Following the massive humanitarian crisis in August 2017, a significant number of individuals from Myanmar were forcibly displaced and sought refuge in Bangladesh. From the outset of this crisis, providing education to refugee children was prioritized alongside other essential services. Consequently, there arose a pressing need to construct a substantial number of learning centers within a remarkably short timeframe to ensure the protection and education of these children.

The design focus centered on creating climatically comfortable spaces and resilient structures utilizing locally available materials. Designs were streamlined to include only the most essential elements, employing construction methods that facilitated rapid yet high-quality building. Active participation of children and relevant stakeholders was ensured throughout the design and construction phases. Structures were engineered to be as resilient as possible, serving not only as learning facilities but also as safe havens during natural disasters. One of the primary challenges lay in establishing numerous learning facilities within a limited timeframe and with available resources. Additionally, initial reluctance among parents in the refugee community to send their children to these facilities posed an additional hurdle.

Between 2017 and 2019, CODEC, with support from UNICEF and UNHCR, successfully erected 680 learning centers. These structures played a vital role in providing a protective environment for children and delivering basic education during a critical period.

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