Hashi Ekshathe
Building a way for young people to respond to the needs around them—and account for what they deliver.
The starting point
During the April 2024 heatwave, schools in Dhaka shut down while outdoor workers still had to earn a living. A small group of us began distributing drinking water in Mirpur. That became Hashi Ekshathe: “smile together.”
The work grew to include food support, winter clothing, educational resources, and emergency response. I wanted participation to mean showing up, organizing carefully, and following through.
My contribution
I co-founded the organization and lead its direction, fundraising, project oversight, and coordination with regional teams. Core members take responsibility for finance, communications, technology, and fieldwork; local representatives coordinate delivery.
For the Korail fire response, I ran the fundraising appeal and coordinated clothing-collection points at Notre Dame College, Adamjee Cantonment College, and BISC Nirjhor. We worked with partners on the ground to organize what arrived and distribute it.
A decision that changed the work
The Korail response made the gap between what people donate and what families need impossible to ignore. We had collected large amounts of clothing, while residents also needed essentials such as food.
I also introduced a public documentation standard: distinguish completed delivery from announced projects, and separate verified outcomes from fundraising goals.
The record
The public archive contains 13 initiatives. The organization reports more than BDT 600,000 raised and mobilized; this is a cumulative organization-level estimate.
Project records include food support for approximately 400 people across eight institutions in March 2026, and 200+ blankets distributed in December 2024. These are collective results, made possible by volunteers, donors, and project partners.
Projects across Bangladesh
Our work includes heatwave water distribution in Mirpur; education and health kits in Rangpur; the June 2024 Eid food project; Cumilla flood relief; winter blankets in Saidpur and Rangpur; Ramadan and Eid support across Dhaka, Rangpur, and Cumilla; Basket of Hope groceries; the Dhaka blood-donation directory; Korail fire relief; Ramadan Relief 2026; and participation in the Chattogram and Hill Tracts flood-relief coalition in July 2026.
The volunteer structure includes 200+ volunteers, 20+ core members, and representatives across eight divisions. For the 2025 Dhaka Ramadan distribution, I approached the Ministry of Defence, wrote the request, and coordinated operational assistance.
The blood-donation directory reached 13,751 social-media accounts. That online reach is recorded separately from people receiving direct assistance.
What I am carrying forward
Good intentions are a starting point. Useful relief depends on local knowledge, practical coordination, and being willing to change a plan when the people it is meant to serve tell you something different.
Follow the work.
Public impact recordProjects and delivery recordsField photography archivePersonal contributions are described by Foysal. Organization-wide results remain attributed to the relevant team or public record.