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Our achievement lies in the fact that children like Siam, who wanted to be a rickshaw puller, are now studying in top universities in the United States. Last week, our student Tamanna got accepted into UWC Armenia with a US $90,000 scholarship package.
MAISHA ISLAM MONAMEE
Korvi Rakshand Dhrubo, founder and CEO of Jaago Foundation, has recently received the Ramon Magsaysay Award, which recognises individuals with notable contributions to public service, community leadership, and social development.
Since the award's inception in 1957, 13 Bangladeshis have received it. We recently caught up with Korvi, the newest addition to this list, to learn more about Jaago’s achievements as well as his journey and experiences.
How does it feel to receive such recognition for your work with the Jaago Foundation?
I am very humbled and grateful to the board of trustees for recognising our work and making us a part of such a prestigious network. It feels surreal to be among the likes of the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and Prof Muhammad Yunus among many others. This award is not just for me but for the entire community of Jaago, including all our students, volunteers, and kind donors.
What inspired you to start Jaago, and what were your initial goals?
I have been involved in charity work since childhood but realised that my efforts were making people lazy and developing dependency on aid. I travelled across Bangladesh to understand the lives of people and met a seven-year-old orphan who wanted to accompany me home. The guilt of being helpless then led me to establish the Jaago Foundation in 2007.
We began by teaching English to 17 children in a slum. The goal has always been to impact people's lives through education, but our approach has evolved to include these children in mainstream education. While we started as an English medium school, we later changed the curriculum to an English version considering the feasibility and future potential.
How do you see the Ramon Magsaysay Award impacting your organisation?
This award is going to open new doors and avenues for our organisation. With more than 350 awardees, it promises a prestigious networking opportunity where we could learn from social leaders while also presenting ourselves as an example of youth leadership. Jaago Foundation’s unique schooling model can be taken to different countries that face similar problems.
Can you highlight some key achievements of Jaago that you're particularly proud of?
Our achievement lies in the fact that children like Siam, who wanted to be a rickshaw puller, are now studying in top universities in the United States. Last week, our student Tamanna got accepted into UWC Armenia with a US $90,000 scholarship package. Three of our students are presently pursuing their higher education abroad while around 20 students are enrolled in Bangladeshi universities. So far, we have been able to impact 30,000 students as our direct beneficiaries.
Could you elaborate on how the foundation approaches education in a way that sets it apart from other initiatives?
When we started, providing prolonged education was a costly initiative and it was challenging to find donors who would continue to finance projects for years to come. Our Digital School Program is funded by individual sponsors for each child. We have developed a unique model by identifying that individual sponsors are much more sustainable. At Jaago, anyone can sponsor a child’s schooling by contributing Tk 2,000 each month.
Can you share some examples of how Jaago has positively influenced the communities it serves?
While working with education, we have also facilitated teachers’ training and skill development in the process. Our online model has created several job opportunities for skilled youth and enables them to develop themselves. We founded 'Volunteer for Bangladesh' in 2011, with 40 young people in Dhaka. Presently we have 50,000 young people working as a community of changemakers.
What advice do you have for young individuals who aspire to make a positive difference in their communities?
I would emphasise the importance of teamwork because when you have a good team, the organisation just keeps evolving along the way. If you want to go fast, go alone, but, if you want to go far, walk together. Discuss your ideas with the team and take their feedback. As a founder, you should always keep your mind open to new and young ideas.