Founder of the Euro Bangla Foundation (EBF)

Ever since I, Miah Nurul Islam, can remember, I had a passion for social change, particularly for alleviating poverty. Growing up in one of the worlds poorest countries, I was always surrounded by extreme poverty. But despite simply looking at poverty as a problem, I saw it as an invitation to be creative, make use of my skills and resources and find solutions.

During my years at university – doing a bachelors degree in social welfare – I started collecting money from political representatives and distributed it to financially underprivileged students, so that hey could pay their study-fees. Realizing that all my fellow students needed was money to pay their fees - which they could eventually pay back once they started working – I became familiar with the concept of microfinance. Still in college I started my own microfinance project – which would later become the Euro Bangla Foundation – in my home village Bhedorgonj in the district of Shariatpur.

Shortly after college I started working at a cardealership in Dhaka, earning enough to make a decent living. I soon realized, however, that whatever I would do in Bangladesh, I would never earn as much money, so that I could give it to others. At least not on a legal way.

It became clear to me, that I had to go work in a country, where my salary allowed me to further finance my microcredit project. Hence I moved to Switzerland, respectively Liechtenstein, working in various restaurants. Here, I make more money than I need for myself, receive great support by local development agencies and philanthropists and managed to grow my microfinance project into a official and well respected organization – the Euro Bangla Foundation.

My long-term goal is to grow the Euro Bangla Foundation into a completely self-sustaining microfinance institution, enabling people to become completely self-depending.

On the behalf of the authority, office staff and workers of the Euro Bangla Foundation, I would like to express my deep appreciation
 or all the people that support my endeavors. I am very grateful for the time, energy and resources you put into the success of the Euro Bangla Foundation. The joy we experience when caring for others shall give us the power to keep on changing the world step by step.