Study Buddy: Empowering differently abled children
Study Buddy is an organisation that supports differently abled children and those with learning disabilities and difficulties. Sheikh Inzamam, founder and CEO of the organisation, studied Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology (AUST), Department Of CSE.
Study Buddy provides services and products to help children who face problems with learning from an initial stage. "Children with learning disabilities are often marginalised by the society," says Inzamam, who grew up with a sister with special needs. "Parents of these children face many difficulties to maintain their lives smoothly, because the society is not supportive. In 2017, my sister passed away at the age of twenty-four due to infections in the respiratory system. I dedicate all the efforts of Study Buddy to her." He started the organisation after his sister's departure.
Study Buddy participated in the start-up incubation programme, Zeitgeist, organised by German Embassy, Grameenphone and Better Stories. It was held on May 2018, where they won the competition. They have been selected for the Youth Co: Lab Accelerator Bangladesh 2.0 programme organised by UNDP Bangladesh in December 2019 as well.
The organisation also beat more than 430 applications and made it to the top 15 of the final stage of the incubation programme, Toru. They also made it as one of the leading companies in Under iDea project (4th batch), ICT Division, in 2019.
According to Inzamam, dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia are common disorders faced by three out of ten children. Such kids face difficulties during basic learning and reading, which leads to them dropping out of their education before high school, and even entails risks of unemployment and loss of jobs later in life.
To help prevent these disorders in children from an early stage, Study Buddy developed an application that creates augmented reality, motivating the students to read and learn. They have created another interesting device, through which differently abled children can practice and learn four different motor skills. The organisation plans to increase the number of activities in the future.
Other than working for children with special needs, Study Buddy also provides support for their families and careers, with professional services personalised for each individual. They aim to empower parents and educators of children with special needs all over the country. "We want to create a community for kids with learning disabilities, so that they can enjoy academic, social and emotional skills required to succeed in life," asserts Inzamam.
Presently, Study Buddy is actively working with ten special schools and supporting more than 200 working parents of differently abled children with the help of their volunteer partner, the social organisation, Rotaract District 3281.
The Study Buddy app can be downloaded from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inzamam.engn.slidingtab&fbclid=IwAR2BdVcxmmw6VwKyW3M3jJE0ZhXjEk4-qW67tfprxAUnDEv56wr-18gxR20.
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