Rajeeb

About the blogger:
In August 2004 Rajeeb came across the Union of Secondary Students in Ireland. He subsequently found out that most countries in Europe had secondary student unions/organisations of some form – but the UK did not. This started him thinking and led to the creation of ESSA, the English Secondary Students’ Association.

ESSA aims to provide a voice in education for secondary students in England. It has two main strands: offering training, guidance and advice to empower students and equip them with vital skills to involve in the decision-making processes in their own school communities; and working in partnership with other organisations to bring the views of school students to the attention of local and national policy-makers in relation to educational issues.

Rajeeb is determined to see ESSA making a difference to the lives of students throughout the country. He also plans to set up similar organisations in rest of the UK once England has been conquered.

He has been heavily involved in the “youth participation” field ranging from being Vice-Chair Finance of Chelmsford Youth Council, to being co-opted onto a board for the Carnegie Young People Initiative (a think tank promoting young people’s participation in public decision making). His work at the Youth Council involved being the figurehead of the Borough’s voting campaign “No Vote No Voice” (ironically at the age of 17 – when he himself wasn’t eligible to vote!) The contacts he developed volunteering in this area of work whilst still at school helped him to develop ESSA later.

What astonishes one is that Rajeeb is only 19 years old!  He is an Essex boy and has  lived in Upminster all his life. He is now starting his second year at Oxford University (where he read Economics & Management). His hopes to see himself as a graduate and as a successful serial entrepreneur – both social and commercial.  Attempting to do his degree alongside developing ESSA has proved to become somewhat of a ”hobby”! He likes spending what little time he does have to himself with friends and family – visiting new places, listening to music, eating out and acting like a “student”.

With this journey to India he would like to gain a greater awareness of the extent of social enterprise activities in India, especially projects which empower children and are related to education. He is also keen to see more of the country and to see how he cope with going to India without his parents (for a change)!

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