Samiha Anwar
Dhaka, Bangladesh
LightCastle Experience:
My journey with LightCastle Partners began in 2019, not as an employee, but as an enumerator, conducting interviews for an IFC-commissioned study on the childcare market in Bangladesh. That early exposure to field research sparked something in me, and in 2021 I returned, this time as a Trainee Consultant. What followed was one of the most formative chapters of my professional life.
Over four years, I grew from Trainee Consultant to Senior Business Consultant, contributing to engagements across 15+ organisations including Global Affairs Canada, WaterAid, ILO, CARE Bangladesh, BRAC, USAID, H&M Foundation, and the World Bank Group. Two projects stand out as particular highlights: the Bunon 2030 initiative under H&M Foundation’s Oporajita project, exploring what the future of work means for the women who stitch Bangladesh’s garments together, as automation and geopolitical pressures reshape the industry around them, and a World Food Programme and Department of Women Affairs initiative on digital financial inclusion for vulnerable women, both challenging, both deeply rewarding.
Across both projects, my work spanned the full research cycle, from designing data collection instruments and coordinating field operations to cleaning, analysing, and interpreting data, and co-authoring the final reports , articles, and policy briefs. For the Bunon initiative specifically, I spearheaded the summary report, hosted and facilitated a series of dialogues and events on circularity and competitiveness in the RMG sector, taking the work from raw findings all the way to public conversations.
LightCastle gave me more than technical skills. It gave me the habit of reading, the discipline of lateral thinking, and the confidence to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Those are things I carry into every room I walk into.
Current Professional Engagement
In December 2024, I joined SAJIDA Foundation as a Senior Associate in the Strategic Partnerships and Fundraising Unit, eager to move to the other side of the table and raise funds for work I truly believe in. Founded in 1993, SAJIDA has since reached millions of individuals across poverty alleviation, healthcare, mental health, and climate resilience, and that mission is one I find deeply inspiring.
In this role, I raise institutional funding across sectors including health, mental health, livelihoods, and climate resilience. My work spans proposal development, donor engagement, and aligning program design with donor priorities, requiring both strategic positioning and a genuine understanding of how development programs are built and sustained. Since joining, I have contributed to raising approximately USD 0.82 million, supporting programs that continue to grow in scale and impact.
Reflection and Closing Note
To anyone considering LightCastle: The only thing you need to bring is the drive to learn. The learning curve is steep, but that is exactly the point. You will work on projects that stretch your thinking, alongside people who genuinely care about Bangladesh’s growth story, and leave with a professional foundation that holds across sectors and borders.
“Some places give you a job. LightCastle taught me how to look at the world sideways and rewired the way I think”
