Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation

28/12/2025

Agami Education Foundation (AEF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia-based Sitara’s Story to strengthen mental health awareness among teachers of Agami-supported schools. The initiative will be implemented in Bangladesh in partnership with the...

27/12/2025

MOU Signing | Strengthening Mental Health Support in Schools

Today marks an important milestone as Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation (IWF), SiTara’s Story, and Agami Education Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen mental health support in schools.

Through this collaboration, 50 teachers from 7 schools in Dhaka will be trained and certified as Mental Health First Aiders, enabling them to provide initial mental health support to students—while also learning to care for their own mental wellbeing.

Mental Health First Aid Bangladesh is the sole license holder for implementing Mental Health First Aid training programs in Bangladesh. Since 2017, IWF, in partnership with SiTara’s Story, has been actively promoting mental health services in schools.

This new phase marks a move toward a more sustainable and scalable approach, with Agami Education Foundation bringing its long-standing experience in promoting quality education for underprivileged children across the country.

Together, this trio partnership reflects a long-term commitment to nurturing mental health and wellbeing in schools—supporting teachers, empowering students, and strengthening education systems for the future.

🌱📘💙

09/12/2025

📢 16 Days of Activism 2025
UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls

Technology-facilitated abuse, harassment, and violence are rising threats to safety and dignity. At a roundtable hosted by the CSO Forum for Strengthening a Sustainable SRHR Ecosystem in Bangladesh and The Daily Star on 8 December 2025, Monira Rahman, Executive Director of Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation and Country Lead for MHFA Bangladesh, highlighted a critical truth:

👉 Digital violence deeply harms the mental health of women and girls.
👉 Preventing and responding to online violence must include strong mental health support.
👉 Government action is essential—but collective action from communities, civil society, tech platforms, and service providers is the only way to create real change.

To end technology-facilitated GBV, we must build a trauma-informed ecosystem across legal, health, and social services, and shift harmful norms that hold women and girls back.

Let’s stand together to make digital spaces safe for all.

Speakers tell roundtable

07/12/2025

🧠 Become a standard Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor!

Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation (IWF)—the sole partner of MHFA International —is proud to announce the 7th Cohort of MHFA Instructor Training.

This residential 5-day Instructor Training program will equip you with the skills to deliver the official 2-day Standard MHFA course—empowering adults to recognize, understand, and support someone experiencing mental health challenges. You’ll learn through immersive methods:
✨ Participatory group work
✨ Live facilitation practice
✨ Feedback from mentors and peers
✨ Insights from mental health professionals and individuals with lived experience.

But that’s not all—you’ll also commit to:
✅ Co-delivering two MHFA courses within one year
✅ Attending annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions
✅ Using official, licensed MHFA materials from IWF
Read the Briefing document to learn about the program structure, certification path, and how YOU can join a growing global movement for mental wellbeing.

📅 Applications close: 15 December 2025. Selected candidates will be notified by 17th December 2025. Seats will be reserved only after the payment of the Training fees of BDT 40,000, excluding VAT and TAX to the IWF Bank Account by 25th December 2025.
🎯 Training dates: 2–6 January 2026
📍 Limited to 15 participants — first-come, first-served!

🔗 Application Brief: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RXajx5Mha7Qy0WEu9isEP-jHhHbod9PG/view?usp=sharing

🔗 Apply now: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XMwrgO0PERr-xW4Ef6fYVnq9cLxtu3CtiQg5Bz5cbJg/edit

For more details or queries, contact us at ‪‪‪+880 1339-516914‬‬‬ (WhatsApp) or email us at contactus@iwfbd.org. ‬‬‬

04/12/2025

Today was a truly meaningful and incredibly busy day at the Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation in Uttara. 💚
In partnership with Aqidah Healthcare and the Health Action and Learning Foundation, we had the privilege of offering a special gift to our senior citizens — access to compassionate, expert-led healthcare services.
Renowned specialists from Neuro Psychiatry, Neurology, Gynecology, Oncology, and Clinical Psychology generously gave their time and expertise. We are deeply grateful to these dedicated professionals, many of whom are currently practicing in the UK, for bringing global standards of care to our community with humility and heart.
The response from the Uttara community was overwhelming and reaffirmed the urgent need for accessible, ethical, and high-quality mental health and wellbeing services for older adults.
We are especially delighted to share that Dr Ashraful Bari, visionary leader and founder of Aqidah Health Care Limited, is now partnering with the Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation. United by a shared mission, this collaboration aims to bring UK-standard, world-class, evidence-based, and ethical mental health services to Uttara and beyond.
This is a powerful step forward in our journey toward dignified, inclusive, and trauma-informed care for all generations. 🌱
Together, we heal. Together, we build wellbeing.

30/11/2025

Give the gift of health to your loved ones! ✨

Join us for a FREE Health Camp designed for senior citizens, featuring a legacy of care and UK-standard health services. Meet our panel of expert doctors and specialists for a morning dedicated to wellbeing. This effort is brought to you by Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation & Health Action & Learning Foundation in partnership with AQIDAH Ltd.

Open consultation on:
🧠 Memory & Stroke Care
❤ Heart Health
🩺 Common Cancers & More!

Scan the QR code to register or call: ‪‪‪+880 1339-516914‬‬‬. Consultation will only be provided to pre-registered attendees.

Details:
📅 04 December, 2025
⏰ 8 AM - 12 PM
📍 House 55, Road 5, Sector 13, Uttara

Let's strengthen our social bond through care. Tag someone who should know!

25/11/2025

Happening Now!

Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation, in collaboration with British Council Bangladesh, is hosting Mind Over Masculinity — a powerful conversation challenging outdated norms and redefining what strength truly looks like.

Today’s session brings together young people, educators, and community voices to unpack how masculinity impacts mental health, relationships, and wellbeing — and what a healthier, more compassionate future can look like.

Stay tuned for insights, moments, and reflections from the event. 💬✨

19/11/2025

Today Singer Mehreen visited Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation in Uttara. It was a great joy to share our achievement and our future aspirations for ensuring a society where every human being can flourish. She is not only a singer but a changemaker too. She has expressed interest in joining the Wellbeing Ecosystem Bangladesh Network. Mental health and wellbeing issues are also very close to her heart. Let us explore ways for promoting mental health awareness and create a positive impact in our society.

14/11/2025

Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation (IWF) proudly joined the Commonwealth Alumni Showcase hosted by the British Council Bangladesh on 8th November in Dhaka, where over 120 alumni celebrated innovation, entrepreneurship, and impact. The event radiated with inspiring stories—reimagining healthcare, advancing gender equity, and transforming urban spaces for a better tomorrow.

At our vibrant stall, we showcased:
✨ Mental Health Assessment & Counselling – confidential, expert-led emotional support.
✨ Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Training – empowering communities to respond to mental health challenges.
✨ Wellbeing Ecosystem Bangladesh (WEB) Network – connecting changemakers for collective wellbeing.
✨ Mon Janala – Bangladesh’s first mental health and psychosocial support app.

Our interactive corner drew enthusiastic crowds through creative tools like the Wellbeing Wheel and Body Mapping, sparking reflection and meaningful conversations on mental health. We were honored to welcome distinguished Commonwealth Scholars, including Prof. Dr. Borhan Uddin Khan, President of BACSAF, and Prof. M. Muniruzzaman, former Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, whose encouragement energized our mission.

IWF’s Executive Director, Monira Rahman, a Commonwealth Fellow, represented the Health & Life Sciences group in one of the ten co-creation workshops. Together with fellow scholars and students, she emphasized the urgent need to foster youth wellbeing in educational institutions—paving the way for a mentally resilient generation of future leaders

10/10/2025

🌍💚 World Mental Health Day 2025 | Wellbeing Inspires Welldoing 💚🌍

On this World Mental Health Day, we extend our deepest gratitude to Nilima Jahan and The Daily Star for the powerful and timely feature:

👉 Read here: https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/world-mental-health-day-the-silent-cries-while-the-job-4006241?fbclid=IwY2xjawNVhARleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFaaW9hdTJaR2JHblVGTkZ5AR7VuECUYLvKvaBxDHrGAc0vCjlLhhgX-rCtJy_EjG6o1lPQ8ygWJby-fWoRqw_aem_Ml7ddTEZYPBUR4dkimLYYA

The piece illuminates a silent crisis — how poor working conditions, excessive workloads, and persistent stigma continue to endanger mental health, particularly within professional spaces.
A compassionate and supportive work environment not only enhances productivity but also nurtures creativity, resilience, and our shared humanity. 🌿💚
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08/10/2025

🌻 আনন্দ বাড়ি (Happy Home)
দম্পতিদের জন্য একটি জীবনদক্ষতা-মূলক বৈজ্ঞানিক কর্মশালা, যেখানে দম্পতিরা সম্পর্ক, আবেগ ও মানসিক স্বাস্থ্য সম্পর্কে শিখতে ও চর্চা করতে পারবেন।
ঢাকার ব্যস্ত জীবনে মানসিক চাপ, আর্থিক দুশ্চিন্তা ও পারিবারিক চাপ প্রায়ই সম্পর্কে দূরত্ব আনে। সেই বাস্তবতায় সম্পর্ককে বোঝা, যোগাযোগ বাড়ানো ও আস্থা গড়ে তুলতে আমাদের উদ্যোগ — “আনন্দ বাড়ি।”
আমেরিকান অ্যাসোসিয়েশন ফর ম্যারেজ অ্যান্ড ফ্যামিলি থেরাপি (AAMFT)-এর লিডারশিপ প্রোগ্রামের অংশ হিসেবে এই ৪ দিনের ওয়ার্কশপটি ইমোশনালি ফোকাসড থেরাপি (EFT)-এর প্রমাণিত আন্তর্জাতিক ভাবে স্বীকৃত মডেলের ওপর ভিত্তি করে সাজানো হয়েছে।
আপনারা শিখবেন:
1️⃣ সম্পর্কের নেতিবাচক চক্র চিনতে
2️⃣ আবেগ ও চাহিদা বুঝতে
3️⃣ সহানুভূতি ও যোগাযোগ বাড়াতে
4️⃣ আস্থা ও ঘনিষ্ঠতা গড়তে
🎓 সার্টিফিকেট অব কমপ্লিশন প্রদান করা হবে
📍 স্থান: শিক্ষক-শিক্ষার্থী কেন্দ্র (TSC), ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়
📅 তারিখ: ১৮ অক্টোবর • ২৫ অক্টোবর • ১৫ নভেম্বর • ২৯ নভেম্বর
🕙 সময়: সকাল ১০:০০ – দুপুর ১২:৩০
💳 ফি: প্রতি দম্পতি ৫০০০ টাকা
প্রশিক্ষকবৃন্দ:
👩‍🏫 উম্মে কাউসার, এমফিল — পিএইচডি গবেষক, ইউনিভার্সিটি অফ মিনেসোটা | সহকারী অধ্যাপক, ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়
👩‍💼 মনিরা রহমান — এক্সিকিউটিভ ডিরেক্টর, ইনোভেশন ফর ওয়েলবিয়িং ফাউন্ডেশন
🔒 গোপনীয়তা বজায় থাকবে • কোনো রেকর্ডিং করা হবে না • সব কার্যক্রম হবে সঙ্গীর সাথে

07/10/2025

🌱 Strengthening Mental Health Systems through the Wellbeing Ecosystem Bangladesh (WEB) Network 🌱

Guided by this vision “Wellbeing inspires Welldoing”, Innovation for Wellbeing Foundation (IWF), with support from The Wellbeing Project (TWP), hosted 4 numbers of workshops as part of Strategic Planning & Subsector Agenda-Building for the WEB Network .

Today's theme was Ecology and Wellbeing with leaders/changemakers/artists and enthusiasts for ecological belonging.

This convening brought together leading institutions such as Green Savers, Youth Net, BRAC-Climate Change Program, Friendship, COAST Foundation, Prakritik Krishi O Pran Boichitro Khamar, Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative (BYEI), Nature Conservation Management (NACOM), Lal Sobuj Society, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Channel 24, and renowned artists Ayreen Khan and Arham Chowdhury and Nuzhat Rahman. Together, they united for the people and planet.

Facilitated by Professor Kamal Chowdhury, Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Dhaka and Rubina Jahan, the changemakers identified several strategic priorities:

📌 There is limited awareness among people working in the ecology and climate change sector about their contribution to wellbeing and how their own wellbeing can be nurtured.

📌 Advocating for and meaningfully participating in policy dialogues is essential to integrate Ecological Wellbeing Action Programs into national and local adaptation strategies.

📌 Growth in Bangladesh is still measured primarily through GDP (Gross Domestic Product); it is high time to promote a Wellbeing Index as a complementary measure of national progress.

📌 The wellbeing of leaders and changemakers in the ecology and climate change sectors also needs focused attention and support.

📌 The wellbeing of ground-level workers—such as farmers, marine life workers, and frontline disaster management staff—often remains overlooked. Community-based programs to ensure their holistic wellbeing must be initiated.

👉 The Way Forward

📌 Normalize conversations about wellbeing and self-care by hosting regular workshops, seminars, summits, and open discussions.

📌 Advocate for a secured budget allocation for ecological wellbeing initiatives in schools, workplaces, and climate change sectors.

📌 Mobilize collaborative policy dialogues and collective action to strengthen government initiatives for ecological wellbeing.

📌 Introduce mental health professionals within climate and ecology-based organizations to ensure the wellbeing of staff and changemakers.