Footsteps Bangladesh Campaigns to Help Bangladesh Breathe

Footsteps Bangladesh is extensively working to address the Covid-19 crisis in southwestern and northern bordering districts of Bangladesh under their DRP (Disaster Resilience Program): Covid-19 Response, by mobilising oxygen cylinders and concentrators to struggling patients as well as providing food aid support to families affected socio-economically in the pandemic.

"I remember just a few days ago I was having a conversation with a close friend who expressed the desperate need for oxygen cylinders in Tala, Satkhira. Just a couple of days before that, we came across the news how four people died in 15 minutes just because they didn't have access to an oxygen cylinder. Being a development enterprise, we knew we had to step forward, and fast" said Footsteps Bangladesh co-founder and president, Shah Rafayat Chowdhury.

The aim of the campaign, initiated on June 3, was to raise funds in order to deploy 100 oxygen cylinders.

In the fundraising effort, companies such as Robi, BURO Bangladesh, United Group, Lalteer Seeds Ltd, as well as hundreds of donors joined in to ensure the campaign was able to reach its target. The campaign raised funds for 114 oxygen cylinders in two weeks of operation time. 

Forty-five oxygen cylinders have been deployed to cover all upazilas in Satkhira, whereas another 40 cylinders and one oxygen concentrator have been deployed in the districts of Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Thakurgaon. Twenty-nine more oxygen cylinders will be deployed between Jashore and Kushtia in the upcoming days.

Footsteps is working with local partners such as Uttaran, Its Humanity Foundation and its own local teams to provide critical oxygen support for Covid patients in the mentioned districts. 

Apart from Project DRP: Covid-19 Response, Footsteps is working on numerous campaigns and initiatives throughout the year to empower marginalised communities and build a nation where every individual can lead a peaceful and prosperous life. It is safe to conclude that if one follows in the positive and inspiring footsteps of true changemakers, one can make Bangladesh a lot better place for future generations.