Sylhet Jubo Academy (SJA) was founded on 12 August 1991 by a small group of philanthropists led by former United Nations Volunteer AHM Faisal Ahmed, with the aim of transforming the youth into human resources by harnessing/utilizing their full potential. Initially, the organization specialized in youth training projects in order to develop young people’s skills and thereby their economic prospects. Therefore, SJA was established to serve the development of the nation and the people through the effective involvement and empowerment of the youth.
The founder of SJA, while working as an UN volunteer under UNDP in Nepal, vowed to dedicate himself to serving the helpless and poor people of his native land. After completing his UN mission as a UNV, he returned home without delay and organized local like-minded philanthropists to form SJA.
Since then, SJA has grown into a respected and innovative organization, reaching millions of people across six divisions of the country. As a Bangladeshi, not-for-profit and non-political, voluntary development organization, its mission is to provide sustainable measures to improve the conditions of young people, disadvantaged communities, especially women and children by developing their ability to mobilize manage and control local and external resources by themselves.