10 changemaking organizations win Joy Bangla Youth Award 2022

Sajeeb Wazed, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ICT adviser and the chairperson of the Centre for Research and Information (CRI), handed over the Joy Bangla Youth Awards among the top ten winners on Saturday.

Joy Bangla Youth Award is the biggest recognition for young Bangladeshi changemakers Young Bangla, the country's biggest youth network, this year announced awards to ten outstanding organizations under five categories following a rigorous screening process for over 500 applications.

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"This year "Robolife Technology" and "Bindu" won awards in Climate and innovation category; "Ucchash" and "Youth Planet" in the Community wellness category; "Bigyanpriyo" and "Milon Smrity Pathagar" in Culture and Communication category; "BK School of Research" and "Boson Biggan Songho" in Skills and Employment category, "Mojar School" and "Switch Bangladesh Foundation" in Social inclusion category.

Winners of the Joy Bangla Youth Awards 2022 are:

Joy Barua Lablu (Organization: Robolife Technology): Robolife Technology was founded in 2018 in Dhaka to provide affordable solution to the people with special needs. They provide artificial hand in the rehabilitation of a person whose arm is lost or amputated. They have served more than 20 people, helped them to give a head start in their life again. They produce bionic hand which cost as low as BDT 30,000 at present and currently trying to come up with better solutions. They have exported few bionic prosthetic hands in Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

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Jannatul Mouwa (BINDU Women Development Organization): BINDU Nari Unnayan Sangathan is a youth-led feminist organization. Established in 2018, BINDU works in the area of climate justice and women empowerment. They work to protect the rights of natural disaster-affected people in coastal areas, especially women. They created 18 women leaders at the union level for the disaster management committee. They successfully sensitized the local government to repair a 300-meter embankment wrecked due to Cyclone Amphane. They also work to prevent violence against women, dowry, sexual harassment, and protect child rights in collaboration with local administration and a other youth-led organizations.

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Bezon Kumar (Organization: BK School of Research): BK School of Research (BKSR) is a research organization that works in the field of business, economics, social sciences, and humanities. Currently, they are working with 55 scholars, 100 research assistants, and around 300 data enumerators from 22 countries. BKSR was established in 2015 and has already published over 10 international peer-reviewed journal articles. They are currently carrying out over 10 research projects. They organized 5 seminars and trainings to aware the youth on education, environment, technology and so on.

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Muhammad Majadur Rahman (Organization: Boson Biggan Sangho): Boson Biggan Sangho was established in 2014 in Tangail to inspire students to learn math and science in Tangail. They are walking the talk by organizing camps, workshops and science Olympiads. Currently, they are planning to organize a science competition to inspire girls to learn science and math. Boson Biggan Sangho is affiliated with Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad and was awarded the Best Math Club Award in 2019. The members of this organization have won awards at institutional, regional and national level Math Olympiad, Junior Science Olympiad, Biology Olympiad, Programming Olympiad, and other competitions.

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ABM Mahmodul Hasan (Organization: Youth Planet): Since their establishment in 2018, Youth Planet is trying to challenge the status quo by breaking social stigmas against women. They are working on their vision and planning to educate men on women's health and rights.  Youth Planet's activity helped increase menstrual hygiene awareness in Nandail Upazilla in Mymensingh up to 50%. Moreover, they are working in the domain of ICT and youth leadership training, women entrepreneurship and digital marketing training through the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Youth Planet conducts their activities through a strong community network and a pool of vibrant youth.

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Prosenjit Kumar Saha (Ucchash): Since its establishment in 2017, the organization is promoting volunteerism in the Southern Belt of Bangladesh. They have 3 work bases in Bhola, Barishal, and Dhaka. Currently running 3 sustainable development projects titled “Shwapno Puron Biddaniketon”, “Project Joyi”, “Project Shabolombi” focusing on free education for underprivileged children, skill development training for the low-income and unemployed people , sexual and reproductive health awareness among adolescents, and Covid-19 response activities. They run a school with 70 students. They aim to empower youth and women along with ensuring their right to education.

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Arian Arif (Mojar School, an Odommo Bangladesh Foundation initiative): Mojar School was founded in 2013 aiming to provide free education with fun to street children. It has been providing free education to 1,000 underprivileged street children in the National Curriculum from pre-primary to 7th grade. Mojar School has also been providing non-formal education to another 1,000 underprivileged street children for nearly 10 years. It runs 10 schools all over Dhaka. Currently, they are planning to open a new section for technical education.

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Md Asaduzzaman (Milon smrity pathagar): Milon Smrity Pathagar has established a total of 14 libraries in Shorishabari Upazila, in Jamalpur. Among these libraries, there is a children's library, 4 roadside libraries and 3 railway station libraries since 2018. They aim to encourage the local youth community to read books. Milon Smrity Pathagar has readers of all ages including primary and high school and college students. The increased readership is helping create a knowledge-based community.

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Md Muinul Ahsan Faysal (Switch Bangladesh Foundation): Switch Bangladesh Foundation is working to ensure basic rights such as education, health, clothes, and shelter of underprivileged children since 2011. They run a free school for underprivileged students with 13 full-time teachers. To date, they have taught around 2000 children. They provide wheelchair to people with special needs and elderly citizens during “Amar Ekhushy Boi Mela”—a month long book fair held every year in Dhaka. They also provide vocational and technical training to destitute women and youth.

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