A "Partnership Scoping" meeting was held in Bishwambarpur Upazila, Sunamganj, to secure financial support for girls' secondary education. The initiative brought together representatives from the private and corporate sectors, donor organizations, and local professionals.
Supported by the Malala Fund and organized by the Education Champion Network 7 project of Efforts for Rural Advancement (ERA), the meeting took place Monday morning in the Upazila Parishad conference room.
Bishwambarpur Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Mahfuzur Rahman chaired the event, which was moderated by ERA Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Md. Fazlul Karim. Guest speakers included Dr. Sonima Karmacharia, a medical officer from Nepal, and public health officer Sheetal Sakia.
Participants discussed the primary barriers to girls' secondary education and drafted an action plan to address them. Attendees pledged to launch local social initiatives and provide financial backing to ensure no girl is forced to abandon her education due to poverty.
In his presidential address, Assistant Commissioner Md. Mahfuzur Rahman urged local teachers, professionals, and service organizations to work collaboratively. He called on secondary school teachers to identify meritorious, underprivileged female students and submit a coordinated list to the Upazila Parishad. He also encouraged educators to take a proactive role in mentoring these students.
ERA field assistants Farzana Jannat and Nilufa Yasmin, alongside other local stakeholders, were also in attendance.
