HEAltHY AnD cHilDREn

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Chowfaldandi, Bangladesh 2014

Healthy and

happy

children

© 2012 Xavier Sku/World Vision

A personal tale of change in Chowfaldandi EVERY CHILD FREE FROM FEAR

the Thank you from owfaldandi h community in C this year in e real progress ad m ve e’ w t or g severe continued supp alth, eliminatin Thanks to your ar focus on he ul st ic rt pa a % d from 30 to ju . We’ve ha s malnutrition ou Chow faldandi ri se ng as ci , ce du ey fa tirely, and re the threats th malnutrition en ient to some of sil re e or m w are no 8% . Children or y. t in our main st ou ar we’ve helped d you will fin as well. This ye s ay w r he ot ease their better in g to make life fectively to incr in ef lp e he or m so al nd la re You’ their the impact w they can use t them against ho ec nd ot ta pr rs lp de he un to t. farmers ith local people one or flood hi also worked w d should a cycl on sp re go to to w income. We’ve w no 6 to 13 h them ho children aged sters and teac of sa % di l 90 ra e tu m na So fo of rights rums. ion, too. their own child ress in educat ng og pi pr lo en ve be de s in e’ Ther ve been active the children ha me amazing school, where or t has had so pp su ur yo s, e children of many year er future for th se of the past tt ur be co a e r th fo r ns ve O ank you for foundatio om all of us, th lped place the Fr he . ar ve u’ ye Yo xt s. ne s effect ramme finishe sponsorship. af ter the prog t your valuable ou ith w k Chow faldandi or w our We couldn’t do your suppor t.

Dear friend

,

dan hu Buib dan Biswas

i howfaldand Manager, C Bibh e m am gr opment Pro Area Devel

Children healthy and growing big

L

ife is tough for Merina and her husband, who spends his days pedalling a rickshaw and transporting passengers. Some days it’s hard to make enough money to have anything left At these groups after he’s paid for the rental of his rickshaw. mothers learned how With a wife, three daughters and two sons to support, the sums don’t always add up, to prepare a meal on and often the children go to bed hungry a low budget, and how without a proper meal to eat. Merina and to use local vegetables her husband constantly lived in fear of being which are readily unable to feed their children.

available to cook.

When the family came to our attention, it was clear that the children were underweight and malnourished, and one boy – Murad – was a particular worry. When children do not have enough to eat they do not develop properly. This can then cause long-term health problems and children become more prone to illness and disease.

I was so frustrated about my weightless Murad. When I saw his little face I felt sick. I was trying to feed him costly supplementary food, but my child’s health was unchanged.

Your support, however, meant that we were able to help Murad and his siblings. Working with the local community, we were able to put on a number of nutrition sessions, each containing 10 women and their children.

At these groups mothers learned how important it was for their children to eat a balanced and nutritious diet. This included finding out how to prepare a meal on a low budget, and use local vegetables which are readily available to cook a delicious

© 2012 Xavier Sku/World Vision

Children and mothers in Chowfaldandi ADP

gather to learn about child nutrition.

© 2012 Xavier Sku/World Vision

vegetable curry. The curry is made with lentils, rice and onions, and locally available vegetables and leaves are combined with potatoes, squash and eggs. Mothers received supplies of local vegetables, oil, eggs and cooking equipment to help them take the lessons they had learned back home. The children also received food supplements, which helped them put on weight, including little Murad. “I was so frustrated about my weightless thin child Murad,” sessions Merina says. “When I saw his little Your sponsorship has supported nutrition ndi. falda Chow in ren child which feed underweight face I felt sick. I was trying to feed him costly supplementary food, but my child’s health was unchanged. It is unbelievable to me that my child Murad is now healthy and he is growing big.”

Before we didn’t know our community’s actual picture of malnutrition. But now third degree [severe] malnutrition had been completely eliminated from our community.

Your help has also helped Merina and other families in the area to start producing their own food. Those most in need have been given seeds to produce vegetables which grow well in Bangladesh. Some families have also been provided with goats which they can breed and make milk and other dairy products. These measures have the added bonus of generating a bit of extra income as well as improving diets, which can help make

life better for children in other ways too. It also benefits the wider community, as others gain from having more readily accessible and healthier food. Efforts such as these are already starting to pay off. When we began the training sessions, over 30% of children in the community were suffering from serious malnutrition. Roksana, a local community leader in Chowfaldandi shared that “before ...we didn’t know our community’s actual picture of malnutrition. But now in every month we know factual situation of malnourished children.” She added “Third degree [severe] malnutrition had been completely eliminated from our community.”

© 2012 Xavier Sku/World Vision

With mothers’ increased knowledge around the importance of healthy eating and the ability to grow and cook nutritious food, life has improved for the children here. “We didn’t know about getting nutrition from local vegetables,” says Merina. “But we are very happy that our children are not malnourished now. They have all gained weight and they are healthy and happy.”

on has been Thanks to your support, severe malnutriti malnutrition has us serio and ndi, falda Chow from eliminated ge. chan ing amaz an decreased from 30% to 8%,

Thank you for supporting a better future for the children of Chowfaldandi. In just 8 months serious malnutrition has decreased from 30% to eight percent. None of it would be possible without your support, so thank you.

ant New fertilisers have me area the in rs me far 190 rice can reduce soil pollution. und They will have fertile gro to grow crops for their families for many years to come.

© 2013 Bijoy

Kumar Barua/W orld Vision

Sowing the seeds of a better future

Sometimes giving children a better life also means working with families to improve their income. This year we were able to provide farmers with 2,000 fruit tree saplings so they could develop their own nurseries, improving their families’ diets in the process. One farmer also borrowed money from a local savings scheme you’ve helped start. He grew his business and now employs three local people. We also worked with 190 rice growers, showing them how they could use fertiliser to prevent crop disease. Thanks to you, these families now grow more food to feed their families, and earn enough from their crops to send their children to school.

Independent minds

lping children in Your suppor t is he dent come more indepen Chowfaldandi to be g. at is right and wron and understand wh s, they’ve learned um Through child for early of child labour and about the danger s of e nc rta po the im marriage, as well as ving ation. It’s already ha uc ed od go a g gettin w no n re sponsored child an impact: 97% of e, us ab d violence an live a life free from actively involved in are y the say and 95% affect them. t making decisions tha

w owfaldandi are no Girls and boys in Ch rights to education. eir able to exercise th our w to avoid child lab They also know ho their own decisions. ke and marriage to ma

© 2013 Lawrence Falia/World Vision

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A bit more about Bangladesh

Chowfaldandi, Bangladesh

andi have joined 345 Children in Chowfald porting each other sup are ey child forums. Th ir communities. to work for change in the

Chowfaldandi lies in the extreme south-eastern corner of Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world. Bangladesh is a young country, created in 1971 when it gained independence from Pakistan. Today, despite inter-party tension and occasional violence, Bangladesh is a relatively stable democracy. The latest election was held amidst considerable tension and general strikes in January 2014, but the situation has since stabilised somewhat. Bangladesh has one of the world’s highest population densities, with three quarters of its people living in rural areas. Frequent cyclones and floods, devastating in their impact, have damaged crop production and increased food shortages. The World Food Programme estimates that almost one in two children under age five suffer from stunting due to malnutrition. The five-inch rise in sea levels predicted due to climate change also has the potential to displace millions and put half the country under water by 2030. World Vision is working in partnership with local people to empower children and improve household income, agriculture, access to food, and education. Building these strong foundations will enable communities to achieve a better quality of life, and a more stable future.

2013 Lawrence Falia/World Vision

Children leading the way Our child forums have really taken off, and we now have seven groups which meet regularly, all organised by the children themselves. These offer sponsored children the chance to make new friends and to have a bit of fun. Forums also develop impor tant leader ship and management skills which will stand children in good stead for the future. We hope these groups will continue to be places of safety, fun and development far into the future .

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e fac h t e r a e Her

less than $1 People living on (60p) a day: 43% 5 underweight: Children under 36%

te: 59% Adult literacy ra other at first Average age of m birth: 18 tions/theov/library/publica https://www.cia.g eos/bg.html k/g world-factboo .org.bd/mdgs.php http://www.undp

© 2013 Lawrence Falia/World Vision

Lifecycle of a World Vision sponsorship programme

Your community is in Phase 3

Phase 1

Building trust and laying groundwork.

Phase 2

Contributing to child well being together

Phase 3

Preparing to leave behind more resilient communities

As World Vision prepares to World Vision and communities work together building skills so leave, communities are better Communities and World Vision children and families benefit and equipped to continue their own development: caring, protecting participate in projects such as plan long-term and providing for children. education, nutrition, clean water, projects together. child protection, food security and healthcare. Partnership with community established.

All photos © World Vision In some instances, names have been changed to protect children’s identities

Registered Head Office address: World Vision UK, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0ZR World Vision is a registered charity no. 285908, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England no. 1675552. Registered office as above 2014_BGD_CHO