ASEC Grant Writing Team

Nadeem Ahsan

Director of Grant Writing

Agami Southeast Chapter (ASEC)

nadeem.ahsan@agami.org

I think one of the things about growing up in Bangladesh is that you will at some point or the other have the opportunity to volunteer for a cause. It can be friends in your neighborhood gathering food items and clothing because of a terrible flood that may have affected a large part of the population. The winter that year could be unexpectedly cold in many districts and there is a lack of adequate warm clothes. Like everyone else around me I have volunteered on and off and one image has always stayed with me from the time I was in school. We were in Class X when the school arranged a program where some children would come to the school from a nearby slum and we could volunteer to teach. I volunteered not knowing what to expect. The program only lasted a few months, perhaps logistically it was not sustainable but what I do remember are the kids who would come in full of excitement in their eyes, in their clean clothes ready to learn. They would seek you out the next time they had a class.

At present I have carved a career in Banking. I have been in the profession for fifteen years now and I enjoy it. I do like developing business, meeting new people and providing solutions that I can see help people achieve their financial goals. I spend my spare time playing cricket, going for a hike or just running in the park. I do sporadically volunteer for a cause. This year I volunteered for the Maryland Food Bank where I helped pack food for those suffering from food insecurity. I was surprised to find out that 2 million people in the state that I live, Maryland suffers from food insecurity. I have joined Agami, a nonprofit organization that provides education to underprivileged children in Bangladesh as a volunteer this year. I do believe that education can not only open doors but at the least can change the way one sees the world. Also it is tragic that we live in a world that not everyone has access to it. Over the years I have seen the impact that Agami has been having, and I am looking forward to working with the excellent team towards its mission.