Sharmin Sultana is a Bangladeshi volunteer reproductive health-care provider and clinical trainer supporting Rohingya women Sultana received her proclamation on Thursday as the 61st Commonwealth Point of Light by Queen Elizabeth II of the UK DHAKA: “I am overwhelmed with the recognition from Queen Elizabeth,” says Sharmin Sultana, a Bangladeshi volunteer reproductive health-care provider and clinical trainer supporting Rohingya women and girls in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar district. Sultana told Arab News: “This recognition from the queen has encouraged me a lot to move forward with my philanthropic work for Rohingyas.” “I feel as if I have been trusted with greater responsibility now.” Sultana received her proclamation on Thursday as the 61st Commonwealth Point of Light by Queen Elizabeth II of the UK. As head of the Commonwealth, the Queen is thanking inspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations for the difference they bring to their communities and beyond through their services. One volunteer is selected from each Commonwealth country each week in the two years following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London 2018. Sharmin Sultana, 29, from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, has been working for the well-being of Rohingya women and girls for almost a decade. She provides training to paramedics, midwives and doctors working in the camps, many of whom are not comfortable talking about rape, gender-based violence or abortion. In 2010, she started working with Rohingya refugees as a UNICEF staff member, specializing in child development. She also advocated for reproductive health issues among Rohingya women. In 2013, Sultana began working with MSF, an NGO that provides medical support to the Rohingyas. She was appointed as a midwife and provided health care support to Rohingya mothers and newborn babies. Sultana joined MUKTI, a Bangladeshi NGO also working for the well-being of the Rohingyas in July 2017. She deals with gender-based violence (GBV) issues and provides support on vital antenatal, delivery and postnatal care and ensures women can prevent or safely end an unwanted pregnancy. She thanked her husband Mohammad Sayed Alam, who works in Saudi Arabia, and her family for supporting her throughout her journey. A mother of a 3-year-old girl, Sultana dreams of doing something “big” and more impactful for Rohingyas. “It’s a large refugee community and the need for humanitarian support is even bigger. In future, I want to do something from which every refugee family can benefit,” she says. “I am yet to find my dream project. But my efforts are going on and surely I will get the avenues in the coming days.” Each Commonwealth Point of Light receives a personalized certificate signed by the Queen. Alison Blake, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, will present the certificate to Sultana.