Dhaka: More than 20,000 high school students from all over Denmark took up voluntary work in an effort to raise funds for a Plan International project in Shyampur in southern Dhaka.

DKK 5 million or US$ 790.000 is expected to be raised for the project, said the Danish Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.

Every year on the 8th of November, Danish high school students raise funds by taking up different types of work such as selling cookies on the city square, sweeping the neighbour's house or playing music on the street. The day is called the 'Dayswork Day'.

A Danish organisation called Operation Dayswork picks a new development project every year from around the world which will receive the funds raised on the Dayswork Day.

This year's Dayswork Day raises funds for a Plan International project that aims to empower the youth in Shyampur and enables them to change their community.

Young people in the slum learn how to use video and photos to document the horrible living conditions.

The documentation is used as a proclamation to the authorities who have a responsibility to maintain sanitary facilities and manage waste in order to avoid water logging.

Young volunteers from Operation Dayswork visited Dhaka in June where they paid several visits to the young people in Match Colony.

They also went to the Danish Embassy in Dhaka to learn about development in Bangladesh and Denmark's engagement.