Social Motivation Service (SMS)

The ‘Social Motivation Service-SMS’ was established in 2005 with the help of SMS Support Group in Denmark with a vision of providing quality education with solid English skills to facilitate Bangladeshi students to get decent jobs. Following founding of its first English Medium School in Birgonj in 2005, the SMS took registration as a local NGO from the Social Welfare Department, Ministry of Social Welfare of the government of Bangladesh. Recognizing the importance of delivering quality education, two veteran development practitioners namely Filip Engsig-Karup and Nogendra Nath Bormon felt founding of specialized schools that would offer solid English skills to the Bangladeshi children than the public schools. Filip Engsig-Karup was a missionary in Bangladesh and led implementation of Danmission School Programme from 1982-1995, while Nogendra Nath Bormon was a leader of the said programme. As the Danmissions chool Programme phased out in 2000, both of them considered English language as the key if Bangladeshi students are to become part of the global society on the internet and job wise. Driven by mission of providing quality education to the Bangladeshi children, they founded Social Motivation Service-SMS and started the first three English medium schools up to Grade V level (primary school), one in Birgonj in 2005, one in Pirgonj in 2006 and one in Patnitala in 2007. These are some areas from the northern part of the country populated with uneducated, poverty stricken, deprived, homeless and helpless people. While ensuring quality education to the children, SMS envisioned the school program as a platform of the parents wherein they will be engaged in dialogue on societal issues such as domestic violence, dowry, child marriage and gender equity etc. Aside with school program SMS Bangladesh also engaged implementation of social programme that aimed at empowering women, promoting gender rights and rights of children with handicaps.