Some revolutions begin with anger. Others begin with hope. For Jamila Haq, it began with a little nudge. Forty years ago, she left Bangladesh for Canada, where she built a new life with her family. She became a permanent resident, raised her children, and thrived in a country where early childhood education and daycare systems were deeply rooted in safety and professionalism.
What she didn’t know back then was that one vacation to Bangladesh, years later, would spark a movement that would transform childcare for working mothers across Bangladesh.
Fifteen years ago, Jamila returned to Dhaka for a vacation. The country had changed. More women were entering the workforce, carrying the double burden of career and motherhood.
Travelling with her five-year-old son, Jamila found herself in a hospital when he fell ill. Sitting in the waiting area, she noticed something striking. Here, mothers were caring for their children alone, while fathers were largely absent due to work.
It was there she met Sadia (pseudonym), a highly educated former Nestle employee. When Jamila asked where Sadia’s child stayed during work hours, the answer was simple and devastating. “I had to leave my job. I don’t trust daycares here,” she said. Rumours of unsafe practices and drugging children had left mothers fearful and cornered.
Ironically, Jamila herself was a certified daycare provider in Canada, trained and licensed in early childhood care. When she shared this, several mothers urged her to open a daycare in Bangladesh. That conversation stayed with her long after she returned to Canada.
“I could never have done this or come this far without their support,” she shared in her interview with the Times of Bangladesh.
A year later, Jamila was back in Dhaka, not for a holiday this time but to bring her dream to life. She launched her daycare, WeeLearn, from a small apartment in Gulshan. Determined to set a new standard, Jamila meticulously followed Ontario’s daycare licensing guidelines to ensure safety, hygiene and the highest level of care.
The early days were hard. Attendance was low. The business ecosystem bewildered her. But Jamila’s professionalism and sincerity soon stood out.
One mother from Grameenphone walked in one day with her children. Impressed by the setup, she asked Jamila to present her ideas to the company’s management. Jamila laughed, recalling that moment. “I still remember being completely clueless about how to pitch my expertise in front of such a big corporation.”
Yet the presentation worked. WeeLearn went on to run Grameenphone’s corporate daycare for the next several years, marking the beginning of Jamila’s larger impact on Bangladesh’s childcare landscape.
As WeeLearn grew, Jamila identified a deep-rooted problem: a severe shortage of trained childcare professionals. Bangladesh had no structured early childhood training programmes. Drawing from her own academic background, an Early Childhood Education degree from San Antonio College, she began training women herself. She also encouraged students from Home Economics College to join the field. One of her earliest recruits, Farzana Selina, has stayed with her for over 14 years.
“Farzana has played an incredibly important role in this journey,” Jamila said warmly. “There are so many women I’m grateful for; this mission has always been a collective effort.”
Her model was radical yet simple. Empower women with training and dignified jobs and give working mothers the peace of mind they desperately need.
Soon, major institutions took notice. Jamila established and operated daycares for MetLife, Oxfam and even the Bangladesh Army. She now runs three public WeeLearn centres across Dhaka. Each one is designed to offer safe, affordable childcare for families from all backgrounds.
Yet, for Jamila, it’s never just been about business. It’s about compassion and moments that remind her why this work matters. She shared one such story that recently moved her to tears.
A mother who dropped her children off at WeeLearn looked unusually tense one evening. When Jamila asked if she was okay, the woman replied softly, “I know my children are safe here, but I miss them so much during the day. I just wish I could see them for a few minutes.”
Jamila’s voice trembled as she told her, “You can always text us. Our staff will video call you anytime you want to see your kids.”
At that moment, Jamila said, reminded her why she started WeeLearn in the first place, to give mothers relief, confidence and emotional comfort, not just childcare.
Despite her achievements, Jamila remains concerned about the absence of a regulatory framework for daycare centres in Bangladesh. Without proper oversight, ensuring consistent quality and safety remains a national challenge.
Jamila Haq’s story is more than entrepreneurship. It is a story of empathy turned into action. With courage, compassion and unwavering grit, she is quietly rewriting the future of childcare in Bangladesh.
