TEAM PROGOTI
Team Members:
Md. Rezwan Ullah (Team Leader)
Student ID: 2008062
Email ID:
[email protected] Contact No: 01842086186
Ibnat Sharmin
Student ID: 2008116
Email ID: [email protected]
Contact No: 01792356098
Md. Sadiqul Haque
Student ID: 2008082
Email ID:
[email protected] Contact No: 01631544496
The Problem
Removing polio or inventing the vaccine against rabies seems
pretty easy now, as we look at other scientific discoveries, such as
sending men to the moon. However, what should have been far
easier than all these scientific miracles is a very simple task yet
unachieved—Education for All. Education has been considered a
privilege since the birth of human civilization. Only a handful of
elites in society get the chance to pursue formal education.
Consequently, resources and assets are controlled by that certain
group of people.
There is a huge number of illiterate children who are forced to
work as canteen boys, cleaners, hawkers, and similar types of low-
wage workers due to poverty. As a result of their illiteracy, the
cycle of poverty goes on for their next generations. Two of the
most critical factors are:
• They cannot commit full-time to formal education as it requires
a huge investment, that too for more than a decade.
• Even if they have the ability to afford government schools, they
are uncertain about what to do after completing school.
One of the major problems in developing and underdeveloped
countries is low wages. While the USA has a minimum wage bar
of $7.25, in Bangladesh, it is only $1. Although this 7:1 ratio is a
big problem, fortunately, the solution is not too complicated. For
example, there are lots of small food carts where the owner is
uneducated. They run their businesses in the old conventional
methods. In this competitive era, that is not enough. Marketing and
promoting through social media play a vital role in sustaining and
expanding businesses. All these do not need formal education or a
college degree. Only if they could graduate high school, they
would have plenty of opportunities to diversify their businesses
through proper utilization of technology.
The Solution
Progoti aims to solve these challenges. Monthly tuition fees at
Progoti will be 100-300 BDT, which includes the cost of books,
pens, and other necessary items. Students will receive 50-75%
of their total tuition fees back based on their performance over
time. This will motivate them to perform better and continue
until the end. Other incentives, such as prize money for the best
performer, scholarships for highest attendance, and rewards for
bringing new students, will also be offered.
We will start at a small scale with very few communities.
Therefore, our initial investment is not too high. Also, we have
diversified our funding sources through crowdfunding
campaigns, grants from the government and NGOs, micro-
contributions (BUET alumni and others), and local companies
as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). After a few
years, the best performers among all the students will be able to
join as teachers at Progoti. When they get jobs, Progoti
becomes a self-sustaining system. Overall, our risk factors are
low.
Progoti will not only focus on the primary education of the
children but also prepare them for stable and better jobs in the
future. For example, to work as a waiter in a place like Chillox
or as an office clerk, the basic requirement is an SSC pass with a
minimum age of 18. The least Progoti will do is prepare the
children to be worthy of these kinds of jobs. First, it will reduce
the supply of child labor in risky industries. Hence, hourly wages
will rise, and the economy will boost up. Secondly, those
children will have new opportunities to explore in the future.
Operations
Community Outreach Enrollment
Target unprivileged families • Charge 100-300
unable to send their kids to BDT monthly per
school due to financial student, covering
difficulties books and
supplies.
• Students receive
50-75% of tuition
back based on
performance
• class schedules
Prize money are sent via SMS
for highest or phone call.
attendance
Class topper
can join as a
teacher for
Rewards for Motivation Education & Skill
younger Development
classes
Focus on primary
education and
preparing students
for better job
Academic opportunities in the
Improvement future
Reward
Job Fair
Alumni Contribution Organize annual fair
similar to the
Graduates who are working contribute University's job fair,
10% of their salary for one year to sustain where companies
the organization visit to collect CVs
and conduct
interviews for final-
year students
Fig. 14-year-old Mamun, who works in the canteen of BUET Titumir Hall;
left school after class 5
A survey of 10 children near Polashi, Bakshi Bazar, TSC, and
Azimpur showed interest in joining Progoti, including Mamun
6
People Work making it
difficult for you
Agreed to study?
7
Enroll in a free
school to improve
your job prospects?
6
Would like to earn
money for excelling
in school?
6
Would teach
younger students
for a salary?
8
Can education
lead to better job
opportunities?
The Impact
Let's consider our huge agricultural sector. There have been
thousands, if not millions, of apps regarding agriculture. Apart
from private or third-party apps, there are Government websites
and portals dedicated for farmers too. There, farmers can get
proper updates on weather, pesticides, etc. It is very frustrating
that a large number of farmers are still deprived of these
advantages simply because they lack basic education.
Moreover, they get forced to sell their crops to third parties or
middlemen because of ignorance. Farmers do not get the update
of current market prices. Hence, third parties take advantage of
them and control the market. However, this type of information
is now just a click away.
If we look closely, we will find many more similar situations,
like small food cart owners and farmers, where only primary
education could change their lifestyle. They do not need a
specialized bachelor's degree or a lucrative college tag. That’s
why we believe if we can introduce basic literacy to these kinds
of people, they won’t be exploited. We do not expect 100% of
our students to enroll in colleges/universities. Neither are we
expecting to see them become millionaires in the future. But
definitely, we can hope to see some impactful changes in the
streets and industries where fewer children will work, laborers
will demand for their rights, and no one will depend on third
parties or other institutions to get the reward for their hard work.
