Mobilizing Youth for Change: A Volunteer Journey Towards Resilience

[Humaira Yasmin Peya]

From a young age, I always felt driven to make a meaningful impact on marginalized communities. This passion is what led me to pursue a career in the development sector, as I’ve always strived to improve the well-being of those in need. However, the July mass uprising and subsequent floods in the Greater Noakhali region had a profound effect on me. They pushed me to think more deeply about how to mobilize the younger generation to support marginalized communities.

With this in mind, I took the initiative to form a permanent volunteer team under BRED, focusing on welfare efforts during both natural disasters and regular times. To start, I reached out to a few students from the Asian University of Bangladesh, inviting them to our office. When they arrived, I shared my vision with them, and to my surprise, they expressed similar aspirations. They had already raised funds and gone to flood-affected areas in Noakhali with relief, but they lacked a permanent platform where they could consistently contribute to society.

Realizing this shared ambition, we decided to visit their university to engage more students and faculty members, aiming to understand their perspectives and learn if they had previously participated in or aspired to do such work. Our visit to the Asian University of Bangladesh was eye-opening. I shared my vision with the teachers and students, and they, in turn, shared their experiences. One faculty member recalled running a night school for street children during her student days at Dhaka University. Another faculty member spoke about founding a social service organization in his hometown but being unable to get official government registration. He encouraged students to use BRED as a platform to contribute to society, noting how it could also enhance their communication skills and boost future job prospects.

Following the principles of the SALT approach, which focuses on recognizing strengths and potential within communities, we held conversations that led to a consensus: we must take action for marginalized communities. With the teachers' guidance and our shared aspirations, we agreed to formally launch the initiative with a major event at the university.

I believe this initiative holds great promise, not only for marginalized communities but also for the students and teachers who are excited about realizing their inner potential. By unlocking the hidden strengths within people through SALT conversations, I am confident that we can create new opportunities for society and the country. This is just the beginning of what we can achieve together.