ASPIRE
Your Monthly News & Updates

April 2019

Abul Kashem
First ever Medical Doctor from camps!

We are so proud and happy to let you know that Abul Kashem from Rangpur camp is now the first student to graduate as a Medical Doctor. Congratulations and way to go, Dr. Abul Kashem! Our immense gratitude goes to Mr. Oqail Syed from Texas who was instrumental in supporting Kashem's education. 
Here are some words by Kashem in a recent Facebook post written after his graduation:

"My name is Abul Kashem and I am 25 years old. My father's name is Md. Hafiz and we live in Ispahani camp no. 2 in the city of Rangpur, Bangladesh. Since I was a child, I dreamt about becoming a doctor when I grew up. Everything was going right initially but various difficulties and obstacles came in the way when I was in grade six." Read more here.
Board & staff at the retreat in Indianapolis
OBAT's board convenes for 2019 retreat

The weekend of March 9th was a busy one for OBAT's board and staff as Directors met from all over the US at its Indianapolis headquarters. A day long retreat culminated with an appreciation gathering for some of OBAT's oldest donors and supporters in Indianapolis. Some of the people present included two individuals, Dr. Ibad Ansari and Dr. Majid who were present at the time OBAT's foundations were being laid. Many young volunteers of OBAT also attended the event.
A board meeting took place the next day. The retreat and meeting were a wonderful opportunity for everyone to meet new Directors who have recently joined the board. A lot of brainstorming, strategizing and board training took place over the two days as staff and directors joined heads to lay out plans and set objectives to make the maximum impact as OBAT approaches its 15th birthday. More photos can be viewed here.




Java gets introduced at OBAT's IT Center  
                                                                   
Ongoing computer class
               
OBAT's IT Center in Syedpur began operations in 2012 and has been offering courses in MS Office, Graphic Designing and Outsourcing to students. Learning these skills greatly enhances their prospects of finding good job opportunities and has also enabled them to find jobs as freelancers on online sites such as Upwork. JAVA programming was recently added to the course offerings. Eleven of the best students from previous batches were selected due to their interest in learning this programming language. The course will be initially conducted online and in-class training will being after the essentials of the course have been covered.
Java has significant advantages over other languages and environments which makes it suitable for just about any programming task. Because of Java's robustness, ease of use, cross-platform capabilities and security features, it has become a language of choice for providing worldwide Internet solutions.

A section of the playground
Rohingya construction project is a finalist for award!

We are excited to share the news that OBAT's construction project in the Rohingya camps is a finalist for the FIBRA award! The project is the playground built for Rohingya children. Congratulations to the team working on these projects! Read the announcement here.
Here is what the FIBRA award is about:

"To highlight the use of bio-based materials in the construction field, amàco (atelier matières à construire) launched the FIBRA Award with the scientific support of the Zurich Institute of Technology (ETH) and the know-how of BioBuild Concept.
The purpose of this first World Prize for Contemporary Plant Fiber-Based Architecture is to showcase the aesthetic properties, the construction advantages and the environmental benefits. Identifying exceptional buildings around the world will allow the public to discover them.
The FIBRA Award wishes to pay tribute to the courage of clients who chose to use bio-based materials, to the creativity of architects and engineers, and to the skills of craftsmen and contractors. "

From right: Mses. Nasima, Jaytunesh & Yeasmin
"OBAT's Health Clinic is like a blessing for us."

Mses. Nasima, Jaytunesha and Yeasmin are three elderly ladies who have all endured the loss of their husbands. These ladies have been suffering from various cardiac and pulmonary issues. OBAT's Rangpur Clinic has been supporting them by providing free medicine and treatment to them for the last ten years.
The group is very thankful for this support and feels that the clinic is like a blessing for them and that they owe their lives to the free treatment and medicine they receive from OBAT's Health Clinic in Rangpur.
   
Dilruba Jaman graduates from School of Pharmacy  

Dilruba Jaman

Diruba Jaman lives in Dhaka. She has been a scholarship student of OBAT; she has headed OBAT's Think Tank initiative for the youth in her area and has also taught science subjects at OBAT's Tutoring Center. Dilruba's latest accomplishment though is her graduation from Pharmacy School. We are extremely proud of her and wish her the very best for the future!
You can hear from Dilruba in this video  (she is the first student in the video)  and also read her thoughts on completing her degree here:

"I started my journey with OBAT Helpers in 2010 when I was a candidate for the SSC exam (Secondary School Certificate or grade 8). I was a Science student. I completed my SSC in 2011 and attained a golden GPA, which is a 5.0 grade point average. In 2013, I passed my HSC (High School Certificate exam) with a 5.0 GPA as well. One day, the President of OBAT Helpers, Mr. Anwar Khan visited my house." Read more here.

Front: Shafin & Mariam, with local refugee and clinic staff
Visitors get inspired by OBAT's projects


Shafin and Marium were two new visitors who toured the camps during March. The two cousins were visiting from Hong Kong and Houston, respectively. They expressed great admiration for the the wide scope of projects run by OBAT, especially the digital learning program that is being run for the children in the Temporary Learning Centre # 8. Shafin and Mariam also enjoyed talking with the doctors working in OBAT's clinics and visiting the Women's Empowerment Centre where sewing classes are currently being run.
Some of Marium's reflections on her visit can be read here. We are very thankful to Shafin who is now organizing a fundraiser for OBAT in Hong Kong on April 13th.
Students of the Adult Literacy Class
Sixty women enroll in adult literacy program

OBAT's Chittagong Think Tank currently consists of eight of the SSC candidates of 2019. These students have just finished taking their exams and in the three months of free time they have at their disposal, they are hosting adult literacy classes for the women of SB Nagar Camps. Students in these classes are 18 to 60 years of age and have never had the opportunity to learn to read Bangla and English letters. Some of the student instructors are actually teaching their mothers and grand-mothers. Two groups totaling sixty women are currently taking these classes. The course will last for six months. Forty-eight women graduated from the adult literacy course in Chittagong in 2017 while twenty-four women graduated in 2018.

The activities of the Think Tank are attracting attention. Several notable personnel from the corporate sector recently visited with and spoke to the students who gave a presentation on their activities. One of the visitors Mr. Rial Ahsan, also provided training to the students on organization and leadership.
The three winners
Rangpur School hosts spelling bee

Spelling Bees are a favorite among  all our schools. They help enhance the language and vocabulary skills of our students, foster confidence in them and provide a great deal of enjoyment as well. Our most recent spelling bee was held at OBAT's Rangpur School. The top three winners were all girls who performed really well in the contest. Congratulations to the three students!
The Syedpur School Girls team celebrate a win
Schools observe Bangladesh's Independence Day 

Myriad activities are organized in OBAT's Schools to observe the Independence Day every year.
This year, the Rangpur School organized a parade and a drawing competition. OBAT Think Tanks in Chittagong and Syedpur organized inter-school cricket tournaments which were greatly enjoyed by all the teams. Khulna went all out as well and organized art, essay, poetry, singing and dance competitions  for its students. Inter-school cricket tournaments were also organized among  OBAT's schools in Dhaka.


World Health Organization commits 
The first supplies picked up 
to providing aid  
                  
We are excited to share the news that the World Health Organization (WHO) will provide our clinic in Kutupalong Rohingya Refugee Camp #4 with medical supplies and some
medicine on a monthly basis, as per availability. We have already made our first pick up in March!
WHO's support is greatly appreciated. Our two clinics in the Rohingya camps treat approximately 300-400 patients in a day and the medical supplies will greatly help in the treatment of the patients.
Students at farewell, listening to guest speaker
Twenty-seven students take HSC exam


OBAT's Tutoring Center in Chittagong organized a farewell program for its first batch of HSC (High School Certificate) or 12th grade students. These students will be taking the HSC public exam, which is the last exam that they have to take before graduating high school. A total of twenty-seven students will be taking the exam- these students have prepared for the exam with the help of the coaching offered at the Chittagong Tutoring Center. We wish them the very best for their results!
Students during class
Language training for SSC students

When SSC (secondary school certificate) exam candidates are waiting on their results, OBAT encourages them to utilize their time productively. One such project that was introduced recently for SSC students in Rangpur, was the Urdu and Bangla language training course. This course will last for three months. The students will also be enrolled in a computer skills course during this time.
A student receives a certificate
 
Syedpur Sewing Center celebrates International Women's Day

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated worldwide on March 8th. This internationally recognized day celebrates women and their accomplishments. In addition to honoring women's achievements, IWD brings attention to the many injustices committed against them. It also calls for more progress toward gender equality. To observe this day, OBAT organized a certificate distribution program for its Syedpur Sewing Center students who have recently completed their four month course successfully.


Students during computer class
SSC students receive computer training

In both Rangpur and Syedpur, SSC (secondary school certificate) exam candidates are being given computer training in MS Word, Excel, use of Internet and data entry. These students are currently enrolled in OBAT's tutoring centers and are studying in grade eight. The computer skills they will gain from these trainings will greatly help them in their current grade and also in the future as they progress toward finishing high school.
Students line up for the test
University students partner with OBAT's School

BADHON is a student led organization from the Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Science University. They recently organized testing to determine blood groups of the students of OBAT's SB Nagar School. BADHON's representatives tested the blood group of 263 students. We are very thankful to BADHON as this information will play a valuable role in case of health emergencies faced by the students
Sports competition
Chittagong celebrates National Children's Day

The National Children's Day was recently observed in our Chittagong projects. The program was organized by the youth of Chittagong Think Tank. A sports competition, cultural program, fancy dress show and a prize distribution for preschoolers, was a part of the program.
OBAT's Preschools in Syedpur and Rangpur also celebrated with singing, dancing and poetry competitions.
Save these dates!

April 21st: OBAT's Ambassadors of Dallas annual lunch
(Time: 1:30 pm; Venue: Grand Center, 300 Chisholm Place, Plano TX 75075). RSVP here.

May 18th: OBAT's annual ISNA iftar at ISNA headquarters, Indianapolis

May 25th: Interfaith iftar for Rohingya refugees- by OBAT, JCRC and MAI. (6705 Hoover Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46260). Register here.


Use Facebook to multiply your philanthropic impact! 

Most of you probably have hundreds of friends on Facebook. Imagine harnessing all their philanthropic leanings into a fundraiser that you create for OBAT on Facebook! The result could be tremendous! 
All you need to do:
  • Go to your Facebook home page
  • Click on "Fundraisers" on the left side of your screen, under the "Explore" heading
  • Next click on, "Raise Money" and then "Get Started"
  • Choose OBAT from the Nonprofits area
  • Enter a few details and invite your friends
  • You are all set!
The good news is, a full 100% of the amount you raised will be sent to OBAT- Facebook does not deduct transaction fees any more for nonprofits.
Raise away!

Inspired? DONATE to our projects!

OBAT Helpers Inc. 
317.203.0603| contact@obathelpers.org |www.obathelpers.org
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