Women-led teams win top 3 awards at Joy Bangla Youth Award

A Dhaka-based organization has topped the list of Joy Bangla Youth Award-2018, followed by two platforms from Rangpur division as the organizers announced the names of 30 winners under 10 categories.

All the top three award-winning organizations and platforms are led by a woman, with organizations from outside Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet sweeping the top 10 positions.

Young Bangla, a youth platform of non-profit organization Centre for Research and Information (CRI), hosted the event for the third time at Sheikh Hasina National Youth Development Institute in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka on October 27-28.

The prime minister’s ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy conferred the awards to all the 30 winners of the award.

The winners

All for One Foundation ranked 1st under the gender category, followed by Nari Shakti Jagaran Foundation, Panchagarh for community development, with Lalmonirhat Taekwon-Do Association taking 3rd for its contribution to sports.

Vorer Alo from Chittagong (for skill development), Ekota Unnoyon Shongothon from Jhenidah, Poribesh O Haor Unnoyon Sangstha from Sunamganj (for environment and climate change) were the 4th, 5th and 6th winners respectively.

Rest of the top 10 winners are Shikkhar Alo Pathshala from Manikganj (for education), Prothom Surjo Agro Farm from Jessore (for innovation and entrepreneurship), Jibon from Rangamati (community development), and Sylhet Art and Autism Foundation from Sylhet (for cultural activism).

The remaining winners are Taru Chhaya from Faridpur, Social Welfare Institute from Mymensingh, Light to Life from Dhaka, The Flag Girl from Dhaka, BD Assistant from Rangpur, Gurukul from Kushtia, Swapna Tori Foundation from Brahmanbaria, Youth Net for Climate Justice from Barisal,  Ghuri Foundation from Barisal, Salandar High School Women’s Basketball Team from Thakurgaon, Shishu Nat from Sylhet, Safal Shrimp Service Centre from Satkhira, Anushilon Mojar School from Khulna, Pran O Prokriti from Naogaon, Tarunno 71 from Kushtia, Student Organization of Youth Power from Gaibandha, University Tea Student Association from Moulvibazar, Protibondhi Kollayan Samity from Mymensingh, Shopno Jatri Foundation from Chittagong, and Projukti O Projonmo Foundation from Narayanganj.

The Award

On Saturday, the opening day of the two-day annual award giving ceremony, 50 finalists were shortlisted for the award.

The concluding ceremony was held on Sunday, the second day of the event that began with a session on women’s rights and safety. The two-hour session dubbed #BeBrave was moderated by Dhaka University Gender Studies Associate Professor Sheikh Imtiaz.

The application window for the award opened on August 21 and continued until September 30. Applications were invited from the organizations, leaders or chiefs aged between 16 and 34.

Throughout the three-month-long process, Young Bangla received 2,500 applications submitted by different youth-led organizations from across the country.

During the selection process, the organizations’ contributions, social acceptability and scope of work have been taken into account.

The annual event aims to facilitate, showcase, and recognize the Bangladeshi young change-makers and promising innovators.

The Dhaka Tribune was one of the media partners of the award.

All the 50 finalists were given laptops, while each of the 30 awardees additionally got a laptop and a smartphone.

Moreover, the top 10 winners will be sent by the CRI on separate tours to India and China.