Eight changemakers from Bangladesh honoured at 2022 Diana Awards
This year, eight young changemakers from Bangladesh received the award, following a virtual ceremony on July 1, 2022.
The youth steps forward for flood relief
Recent floods have had catastrophic effects on the lives of many people across the country, causing a severe insufficiency of resources, along with the increase of waterborne diseases such as dengue. In response to this situation, several youth-based organisations started working to provide relief and support to the communities battling this crisis. We talked to the teams of some of the organisations to getter idea of the current landscape.
eBLAZE shines at Farmcraft 2022
EMK Center’s eBLAZE, is an American Space eSports club in Bangladesh. It is affiliated with the North America Scholastic E-sports Federation (NASEF) and intends to create an atmosphere where the youth can channel their love for video games. Their goal is to create a safe space where gamers will be able to develop their skills, engage in different kinds of games, maintain their mental wellbeing, and gain expertise in blended learning. This year, three teams from eBLAZE won the NASEF Farmcraft International Tournament 2022. Around 68 countries with over 1000 teams participated in the tournament, over a range of categories and the winners were selected in three categories: Junior division, Senior division, and All Ages division.
Footsteps nurturing community resilience
In the latest iteration of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia class of 2022, seven Bangladeshi youths made the prestigious list of global entrepreneurs and thinkers of tomorrow. Two of them, selected under the Social Impact category, are Shah Rafayat Chowdhury and Mohammad Taqi Yasir, co-founders of the organisation, Footsteps Bangladesh.
Hafsa’s remarkable feats in community development
Hafsa Tasnim, a student of Bangladesh Agricultural University, received the IVD Bangladesh Volunteer Award 2021 for her activities in community development. The event, titled “Volunteering Contributions towards Community Development in Bangladesh”, was organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, UNV Bangladesh, UNFPA, VSO, and WaterAid.
Aspirations of a young animator: Antik Mahmud gets candid
Mahathir Mahmud Antik is popular for his YouTube videos and cartoon vlogs among the youth. He has made a name for himself as an animator, author, and a cartoonist.
Anonta’s earnest mission to redesign education for kids
Tod-Learn is a ‘learn through play’ based educational platform designed for kids aged two to six years. Early childhood education occurs before the age of eight, when a child’s brain develops faster than at any other point in their lives, so these years are critical – it is the period which determines their moral outlook, emotional intelligence, and cognitive skills, among other things. A Tod-Learn subscription has many products to offer, including age-appropriate weekly activity worksheets and lesson plans. Anonta Kibria Khan, who is at the helm of Tod-Learn talked to us about how she started the platform and its journey so far.
Celebrating Eid after two muted years
Last Tuesday, the nation celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr with much-needed pomp. After two years of pandemic restrictions, this year’s celebrations were filled with joy and gratitude. Right from the chaos of last moment shopping to exchanging virtual Eid cards, I had a great experience.
Curtain call
Hard to believe, but the month’s almost done. And what a Ramadan it has been! The first one out of lockdown since the pandemic hit, it’s not been an easy one, with the traffic and the heat, and the cholera scare. But at Talespeople, it’s been one long lit party every night, from midnight until dawn. My first shout out is for Tarin, Ariz and Usraat, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the Sehri Tales engine running.
Not quite what we were expecting
We promised to go big for our fifth year, but we haven't even begun to unveil our big plans, before being overwhelmed by the sheer response from our participants.
A global movement empowering women
SheDecides is a global political movement that was launched as a response to defend women’s fundamental rights and bodily autonomy against a policy imposed by former US President Donald Trump, which restricted funding for NGOs in foreign countries that supported abortion advocacy.
Once more, with feeling
Last year, we got to see some stellar writing and some incredible art. What was more inspiring than the quality of work produced during the holy month, was the community that was formed in the process.
