IYCM promoting rights and opportunities for youth around the world

Md Sajib Khandokar, a youth hailing from Barisal, founded the International Youth Change Makers (IYCM), a social organisation with the intent of bettering Bangladesh in 2012.

With the slogan "Change yourself, change the world," IYCM started its relentless journey by providing school uniforms to students who were struggling financially in the rural areas of Barisal.

"My passion for social service comes from my experience during my school days," said Sajib Khandokar. "I was in the sixth grade, when one of my friends could not attend school due to not owning a uniform. This was because his father was a rickshaw puller, and could not afford to buy him one."

"Back then, I gathered all the money by saving my lunch allowance, and gave it to my father to buy him a uniform," added the social worker.

Since then, Sajib became an ardent volunteer for multiple social service platforms including Save the Children, Plan International, and National Children Task Force (NCTF) amongst others. "Between 2004 and 2008, I worked with multiple social platforms as a volunteer. However, in 2008 I joined Save the Children as a Child Rights Promoter."

Sajib was also the central president of NCTF in 2007, being selected from all the leading heads of NCTF across every district of Bangladesh.

After forming IYCM, Sajib and his fellow youth change-makers spearheaded multiple projects with the aim to ensure the well-being and rights of every child, which primarily included targeting marginalised families who could not afford to educate their children, and homeless orphans.

 "Initially we reached out to multiple schools with hopes that they would enlist these children and bear their education expenses," mentioned Sajib. "Fortunately, these school teachers supported us in admitting them to their schools and also helped waive their tuition fees."

IYCM have already provided 50 financially struggling children by funding their education. Aside from this, they also helped many others by enlisting them in schools and helping them avail tuition fee waivers.

IYCM is already active in 15 districts across the nation, with 158 youth change-makers and 15,000 registered volunteers. Moreover, IYCM now has a presence in over 76 countries all over the world, supported by 600 youth ambassadors.

"The biggest problem we as social workers face is not having enough connections to access certain societies or institutions," mentioned Sajib.

"Currently, IYCM is planning to establish a learning centre named "Shotti School" where underprivileged children can access quality education, while also learning how to be a responsible human being," concluded the change maker Sajib.

Sajib is currently residing in Germany, leading the youth change-makers committee over there. Simultaneously, he continues to work as a volunteer for Plan International and United Nations Bonn.