Helping communities fight distress
The Shanto-Mariam Foundation is dedicated to philanthropic acts, reaching out to communities and individuals in distress to provide support for their continued livelihood. In 2007 and 2009, when cyclonic storms Sidr and Aila struck with ferocity, the southern coastal belts of greater Khulna were severely impacted, leaving more than a million people homeless and without food and drinking water for days. Responding swiftly, the Shanto-Mariam Foundation generously provided aid to the affected people. They constructed homes and offered shelters to those in dire need.
In 2021, when floodwaters marooned Sylhet and Shunamganj, rendering people homeless, the Shanto-Mariam Foundation promptly distributed dry food and drinking water to those affected.
The Foundation also addresses the need for better facilities in educational institutions. They renovated over 20 toilets and washrooms at Nurunnessa School and College in Daudpur under Rupganj to provide improved conditions for students. Moreover, in Khontakata under the Sharonkhola Upazila near the Sundarbans, the Foundation, in association with the NGO Nobolok Parishad, built a three-chamber toilet system for the girl students of Khantokata Mohila Madrasa, meeting the Health Department’s stipulated regulations.
In partnership with Nobolok Parishad, the Shanto-Mariam Foundation has also built Rainwater Harvesters to provide a source of fresh drinking water for the underprivileged people of Southern Bagerhat. This initiative is ongoing, with plans to build and provide many more units to disadvantaged communities in the future.
The Foundation also provides financial support to helplessly disabled individuals, for example in the coastal belt of Khulna, assisting them in sustaining their living. This support is continuous and ongoing.
As part of their efforts to aid the disadvantaged, the Shanto-Mariam Foundation distributed blankets, sweaters, medicines, hand sanitizers, and masks to those affected by winter conditions in various parts of the country, including Khulna, Gaibandha, and Nilphamari. In the winter of 2023, they continued their compassionate efforts, distributing warm blankets to the destitute and needy freedom-fighters. In Uttar Khan, Dhaka, the winter support continued with the distribution of warm clothings twice among the helpless and distressed individuals.
The foundation is committed to providing sustenance to disadvantaged people, it offers daily and weekly meals at different locations in the city. Additionally, they offer financial support to those in distress, such as the victims of the devastating fire in Bangabazar.
Through these diverse initiatives, the Shanto-Mariam Foundation exemplifies their dedication to alleviating suffering, extending support, and making a positive impact on the lives of the less fortunate.