Md. Abul Kashem

I am Md. Abul Kashem, born and brought up in the coastal district of Bangladesh. After completing grade 12, I migrated to Dhaka for my graduation. Since then, I have been living in Dhaka for more than 3 decades.

Since my graduation, I have worked in the field of community development for more than two decades in Bangladesh with a semi-autonomous organization called PKSF (www.pksf-bd.org). My present role at PKSF is to coordinate a World Bank-financed project, namely "Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE)." Prior to this project, I worked as a coordinator of another project called "Skills for Employment Investment Program (SEIP)," which was co-funded by the Government of Bangladesh, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Both projects aim to improve the livelihoods of economically inactive, unemployed members of Bangladesh's socially and economically disadvantaged communities (e.g., youth, female entrepreneurs, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities) by providing accredited skills training leading to employment. They are denied access to social services such as education, health care, and employment, as well as communal amenities like sports, cultural events, and other community activities. I strongly believe that establishing equitable justice in all spheres of social life is essential for the sustainable development of underprivileged communities in Bangladesh and elsewhere in the world.

My professional goal is to empower underprivileged communities by creating a platform where they can raise their voice. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my four adorable kitties, Tuni, Mini, Athina, and Moon. I also like to read books and play the piano in my own time.