Caritas helps tribal languages survive

(May 19, 2011) In Bangladesh, a special mother tongue training initiative by the Church’s social service agency, Caritas, is helping prevent tribal languages in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) from becoming extinct. Since 2008, the organization has trained 480 teachers from Village- based Education Centers, VBEC, to teach tribal languages to children, who do not get to learn their mother tongue in formal education. Language experts from the Tripura, Marma and Chakma tribes have helped teachers improve their reading, writing and speaking skills. In the last four years about 8,000 students have benefited from the initiative. “We hope these 8,000 students will teach the languages to 8,000 more. Our dream is to see that every tribal child knows their mother tongue,” said Kanantar Chakma Caritas’ VBEC supervisor.
Participants at a recent training session in Bandarban district said the initiative could be implemented in other tribal areas in Bangladesh. There are about half a million tribal people in the CHT belonging to around 11 ethnic groups.