Spreading the joy of Ramadan among underprivileged communities

Established in 2018, Give Bangladesh Foundation is a social organisation that provides a pathway for people to get involved in philanthropy and volunteering. By bringing modern practices from the development industry to the more simplistic philanthropic sector, the foundation strives to ensure that charitable contributions from individuals are creating a positive impact on beneficiaries.

During the pandemic, Give Bangladesh launched its Iftar Campaign to assist communities who were stranded due to lockdowns. Their beneficiaries included low-wage workers, destitute children, madrasah personnel, and students. Their Iftar Campaign intended to eradicate starvation among marginalised groups. In 2020, they provided 26,987 iftar packets across five locations. The next year, they served iftar to 18,170 people from 15 districts.

Give Bangladesh, along with Prochesta Foundation, Jhilimili, Madchef, and Kamrunnesa Khatun Foundation, have set out to distribute iftar among 24,000 underpriveledged people from 64 districts this time. They are raising funds through a crowdfunding approach on their social media platforms. People can donate an iftar meal for BDT 70, thereby spreading the happiness of this holy month.

When asked about the challenges they are facing, Abir Hossain, Executive Director, Give Bangladesh Foundation, shared how funding is the major obstacle. "The whole fundraising campaign is based on the spontaneous flow of funds. Due to countrywide financial constraints, the fundraising status is a bit lower than expected. But we are recovering in this regard through activating our near and far connections," he explained.

Jhilimili, a social organisation formed by students from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka (DU), aims to support underprivileged children. Through this collaboration, they distributed iftar among 100 beneficiaries near their campus. They are actively participating in the fundraising, by asking for donations through social media. They are optimistic about reaching their goal soon and look forward to more projects that aid in uplifting underprivileged children.

The author is a student of IBA, DU and a freelance journalist who likes reading, scribbling, and blogging. Email: mislammonamee@gmail.com.