JAAGO Foundation receives a BDT 45 million annual matching donation from Summit and Beximco

Summit Corporation and Beximco Holdings, two of Bangladesh’s largest conglomerates, have given JAAGO Foundation a three-year matching gift of BDT 45 million, allowing them to educate 4,000 children across the country. JAAGO uses ICT to ensure education using phone conversations, short message services, and video conferencing systems, as part of their UNESCO award-winning teaching methodology. This is especially crucial given the fact that schools are closed due to the pandemic. The grant will be utilized to run the digital schools once the educational institutions have opened. This is the first time that two local conglomerates have combined to provide such a substantial sum to a local non-profit organization.

Founder and Chairman of the Summit Group of Companies, Muhammed Aziz Khan, stated, “JAAGO’s remarkable effort in using web-based learning for disadvantaged children across Bangladesh should serve as a model for future education. Korvi has considered what others will do and what they should do. Summit is dedicated to ending poverty and is honored to support JAAGO’s internet-based schools. The UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education has been granted to JAAGO, and they are deserving of the Nobel Prize.”

“Every child has the right to an education, which includes the ability to attend school and learn new things. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, has shattered that right for far too many people “Shayan F Rahman, Beximco Group’s Advisor to the Board, says “Thankfully, we can take advantage of the country’s rich digital infrastructure and information technology prowess to provide many people with distance learning options. Beximco and Summit are happy to join with JAAGO to provide remote education to 4,000 children from underserved areas of our population.”

“The education industry, in particular, has been impacted. During the global epidemic, schools and universities have been closed. Summit and Beximco have stepped up to help the education sector at this critical time. This is an example of the Bangladesh corporate sector going above and beyond for the Bangladeshi people. I believe that this effort will inspire other businesses to take action and make a positive difference in their communities “JAAGO Foundation Founder Korvi Rakshand stated.

Summit Group Directors Fadiah Khan, Azeeza Aziz Khan, and Salman Khan were present at the virtual signing ceremony on behalf of Summit. Ajmal Kabir, Group Director, and Samira Zuberi Himika, Executive Director, both from Beximco, were in attendance. Fatema and Lenin, two JAAGO first-year students, discussed their experiences. Nobonita Chowdhury hosted the virtual signing ceremony.

JAAGO aspires to make a long-term difference in the lives of marginalized children while also accelerating Bangladesh’s growth. This collaboration will last three years.

From The Daily Star