East London News A Force for the community…
Emdad Rahman
The Rural Development Foundation (RDF) Global held an Iftar (fast breaking) event at Regents Lake to discuss the maternity support projects being undertaken by the charity’s volunteers and officers. The programme was hosted by Hafiz Naeem. Speakers included TV presenter Mufti Abdul Muntaqim, Molana Shoaib, Sayem Choudhury, Shirazul Hoque, Mahbub Rahman, Khoyrul Shaheed and Muhammad Rahman.
Councillor Humayun Kabir said: “I am best pleased to see the progress being made by RDF. It is a noble cause and I request fellow guests to support this team in helping and looking after the welfare of the vulnerable and needy.” RDF Secretary Junad Ahmed Choudhury added: “Our clinic is the very first maternity clinic in Sunamgonj. We have taken leaps and bounds but there is a great deal of work ahead and we hope you will walk this long path with us.”
The Managing Director of the weekly Janomot newspaper spoke of his experience of RDF: “When I came to this country I was five years old. We came in search of a better life. My parents travelled back and forth and I regret that I was never able to spend as much time with my mother as I would have liked to. I hope that we can go away from here tonight inspired and committed to offering a little support to this amazing team.”
RDF came about as the vision of Alhaj Shamsuz Zaman Choudhury who donated family land in Bangladesh to start the maternity support project. He told East London News: “Our aim is to help reduce childbirth related complications and death through education and training. Our maternity services will cover antenatal and postnatal care, family planning services and midwifery education. We request everyone’s prayers, support and goodwill.”
Khoyrul Shaheed from Human Relief Foundation attended as a special guest. “Charity and community activism is all about sharing wealth, resources and manpower to achieve a collective aim. I am impressed with what RDF is doing and I wish them continued success,” he said.
RDF Global is a not-for-profit charitable foundation established in 2006 with the aim of developing maternity and women’s healthcare for under privileged people living in rural areas of Bangladesh. The mission is to provide high quality education and life saving healthcare for women and newborn babies, while maintaining utmost respect and the highest regard for their dignity, irrespective of their background. Plans include researching and acquiring information about gaps in current maternity services and factors contributing to maternal mortality rates in Bangladesh.
Talha Choudhury from RDF concluded: “Our current project aims to establish a maternity clinic in the rural region of Sunamgonj, which has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Bangladesh. A few years ago we were a simple pipe dream. The progress has been immense and we are very proud of how friends, family and even complete strangers have joined ranks with us. This gives us the greatest confidence to keep striving.”
•RDF is carrying out a live appeal on Iqra TV Sky 825 on Friday, 26th June 2015. The donation hotline is 020-7096 0405.
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