Statement of Purpose

I grew up in a remote village in Bangladesh. Domestic violence, illiteracy, acute poverty and religious
superstition were part of our everyday lives. However, I am one of the few luckiest persons who got the
opportunity to study at the university and receive bachelor and master’s degrees in social work. After the
study, I started working as a researcher for different projects on the disadvantaged population groups.
My field level engagements with river erosion victims, tea garden labourers, fistula women, and street
children have provided me with real-life insights on marginalization. I have also understood the role of
welfare services in helping the deprived people to access basic services. With these experiences, I would
like to expand my social work knowledge and skills to effectively serve the marginalized groups in my
country.

Studying the MFamaily programme profile, I have found that it offers everything I need: theoretical
knowledge, field orientation and research skills. The courses and placements will greatly improve my
already developed analytical and practice skills in the areas of family, and children. Besides, by studying
welfare policies, child participation and family situations in African and Indian contexts, I will get
orientation on different social services and skills in cross-cultural practices. Also, I feel strongly attracted
by the combination of research courses (e.g., taught courses and thesis) that will provide me with both
theoretical and practical knowledge to carry out independent research works. Overall, the learning
opportunities will help me to become immersed in analysing the complex nature of social work practice
in the children and family setting. Additionally, the opportunity to learn foreign languages and study at
different universities will help me expand networks, develop interpersonal skills, and embrace diversity.

The transferable skills and knowledge I have gained from my studies, professional work and extra-
curricular activities would largely support my MFamily journey. During my undergraduate and graduate
studies in social work, I attended courses on sociological theories, psychology, gender, welfare policies,
and migration. The obtained knowledge will act as foundations to understand the related advanced
theories and practices. Similarly, during internships, I worked with children and youth that gave me hands-
on experience in professional social work practice. Under a UNICEF’s project on child protection, my
engagement with at-risk children helped me gain skills in case management and child-centred practice. In
another project on raising awareness on STDs, I had group work experience with slum adolescents that
helped me understand the practicalities of group dynamics. These practice experiences would help me to
better relate the link between theory and practice.

As for research, securing research funding from UNDP, publishing a research article, and attending two
intensive training on research methodology demonstrate my interests and potentials in research works.
My university research courses and professional responsibilities (i.e., from being a field investigator to a
lead research assistant) have developed my skills in data collection (e.g., survey, interview, and FGDs),
quantitative and qualitative analysis (e.g., (e.g., SPSS, STATA, and Nvivo), and referencing (e.g., Endnote).
The experiences will hugely facilitate my ability to participate in the research modules. Finally, my
professional engagements (e.g., training on ‘gender and election’) and community works (e.g.,
volunteering in disaster management) would enable me to add fresh perspectives in different course
areas.

In conclusion, my background and interests would add value to the MFamily and allow me to get the best
of the MFamaily to be a confident social worker in the field of child and family services.