MASTUL Foundation helps struggling families
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the youth-led organisation, MASTUL Foundation, took an initiative to support middle-class families who feel embarrassed to ask for financial help.
"We started raising awareness on coronavirus, after it effected 19 countries around the world," says Kazi Reaz Rahman, founder of the organisation. "We provided masks and sanitisers to around 450 children." According to Reaz, after the closures of different industries and offices, thousands of people lost their jobs. "We have distributed food to 5500 families in eight slums around Dhaka," he shares.
As their initiatives took off, they received messages from different people, asking for help under confidentiality. "Most of these people were from middle-class families. They probably lost their jobs or were yet to receive their recent salaries," says Reaz. As of yet, the organisation has supported 3,600 such families.
"We get messages in our page or calls on our hotline number nearly every day. Our volunteers visit the families physically, to verify their actual statuses. Only then, we drop the food packages at their doorstep, ensuring their privacy," adds Reaz.
Their food packages contain rice, lentils, potatoes, onions, oil, sugar, and soaps. They also provide medicines, milk for children and other necessary products. "I have seen parents in tears out of gratitude, when they receive milk or medicines for their children and ill family members," shares Reaz.
During Ramadan, MASTUL Foundation is helping people financially so that they can start small business or overcome the losses they faced due to the current pandemic.
They are also providing Iftar to 10,000 families. "I am thankful to everyone who donated to our initiatives, from home and abroad," says Reaz. The organisation is working in Feni, Bhramanbaria, Cox's Bazar, and Barisal, besides Dhaka. Organisations like Bidesh Foundation, Arla Dano, Ghuddi Foundation, Inner Wheel, HMBD, City Bank Limited, ARPEC and IDLC among others have joined hands with MASTUL.