Business for Change
Business for Change
Habibur Rahman, the first man to start a social business in Shatriyipur, Khulna, established a dairy farm more than a year ago. Not only does the farm run a successful business of supplying dairy products to the villagers, but it also provides jobs and training to the residents. Thereby, Habib's Dairy Farm has solved two social problems in his village. Last year, he attended the One Young World summit in Dublin, Ireland as a member of the Bangladesh delegation team.
Born in a farming family, Habib endured the struggle of life from a very early age. “Now that I think about it, our situation was heart breaking," he says. "Some nights, we didn't even know if we could afford dinner. But as I child I thought this was the norm for everyone.”
Though Habib was a decent student, getting a chance to major in Political Science at Dhaka University in 2003, was a dream come true. He achieved first class, in his Bachelor's and Master's degree examinations.
“In the 90s, my mother became a borrower of Grameen Bank which introduced me to Dr Muhammad Yunus and his work," he says. "I remember, a friend of mine, living in Paris, had called me for some information about Yunus's work for which I joined the social business design lab.”
Habib's Dairy Farm received international acclaim at the One Young World summit which was a cherry on top for his life as a Nobin Uddokta--the children of Grameen Bank borrowers. “I was the flag bearer in the opening ceremony," he says. "I experienced an adrenaline rush, when people from all over the world cheered for the Bangladeshi flag. The best part of the summit was when Dr Muhammad Yunus, during his session, introduced me to the audience as a social business entrepreneur.”