Turning Poverty into Opportunity: Sutapa’s Fight For Girls’ Education with PayBito

As part of its mission to combat global hunger, PayBito extended its aid to the delta islands of the UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, Sundarbans in India. While working towards addressing hunger issues among children and improving the overall well-being of families in the region, PayBito uncovered a sobering truth: the dire state of girls’ education in the core villages of Sundarbans. Despite the beauty and fame of the region, the harsh realities of poverty leading to limited access to education are leaving young girls like Sutapa behind, robbing them of the chance to dream of a better future.

“Our team at Paybito believes that every girl child deserves the right to a quality education, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status. We are committed to addressing the unjust education system faced by girls in Sundarbans and will ensure that they have access to the resources they need to thrive and succeed.”

– Paybito team (Brokering World Hunger Away movement)

Why Sundarbans Villagers Are Forced to Relocate or Live in Poverty?

While PayBtio was exploring the islands of Sundarbans, the team came across several problems faced by the villagers. Starting with the problems to access freshwater, sex trafficking, lack of proper healthcare facilities, poverty, and poverty-related issues such as hunger, no education, etc.

Often the cause of hunger is the ecosystem of the region. Sundarbans is a vast area with dense mangrove forest that houses dangerous poisonous snakes, the wild Royal Bengal Tigers, man-eating crocodiles, etc. The basic day-to-day jobs are not ordinary, as they face every day. 

Moreover, the agricultural fields of the village are destroyed by frequent cyclones. Sundarbans are largely suffering from climate change, which is causing frequent floods, and cyclones. Thus, taking away the agricultural lands, and houses makes the villagers to relocate or live in poverty. 

The Cost of Education: Sutapa’s Sacrifice for Her Family

While exploring the village of Gosaba, we found a little girl working in the paddy field with her mother. Our team members decided to have a conversation with them. We were shocked at how well the girl, Sutapa was in calculations. When we asked her, which standard she was studying, and about her schooling, she started crying uncontrollably. We were shocked. Here’s the story of thirteen-year-old Sutapa, who sacrificed her dreams to help her parents due to poverty.

Sutapa was only 13 years old when she had to discontinue her education due to her family’s financial instability. She was compelled to work in the fields and assist her mother with domestic chores. Her family had already been devastated by the consecutive cyclones of Amphan, Yaas, and Asani.

“I sent my son to school every day as he was getting the mid-day meals. Sutapa was already in class 8, she was not getting meals, and we couldn’t afford the cost of books.” 

– Sutapa’s Mother (Gosaba block-Sundarbans)

The government school’s mid-day meal scheme is only for students till class eight. After which, the child has to carry her own lunch. In villages like Sundarbans, several students especially girls drop out of school after class 8, due to poor financial situations. 

Sutapa has a younger brother who is six years old and attends school every day, hoping to receive regular mid-day meals. Their family’s dire circumstances make it challenging for Sutapa’s brother to receive a proper education, but they do their best to provide him with this basic necessity. 

“We came to know about Sutapa’s family situation, and we decided to help her. Sutapa is a bright young girl, and like every other child, she has the right to receive quality education.” 

– PayBito Team 

Many families in the Sundarbans struggle to make ends meet, and education often takes a backseat to more pressing needs like food, water, and shelter. This has resulted in high dropout rates, particularly among young girls, who are often expected to help with household chores and contribute to the family’s income.

Paybito’s Brokering World Hunger Away Movement: Empowering Girls Like Sutapa to Succeed

PayBito launched the ‘Brokering World Hunger Away’ movement to end global hunger. The “Dollar for a dollar” movement initiated by PayBito shares that each dollar a broker earns as a commission from PayBito’s crypto broker platform, the same amount will be spent in the ‘Brokering World Hunger Away’ movement.

Sutapa’s story of dropping out of school due to financial struggles is not unique, as millions of girls worldwide face similar obstacles to obtaining an education. 

“By addressing the root causes of poverty and creating opportunities for education and self-sufficiency, we can help break the cycle of poverty and pave the way for a brighter future.” 

– Raj Chowdhury, CEO of PayBito

PayBito understands that its mission to end global hunger involves more than just providing nourishing meals. It also requires providing sustainable solutions to help families become self-sufficient and improve the future prospects of generations to come.

Providing Financial Assistance: PayBito provides financial assistance to families facing financial difficulties to help them afford school fees, uniforms, and supplies. This support helps young girls like Sutapa continue their education without facing the burden of financial constraints.

Offering Vocational Training to Parents and Young Girls: PayBito offers vocational training programs that equip young girls with the skills they need to secure employment and become self-sufficient. This training includes courses on sewing, handicrafts, and computer literacy. 

Promoting Nutritious Meals: PayBito’s Brokering World Hunger Away Movement involves providing nutritious meals to school children. This program ensures that young girls like Sutapa have access to healthy meals, which helps them concentrate and perform better in school. 

The conditions in the Sundarbans serve as a powerful reminder that poverty and education are deeply interconnected issues that require sustainable solutions. Initiatives like PayBito’s Brokering World Hunger Away Movement, which focuses on providing sustainable solutions to families facing financial instability and food insecurity, are critical to improving the prospects of communities like those in the Sundarbans.