BRAC launched the Kaiser and Wendy Zaman Fellowship today in an attempt to better the lives of girls aged 10-19 who have dropped out of secondary education.

The initiative was unveiled in a MoU signing ceremony at BRAC Centre as part of BRAC's Medhabikash programme, a part of the BRAC Education Programme (BEP), which provides financial support and capacity-building aid to talented but disadvantaged students.

BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh, Managing Director of BRAC Enterprises Tamara Hasan Abed, Executive Director of BRAC International Shameran Abed and Nazia Du Bois, Yasmin Hussain and Syed Rezaul Karim, representing the family of Kaiser and Wendy Zaman, were present at the event.

The goal of the initiative is to equip female dropouts with the skills to resume formal education or pursue entrepreneurial ventures, fostering independence and resilience within their communities, reads a press release.

In the initial phase, the endowment will fund the establishment of learning centres that will empower these girls through foundational literacy, numeracy, and life skills education, it added.

The initiative is dedicated to honouring the legacy of Kaiser Zaman, a humanitarian and key organiser of liberation war and one of the closest companions of BRAC's founder, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, who played a pivotal role in the organisation's formative years.

Kaiser Zaman, along with his wife Wendy Zaman, envisioned the fellowship as a way to empower youth, particularly girls, facing systemic barriers by providing access to education and opportunities. Kaiser Zaman passed away on June 19, 2023.