The O2 Fund

FINAL UPDATE: 

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your overwhelming support of our O2 Fund. With the help of our expatriate communities, local donors, friends and family, and campus clubs (Bangladeshi Student Associations(BSA) across Canada), we have distributed 28 regular cylinders and 23 small cylinders as per the need of our local healthcare networks. Through our three phases, we were able to distribute a total of 51 cylinders among 8 rural healthcare networks and organizations. Please find the breakdown of the hospitals and cylinders below in detail. Noakhali Sarder Hospital: 5 regular cylinders Chittagong Fatikchari Upazila Health Complex: 4 regular cylinders Barisal Barguna General Hospital: 4 regular cylinders Tongipara Bikrampur: 2 regular cylinders Cox's Bazaar Ramu : 5 regular cylinders Cox's Bazaar Chokoria: 8 regular cylinders Barisal (home service): 13 small cylinders, Nobiganj (home service): 10 small cylinders. Thank you for donating, for helping us spread the word, for supporting the mask fundraiser organized by the UofT BSAs, and most importantly for trusting us. Our team would also like to thank everyone who guided us and helped us throughout the process. This has been a humbling, memorable, and meaningful experience. While this is a wrap for the O2 Fund, we ask that you continue to support BacharLorai and other local initiatives that attempt to make life a little better for everyone in Bangladesh. Indeed, with mobilization of collective action, we have the potential to initiate change in our very own communities-- every effort is worth it.

 

#BacharLorai







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The current unprecedented crisis within the Bangladeshi health care system, has caused a shortage of oxygen cylinders across high traffic urban hospitals and rural healthcare systems. The O2 Fund, operating as a part of #BacharLorai, aims to secure funds from corporate donors, community organizations, expatriate communities, concerned citizens and existing partners, with the intention of using the donations to subsidize the purchase of cylinder units and the subsequent delivery to partnering health networks.


#BacharLorai - a social movement is bringing together expats, citizens and grassroots organizations in the collective fight against COVID-19. The success of fundraising initiatives for healthcare resources, daily wage earners and marginalized communities has inspired Project Oxygen for Life. These initiatives represent a multifaceted approach by the Bangladeshi youth to fight the challenges of this pandemic. With all our relentless efforts, together we have achieved: 
- 135 oxygen cylinders delivered across 34 hospitals in 17 districts - 50+ hospital beds procured for treatment facilities in 4 districts - 1000 PPEs and 1000 respiratory masks delivered to 10 districts - 1700 families supported through food care packages in over 15 districts - 5000 meals and motivational notes delivered to 740+ doctors in 4 health centres - 4 houses rebuilt in 2 municipalities impacted by cyclone Amphan - 1 school under renovation - 1 health centre under renovation - 35+ partnerships created with grassroots organizations - Mental health and crisis communications disseminated across 12 cities


Bangladesh currently has over 218K confirmed COVID cases. A recent report states that only 4.2% of the infected patients are under treatment at healthcare facilities. A doctor of DMCH, recently told the Daily Star, that out of 80 patients admitted, 60 of them needed oxygen. With the incidence of death from and infection of Covid-19 on the rise, designated hospitals are stretched well beyond their capacities to treat the critically ill. The healthcare system in Bangladesh is already overwhelmed, and with passing time as more people continue to get affected, more people would need oxygen support. Therefore, a lack of oxygen supply challenges the ability of existing under-funded health infrastructures to cope with the pandemic and this will irrevocably affect the recovery ratio of Bangladeshis infected by COVID-19.


The first phase of the project called "Oxygen for Life" was defined by the continuous and consistent outreach for tangible funds from targeted donors. On April 7, 2020, Oxygen For Life was commenced to address the shortage of oxygen supply in Bangladesh's hospitals. Since its inception, 118 oxygen cylinders have been procured from Islam Oxygen Limited and been donated to 33 health centres across the country. By all means, the outcome had surpassed the initial pilot goals of the fundraiser. This overwhelming response coupled with the unprecedented demand for the resource that still persists, have encouraged us to continue the initiative with the second phase called The O2 Fund. We remain committed to expanding our initiative based on our initial success, and in recognition of the need to arm our healthcare partners with continued support in resource acquisition. This second phase of the project, "Oxygen for Life", will share the same goal as of phase one and will focus on contributing oxygen cylinders to remote rural hospitals that still don't have access to adequate supplies. We want to ensure that the spirit of happiness and joy of Eid ul Adha will encompass everyone through this project.
Through a crowdfunding approach, we ask for your support once again to help add new oxygen supply chains to health establishments across Bangladesh.


Call for Funding

Sponsor Oxygen Cylinders and arm our Healthcare Heroes
- Cost per Cylinder: CA 400
- Total Fundraising Goal: CA 4000
- Targeted Units: 10
- Project Period: 27th July- 27th September
- Recipient Establishments: 33 Existing Partner Health Centres + Donor Recommended Licensed Establishments
- Individuals and families working together can help us reach our goal
- If one family can sponsor a cylinder, one patient could fight another day
- For Donors in Bangladesh BKash us at 01889009566 and send a message to Rameen Rashid at +880-1850666857 to confirm
Through The O2 Fund, we not only hope to arm our healthcare heroes with a much-needed resource but aim to do so by mobilizing a community-based approach towards tackling COVID-19. Our fundraising initiative is unique and serves an urgent need for the healthcare system in Bangladesh. Furthermore, the valued relationship with our current supplier Islam Oxygen Limited, minimizes the risks posed by supply chain obstacles being faced by stakeholders today.


How can you donate

Cost Per Cylinder: BDT 25,000 
Total Fundraising Goal: BDT 2,50,000
Targeted Units: 10
Project Period: 27th July - 27th September 
Recipient Establishments: 33 Existing Partner Health Centres + Donor Recommended Licensed Establishments 
BKash (within Bangladesh): 01889009566 and send a message to Rameen Rashid at +880-1850666857 to confirm
Cash (within Dhaka): Jubana Rahman Khan - +880 1713194455 
Cash (outside Dhaka): Rameen Rashid - +880 1850666857 
Cheque or Money Order or Bank Transfer (within Bangladesh): Musaur Rahman khan (Director, Aziz & company ltd) |  Standard Chartered Bank (Gulshan Branch) | Account Number - 18108562101 |+8801713194411
International Donors (from outside Bangladesh): Gofundme Link (Click on Hyperlink) 
Make Cheque or Money Order Payable to Musaur Rahman khanTo confirm your BKash, Cash, Cheque, Money Order or Bank Transfer donation and help us institute a transparent transactional record-keeping system, send us an email at [email redacted]ronto.ca


It was June 2020 that saw the pivotal moment when seven Bangladeshi Students’ Associations (BSAs) from Concordia University, McGill University, Ryerson University, University of Toronto( UTSG, UTSC, UTM) and York University came together to form the first ever ‘Canadian Alliance of Bangladeshi Student Associations'. Their initial collaboration with BacharLorai successfully provided over 50 hospital beds to healthcare facilities across Bangladesh. This time BacharLorai is honoured to welcome three additional BSA groups from McMaster University, University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University to join us in ‘The O2 Fund'.

BacharLorai extends its heartfelt gratitude to all the Bangladeshi students who have undertaken this journey of social change with us. We hope the spirit and solidary of youth and student communities will remain unwavering as we continue to battle the challenges of the pandemic together.

A big thank you to the presidents of Bangladeshi Student Associations who have been representing their respective universities in our collective efforts to address the shortage of oxygen supply across high traffic urban hospitals and rural health centres in Bangladesh:

 

Ryerson University

Farin Faruk, Ryerson University, Business Technology Management, 4th year undergraduate, President BSAR 2020

 

University of Toronto

Rushmi Jamil, UofT Mississauga, Physics, 4th Year Undergraduate, Co-President BSA UTM 2020

Parsa Mahmud, UofT Scarborough, Economics and Public Policy, 3rd Year Undergraduate, Co-President BSA UTSC 2020

Zeba Farooq, UofT Scarborough , Double Major Economics and Statistics, 3rd Year Undergraduate, Co-President BSA UTSC 2020

Ahnaf Al Wahed, UofT St. George, Bachelor of Commerce Specialization in Marketing & Management, 3rd Year Undergraduate, Co-President BSA UTSG 2020.

 

York University

Zahin Ahmed, York University- Schulich School of Business, BBA, 2nd Year Undergraduate, President YBSA 2020-2021

Nahian Nusaiba, York University, Science and Technology, Bsc, 2nd year, Co-President YBSA 2020-2021

McGill University

Fahriba Mahtab, McGill University, Chemical Engineering, 2nd year undergraduate, Co-President BSA McGill University 2020-2021

Parsha Nawar Iqra, McGill University, Economics and Maths, 2nd year Undergraduate,Co-President BSA McGill University 2020-2021

 

Concordia University

Navid Faiyaz, Concordia University, Software Systems BCompSci, 2nd year Undergraduate, President BSA Concordia 2020

McMaster University

Bani Hussain, McMaster University, Honours Biology, 2nd year undergraduate, Co-President of McMasters BSU 2020-2021

Mymoon Bhuiyan, McMaster University, Bachelors of Materials Engineering, 2nd year undergraduate, Co-Founder and Co-President of McMaster BSU 2019-2021

 

Simon Fraser University

Nazifa Nowmee Rahman, Simon Fraser University, BSc, 2nd year undergraduate,Ex-President SFU BSA 2019




For more information regarding our past initiatives, please visit www.bacharlorai.com   
Or you can check out related articles posted on:


The Daily Star:  https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/mobilising-the-spirit-ramadan-the-fight-against-covid-19-1899766 


Dhaka Tribune:  https://www.dhakatribune.com/opinion/op-ed/2020/07/16/don-t-forget-the-youth 


Al-Jazeera:  https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/diaspora-offers-helping-hand-bangladesh-reels-coronavirus-200413073227801.html 




মহান মুক্তিযুদ্ধে, বাংলার সাধারণ জনগণ ঐক্যবদ্ধ হয়ে দেশকে স্বাধীন করেছে I সেই প্রজন্মের অবদানের কথা মনে রেখে, এবং স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধকে অনুপ্রেরণা হিসেবে ব্যবহার করে, আজকের তরুণ সমাজ বাংলাদেশের পক্ষে বাঁচার লড়াই চালিয়ে যেতে চায় I  যার যে সামর্থ্য আছে, তা দিয়ে আমরা সকলে স্বাস্থ্যকর্মীদের সাহায্য করি I আমরা আশা করি, যে আপনারা আমাদেরকে সমর্থন করবেন, উজ্জীবিত করবেন, এবং পাশে থেকে, এই বাঁচার লড়াইতে যোগ দিবেন I