Guardian Life Insurance brings Eid shopping joy to 1,000 children

For many children from low-income and marginalised families, Eid does not always come with the joy of choosing new clothes. This year, however, more than 1,000 children, including those with disabilities, were able to select their own Eid outfits through a special initiative organised ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The "Guardian Eid Market" was organised by Guardian Life Insurance Limited with support from the Bangladesh Youth Organization (BYO) Development Foundation.

Among the children who benefited was 12-year-old Keya, a student of Kurigram Special School who has speech and hearing impairments. Her father works as a van driver, and because of the family's limited means, buying the outfit she wanted for Eid had seemed unlikely.

This time, through sign language with the help of her head teacher, Keya expressed her happiness at being able to choose her own dress. The head teacher said students sometimes receive donated Eid clothes from different organisations, but this experience was different because the children were able to choose outfits according to their own preferences.

The initiative was held in 13 districts – Kurigram, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Bhola, Bogura, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Cumilla, Dhaka, Rangpur, Gaibandha, Barishal and Tangail.

Through the programme, children from marginalised communities and children with disabilities were given the opportunity to explore different clothes and select their preferred Eid clothes themselves.

Detepriya Roy Chowdhury, senior assistant vice president of Guardian Life Insurance Limited, said, "When a child has the opportunity to choose something according to their own preference, it not only brings joy but also builds confidence. We are delighted to be part of such a humanitarian initiative."

Zihad Akanda, founder and executive director of BYO Development Foundation, said, "With BYO's initiative and the support of Guardian Life, 1,000 children were able to receive Eid outfits in their preferred colours and designs. We are implementing this programme in different locations across 13 districts of the country."

The organisers said the initiative sought to offer children from disadvantaged backgrounds a different Eid experience, as many are often left out of the seasonal shopping enjoyed by middle- and upper-income families.

They added that the children's smiles and excitement after receiving their new clothes were the most meaningful outcome of the programme. The initiative also received a positive response from local communities.