BANGLADESH: EIGHT YEARS ALONGSIDE ROHINGYA REFUGEES

Safe Spaces for Continued Learning 

Among the most significant of our priorities are youth. “In the camp of Kutupalong, they find themselves deprived of schooling, cultural activities, and spaces for socializing. Yet without learning or access to knowledge, there is no future”, explains Julie Pinochet, coordinator of these programs “crisis and new geographies” of LWB. 

Starting in 2018, our libraries were set up in prefabricated structures, offering access to thousands of educational content and practices, in English and in Rohingya, a language essentially oral, whose written works remain rare. To keep the language alive, we encouraged younger people to gather pieces of history that have been conveyed orally from generation to generation from their elders. This manner of documenting Rohingya culture creates a link between those of different ages. By focusing on content in Rohingya, primarily in audio format, LWB was able to raise awareness among younger generations on issues such as reproductive health and the prevention of gender-based violence.  This is particularly important, as nearly 58% of refugees in Cox’s Bazar are less than 18 years old (Unicef, 2019). 

Among the Rohingya refugees, women remain a particularly vulnerable group. “In the camps, where women’s mobility is often restricted, access to these spaces remain a major challenge. To be able to learn and to meet others, even outside of a dedicated space, already signifies a greater step towards autonomy”, adds Julie Pinochet. To reach women directly, mobile teams therefore organize activities for women in places where they naturally socialize– like the wells, where they meet to do laundry.  

For eight years, these places have served as refuges amidst a daily reality defined by overcrowding– there are around 10,750 refugees per square kilometer in Cox’s Bazar- and vulnerability. We organized workshops to spread awareness about the rights of women and girls, boost their self confidence, and develop their communication skills. Simultaneously, photography and creative expression workshops have helped to reduce tension and reinforce social cohesion.  

Educational Innovation in Service of Communities 

In these spaces students learn math, the sciences, English, Rohingya, as well as basic computer skills- which some children come into contact with for the first time during their time in the camp. For teams working on the ground, this is one way to recreate a sense of normalcy and to open future opportunities for the refugees.  

Our program coordinators organized workshops surrounding a Human Centered Design, with an intergenerational dimension in which older groups bestowed their knowledge onto the younger generations, who in turn, create projects for their community including educational workshops, cultural activities, and practical solutions for everyday life. This dynamic strengthens inter-generational ties and encourages the long-term adoption of these tools. 

In spring of 2026, LWB left the camp, but the libraries continue to thrive: the equipment, content, and the knowledge that was passed on remain in the hands of local facilitators in Cox’s Bazar. In a context where the future of the Rohingya community remains uncertain, access to knowledge is more than a need: a fundamental right, and a tool of resilience toward a future that’s still possible.  

Translation: Charlotte McDonald