Meet Logistics Officer - Shafaet Hossen

6/4/2023

4 mins read time

28 year old Shafaet Hossen is Logistic Officer for our partners in Bangladesh, Mutki Cox’s Bazar. We spoke to him about his career, aspects of his job he is really passionate about and what motivates him.
Read on below to meet Shafaet …

Hi Shefaet, tell us a little bit about yourself…

I am Shefaet Hossen Arfat. I live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. I am the youngest among 8 siblings. Being the youngest in the family, I grew up with a lot of affection and love through my childhood but also learned to understand the family pressures when I studied in intermediate school, and wanted to stand on my own feet since then. I completed my studies at Cox's Bazar Government College.

Shafaet outside one of the Learning Centres in Kutupalong

You started your career volunteering with Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar which later led to a job with the World Food Programme, how did you begin in this role?

In 2017, when the Myanmar army started the inhumane torture of the unarmed and helpless Rohingya people of Arakan, I was moved by the cries of millions who came to this country just to survive. I helped the refugees sheltering on the streets in our area as much as possible. Soon a job came up with the World Food Programme. I started working on a project, which gave me a lot of opportunities to mingle with the Rohingya people, learn their history, and work for them, and I was soon promoted.

When did you start working with Children on the Edge?

After my project at the World Food Programme ended, I began working as a Project Officer with Mukti Cox’s Bazar and Children on the Edge. It was a completely new environment, working in education. After mixing with my new colleagues, I soon understood that the working environment in this project was perfect for me. I never realised I could do such a good job supporting children with such an uncertain life, to prepare them for the future. As time passes, I am continuing to learn new things. Earlier this year I started my new role as Logistic Officer.

Shafaet and a group of students outside one of the Learning Centres

Tell us more about your new role, and what it entails?

As well as overseeing all the educational materials and stock needed for 5,000 children in our classrooms, my new role is crucial to the running of the digital programme. I deliver projectors and USB drives to teachers so they can deliver their video lessons, then also make sure the projectors are charged and that the USB drives then have the right lessons uploaded for the following day.

Children in a classroom watching a digital lesson on a projector

Tell us a little bit about the impact the digital programme has had in the Kutupalong classrooms?

Providing classes with the video projector for the psychological and social development of children is something entirely new that I had never considered before. It is as bright as it is exciting. I've seen many other educational projects but never seen or thought of such a brilliant activity, taking an entire class using a projector like this.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

I am passionate about helping children. I want all the children I work with, both inside the camp and out, to be educated and stand on their own feet like I learned to do. In my spare time I help support local children affected by storms, fires and floods.

In March 2023 fires broke out in one of the zones in Kutupalong, the fires destroyed hundreds of shelters and school buildings, leaving many families without homes.

Shafaet and his colleagues responded as soon as the fires broke out to help families affected by the blaze.

Shafaet sent us an update about the fires which you can read here.