MFJF has received the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award

MFJF has received the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award for outstanding contribution to social service. Mohsin-Fatema Siddiqui Youth Foundation, a social and voluntary organization in Sitakunda, has been nominated for the MFJF Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize-2022. MFJF has been awarded this rare honor by the Asian Business Partnership Summit, an international organization, for its outstanding contribution to social service. The Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize-2022 and the certificate were awarded on the afternoon of 28 February 2023 at the India-Bangladesh Friendship Festival organized at Rotary Sadan Auditorium, Chowrangi Road, Kolkata, India. The Chief Advisor, Founder Principal of MFJF and Executive Vice-President of Robi Axiata – Ahmed Armaan Siddiqui, received the award. Calcutta Press Club President Snehashish Sur presents Armaan Siddiqui with Northern and Crest. The Chairperson of the Minority Commission, Member of Parliament Professor Dr. Momtaz Sanhamita, and two dignitaries of Bengal were present.
MFJF established on 11th July 2022 at South Rahmatnagar of Sitakunda has aroused great response in Sitakunda through various social and humanitarian service activities including Spoken English, Clean Sitakunda, Knowledge Sharing Session, Road to Light, Clean Patenga. MFJF has started the first spoken English class with 22 students who now speak English fluently and run an English language club in Sitakunda. MFJF’s mission-1 “To impart education and skills in the respective fields most needed by the community”- Spoken English Course was launched in light of this. Now, this initiative has spread across Sitakunda. Also aims to bring the children under the scope of teaching spoken English to their mothers. In this way, mothers can teach their children English from childhood.
MFJF’s first major initiative was the Clean Sitakunda event. Mission II of the Foundation is “Serving the Earth through safe farming by ensuring soil protection.” In this light, ‘The Clean Sitakunda’ program was launched to maintain a clean environment. In the initial phase, MFJF conducted cleaning and plantation activities at the local beach (tourist center) of Sitakunda under the banner “Clean Guliyakhali”. More than three hundred students from 10 voluntary organizations and various schools participated in this program. More than 230 bags of waste were collected and 450 tamarind trees were planted on the beach. 20 dustbins have also been installed to ensure a clean environment. This massive event inspired MFJF volunteers to take up larger impact initiatives like the knowledge-sharing sessions on BD Apps.
The foundation’s third mission is to “ensure the right initiatives to improve the quality of life.” In light of this mission “Knowledge Sharing Sessions” were initiated. This is the second mega initiative under this mission. A two-hour workshop conducted by BD Apps – through which participants can acquire app development skills and secure a source of income to improve their lives and families. The session was conducted by experts to impart app development knowledge to the youth of Sitakunda and will be part of the National App Store. 600 participants participated in the session by pre-registration by filling out a Google form, of which 50% were women. It is a matter of great joy and pride that more than 20 participants have already started earning from this initiative.
MFJF’s Road to Light program has made a great impression on everyone, especially the students of schools and colleges in Sitakunda. During public exams like SSC here candidates struggle to reach the exam center on time. Besides, three-wheelers plying on highways are not only illegal but extremely dangerous – which the authorities have to allow the test takers on humanitarian grounds. MFJF launched “The Road to Light-SSC” program to facilitate the candidates with the help of BSA Group. On the day of the examination, 6 buses carrying the banner of MFJF were deployed on multiple routes to reach the examination center on time, and around 2000 examinees and their guardians enjoyed the service. Another unique part of MFJF is that they always encourage users to use digital media. Previously, registration for BD Apps events was done through Google Forms. Volunteers visit educational institutions and ensure awareness. As a result, 600 Google Forms were registered. The same happened with the Road to Light program where 115 students registered through Google Forms and were accompanied by a parent. Candidates take the service by showing their registration card. This initiative, which created a huge impact, became the Talk of the Sitakunda. MFJF has taken up the plan to provide a similar free bus service for HSC candidates.
Another program of MFJF is the CV writing workshop. This event is about how fresh graduates and unemployed youth can write good CVs to attract the attention of employers. CV writer Niaz Ahmed trained 120 participants in CV writing. After the session, HR Talent of GPH Ispat Limited Sajjad Hossain interviewed the participants. Through this, MFJF has started cooperation with an international NGO called COJEP Asia. The NGO funded knowledge-sharing sessions and agreed to organize a health camp for freedom fighters at Sitakunda.
Like Clean Sitakunda, MFJF has organized a cleanliness drive on 7th December 2022 at Patenga beach in Chittagong. About 400 university students and MFJF members participated, wearing a T-shirt with “COMMON SENSE” on the front and “Clean Patenga” on the back. A different atmosphere was created with the participation of musicians Partha Barua and Nishita Barua, the film Made in Chittagong made in Chittagong’s regional language, the popular song ‘O Kalachan Galar Mala, Pet Purede Torlai’ and the beautiful dance rhythms of the university students. In the beach area. Organized under the patronage of Ravi Aziata and in collaboration with Chittagong Tourist Police and BD Clean, 400 volunteers participated in this beach cleaning drive and several dustbins were installed. MFJF is now working on setting up a satellite organic farming bed at Sitakunda as well as setting up BPO and IT labs and necessary training centers on its own land.
Armaan Siddiqui, the chief advisor of MFJF, who was awarded this honor, said, I am overwhelmed! Such international recognition in just 6 months increases the responsibility and this recognition is the result of the hard work of our Sitakunda MFJF youth. This award is dedicated to our MFJF Tigers. I seek the forgiveness of my late parents.