These ill-fated children have at last got a shelter where they are growing with all amenities.

Gagorani Chakra Foundation (GCF), an NGO based at Jessore, has arranged shelter and education for children born to sex workers.

The GCF started the three-year project titled Human Rights for Brothel Children and their Mothers in March 2002 with financial assistance from the European Commission and TVH, Italy.

The project includes programmes for their upbringing, treatment, education and ensuring human rights.

They now live in a two-storied building built on 25 kathas of land in Arabpur area of Jessore town. There are classrooms, bedrooms, a cultural centre, a hall room and a guestroom in the building.

They also play on the open field and grow vegetables and flowers on the compound.

Though the project was taken up for children of Jessore brothels, it has been expanded to cover children from brothels in Magura, Fultala and Khulna.

The complex now accommodates 178 children -- 95 boys and 83 girls--, brought from darkness to light. Of them, 58 including 30 boys and 28 girls are residents there.

Their mothers can visit their children everyday during visiting hour.

Twenty-seven including 22 female workers have been employed for nursing, feeding, educating and giving medical treatment to sick ones.

Activities under the project also include vocational training and employment to the grown-up children, giving medicare service and legal aid to their mothers to ensure human rights, holding community meetings with the local elite, guardians' meeting, ensuring social justice and preparing reports on rights of sex workers.

Talking to this correspondent, JCF Director Azadul Kabir Arju said, "We had to face so many obstacles in implementing the project. Even their mothers created problems at the initial stage. Now we face less trouble".

Manager of the project said children from six months to 14 years are getting all facilities there, including entertainment. The children get education up to class five. When they are promoted to class six, they are admitted to other schools. They are no more neglected.

These children go to the Shahid Miner with flowers on the Shaheed Day on February 21. They go to Eidgah and mosque for prayers, wearing punjabi, pajama and cap.

The Imam of the mosque teach them Arabic and the holy Quran. "He (Imam) sometimes comes to the complex and praise the project officials for their noble work.

"Though they are born in dark lane, they are innocent. It is the greatest virtue to bring them up," the manager quoting the Imam as saying.

This correspondent found good spirit among the inmates.

"I do not like the profession of my mother. I want to grow as other children", said 10 year-old Laboni.

We want to grow as good human beings, said Biplab and Rana