Tanha Islam, the only female representative and marketing ambassador of Mozilla Firefox in Bangladesh. Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo
In a third world country such as ours, where access to technology is limited, it is a great achievement to be recognised as the ambassador of a web browser. To be the only female representative and the marketing ambassador of a browser in Bangladesh is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Tanha Islam, a 19-year-old student of North South University, has recently become both for Mozilla Firefox. She also holds the title of the Firefox Student Ambassador.
“I have always been interested in computers. As a child, I spent quite a bit of time playing computer games and browsing the Internet,” said Tanha. “My parents have always encouraged me in this.”
Now a student of computer science at the private university, Tanha was first drawn to Mozilla through a friend’s Facebook profile. “I noticed that one of my friends mentioned on his Facebook page that he is a contributor to Mozilla. When I asked him what that involved, he told me that he answered questions on the browser forum from the users who were facing problems,” she said.
“I began to take an interest and started my own contributions. I also started blogging about Mozilla and eventually applied and was chosen to be a representative.”
As a rep, Tanha has organised events at educational institutes such as BRAC University and Maple Leaf School in the capital, promoting the browser and encouraging students to take interest in web technology and understand it better. “There are so many people who use Facebook or Twitter every day but don’t know how these sites work. Most of them don’t know how to create a website. Part of our role as representatives is to create that awareness,” she explained. The Mozilla representatives of Bangladesh are also trying to create student clubs at various universities, an initiative that has been met with great enthusiasm from different student bodies.
Aside from her role as a representative and a marketing ambassador, which entails coordinating marketing campaign activities in this region in collaboration with the browser’s marketing team, Tanha is a part of WoMoz, a community dedicated to improving women’s involvement with Mozilla.
“Very few people in Bangladesh are interested in computer technology, and far fewer of them are women. Mozilla would like to see more female contributors from around the world, and that is what my interest in WoMoz stems from,” said Tanha.
“After seeing the work I have done with Mozilla and the recognition I received, many young women have approached me with and interest to know more about my work, which I find gratifying.”
Source: The Daily Star
