The name of the trust is adapted from the River Mahananda, flows through Chapai Nawabganj. The river has provided nourishment and resources to all the lives around her embankment.

The Mahananda Trust is a privately funded, non-profit organization established in 2000 and formalized in 2007. It aims to uplift the underprivileged people from illiteracy and poverty, with a particular focus on the overall development of girls and women.

The Trust is active in the Jhilim Union (equivalent of a county or parish) of Chapai Nawabganj, Bangladesh. Jhilim Union is one of the country’s poorest regions, inhabited by indigenous and displaced people. They find themselves challenged by limited access to education; a high illiteracy rate; a lack of accessible, basic healthcare; and poverty.

Mahananda strives to create stronger, self-sustaining, economically independent community members from an early stage on. It aims to provide an all-encompassing program, with a focus on education and training, accessible basic healthcare and agricultural support.

Mahananda notes that its practical approach, with a particular but non-exclusive focus on emancipation of girls and women, has led and will continue to lead to tangible results and improvement for the community as a whole.

The Mahananda Trust is recognized by the Ministry of Social Welfare of Bangladesh.