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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 27th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2024> Bangladesh Floating School Architect - Mohammed Rezwan
Mohammed Rezwan, the Floating School Architect from Bangladesh
【Dedicated to Building Floating Schools and Providing Education for 800,000 Impoverished Children】
 
"I don't have much, nor do I have a lot of money, but every time I see the children on the floating schools learning important knowledge, enabling them to fulfill their dreams and live a better life, I feel happy and wealthy." — Mohammed Rezwan
 
 
3S pioneered the "Floating School Project."
 
"Mohammed Rezwan, founder of the Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha, utilizes his architectural expertise and environmental sustainability principles to bravely lead efforts to align with international climate change responses. In Bangladesh, where one-third of the land is just one meter above sea level, the monsoon season from June to October often submerges areas, disrupting education. Overcoming numerous challenges, Rezwan established the non-profit organization 'SSS' and initiated the 'Floating Boat Schools' project.
 
For more than 20 years, Mohammed Rezwan has steadfastly employed a fleet of 26 solar-powered boats with a lifespan of 50 to 100 years to deliver education to the doorsteps of rural underprivileged children. Over these two decades, he has constructed one 'floating school' after another, benefiting over 800,000 impoverished children, enabling them to learn promising courses such as Bengali, English, mathematics, science, and computer skills.
 
Therefore, Mohammed Rezwan's innovative philanthropic efforts have garnered tremendous attention both domestically and internationally, attracting various large and small sponsorships. This has enabled him to expand the year-round educational model of 'floating schools' and spread it to India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Zambia, and beyond. He has been consecutively honored with distinguished awards from Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Switzerland, and others for his outstanding, passionate, and innovative contributions.

As a result, Mohammed Rezwan has demonstrated immense compassion and professional expertise as an architect, innovatively addressing climate change and sustaining education for over 800,000 underprivileged children without interruption. He has effectively utilized international donations to increase the fleet with 111 'Hope Floats' boats, establish floating farms, and help over 10,000 vulnerable families live with hope. His love through 'floating schools' has spread worldwide, earning him the title of the 'Bangladesh Floating School Architect, stood out among 3,499 candidates for the Fervent Global Love of Lives Award, winning the 2024 27th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award awarded by Taiwan's Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation.
 
Seeking Life Warriors in 233 Countries Worldwide
 
Everyone unlocks the shackles of life, and everyone's life becomes infinitely broad.
 
For 27 years, they has continuously promoted the " Fervent Global Love of Lives Movement" with the support and encouragement from all walks of life at home and abroad, advocating for loving one's own life, respecting others' lives, and preserving the life of the earth.
 
So far, we have honored 459 Fervent Global Love of Life Medal winners from 79 countries across seven continents, 16 Global Love of Life Literary Creation Award winners such as the benevolent poet Zheng Chouyu and the chef poet Song Chengbao from Mainland China, as well as 41 Hope Medal winners like the anti-drug hero Gao Zhaoliang and the wanderer Ji Dong Wu Shixuan. We also care for and protect over 350,000 of the world's most vulnerable children with cancer, like Mary Donita Uy, an angel with bone cancer from the slums of the Philippines—using love to fight cancer and live out hope.
 
Gratefully acknowledged by CNN, BBC, NHK, Yahoo, YouTube, Facebook, Baidu, and other media, both old and new, for their recognition and resonance, expanding coverage and sharing our story as the "Nobel Prize of Life." We are deeply grateful for the recognition received, including the National Public Welfare Medal in 2001, the Hong Kong Loving Heart Medal in 2010, the Ministry of Education Social Education Contribution Medal in 2018, the Colombian Congress Resolution No. 61 in 2019: awarding the highest commendation medal, the United Nations NGO Organization World Harmony Outstanding Contribution Medal in 2021, and the Chinese mainland Huaxia Filial Piety Cultural Award in 2022. Through these accolades, we share, encourage, and strive together with people around the globe."
 
This year, 24 recipients of the "Fervent Global Love of Lives Award" from among 3,499 nominees worldwide. They excel in various domains of life, such as pioneering maternal love, international acts of kindness, perpetuating the symphony of life, perseverance, creating new possibilities, lifelong dedication to a cause, multifaceted rebirth, writing hope, creating new values, transforming lives, leveraging advantages of disabilities, and aiding the most vulnerable. They dedicate every moment to unlocking life's code and initiating global actions for the common good.
 
Our organization warmly welcomes recommendations for life heroes globally, recognizing efforts, compassion, bravery, and achievements. (Taiwan Chou Ta Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation Fervent Global Love of Lives Award recommendation hotline: +886-2-29178770, Fax: +886-2-29178768, Address: 3F, No. 52, Mingde Road, Xindian District, New Taipei City 231, Taiwan, Website: http://www.ta.org.tw, Email: ta88ms17@gmail.com).
 
Where most care is needed
 
The most vulnerable area in need of attention is the flood-prone regions of northwestern Bangladesh, where the Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha is actively working.
 
Here, many people lack land for sustenance and access to education, information, and training.
 
During the monsoon season from June to October each year, heavy rainfall and upstream water surges cause hundreds of rivers to overflow, flooding the land and forcing schools to close.
 
Scientists predict that by 2030, 20% of Bangladesh's territory may disappear due to these conditions. These flood-prone areas lack libraries, clinics, playgrounds, and other community services.
 
Girls are restricted from moving freely, affecting their access to education. Bangladesh ranks fourth globally in child marriage rates, limiting women's ability to decide their own health and well-being.
 
Mohammed Rezwan grew up in northwestern Bangladesh, where his foundation operates today. He witnessed many friends and relatives unable to access education due to the seasonal floods. This drove Rezwan to study architecture.
 
Initially considering building schools and hospitals, he realized they would soon be inundated by water. Rezwan then conceived the idea of floating structures, but initially struggled to find investors for his floating community concept.
 
Subsequently, Rezwan began his journey as a social entrepreneur and founded the Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha in 1998. He used his school scholarship, savings of $500, and an old computer to start the organization.
 
With no experience in writing funding proposals, he researched online and sent hundreds of emails to organizations he believed could assist. In 2002, after four years of fundraising efforts, he successfully built the first floating school.
 
In 2002, he spent four years fundraising and eventually built the first floating school.
 
Using local resources creatively for philanthropy:
 
In 2003, marking the inception of the first floating school, Mohammed Rezwan combined local shipbuilding expertise with volunteer efforts to save costs and utilize local resources. The hulls were crafted from natural salvaged wood, such as shalow trees, and metal sourced from local suppliers. Engaging the local community, they transformed flat-bottomed riverboats into 16-meter-long floating schools, equipped with waterproof roofs and bottoms to withstand strong winds and heavy rains.
 
To support impoverished Bangladeshi children who worked during the day and studied at night in these floating schools, solar panels were installed on the roofs. This ensured access to electricity for night classes, enabling continuous learning day and night. The curriculum not only covered national educational standards but also included life education, exploring life purposes, values, self-awareness, spiritual awakening, and holistic personal development.
 
In essence, every student of these floating schools, regardless of their personal challenges, was encouraged to live with hope, witness their innate capabilities, and practice loving themselves, others, and the planet—an ethos of harmonious coexistence.
 
This innovative philanthropic endeavor gained global acclaim through social media, attracting significant donations such as $3,000 USD from the Global Children Foundation and $100,000 USD from the Lee Wei Foundation.
 
Comprising a fleet of 54 boats forming 26 schools
 
Bangladesh, the world's 8th most populous country with 160 million people, is also one of the most flood-prone nations. Mohammed Rezwan, who grew up in rural northwest Bangladesh, witnessed firsthand the increasingly severe impacts of climate change, including numerous cyclones and the devastating 1991 super cyclone that claimed 138,000 lives. While Rezwan's family had a small boat to navigate during the rainy season for schooling, many of his relatives and friends lacked such access, depriving them of their right to education.
 
After earning his degree in architecture from the University of Dhaka in 1988, Rezwan returned to his hometown determined to address Bangladesh's educational challenges exacerbated by floods. He remarked, "If you visit these areas, you'll find that during cyclones and heavy rains, they become isolated, making normal life extremely difficult." Thus, he decided to establish floating schools to provide classrooms for students and founded the non-profit organization SSS to operate them.
 
Every morning, the boats of the floating schools, resembling waterborne buses, pick up students along the riverbanks. Once the entire class is aboard, the boats anchor by the riverside to commence the day's lessons. In addition to standard primary education in Bengali, English, mathematics, and science, students also benefit from educational series developed by UNICEF, such as "Mina and her pet parrot Mitu."
 
SSS manages a fleet of 54 boats, which are divided into 26 schools, 10 libraries, 6 training centers, 6 health clinics, 4 transport boats, and 2 playgrounds. Each school boat is equipped with a classroom that accommodates up to 30 students, a laptop with internet connectivity, and a curriculum that not only covers the three core subjects but also emphasizes environmental conservation, water conservation, and energy efficiency. To supplement classroom learning, schools provide hundreds of books, electronic resources, and laptops powered by solar energy.
 
Spreading the Love of Floating Schools Worldwide
 
SSS aims to assist 32% of Bangladesh families living below the poverty line, improving their living conditions and offering children a better future.
 
Therefore, they use the excess solar energy onboard to create rechargeable lamps from kerosene lanterns as rewards for outstanding students. This allows them to study at night while their mothers sew, earning extra income for the family and saving money on kerosene. When the lamps run out of power, they are brought back to the floating schools for recharging.
 
Rezwan stated that all their services are free, funded through donations from within Bangladesh, international organizations, and individuals. This ensures that annual floods in Bangladesh do not hinder children in remote areas from attending school and falling into poverty.
 
Today, this year-round accessible education model has spread to India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Zambia, and other flood-prone regions, serving children in need. This innovative act of kindness led Rezwan to receive the World's Children's Prize in March 2023, known as the "Children's Nobel Prize," decided by millions of children globally through voting, recognizing him as a champion for children's rights.
 
Love Without Borders: Scaling Up
 
Rezwan's floating schools provide the most accessible educational opportunities for disadvantaged girls, allowing them to step out of their homes, escape unfairness and oppression, leave behind the shadow of child marriage, and embrace the light of learning a skill. This initiative strengthens their independence and improves their economic standing.
 
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports global health, education, and libraries, timely donated $1 million USD to aid Rezwan's efforts.
 
This $1 million USD project support helps Rezwan expand the scale and scope of his floating schools.
 
In recent years, Rezwan has added two-story spaces to the floating school boats. While students study on the lower deck, their parents attend lectures on sustainable agriculture and new farming techniques on the upper deck.
 
Guest lecturers teach parents how to cultivate flood-resistant rice and sugarcane, helping each disadvantaged family produce enough food and stay in their village during floods without being forced to flee to other cities.
 
Many Bangladeshi crops are grown only once a year, and prolonged floods can prevent planting, resulting in no harvest.
 
With the influx of overseas donations, Rezwan has led the SSS Foundation to expand its reach, helping more disadvantaged families. To date, they have built 111 floating school boats. Besides maintaining the operation of floating schools, they have also created floating farms, including vegetable gardens, chicken coops, and fish ponds, enabling the most disadvantaged families without land to maintain food supplies and basic household income during the flood season.
 
Rezwan stated, "We are helping people adapt to modern life using new technologies. For instance, floating farms help all disadvantaged farmers continue growing crops during floods, overcoming difficulties, and staying in their rural areas with hope."
 
Now, under Rezwan's leadership, the SSS Foundation operates 111 floating school boats annually, serving over 10,000 disadvantaged families and helping them live with hope.
 
Lifetime Dedication to Education, Undeterred by Life Threats
 
For 28 years, Rezwan has devoted himself to developing, expanding, and maintaining floating schools. Using his architectural expertise, he designed the spaces on the boats to successfully meet the needs of schools, libraries, playgrounds, and training centers.
 
To make education more accessible, diverse, and engaging, Rezwan developed graphics and designs for distance learning courses and animated lectures, making the curriculum easier for students to understand. He also incorporated his knowledge and experience from serving on international advisory committees that dealt with education, technology, and environmental issues into the curriculum, sowing the seeds of life education.
 
Rezwan regularly delivers speeches on his innovations, climate change, green energy, and education at global conferences. He gained fame as an alternative educator in response to climate change at the 2013 5th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN 13) held in Barcelona.
 
In 2019, Rezwan was named one of the top 20 Earth Heroes in the book "Earth Heroes" published in the UK. His floating school designs have been showcased in exhibitions such as "Design with the Other 90%" at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
 
Rezwan has received numerous international awards, including the 2016 Sri Sathya Sai Awards for Human Excellence, the 2017 Curry Stone Design Prize, and the 2023 World's Children's Prize (WCP). He is also a representative of the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and a member of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA).
 
However, these achievements have put Rezwan's life in danger. He says, "Some people don't like poor children receiving a good education because it means that when they grow up, they will start demanding their rights. They can no longer be exploited as cheap labor. As a result, my colleagues and I have many enemies." They are often harassed by people with malicious intentions, falsely reported, and subjected to frequent police searches of their offices and homes, and even receive life-threatening threats.
 
Despite this, Rezwan has no plans to stop this project: "I don't have much, and I don't have a lot of money. But every time I see the children on the school boats learning important knowledge that allows them to realize their dreams and live better lives, I feel fortunate and wealthy!"