A commendable effort

A group of women formed a volunteer group named "For a Bit of Smile" back in 2014 to help communicate with cancer-ridden children receiving treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Medical University (BSMMU). The initiator of the group, Fatimatul Bokul was moved by the plight of these children and helplessness of their parents when she visited the cancer ward. 

Soon, she and her friends were bringing toys for the children to play with and attempted to provide counseling to parents. It takes great empathy to reach out to children suffering from a disease such as cancer. Day after day, these volunteers came to share the pain of the guardians and perhaps bring a smile to the patients, many of whom were terminal. 

So, what began in 2014 has continued for the last two years and now has a team of dedicated people who find time out of their busy schedules to come and provide free, essential services like, emotional assistance and financial aid to some 300 children. The original group of 5 has expanded to a team of some 40 volunteers. Their work serves as an inspiration, especially in the age of consumerism where values were long thought to be on the wane. It is refreshing to find people like this in our midst, to remind us that all is not lost, that there are those amongst us who serve others less fortunate with no thought of gain. It is our hope that more such people would come forward and emulate Bokul and her team's work.