Jege Otho Foundation
Jessore

Jege Otho, operated by the youth, is a volunteer organisation involving about 100 young boys and girls working together to uplift society. At present, there are 94 volunteers. The body includes students of Govt. M.M College, Jessore, Govt. Mohila College, Cantonment College and Govt. City College.

Since 2007, seven youth entrepreneurs have been working for the betterment of conditions of the youth in society. They are also working in the field of informal education through increasing the school attendance of underprivileged students in Jessore and building motivation. They conduct co-curricular activities like correct pronunciations of Bangla, poetry recitation and quiz competitions, which are operating in six schools of Jessore. All of the volunteers dedicate their leisure time to improve and nurture the lives of underprivileged children.

In addition the organisation worked in a sweeper colony for nine months, conducting Early Childhood Development (ECD), entertainment and amusement activities for the children of the community in 2008. They provided clothing among the children from their own donations during Eid-ul-Fitr and Durga Puja,as well as school uniforms and educational material. During natural disasters, Jege Otho Foundation have come forward to help, providing food, clothing and fresh water to the victims. They also build awareness regarding health, women's pregnancy and post-delivery care, encouraging women to breast feed. They are also involved in youth skill development activities, like holding computer lessons, providing tailoring training and nakshi stitching for girls and teaching English to the children and youths. Students have successfully designed web sites and taken part in outsourcing activities. Jege Otho Foundation has been working for the self development of the youth. It works to discourage the village youth to migrate to the cities by arranging youth camps in the rural areas. All the members of Jege Otho are drug free. To uphold the significance of voluntary work among the young generation, the organisation celebrated the International Volunteers Day and awarded three social workers for their outstanding contribution to society.

In 2011, a few members of the organisation went to Switzerland to participate in an intercultural exchange camp. They enjoy good relations with the local youth development government office and the district administration. Jege Otho Foundation is committed to creating leadership qualities among the youth in the days ahead.

Compiled by Star Correspondent

Kaler Chobi
Munshiganj

Kaler Chobi, Munshiganj is a not-for-profit organisation that was founded four years ago by Mohamamd Al Mamun to raise awareness about Bangladesh's heritage sites and promote tourism.

Kaler Chobi, Munshiganj works to increase awareness about the need for conservation of our historical sites and believes that ignorance and a lack of understanding are detrimental to the preservation of our heritage.

Members of the organisation are working towards compiling a list of data and photographs of places of historical significance located across all 64 districts of Bangladesh. Their photo and data compilation project commenced in Munshiganj where 60 historical sites and 20 schools, each established more than 100 years ago, were highlighted.

Details and photos of all sites covered by Kaler Chobi are published online on their website www.kalerchobi.org. Awareness about conservation and tourism is raised at the village-level through exhibitions, digital presentations and social networking sites such as Facebook.

The organisation hopes to mobilise local communities in helping to preserve heritage sites in each region. Their work in promoting tourism has already gained recognition in Munshiganj and the Agrasar Bikrampur Museum has used 46 of their photos in their exhibits.

Kaler Chobi believes that tourism can contribute significantly to the economic growth of a country and they hope that through their work, they too can develop the tourism sector of Bangladesh and hence promote the growth of our economy.

Compiled by Star Correspondent

Atique Mehdi
Founder of e-doctor

Atique Mehdi's venture into the world of media first started out in 2005 when he was a mere first year college student. By saving a portion of his allowance, which he managed to earn through tuitions, Mehdi came out with the first issue of 'E-doctor', a medical-based magazine. The magazine continues to address various medically-related issues till date.

From then on, Mehdi created and was a part of a number of a series of media-related ventures that provided information on medically-related issues. “I always had a special interest for media-tools and therefore tried to combine my area of studies and media technology,” he says. Mehdi's biggest contribution to the media and the medical world came in 2010 when he singlehandedly launched Bangladesh's first ever 'medical radio station', a channel that helps the public regarding various medical issues. “It initially started off with just one computer and the money that I saved up through tuitions,” he says.

Hailing from Kushtia, Mehdi received a bachelor's degree in Dental Science and is currently pursuing a post-graduate degree. Amidst all the academic pressure, Mehdi still manages to find time for his internet-based radio channel, a station that broadcasts programmes 24/7. “Apart from providing information about various medical diseases we also have a special focus on the problems related to the youth. One of our programmes, Tokhon Ami, focuses on problems such as depression, peer pressure, break-ups and various other phases that youngsters go through,” explains Mehdi. The station which is now run by number of student along with Mehdi, none of who are professionally trained, also makes it a point to promote Bangladeshi medical achievements and broadcasts live seminars outside the country through the internet.

With a large fan following on Facebook alone, E-Radio's popularity has grown by a large margin in the last two years. “Initially there were funding problems, but now thanks to the support of many companies, funding is not an issue any more,” says Mehdi. Despite the critical acclaim, Mehdi has bigger plans for his channel and knows that this is just the beginning. As he puts it, “I hope that one day people can compare E-radio to other quality radio stations such as the BBC. In the future, I want E-Radio to be accessible throughout the country and hope that people can benefit from this radio channel.”

Compiled by Star Correspondent