happen with us. We get information and increase our knowledge. It is about the way to pray to God. When you are suffering from something you need Allah or God. It makes no difference how; God and Allah are just happy their children are praying.

Mayesha: The teachers tell us to never neglect religion. I have Christian, Muslim, and Hindu friends. Learning about their religion is fun. Going to their festivals is very fun. It is a very good feeling. If we have friends, we are helping God.

Sifaturnessa: Religion makes friendship strong. Our teachers tell us to make friends, no matter if they are Hindu, Muslim, or Christian.

What do you love most about Bangladesh? And what is something you wish you could change in the future?

Sifaturnessa: The most beautiful thing is our culture. If you go to USA and Paris, they would be so different. When you compare USA and Australia, you find many similarities. But if you compare it to Bangladesh, it is very different. We make our morality, our lives, and our honesty alive. We are showing what we are: our culture. We have many festivals and in each of them, we wear cultural dresses. There are so many colors in our country. People say women in Bangladesh are bound in houses, but it is not true. When you go to a rural place, you will see how women are making quilts and giving all of their lives through sewing. Think of how imaginative their thoughts are! You do not need to read any books to know Bangladesh.

There are some people who try to copy other countries. They feel that if they wear cultural dress, they are not modern. If I could change something, I would change those people’s thoughts! Broaden your mind! Americans are not copying our culture. They are making their culture alive. In our rural areas, the culture is still alive, but in cities, our culture is being demolished. I feel like I am not living in Bangladesh. Every country has a good side and bad side, so I want people to understand we do not need to imitate the other countries. Adopt the good things about them, but maintain our culture.

Mayesha: The best thing is the people. They are very kind and sympathetic. The bad thing is the copying of other cultures. Our culture is beautiful, our festivals! If I could change something, I would ask everyone, “Why do we need to copy them?” We can adopt the good things, but not the bad things.
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