Sonia Akter was once unsure of herself and her future. Now, she is a self-assured young woman who dreams of graduating from school and having a successful career.
The chance to build Sonia's confidence came when she joined the Goal programme – an initiative supported by Population Services and Training Center (PSTC) under the bank's flagship community programme, Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, reads a press release.
Goal began its journey in Bangladesh in 2013 in partnership with Brac. The programme leverages sport and play-based learning to deliver modules on financial education and independence; communication skills; health and hygiene and empowerment.
These activities and learning opportunities have provided around 50,000 underprivileged girls with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to make a stand for themselves and their communities.
Sonia's participation in the Goal programme has had a far-reaching impact on her life.
Sessions like ‘Be Yourself' and ‘Be Empowered' modules have given Sonia a strong voice – both inside the classroom and outside of it.
She is now as eager to talk about her feelings as she is to answer her teacher's questions.
As a former victim of harassment and bullying, Sonia now steps in to defend herself and her peers. Sonia is only one of many success stories.
Standard Chartered's decade-long effort has also changed Jannatul Ferdous Juena's life.
Having faced financial insecurity growing up, Jannatul was motivated to pay extra attention to sessions on decision-making and money management.
The programme's ‘Be Money Savvy' module has inspired students like her to open their own bank accounts and take their financial wellness into their own hands.
Sessions relating to the ‘Be Healthy' module are helping girls nationwide to understand and take care of their physical and mental health needs.
Head of Corporate Affairs of Brand & Marketing of Standard Chartered Bangladesh Bitopi Das Chowdhury said: “Bangladesh's remarkable socio-economic progress over the last decade has shown that investment in girls' education, health and economic opportunities not only leads to a brighter future for the girls, but it also has an incredible multiplier effect on their communities and leads to better outcomes for the family unit, particularly the next generation.”
“Through Goal, our mission is to reach girls from underserved communities, providing them life skills education through sport and activity-based learning, empowering them to become future makers for their communities and the nation,” he added.
Goal equips girls with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be economic leaders in their families and communities.
Since its launch in 2006, Goal has grown into an internationally-recognised global movement operating in more than 20 markets.
Goal delivers modules on financial education, communication skills, health and hygiene, self-confidence, employability and cybersecurity to help girls and young women transform not just their own lives, but those of their families and friends.
By the end of 2023, the programme aims to reach a total of one million girls.
Standard Chartered's community engagement and sustainability initiatives over the years have focused on economic empowerment of marginalised communities; bridging the gender gap; improving access to health, education, financial literacy; supporting agricultural innovation; promoting sports, arts and culture as drivers of positive social transformation and combatting climate change by spearheading environmental interventions and initiatives.
The bank's flagship community engagement program, Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, is dedicated to helping the next generation to learn, earn, and grow.
The bank stands behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All projects and initiatives are tied to achieving all 17 goals by 2030.
