Your contributions make a difference

Bluebell Primary School students 2024

In the last five years (2020-2024) Bangladesh Health Project received donations totaling many thousands of dollars. This is how the money was spent:

• The bulk of this funding was spent to build OfP Institute for Science and Technology (OIST), which opened in 2022. The initial batch of students, now studying Civil Engineering and Computer Technology, will graduate in 2026. OIST also hosts a health clinic where people suffering chronic illness can receive screening and referral.

• Donors also paid for small upgrades to Bluebell primary school, mostly for classroom furniture and teaching equipment as well as landscaping - and fencing to protect the landscaping from roaming cows and goats!

• A major on-going expense is salaries for teachers at Bluebell and OIST. Bluebell will always provide free tuition so this support will continue. OIST, however, charges tuition fees like all private colleges in Bangladesh. Currently, most OIST students receive grants or loans because they can afford only a portion of their fees. Over time, we expect OIST will be largely self-supporting.

• Bursaries for health care like cataract surgery and scholarships for poor students are a lesser expense but extremely important for the recipients.

BHP funds are raised from board members and generous donors around the world. You can donate here or for more information, please contact us.

The Laura Scholarship

Laura T has generously supported BHP for many years. In gratitude and recognition of her many contributions, we have created the Laura Scholarship. This award, based on need and merit, will provide full free studentship.

Sagor Roy, first recipient of the Laura Scholarship

OfP founder, Rabiul Islam explains, "The first recipient of the Laura Scholarship is Sagor Roy, a Hindu student pursuing a Civil Engineering Diploma at OIST. His father is a rickshaw puller, so their family could never have dreamed of such an opportunity. We previously made significant efforts to support Sagor's studies, and since enrolling, he has consistently ranked first in all his exams at OIST, including the national standardized exams. The Laura Scholarship will support the remainder of Sagor’s studies at OIST, as well as additional coaching for his higher education aspirations. He is set to graduate in two semesters, after which we will select another deserving boy or girl to receive this support."

Like other private institutes in Bangladesh, OIST charges tuition fees. These fees are modest and OIST also offers bursary and deferred payment arrangements. Even so, many students’ families struggle to afford the cost. There are several ways to support OIST students. You can donate here or for more information, please contact us.

"Why do I give?"

Canadian donor Laura T has donated funds to BHP for many years. Recently, we asked Laura what motivates her generosity. She replied, “Why do I give? This poem  says it all.”

“To live content with small means;

To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;

To be worthy, not rich;

To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;

To listen to the stars and birds, to babes and sages;

To bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.”

Next, we asked Laura why she has chosen BHP. “I like to support small organizations like BHP,” she said. “They often serve the forgotten folks, doing the jobs that need to be done. Your status in life does not matter – we are all of the same cloth. We don’t know who will be a future leader, the next Albert Einstein or Martin Luther King. Every form of education is critical. That's why I support BHP and its education programs.”

High-tech, high-touch computer delivery!

Laura’s most recent donation paid for significant upgrades to the computer lab at OIST, including ten new highly configured computers, a used laptop, six monitors and five power back-ups.

Installing new computers

Students need more powerful computers as they advance with their studies

The previous equipment will be re-purposed and recycled in the hardware practice lab as part of the students’ training. This was a tremendous boost for both Civil Engineering and Computer Science students as they advance in their studies.

Laura's contribution came at just the right time for OIST's growth. We are so grateful for all contributions. You can donate here or for more information, please contact us.