Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Address: River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road (entrance on Whittier Blvd), Bethesda, MD 20817. Free parking in lot. (Exit 39 from Beltway to River Road. Go towards Bethesda/Washington, take left at Whittier Blvd and venue is immediately on left. Public Transport: Bus T2).

Featuring:
Inspiration, empowerment, dance performance, henna art, delicious food, drinks, and dessert!

Admission per person:
Early bird: $75 [only until September 15!]
Regular: $100
Silver level: $500
Gold Level: $1000
Platinum Level: $5000 and up
Sponsor a table for $1000, get 8 tickets plus special acknowledgment.

If you send in your check, we will reserve a ticket for you and your name will be on the guest list at the door. Please make your check payable to “Samhati” and mail to: Samhati, 13107 Laneview Ct., Oak Hill, VA 20171, USA

Our projects are continuing despite the recent political upheaval and violence in Bangladesh. Samhati is non-political and our projects need your support now more than ever.

You can buy your tickets here.

The full invitation and update on our projects is here.

As the year comes to a close, we want to thank all our wonderful supporters. Without you, we could not continue our programs to empower women and families in Bangladesh.

We loved seeing many of you at our annual benefit dinner on October 14, 2023. Here is the slide presentation given by Anita Jahan Bose. And here is a video we showed with highlights from 2023.

There is still time to make a year-end donation. Follow this link to donate.

With many many thanks and warm wishes for the new year!

The Samhati Board and Advisors

Please join us for Samhati’s 2023 Benefit dinner

Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Address: River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road (entrance on Whittier Blvd), Bethesda, MD 20817. Free parking in lot. (Exit 39 from Beltway to River Road. Go towards Bethesda/Washington, take left at Whittier Blvd and venue is immediately on left. Public Transport: Bus T2).

The Full Invitation Letter is here:

Featuring:
Inspiration, empowerment, dance performance, henna art, delicious food, drinks, and dessert!

Admission per person:
Early bird: $75 [only until September 14!]
Regular: $100
Silver level: $500
Gold Level: $1000
Platinum Level: $5000 and up
Sponsor a table for $1000, get 8 tickets plus special acknowledgment.

If you send in your check, we will reserve a ticket for you and your name will be on the guest list at the door. Please make your check payable to “Samhati” and mail to: Samhati, 13107 Laneview Ct., Oak Hill, VA 20171, USA

Click here to: Buy Tickets

We had such a lovely gathering for our 2022 Benefit Dinner! It was wonderful to reconnect in person after three years. Thank you to everyone who attended or supported by donating. If you missed the event, here is a link to the program and to Anita Jahan Bose’s wonderful slide presentation. Our latest video is below. We raised over $40,000 but need to double that so please donate if you can — details at this link.

Also, here is a video about our benefit dinner featured on NRB.

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Please join us for Samhati’s 2022 Benefit dinner

Sunday, October 9, 2020, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm

Address: River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road (entrance on Whittier Blvd), Bethesda, MD 20817. Free parking in lot. (Exit 39 from Beltway to River Road. Go towards Bethesda/Washington, take left at Whittier Blvd and venue is immediately on left. Public Transport: Bus T2).

Featuring:
Inspiration, empowerment, dance performance by Mayur Dance Academy, henna art, delicious food, drinks, and dessert!

Admission per person:
Early bird: $75 [only until September 20!]
Regular: $100
Silver level: $500
Gold Level: $1000
Platinum Level: $5000 and up
Sponsor a table for $1000, get 8 tickets plus special acknowledgment.

If you send in your check, we will reserve a ticket for you and your name will be on the guest list at the door. Please make your check payable to “Samhati” and mail to: Samhati, 13107 Laneview Ct., Oak Hill, VA 20171, USA

Click here to: Buy tickets to Samhati Benefit

After three years we are excited to have an in-person event this year.  We will have Covid protocols in place.  We will serve drinks and dinner after the program and request that everyone except presenters wear masks during the program.  We will also provide a take-away box if you prefer to eat at home.  An online viewing option will also be available.

Founded in 1984, Samhati is the longest-running organization of Bangladeshi women in the United States.  We design and support small projects – focused on education, health, and environmental sustainability – to improve the lives of impoverished women and families in Bangladesh. Samhati is tax exempt (IRS ID Number 52-1390261). As an all-volunteer organization with negligible overhead, Samhati can direct approximately 95% of your contributions to needy families.  This is what your contribution will do:

• If you donate $75, it will provide a one-year scholarship to ensure that a middle or high school child stays in school and does not have to work.   
• A donation of $100 will provide adult literacy or vocational classes for a village woman.
• A donation of $250 will provide three months of college costs for a low-income young woman.
• A donation of $500 will fund our health clinic in Katakhali village for one month, providing care for the entire Barobaishdia Island of 27,000 people.
• Your gift of $1000 will support 80 families with small cash grants to meet basic needs.

During the pandemic, Samhati has provided critical support to our communities and continued all our programs to empower women and families.   We have given out more bicycles to girls, expanded our scholarships, and are providing leadership skills as well as education in eco-farming, computers, and more.  Please support our work and join us on October 9 to get the latest exciting news.  We request that you pre-purchase your tickets this year.

Hundreds of women, children, and families have been transformed by Samhati’s work. Our focus on literacy, health, and environment has created leadership from within to maintain and grow our projects. Samhati has provided cyclone relief and climate adaptation training, established the first women’s shelter in Bangladesh, and developed eco-empowerment projects in villages. Your support is crucial!

Image credit: Monica Jahan Bose from bike distribution to girls, Katakhali Village, Bangladesh, February 2022

Thanks to everyone who joined our virtual fundraiser or sent in a donation.  Here is the presentation on Samhati’s work in 2021 given by Anita Jahan Bose at the event.  Special thanks to Antora Rahman Doha for her beautiful performance, and to our boardmembers who gave the wonderful cooking lesson. Many thanks to all of you for your support.  We have raised approximately $45,000 from the fundraiser, taking into account the pledged donations.  We will soon be sending receipts from our yahoo account – Samhati1984@yahoo.com — so please do add this address to your contacts.

Our budget is $65,000 so we are still of course taking donations and you may DONATE through this link or by sending a check payable to “Samhati” to: Samhati, 13107 Laneview Ct., Oak Hill, VA 20171.  We are also able to take donations of stocks through our brokerage account.  And yes, we can even take donations in Bangladeshi Taka if the donation amount is 100,000 Takas or more (approximately $1200).  We can also take monthly donations, either through a Paypal monthly donation (just check the box) or by arrangement with your bank.  Please email us at info@samhati.org if you’d like information on these options for donation.

Here is the video from our event, including the cooking demo and performance.

We hope that you and your family and friends are doing well.  Samhati’s work is continuing despite the coronavirus challenges.  Unfortunately, we have decided that given the Delta variant, it would not be prudent for us to have an in-person event. Our 2021 fundraiser will be a virtual event on Saturday, November 6, 2021, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on Zoom. You can purchase tickets online here. It will be a teatime/cocktail event from each of our homes.  We hope that you will join us with your own beverage of choice. Like last year, we are sending two exclusive recipes from Samhati chefs and invite you to prepare them and join us online.

Founded in 1984, Samhati is the longest-running organization of Bangladeshi women in the United States.  We design and support small projects – focused on education, health, and environmental sustainability – to improve the lives of impoverished women and families in Bangladesh. Samhati is tax exempt (IRS ID Number 52-1390261). As an all-volunteer organization with negligible overhead, Samhati can direct approximately 95% of your contributions to needy families.  This year we are also trying to help our programs cope with COVID-19.

• If you donate $75, it will provide a one-year scholarship to ensure that a middle or high school child stays in school and does not have to work, or when school is closed, provides help to the whole family.   
• A donation of $100 will provide adult literacy or vocational classes for a village woman.
• A donation of $250 will help 20 families with a cash stipend for food during the pandemic.
• A donation of $500 will fund our health clinic in Katakhali village for one month, providing care for the entire Barobaishdia Island of 27,000 people.
• Your gift of $1000 will support 80 families with small cash grants during the pandemic.

During the pandemic, Samhati is continuing to pay all our local workers in Bangladesh and to provide scholarships to our students. We are now providing socially-distant trainings in literacy, sewing, farming, and computer literacy. We have funded the sewing of masks and COVID-safety awareness. We have distributed masks and cash stipends to over 500 families.  We have provided computers and training to help students study online. Please support our work and join us on November 6 to learn more.

Our official invitation letter is attached. Our recipes are also below to download.

With our best wishes and many thanks,

The Samhati Board and Advisors

It was wonderful to see many of you during our virtual fundraiser. You can see the video from the Zoom event below. Thanks to all of you who have donated to Samhati.

_{Zoom Video from October 4, 2020 Samhati Virtual Fundraiser. Includes presentation about our current projects and update on our activities.}

We really enjoyed seeing you even though it was not possible to catch up. Special thanks to Antora Rahman for her beautiful performance. Many thanks to all of you for your support. We have raised approximately $40,000 from the fundraiser, taking into account the pledged donations. We will soon be sending receipts from our yahoo account – Samhati1984@yahoo.com — so please do add this address to your contacts.

Our annual budget is $60,000 so we are still of course taking donations and you may DONATE through this link or by sending a check payable to “Samhati” to: Samhati, 13107 Laneview Ct., Oak Hill, VA 20171. We are also able to take donations of stocks through our brokerage account. And yes, we can even take donations in Bangladeshi Taka if the donation amount is 100,000 Takas or more (approximately $1200). We can also take monthly donations, either through a Paypal monthly donation (just check the box) or by arrangement with your bank. Please email us at info@samhati.org if you’d like information on these options for donation.

We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from you during this difficult time. Sending our wishes for good health and all the best to you and your families here and around the world.

With our sincere thanks,
The Samhati Board and Advisors

_{Antora Rahman dancing from her new studio in Atlanta.}

_{Board members Jahanara Hasan and Jhinuk Hasan-Fulton showing how to make Chotpoti.}

_{Anita Jahan Bose’s presentation on Samhati. View the video above to see and hear the full presentation and our video update from Katakhali/Modhukhali.}

Please mark your calendars and buy your tickets for the Samhati virtual fundraiser on Sunday, October 4 at 5-6 pm.

We hope that you and your family and friends are safe as we continue to grapple with the pandemic around the world.Our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost family or friends. Samhati’s work is continuing despite the coronavirus challenges. We need your help more than ever this year. Our 2020 fundraiser will be a virtual event on Sunday, October 4, 2019, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on Zoom. It will be a teatime/cocktail event from each of our homes.We hope that you will join us with your own beverage of choice. We will also send you two exclusive recipes from Samhati board member chefs and invite you to prepare them and join us online. Here is link to the invitation, flyer, and recipes.

Founded in 1984, Samhati is the longest-running organization of Bangladeshi women in the United States.We design and support small projects – focused on education, health, and environmental sustainability – to improve the lives of impoverished women and families in Bangladesh. Samhati is tax-exempt (IRS ID Number 52-1390261). As an all-volunteer organization with negligible overhead, Samhati can direct approximately 95% of your contributions to needy families. This year we are also trying to help our programs cope with COVID-19.
-If you donate $75, it will provide a one-year scholarship to ensure that a middle or high school child stays in school and does not have to work, or when school is closed, provides help to the whole family.
-A donation of $100 will provide adult literacy or vocational classes for a village woman.
-A donation of $250 will help 20 families with a cash stipend for food during the pandemic.
-A donation of $500 will fund our health clinic in Katakhali village for one month, providing care for the entire Barobaishdia Island of 27,000 people.
-Your gift of $1000 will support 80 families with small cash grants during the pandemic.

LINK TO PURCHASE TICKETS/DONATE

During the pandemic, Samhati is continuing to pay all our local workers in Bangladesh and to provide scholarships to our students.We are now providing socially-distant trainings in literacy, sewing, farming, and computer literacy. We have funded the sewing of masks and COVID-safety awareness.We have distributed masks and cash stipends to over 500 families. Please support our work and join us on October 4 to learn more.

With our best wishes and many thanks,
The Samhati Board and Advisors

photo credit: Tania Chatterjee

Dear friends,

We hope you are well during this terrible pandemic. We extend our condolences to everyone who has lost friends or family members to COVID-19. We wanted to provide an update on the situation in Bangladesh and to ask for your support.

The novel coronavirus has killed and is currently affecting many people we know in Bangladesh, especially in urban areas. The virus has also started to spread in rural areas. Testing and treatment are very limited. After several weeks of lockdown, many businesses and programs have reopened in Bangladesh as of June 1, 2020, including Samhati’s empowerment programs in Laksmichamp Union, Natore, and Katakhali. The villagers cannot survive under continuous lockdown and are slowly resuming some activities. In all our programs, we are trying to educate everyone on hand-washing and social distancing and wearing masks. This is not easy, as there is no running water in some of our program locations.

During the lockdown, Samhati organized a mask-sewing program in Katakhali, and distributed over 400 masks to community members and their families. Our medical clinic in Katakhali has remained open, but most calls are handled by phone and we have tried to provide adequate protective equipment for clinic workers. We are continuing to make and distribute masks and to educate people on their use. In order to be able to help people with COVID-19 symptoms, we need to purchase supplies such as thermal temperature scanner, pulse oxymeters, oxygen tanks, and PPE for clinic staff.

Our community members in all three locations have been hard hit by the coronavirus lockdown, as they have been unable to work or run their small businesses. We received the following request from the Laksmichamp program coordinator: “Disadvantaged families are experiencing food insecurity. Most of our income-generating initiatives for women have been damaged during the lockdown. Government grant support is insufficient. If possible, we need emergency support for the families here.” The Samhati board met via Zoom and decided to provide a small grant of 1,000 takas (around $12) per family for the approximately 500 families in our programs. We are planning to immediately send the money and would like to raise $5,000 for a special coronavirus relief fund.

You can donate to this coronavirus relief fund by using a credit card or mailing us a check. Follow this link for credit card donations.
Or send a check payable to “Samhati” and mail to:

Samhati
13107 Laneview Ct.
Oak Hill, VA 20171, USA

Regarding our fundraisers this year, we canceled our spring tea due to the pandemic, and our fall fundraiser will likely be an online event in early October. We will send you details as they develop.

Thanks so much for your continued support. Please stay safe and wear a mask when you go out!

The Samhati Board of Directors (Rumana, Monica, Jhinuk, Cima, Sudipa, Roquia, Nellie, Shaan and Alema)