A Message from Muslim Tech Fest
Salaams,
At Muslim Tech Fest, we believe talent exists everywhere but opportunity does not. Every year we bring together Muslim technologists, founders and builders who are shaping the future of the global digital economy. But we are also deeply aware that millions of talented young people never get the chance to explore their potential simply because they are born into hardship. Refugee children in Bangladesh cannot learn to code when they are hungry.That is why this Ramadan Muslim Tech Fest is match funding every donation to the Tech Meals campaign up to the first £10,000 raised. Tech Meals brings together two things that should never be separated: nourishment and opportunity. Children receive a daily school meal and are introduced to the technology skills shaping the modern economy. Right now the programme supports 150 students in Bangladesh. This Ramadan we want to expand it to 500 students. Our long-term ambition is even bigger. Charity Right supports 1,900 students across ten schools in Bangladesh, and our goal is to ensure every one of them has access to Tech Meals in the future. But expansion starts here. £300 supports one child for a full year of meals and coding education, and every donation made while the match is active will be doubled by Muslim Tech Fest. Together we can make sure talent is not wasted simply because a child was born into hardship. Muslim Tech Fest
“Technology has the power to unlock confidence, independence and opportunity. When children who have never even used a computer are given the chance to learn, their ambitions change completely. Programmes like Tech Meals show what becomes possible when nourishment and opportunity come together.”
Zahid Mahmood
Co-Founder, MuslimTech Fest
“I am so excited to support this campaign. Building skills is one of the most powerful ways to support young people, and incentivising learning with a school meal is simply brilliant. Coding teaches not just technical ability, but the confidence to solve problems and think creatively.”
Arfah Farooq
Co-Founder, MuslimTech Fest
What is Tech Meals?
Tech Meals combines two things that rarely meet in refugee communities: a daily school meal and a coding education.
The meal removes the most immediate barrier to learning. When children are fed, they attend school consistently, concentrate in class and stay engaged in their education. Alongside this, students take part in a structured 12-month technology learning programme. They begin with basic computer literacy, move on to creating games and animations using Scratch, and then learn Python programming and the foundations of software development. For many students this is the first time they have ever used a computer. More importantly, it is often the first time they realise that careers in technology even exist.
A Story From One Student
A Rohingya orphan girl once completed the same coding programme at another school.
Before joining the programme she had never used a computer. The digital world simply did not exist in her environment. During the course she began learning how to code and encountered a new idea: that people can earn a living online as freelancers. For the first time, that word entered her vocabulary. It may sound like a small change, but it represents something much bigger. When a young person begins to imagine a future that once felt impossible, their ambitions expand. That shift in mindset is exactly what Tech Meals is designed to create.
What Happens After the Coding Programme?
Tech Meals is not designed to end after 12 months. It is designed to open pathways.
We are currently piloting a project with 20 students from the programme using an AI platform developed by Yareta. The platform combines artificial intelligence with peer-reviewed psychology research to analyse behavioural traits linked to entrepreneurship and leadership. The early results have been remarkable. Initial analysis suggests that these students are demonstrating levels of self-belief and resilience comparable to funded startup founders, and outperforming benchmarks from UK private schools. Many of these young people have grown up facing hardship, displacement and uncertainty. Experiences like these often forge the resilience and determination associated with entrepreneurial success. What they lack is not talent. It is opportunity. Tech Meals provides the first exposure to technology. From there, initiatives like this pilot aim to connect students with mentorship, hackathons, internships and pathways into the global technology ecosystem.
Your Impact This Ramadan
Right now Tech Meals supports 150 students in Bangladesh.
This Ramadan we are expanding the programme to 500 students, giving hundreds more children both daily school meals and access to technology education. Your donation today helps make that expansion possible. £75 supports three months of Tech Meals£150 supports six months of Tech Meals£300 supports a full year of Tech Meals for one child Muslim Tech Fest is currently matching donations up to the first £10,000 raised — doubling the impact for the children we serve.
Give a Child Meals and Opportunity
Tech Meals begins with something simple: a child receiving a meal and sitting down in a classroom.
But from that moment something bigger begins. A child who has never used a computer learns how technology works. A new vocabulary appears. New ambitions start to form. For some, it is the first time they imagine themselves creating something, building something, or participating in the global digital economy. Talent exists everywhere. Opportunity does not. Your donation today will help expand Tech Meals from 150 to 500 students. Give today and your donation could be doubled while the Muslim Tech Fest match fund is active.