Runa Khan

Runa Khan is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur[1] and the founder and executive director of Friendship NGO.[2] Friendship is based on Khan's model of “integrated development,” meaning it addresses problems in multiple sectors, including health, education, disaster management and economic development in communities where it is involved, rather than specializing in one of these.[3] Khan won the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 2006[4] for work through Friendship to preserve the declining craft of traditional boat building in Bangladesh.[5]

This article is about the Bangladeshi social entrepreneur. For the Bangladeshi actress, see Runa Khan (actress).
Runa Khan
Born (1958-11-17) 17 November 1958
NationalityBangladeshi

In 1996 Khan established a Contic as tourism company which gives tours on traditional wooden boats.[4] Earlier, she wrote text-books for children with the aim of moving away from rote learning, an effort that won her the Ashoka Fellowship in 1994.[6] She is the Country Chair for Bangladesh at Global Dignity.[7]

Early life and education

Khan was born on November 17, 1958, to an aristocratic family descended from the zamindars or landowners of Bengal.[8] She studied at the Dhaka Preparatory and Farmview International Schools. She went on to study geography at the Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata and did a second BA in humanities from the Eden Mohila College in Dhaka.[8][6] Runa Khan’s grandparents came from a privileged background. Runa’s mother’s family was originally from Afghanistan. They were descendants of the Karranis, the last dynasty of the 16th-centrury Bengal Sultanate.[9] When she was as young as 9, Runa’s father, Alim Khan, used to receive Zen monks, Hindu priests, Taizé Brothers and ambassadors for dinner and include her in conversations about music and philosophy. [9]

Khan was first married at the age of 20 to one of her direct cousins, and had two children before that marriage ended.[10] Runa Khan wanted to continue her study on Geography and work. But, her first husband did not allow her to do that.[9]

Later, on 1996, she married French adventurer and sailor Yves Marre, who brought to Bangladesh the river barge that would eventually become the Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital.[10] Runa had a son, Jean, with Yves in 1998. Eventually, in 2019, this couple got separated.[9]

Career

In 1988, Khan started a boutique to provide work for Biharis and indigenous Bangladeshis.[8] In 1992 she joined her family printing business. In 1995 she founded a security company.[8] In 1994 Yves Marre arrived in Bangladesh with a retired river barge which he wanted to donate to a charitable cause. Khan's father first suggested converting it into a hospital. Khan created Friendship to carry out the project.[11] The hospital ship was located to cater to the inhabitants of char areas, or regions with continuously moving landscapes, which were deprived of usual government infrastructure.[12][13] Friendship NGO is launching 5 more ships in 2020.[9]

References
  1. Khan, Maliha (2017-07-14). "Can business and social change be compatible?". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  2. Brinded, Lianna (2016-01-27). "This social entrepreneur told us why businesses should see charities as service providers". Business Insider. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  3. "New models of working and partnership in development: the example of Friendship, a Bangladeshi organisation". ALTERNATIVES HUMANITAIRES. 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  4. "Rolex Awards for Enterprise". Rolex Awards for Enterprise : Runa Khan : Overview. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  5. Strauss, Gary (2016-11-17). "Anchoring Bangladesh's Ancient Boatbuilding Technology". National Geographic. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  6. "Runa Khan: Ashoka Fellow". Ashoka. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
  7. "Bangladesh | Global Dignity". Global Dignity. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  8. "'People can live with poverty, but they cannot live without dignity and hope'". Dhaka Tribune. 2018-06-21. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  9. Defranoux, Laurence (2019-12-26). "Runa Khan, elle a bons fonds". Libération (in French). Retrieved 2020-01-21.
  10. Warren, Katherine (2013-03-22). "Floating Health Care: Runa Khan has a Simple Solution to Bangladeshi Development". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  11. Chandan, Md Shahnawaz Khan (2016-01-15). "For the Right to Live with Hope and Dignity". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  12. Hammond, Claudia (2008-02-23). "The chance to see in Bangladesh". Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  13. Husein, Naushad Ali (2017-04-28). "The moving islands of the Jamuna". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
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