Summit and Beximco award BDT 45m matching grant to JAAGO Foundation
Tuesday, 10 August 2021
Summit Corporation and Beximco Holdings, two of the country's largest conglomerates, awarded a matching grant of BDT 45 million 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.
This is even more important while the education 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.
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," says 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.
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.