From a T-Shirt to a Sense of Belonging: Mizan’s Story
After finishing my HSC, I started volunteering in Bogura. Around that time, we heard about a Dhaka-based organisation called JAAGO Foundation and a programme named Universal Children's Day (UCD). One day, a JAAGO representative came from Dhaka with a laptop and showed us one of the UCD videos - children laughing, learning, enjoying small moments funded by selling flowers on the streets.
We didn't fully understand the vision then. So we asked the most honest question a new volunteer could ask:
"What do we get if we join?"
The answer was simple.
T-shirts.
That was enough.
We joined for the T-shirt, and lunch.
We took the street children to parks while another team sold flowers. Somewhere between tired feet, shared responsibility, and small wins, something shifted. We stopped counting hours. We started caring. Slowly, we understood what Volunteer for Bangladesh and JAAGO truly stood for.
That's how VBD began its journey in Bogura.
How Identity Is Built, Not Given
UCD gave us more than activities, it gave us identity. As we grew beyond our friend circle, we even bought T-shirts with our own money to welcome new volunteers. Programmes became bigger, responsibilities heavier, but the bond stronger. What started as a few friends slowly became a community.
Leadership came naturally. But what stayed with me was something Korvi bhai once said:
"As volunteers, we can serve from any position."
That one line reshaped how I saw leadership. Service mattered more than titles. That's why, even after serving as President, I chose to run for Vice President in the following election.
Later, I worked beyond Bogura, helping start VBD activities in other districts. There was no funding, no comfort, and no shortcuts. We travelled however we could, spent our own money, and stayed wherever there was space. When a new district started, we handed them a few T-shirts and belief that they could build something of their own.
Where Challenges Shaped Growth
Those days weren't easy.
We didn't have laptops or smartphones. We went to computer shops just to send emails after programmes. People laughed at us for spending our own money. When we didn't stop, they questioned our intentions.
Still, we kept going.
Today, when serious issues arise, people say, "Call VBD."
That trust didn't come from power or money. It came from consistency and honesty - earned slowly, kept carefully.
Inspired to Build Something of Our Own
Volunteering planted a bigger dream in me. When I first visited a JAAGO school, a thought crossed my mind: maybe we could do something like this in Bogura.
I soon realised how difficult it is to establish a JAAGO school. So instead, I decided to start something of our own inspired by that dream.
We began teaching children in a courtyard, sitting on donated jute sacks. Step by step, that small effort grew into Swapnopuron School. What started as a volunteer initiative is now a space where hundreds of children learn, dream, and move forward.
Because VBD was such a big part of my life, the school naturally became a volunteer hub. Meetings, plans, late-night discussions everything happened there. Many people thought it was a VBD school.
In a way, it was.
It was built on volunteer spirit.
A Night of Rain, Resolve, and Quiet Pride
One moment still stays with me.
We organised a reception for meritorious SSC students across Bogura. There was no budget. Volunteers worked all night. On the event day, heavy rain flooded the roads. We thought no one would come.
But they did. Every seat was filled.
Together with the speakers, we spoke about what VBD stands for, what volunteering means, and why giving back matters. Many of those students later joined VBD.
We were exhausted, soaked, and hungry, but proud.
Not loudly proud. Quietly proud. Because we had done something meaningful with nothing but teamwork and belief.
What Volunteering Gave Me.. for Life
Professionally, I later became a journalist. But the confidence, communication skills, and courage didn't come from classrooms. They came from VBD from selling flowers, organising events, and working with people under pressure.
I still miss the early days - UCD, tree planting, cleanliness drives. The joy was simple and real.
And I still volunteer.
Because once service becomes part of who you are, it never really leaves you.
I joined VBD for a T-shirt.
I stayed because it became a part of who I am.