Yes, our charity can build a school for just AUD$6,500 (US$6,000).

Put that in perspective. A CO-ID charity school for 400 children in Bangladesh for the price of a 12 year old car in Australia.

6,500 Australian dollars. It really is a life changing amount of money for the people of Bhola Island in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a country two-thirds the size of the State of Victoria in Australia , has a population of over 140 million people, the majority of whom are illiterate. It's a democratic country, at peace, striving hard to lift itself from its inherent poverty. It's also a country that displays a high level of religious tolerance, with Muslims, Hindus and Christians working together.

There is an urgent need for primary education because education is the only sure path to sustained development and a brighter future.

At CO-ID, we work on the remote Bhola Island in southern Bangladesh , the largest island in the Ganges Delta with an estimated population of over five million. This island plagued by devastating flooding. Its people have had their homes washed away by the river, and have been forced to settle in this most inhospitable area, where even the basic necessities of the Third World do not exist.

There are no facilities in this area, but it is the only land on which these people can settle. Only recently, roadways have been built into the area and a power supply is being installed.

CO-ID saw the need for more education in 1991.

In 1991, the charity CO-ID (Co-Operation In Development) led by Australian Fred Hyde, decided to take basic education to the children of Bhola Island . Fred had been working the region for some years which gave him special insights into what the local people needed the most. The chance to learn.

Today, the CO-ID team has helped to educate more than 50,000 children in 37 local schools, built through hard work, grit and making every charity dollar donated count.

A simple lesson in local co-operation.

	Our challenge is to fund entire new schools.
	North of Char jamuna is new territory for us. It's where our next school program kicks off. We are expanding our reach to give more boys and girls the chance to learn. Please help us fund an entire new school from the outside in - from building it, to paint, pencils to desks. Donate Today

CO-ID charity schools are functional in design and compare favourably with the Government Schools. The buildings consist of reinforced concrete posts, timber frames and corrugated iron sheeting. At present, the schools work two shifts a day because there is such a demand to attend classes.

To secure a CO-ID charity school, a community must first donate and prepare the site and form committees to administer the project. Only when this has been achieved does CO-ID advance the finance. The new school site is then built up to above flood levels, making the school not just a secure educational resource, but a refuge from floodwater.

At all times, CO-ID and the local communities work closely together to develop the schools.

Our philosophy is simple - we help people who are prepared to help themselves.

The question is - can you helps us to this more often?