‘Songjog, Connecting People’: A companion in need during COVID-19 pandemic

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) needed at hospital on an urgent basis? Emergency ambulance for a corona patient? No worries. ‘Songjog, Connecting People’, a Facebook-based organization appears with helping hands.

The organization built up by people from different classes and professions including former students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), stands beside people affected by the coronavirus pandemic in different parts of the country reaching food assistance at their doorsteps.

According to the information given on the Facebook group,  ‘Songjog, Connecting People’ is a voluntary organization, which works with a plan how to stand beside hit by disasters. The organization doesn’t raise any fund. It creates a communication between the givers and receivers.

Engineer Ahmed Javed, one of the founders of the organization, said, “Songjog is working as platform to stand beside the affected people during the coronavirus pandemic. People from different classes including physicians, teachers every day inform their demands and problems through this group and we make a bridge of donors with them.”

Songjog has already provided PPE, masks, hand sanitizers and other healthcare materials to different hospitals across the country. Besides, the organization reached 700 PPE for the personnel of ground service department of Biman Bangladesh Airlines within one hour. Till date, the organization has distributed around 4 thousand medical gowns, 10 thousand masks and 2 thousand hand sanitizers among physicians as well as common people throughout the country.

Not only medical aid, Songjog has extended its helping hand to provide food assistance to marginal people in different parts of the country. Fishermen living on the bank of Jamuna and potters of Agailjhara and Goila upazilas of Barishal have good foods through the organization. Besides, poor families in Bogura, Bhairab and Ashulia including 147 gypsy families in Barishal, 250 cobbler families in Netrokona and 185 Monipuri families in Sylhet have got assistance from Songjog.

Through a program named ‘Teacher COVID Aid’, Songjog has arranged to provide foods and cash money among over five hundred primary teachers in Savar’s Ashulia, Kishoreganj, Munshiganj and Bhairab and  madarasa teachers in Gazipur, Barishal and Dhaka’s Khilkhet.

Songjog is working on financial assistance for school and madrasa teachers in Barishal and Jhalakathi badly affected by the cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’. The organization also working to prepare a database of those who have already beat COVID-19 and interested to donate plasma.

Abu Ahmed Mobassherul Karaim Caesar, another co-founder of the organization, said, “We are trying to stand beside the distressed people through Songjog. People from different classes are joining our activities. Various social and business organizations such as SNOWTEX Group, Manush Manusher Jonno Founation, Ankur International, Care and Shine, Bangladesh Emergency Action Against COVID-19 (BEACON AID), BUETIAN Investment Network (BIN), Pay It Forward, Bangladesh Armor Group, Urmi Groups have assisted us in this mission. Songjog family is grateful to all.”

Songjog Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/songjogbd