Association Ajha
Survolez-moi !
Ajha is a non-profit organization that has been active since 1996 for minority populations in a region of Bangladesh: the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Here you will find the history of the association, its objectives as well as an explanation of the situation in Bangladesh.
ABOUT
Chittagong Hill Tracts
Defending Indigenous Peoples Rights of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh
In the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), a hilly area overlooking the Ganges Delta, live the Jummas, a dozen ethnic groups including the Chakmas, who distinguish themselves from the Bengali majority population by their way of life, their language, their religion. , their culture and even their physical traits. For more than fifty years, these people have been harassed, persecuted, massacred by the Bangladeshi authorities who want to drive them out of their land. Many had to leave Bangladesh to seek refuge in India and around the world. Their RIGHTS, CULTURE and IDENTITY are still under threat.
Bangladesh
< Here is a map of Bangladesh, with the 3 districts constituting the CHT :
- Khagrachari
- Rangamati
- Bandarban
Who are we ?
The creation of Ajha: a hope for indigenous people
In 1996, Suniti Chakma, with some members of the Chakma diaspora in France, founded the association World Chakma Organization French Section in Rennes to make known the fate of the Jumma and defend their rights. In 2003, WCOSF takes the name "ajha" which means "hope" in chakma language.
Our goals have not changed since the beginning. It is about preserving, defending and promoting the rights, culture and identity of the indigenous peoples of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh residing in the region or abroad (diaspora): right to life, right to recognition as a people, right to education, right and protection of children, right of women, right to economic development.
PRESERVE, PROMOTE, DEFEND:
- Rights (right to life, recognition, education, economic development)
- Culture
- The identity
... indigenous populations of CHT.
The objectives of Ajha
Ajha is a non-lucrative, apolitical and secular organisation under the 1901 law,. It operates on the principle of volunteering and funds its actions through sponsorships but also donations, craft sales and grants related to projects. Based in Le Mans, Ajha has members throughout France and works exclusively through volunteers who get involved and give their time to maintain hope for the people of Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Act for the education of CHT children
Because children are the future of Jummas, Ajha's area of focus is education. CHT ethnic children. Between 2001 and 2010, Ajha financed the Bodhicariya internship in Calcutta, India, through sponsorship of children and one-off projects - for example, installing solar panels. Since 2007, Ajha intervenes directly in the CHT through two projects: the participation in the financing of Moanoghar, an institution that educates more than 1300 students including 800 interns in Rangamati and the middle school created in 2011 in the isolated village of Tarabunia, a project driven entirely by Ajha.