Summit, Beximco award Tk 4.5cr grant to JAAGO Foundation

Summit Corporation and Beximco Holdings, two of the country’s largest conglomerates, awarded a matching grant of Tk 4.5 crore per annum for three years to JAAGO Foundation, enabling them to educate 4,000 students across Bangladesh.

JAAGO, utilizes their UNESCO award winning teaching model using ICT to ensure education over telephone calls, short messaging service and video conferencing system, said a press release.

This is even more important while the educational institutions are closed due to the pandemic. Once the education institutions open, the grant will be used to run the digital schools. This is the first time two local conglomerates are jointly contributing such a large amount to a local non-profit organisation.

At the virtual signing ceremony Directors of Summit Group Fadiah Khan, Azeeza Aziz Khan and Salman Khan were present on behalf of Summit and from Beximco Ajmal Kabir, Group Director and Samira Zuberi Himika, Executive Director were present. Two students of the first batch of JAAGO, Fatema and Lenin shared their stories. The virtual signing ceremony was hosted by Nobonita Chowdhury.

Muhammed Aziz Khan, Founder Chairman of Summit Group of Companies said, “The excellent work of JAAGO in using web-based learning for the poorer students all over Bangladesh is perhaps a model of educating in the future. Korvi has thought about what others will and should follow. Summit is committed to eradicate poverty and thus is privileged to support JAAGO’s internet-based schools. JAAGO has been awarded the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education, they deserve the Nobel prize.”

“Every child has the right to education — the right to go to school and learn. For too many, however, that right has been left in tatters by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Shayan F Rahman, Advisor to the Board of Beximco Group. “Thankfully, we can cash in on the robust countrywide digital infrastructure and information technology prowess to enable distance learning opportunities for many. Beximco, along with Summit, is proud to partner with JAAGO to empower 4,000 children from less fortunate segments of our population with remote education.”

“Everyone has been affected, especially the education sector. Schools and colleges have been shut down during this global pandemic. At such a moment, Summit and Beximco have come forward to support the education sector. This is an example of the Bangladesh corporate sector stepping forward for the people of Bangladesh. I hope that this initiative will encourage other corporate houses to step forward and make a difference in the community,” said Korvi Rakshand, Founder, JAAGO Foundation.

With this grant, JAAGO hopes to make a sustainable change in the lives of marginalised children and accelerate the development process of Bangladesh. The duration of this agreement is three years.

Since 2007, JAAGO Foundation has been providing education for thousands of underprivileged children all over Bangladesh. Using the digital platform, JAAGO is taking quality education in the most rural parts of the country. JAAGO was recognised by UNESCO in 2017 as the Best Educational Organization in the world for using ICT in education. The JAAGO Foundation also received the Mosaic International Award from His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, for outstanding achievement in the education sector in Bangladesh. More recently in May 2021, Korvi Rakshand, Founder of JAAGO Foundation was awarded the Commonwealth Points of Light Award by Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II for mobilising more than 40,000 volunteers, especially during the coronavirus crisis under their youth programme, Volunteer for Bangladesh (VBD).

VBD aims to empower the youth, facilitate volunteerism, foster self-resilience and growth, and equip them with the necessary tools. Currently, 4000 marginalised children are receiving free of charge quality education under the Bangladesh Government’s National Curriculum in English Version.

Summit is an infrastructure conglomerate in Bangladesh and the company believes in making a positive impact on the communities where it operates through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. Summit has a long-standing partnerships with several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to support projects that improve access to education, arts & culture, sports, healthcare and social services for underprivileged individuals. Summit has a CSR Committee represented by senior leadership of the company and has been awarded for its effort.

Leading business conglomerate Beximco is guided by strong ethical values to operate responsibly within a broader social and economic context. The company’s social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are the reflection of its unwavering commitment to making a meaningful impact in society, the release added.