Footsteps Bangladesh, a next generation development organisation, has launched its inaugural Britto Scholarship Program to support students from marginalised families in pursuing their higher studies at top public universities in Bangladesh. The organisation held its scholarship award giving ceremony at the Edward M. Kennedy Center (EMK) on July 2, 2024. 

The event was graced with the presence of Shannon West, Interim Director of British Council Bangladesh; Elita Karim, notable journalist and singer; Tajdin Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer at The Daily Star; and trustees and advisors of Footsteps. 

The inaugural scholarship programme awarded scholarships to 25 outstanding students hailing from 19 districts across Bangladesh to attend five public universities in Bangladesh: Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Comilla University, Rajshahi University, and Jahangirnagar University. 

The students mostly come from low-income backgrounds whose families work in farming, fishing, day laboring, etc. The scholarship intends to support talented students in pursuing their degrees without the struggle of financial constraints, which usually prevents many students from pursuing their higher education. 

The Britto Scholarship not only comes with financial support covering admission fees, tuition fees, and dorm fees for a year, but also provides an internship opportunity at Footsteps where the students can garner skills and gain experience. Footsteps intends to hold the Britto Scholarship Program twice a year, supporting as many underprivileged students as possible with donations from individuals and organisations alike. 

"Scholarships are incredibly important for developing individuals and providing opportunities to students and their families – fostering both community development and nation building. Organisations such as Footsteps are vital as they can work at different levels compared to other INGOs and governmental bodies. Such programmes support people who not only need it the most, but also allow them to utilise opportunities to give back to their communities," said Shannon West, Interim Director of British Council Bangladesh.

"The Scholarship will not only support me financially, but the programme's internship support will help me develop my skills and experience as well. Such a holistic programme is what I have been looking for – where I get to learn and gain experience without thinking much about the costs of my higher studies," said Shahadat Hossain, who hails from Lakshmipur District and is going to pursue his degree at Chittagong University with the Britto Scholarship. 

Footsteps is currently empowering over 600,000 people across Bangladesh by addressing extreme poverty challenges through its five core programmes. The scholarship programme, under Project Britto, intends to support young students in becoming the next generation of nation builders of Bangladesh.