Meet the Team: Ataur Patwary, Finance and Tax Assistant

I was born and raised in Subidpura, a small village in Bangladesh, where people lived together in harmony, with the occasional incidents here and there. I had a big extended family, and family members would help each other with work around the house and farm. Agriculture was the main source of livelihood for the community. Some would farm their land with rice, wheat, corn, bananas vegetables, and the others would help them on the field. Like many other rural areas, we used pond water for cooking, washing clothes, and taking showers; and a kerosene lantern was the primary source of light at night. Despite all these constraints, I was fortunate to go to high school - where my father devoted his career as a headmaster –  and eventually perused a Masters of Commerce in Accounting at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

In 2008, I left Bangladesh for Australia hoping for a better life for my family. When we left Dhaka, we had no idea what was waiting for us in Sydney. The ongoing financial meltdown that started that year caused economic havoc across the globe; Australia was no exception. Companies were laying off employees and freezing hiring. Eventually, I managed to find the footings to survive in a new country despite all the odds. My wife and son enjoyed the beautiful scenery, fresh air, and blue sky.

In 2015, we were granted a US Green Card. I was not quite sure of whether to leave Australia or not. After consulting with my late mother, she convinced me that it would be a great opportunity for me, while also bringing me closer to my extended family. So I arrived in the U.S. with my wife and two boys in July of that year.

Shortly after arriving in Maryland and actively looking for a job, I had the chance to join the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Liaison Office for North America as a Finance Assistant. At FAO North America, I work to support our local and overseas FAO, WFP, and IFAD colleagues who are required to pay US income tax and self-employment tax. In hindsight, I am grateful that I listened to my mother and was able to join my dream organization.

I was pleased to transition from serving the interest of a few in the private sector to an organization that impacts the livelihoods of a large swathe of the population. Growing up among poverty-stricken people, I witnessed the struggle to survive and bring food to family members’ plates. This made me passionate about working in the public sector and contributing to enhancing the living standard of people around the world.

When I reflect back on the years I spent in the village, I am glad that my upbringing had been a rural place among people who lived harmoniously regardless of religion; they were cooperative and compassionate towards each other, and these values transcended me till this day.