Maria began in 2004 by Akbar Hossain in Maria Village, Natore District.
A bit of background . . .
Who we are . . .
A group of friends in British Columbia, Canada with a common goal . . . food, shelter, education for underprivileged children in a small village in Bangladesh.
Read about us
What we are doing . . .
With a Bangladeshi friend living in Canada, we have connected with Maria Orphanage and the villagers to raise funds to support the children so that they have opportunities to learn and play in a safe and loving environment.
Where we are going . . .
Our vision is that the youngsters at Maria Orphanage will grow into healthy adults with the skills and education to build a better life for themselves and their families.
Md Akbar Hossain, Founder, Maria Orphanage
Md Akbar Hossain, Founder
Akbar was born in the village of Maria in the District of Natore in 1957. His journey was not easy being born in a disadvantaged family with parental illiteracy, lack of economic freedom, and limited access to school and college. A teen struggling with lack of support to pursue his studies then found himself in a warzone, where he was exposed to violence and abuse by the Pakistani army in 1971.
While children growing up in conflict zones, poverty and disadvantage are less likely to pursue school, Akbar never gave up on his dreams, to grow into someone strong and educated. He was one of the very few from his village to survive the hardships, complete university education with a Masters degree and join the government to serve the public as a peace officer at the age of 24.
He was impressed seeing the development of first world countries and looked for ways to influence his community for the same. He played a crucial part in not only ensuring a brighter future for his children, grandchildren and generations to come after them, but also his people of Maria. He supported various schools and colleges in Natore, as well as founded and supported Maria Orphanage since 2004.