Bangladesh: Half of preschool-aged children underweight
Rates of malnutrition in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world, with more than half of preschool-aged children underweight. That's 9.8 million children, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
World Vision operates group activities here, to address the roots of malnutrition and train mothers to prepare and feed nutritious food to their children. Workers begin by surveying the community, to get a sense of which children are in greatest need. The next step: to approach families in a culturally sensitive manner.
“We sit with the adults and take permission from the husbands so they would allow their wives to come to the centre during the training time,” explains World Vision employee Purobi Singha.
Learning about health and nutrition
Once they have the “all clear”, World Vision immediately begins feeding young children nutritious meals, while their mothers get down to work. Mothers gather in groups of ten for the series of twelve classes.
“In the twelve-day program, mothers are trained about the practices of health and hygiene, preparing nutritious food, prevention and cure for diarrhea, vaccination, and breastfeeding,” says Puobi. The process of preparing balanced, nutritious food is demonstrated.
The mothers are taught how to cook a mixed food that contains rice, lentil, vegetables, egg, oil and salt, a dish known locally known as “khichuri”.
“The mixed food is rich in food value,” explains Dr. Shtadal Dhar, World Vision health specialist. “It contains every type of nutrition component such as protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals. The children like the food very well and not a single one refuses to take it. Some children would not take any other food except the khichuri after they have tasted it.”
Reducing diarrhea and pneumonia
World Vision follows up with the participating mothers and children once a year, to make sure that all is going well. Mothers who’ve been through the program often go on to teach their neighbors the hygiene and nutrition practices they’ve gleaned. Since the sessions are held in convenient locations— usually the front yard of one of the women’s house—other women often drop by to watch the class.
“Many children who could not even walk have recovered soon after they started receiving nutritious food,” comments Purobi. “Prevalence of diarrhea and pneumonia has receded in the community. Besides, the children also get an opportunity to play together.”
“There have not been many other organizations working on child nutrition in this area,” comments Anjana Gupta, the program facilitator for World Vision. “Government arranges the vaccination, a few other foreign and local NGOs work with hygiene, but the issue of malnutrition was unaddressed.”
