CODEC believes very passionately that Education is the most essential instrument for social change. As a socio-cultural and development organization CODEC has always prioritized working in this sector from its inception. As a socio-cultural and economic development organization CODEC initiates cultural enhancement for the coastal children and adolescents as a priority issue under the umbrella of education interventions. CODEC started working with children education of the coastal areas from the very beginning of January 1986, through its first initiative of Early Childhood Development (ECD) known as feeder schools in the “Jaladas” villages of Chittagong. With the course of time CODEC expanding several educational & skill development activities for the rural & coastal families of Bangladesh through implementing several projects. Through the project intervention, the youth, especially those are disadvantaged, impoverished and highly deprived excluded from the mainstream of development gets scope to scale up their skill level.CODEC provide support to access and quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education in coastal belt area.  The School Management Committee members also made aware of their roles and responsibilities after receiving training. CODEC continue provision of scholarship to meritorious children from poor coastal families at various levels of education.

EMPOWER YOUTH FOR WORK

Empower Youth for Work (EYW) project was undertaken on 2016 supported by OXFAM with a view to improve the economic and social empowerment for young women and men living in rural climate-change affected areas. The project period is 1st November 2016 to 31st March 2020. Young women & men aged 15 to 29 years and those are living in climate vulnerable areas are the target population of this project. At present, the project is working in Batiaghata, Gangarampur, Surkhali, Vandercoat, Baliadanga and Amirpur unions of Batiaghata upazila under Khulna district. Annual Budget for the year 2019-2020 is BDT.650,900. EYW project formed 54 ward level youth group, 6 Apex group and 1 District advisory group. This activity plays a vital role to implement EYW program by involving the youth in different events and develop their capacity through providing skill development training, soft-skills training, vocational, entrepreneurship and mentor based technical training. According to project criteria 15-29 years old youth are considered as a youth group member and each group consists of 20 members. CODEC aims to build a linkage between youth and workplace to strengthen economic engagement and create new entrepreneur.

To address the climate change challenge EYW project has planned to pilot the concept of a climate smart village as model of local actions that ensure food security, promote adaptation, mitigation and build resilience to climatic change. This pilot of developing model village envisions of empowering young women and men living in climate vulnerable areas. This project explicitly includes young women and men in decision-making throughout, research, validation as well development and scale-up of the pilot concept would be led by the youths. They are involved in capacity-building activities to grow as leaders in their communities. This will improve community commitment in the short term and ensure sustainability.

PROMOTION OF HEALTH AND EDUCATION FOR ALL SPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN – CODEC PSN PROJECT

CODEC-PSN project commenced in 2011 to ensure proper quality education for Jaladas village children in Salimpur, Sitakunda. Later on, children of other community have also been enrolled to receive formal education. This project has been funded by CODEC CSR support.The working area and target population of this project is the fisher-folk community in Uttar Salimpur and adjacent fishing villages, Sitakunda.An Early Child Development Center (ECD) has been established where students are receiving Pre-Primary & Primary education. 138 Students are enrolled during this year. Monthly parents meeting is being conducted to inform them about their children’s progress. Apart from the regular educational activities, different cultural events are organized to keep the students captivated. Moreover, National days are observed with pride where students indulge in different competitions.The school management committee are participating actively and cordially support all school activities. Apart from the regular educational activities, different cultural events are organized to keep the students captivated. Moreover, national days are observed with pride where students indulge in different competitions.

SHAPNOJATRA PROJECT

The proposed ‘Shapnojatra’ project is being implemented to achieve the goal that all children in the targeted communities will act as change makers and will enjoy their right to education, health, nutrition and protection. The project is being implemented in four unions –Gourambha, Ujalkur of RampalUpazila and Chandpai, Mithakhali of MonglaUpazila of Bagerhat coastal district. The proposed project has four components/objectives (i.e. Child Protection & Participation, Health and Nutrition, Education and Environmental Challenges). Total Project period is from July 2020 to June 2023.