Established in 2014 in partnership with Givelight Foundation, Shefa Institute now includes a fully functioning orphanage as well as an adjacent school. It is located in suburban Ashulia, near Dhaka. The school currently has a total enrollment of 120 kids, while the orphanage provides for sixty girls.

Millions of poor children in Bangladesh end up on the street or in city slums due to widespread poverty and devastating living conditions. In 2012, we took the initiative to give some of these children proper schooling and a place to call home. We teamed up with Givelight Foundation to build a school and an orphanage on the plot of land in Ashulia that was generously donated to us. In 2014, construction was completed and Shefa Institute opened its doors to the first fifty girls who would go on to live there for the next eight years.

Shefa Institute’s school welcomes not only the girls from the orphanage, but also the local children in the area. In Ashulia, most people aren’t able to provide their children a good education, which is why this school is very important for the locals. It employs qualified teachers for all standard subjects, as well as for additional subjects like Islamic Studies and physical education.

Our orphanage provides a home for sixty girls, ranging from six to sixteen years of age. A normal day in the orphanage includes regular classes held in the adjoining school, daily prayers, and extracurricular activities. All the children are given plenty of opportunities outside of school to excel in, like sports, singing, cooking, and sewing. Many of the girls have even won awards at sports and art competitions, which helps them improve their self-esteem and confidence outside of schoolwork. Our goal is to give these children a second chance at life and help them achieve their goals.