Dear Expatriate Bangladeshis,
My request is to spare a few minutes to read these lines and the linked article by Ronesh Maitra (Janakantha - 22/6/09)
LINK This is a story of three meritorious students who obtained Bangladesh Golden GPA-5 in SSC by gritty determination and hard work of untold sufferings.
Saiful Islam, a student of 'Ithkhola Technical Institute & BM College' who worked as a 'Cooli' along with his father, a day labourer to feed the family members and continued schooling.
Hasan Ali, a student of Durgapur High School who worked as a day labourer to help his father, also a day labourer as well as a hawker-treader to sell plastic goods in villages to give succour to the family. Mukti Rani, a student of 'Syed Ashraf Ali High School, Khankandi, Madaripur District. Her father earned TK100 a day as a tailor. She continued her study with a little bit of help from others. All the above three children of the poor families are worried that possibly this is the end of their dream to be medical doctors.
They have the merit and the ability but not the means to achieve what should have been their due. These are very poignant and telling stories. These young people may be able to contribute to the society and the country to an unlimited extend that we may not comprehend now just as the life-story told recently by the renowned economist and the present Governor of the Bangladesh Bank Mr. Atiur Rahman, most of you may have been aware of that.
In our monthly Grameen Support Group meeting on 3 July 2009, we have decided to explore the possibility of creating a fund to assist these three meritorious and aspiring doctors. Following is the proposal:
TK2,000/ per month each = TK6,000/ = A$120.00 per month x 12 = A$ 1440.00, say A$1500 per year.
If we get 15 people who are willing to contribute $100 once i.e just over A$8.00 per month, we can start this fund.
If we get many interested people, say, 120, then we can create a perpetual fund of $12,000, that can put in a fixed deposit with Grameen Bank and that accrues interest of A$1200 per year @10% interest. In that case, after the completion of education of these three, the assistance can continue to other three meritorious students.
We want to make sure that the money goes directly to the recipients regularly and we get feedbacks from the principals of the colleges they study. In order to run this with transparency and credibility, we want to approach the Managing Direct, Grameen Bank Education Program. As you may know, Grameen Bank has such program for the children of Grameen Borrowers. Grameen monitor children's educational progress regularly. This will be outside Grameen's own program, but the bank will be willing to do similar monitoring for us.
I solicit your views and advice, in this regard. Please don't hesitate to call me if you like to on (02) 9670 2745.
Hope to hearing from you soon as it needs quick action.
Nazrul Islam
St Clair
nazislam09@bigpond.com
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Home Page Published on: 23-Jul-2009 
