Expatriate trio offer hope to 12,000 students

Once they settle abroad permanently, many people forget their homeland and lose no time in making the new country their own.

However, the dazzling life of Silicon Valley couldn’t erase the homeland from the minds of Abu Mahmudul Hasan, Babu Rahman and Sabir Majumdar.

These three young Bangladeshi engineers live in the United States. They would constantly think about how they could give back to their country. Acting on that thought, they each contributed 500 dollars from their own pockets to help set up a laboratory at Gono Udyog Girls’ School in Laksam, Cumilla.

That small initiative in 2003 later evolved into ‘Agami’, an organisation that became a lifeline for thousands of students.

Built through the efforts of these three immigrants, the organisation now supports the education of more than 12,000 underprivileged students. Hundreds of volunteers across the US, Canada, Australia and Bangladesh are striving to make this possible.

During a visit the US, I met one of the three founders at a social event in North Carolina. His name is Sabir Majumdar, one of the co-founders and board members of Agami. He said, “Our roots are in Silicon Valley. We advocate for the use of eco-friendly modern technology. Our hope is that children in remote areas of Bangladesh get access to quality modern education. It’s not just about providing pencils and books, we want to open the door to their full potential.”

According to Agami’s website and annual report, the organisation was officially registered in 2003 and is a US-IRS approved charitable organisation under US law. Its partner organisation in Bangladesh, Agami Education Foundation (AEF), is also officially registered and licensed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to receive tax-free donations.

Agami provides support to students in 21 educational institutions across the districts of Dhaka, Sylhet, Jhenaidah, Cumilla, Chattogram, Netrokona, Khagrachhari, Natore, Tangail, Cox’s Bazar, Habiganj and Narail. This support includes textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, stationery, teachers' salaries and training, digital learning tools (such as computers and internet access), nutritious snacks and medical services.

Agami is also involved in developing school infrastructure such as classrooms, toilets and tube wells. To maintain the quality of education, it regularly organises training workshops for teachers, focusing on effective methods for teaching complex subjects like math and science in simple ways. When needed, it also appoints teachers on an ad hoc basis.

One of the schools supported by Agami is Swapnanagar Bidyaniketan in Patiya, Chattogram. The rubble of an abandoned factory building from the now-closed Patiya tea estate was cleared and the school was established in 2009 over there. There had previously been no school in the area. Although the school was built for the children of families associated with the tea estate, most of whom had been deprived of education, around 70 per cent of the students come from Adarshagram, a nearby village just a kilometer away, which also has no school.

Currently, the school has 146 students from pre-primary to Grade 8. These children are taught in a nurturing and cultural environment. They are getting the chance to develop their talent through singing, recitation, painting and other creative activities. Throughout the year, various events are held that attract prominent cultural and educational personalities, who are often impressed by what they see.

Dhrubajyoti Hore, one of the eight coordinators of the school, shared that they regularly receive educational materials and other forms of support from Agami. “Agami officials visit the school twice a year,” he said. “Once they come with prior notice, and the other time it’s a surprise visit.”

Over the past 15 years, Agami has allocated 240 million taka for educational and cultural activities. They raise these funds through annual fundraising events, corporate matching gifts, membership fees, public donations, email and online campaigns, and project-specific contributions.
Until 2010, they ran all their activities without incurring any administrative expenses. However, since opening an office in Dhaka in 2011, they have kept administrative costs below 15 per cent.

Speaking about Agami’s work, Sabir Majumdar says, “Our work has two parts. The first is year-round fundraising. The second is implementing various initiatives, especially the ‘School Programme,’ with the funds we raise. From the beginning, the School Programme has been our core activity.”

In the past ten years, they have launched eight additional support programmes, projects and initiatives. For running the School Programme, they select schools that receive little to no support from the government or NGOs and whose students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. He noted that strict religious and political neutrality is maintained when selecting institutions.

This initiative by individuals connected to the technological hub of Silicon Valley serves as a reminder that geographical distance can never sever the bond with one’s homeland.