VAB Retreat on Its Work and Future Sustainability

VAB is dedicated to quality high school education in rural Bangladesh. It started working with rural schools in 2000, by giving scholarships to 20 students in 10 schools. Since then, in nearly two decades of work, VAB has been learning extensively about the needs of rural students and schools. At the same time, it has been discovering hitherto untapped advantages of rural Bangladesh that can be used to improve quality of education. VAB has been doing just that -- developing and executing programs addressing the needs, refining those programs to increase their effectiveness and reducing their costs, and most importantly, promoting achievement of quality education in rural Bangladesh.

The leaders of VAB thought it was high time to do a brainstorming exercise for the purpose of reviewing critical challenges facing VAB today and formulating strategies and actionable measures for a future of long-term success and sustainability. The Retreat in Deer Park, NY on August 5, 2018 was a seminal VAB event organized for that purpose.

An Exemplary Contribution by two High School Students

Zarmeen Hasan and Tommy Skripps of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School near Boston, Massachusetts, USA took up their senior High School project on the “Role of VAB in changing the life opportunities of rural students in Bangladesh through Quality Education”. They made a study of VAB work and its impact on the disadvantaged children, raised awareness among their peers and conducted fund raisers for the cause of these children. They raised $2165.00 in fund raising and donated the money to VAB.

They both are at university now to pursue their career goals. Both expressed strong desire to be in Bangladesh and visit a few of the schools sometime in the future.

We extend thanks and deep appreciation to Zarmeen and Tommy for their inspirational work.

VAB Contribution makes stunning results

Mr. Aminul Karim, coordinator of VAB Chicago, Illinois, USA branch of VAB, donated three pieces of a computer device, Raspberry Pi, to Bangladesh Open Source Network (BDOSN), a non-profit voluntary organization, a close partner of VAB in Math Olympiad program in 2017. BDOSN, with the dynamic and innovative leadership of Engr. Munir Hasan, conducted a series of training of High School students using the devices, Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

The year-long activities with a series of training allowed BDOSN to send a delegate of eight students to compete in the 20th International Robot Olympiad at Manila in the Philippines. 800 participants from 15 countries took part.

“Robo Tigers” group with Kazi Mustahid Labib and Tafsir Tahreem of Chittagong Grammar School (Dhaka) and Meher Mahmud of Maple Leaf International School (Dhaka) obtained Gold Medal at the Creative Junior Group.

Congratulations to the winners and appreciation to BDOSN for making effective use of the devices.

Quality education for the underprivileged in rural Bangladesh.

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USA: 122 Taxter Road
Irvington, New York 10533
Phone: (914) 231-7972
Email: mati_pal@yahoo.com
Email: mati_pal@vabonline.org

BANGLADESH: House 806, Road 3, Baitul Aman Housing Society, Adabor, Dhaka – 1207, Bangladesh
Phone: 910-4558
Email: alimdu@gmail.com