[WATCH] Milkman shows you don’t need a lot of money to help people
He built a hospital in the remote Taan Hashadia village of Mymensingh to serve the people for free. He also built a primary school for the children in the village. Then he gave away his land to the government as his school has been absorbed by the government.
And he did not even name the hospital or the school after his own name. He named the hospital after his daughter— Momtaz Hospital.
“I did not name the school after my name. I named it after my village-- Taan Hashadia Primary School. There is nothing in a name. If the school lives on, (I will be happy),” says Joynal Abedin.
Joynal is no millionaire or influential politician. He is merely a milkman now. He used to be a rickshawpuller before he built the Momtaz Hospital back in 2001.
In the last 16 years his hospital has served nearly 2.5 lakh people of the locality. He maintains a registry of the people his establishment had served.
“Thirty one years ago, my father died because he did not get any treatment as we were poor. I made a promise to myself that one day I will make a hospital here to serve my people for free,” said the 61 year old philanthropist.
After his father's death, Joynal and his wife moved to the capital to try their luck. He pulled rickshaw everyday for around 14 years while his wife Lal Banu managed a job at a clinic.
“I shared my dream with my wife and she helped me beyond anyone's expectation in this venture,” said Joynal.
In 2001, Joynal and Lal Banu drew their whole savings of Tk 2.84 lakh and returned to the village. They bought 23 decimals of land and constructed a house to live with their two children.
“With rest of the savings I opened a four-bed hospital in my house and named it after my daughter Momtaz,” said Joynal.
Momtaz Hospital soon drew the attention of the villagers and people far beyond. On an average, the hospital offers first aid to around 25 patients a day while handing out pain killers, oral saline, paracetamol, metronidazol, antacid and de-wormers.
At present the clinic, school and dispensary are funded with money from selling milk, contributions from the people and a pharmaceutical company.
The Taan Hashadia School has now been converted to a government school, and Joynal, the poor philanthropist, has donated his land to the cause. Now the tin-roofed free school has more than 100 students from class 1 to 5.
Joynal Abedin has indeed proven that where there is a will, there is a way.
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