The Nilphamari Sadar community programme
The Nilphamari Sadar community development programme is in
Nilphamari district in the northern part of Bangladesh. The
programme reaches 16 villages with a population of 126,680. World
Vision's partnership with the community started in recently 2011
and is envisaged to continue until 2025, when the community will be
fully equipped with the resources and skills to take ownership of
its own development. An initial community survey in 2011
highlighted major needs in the areas of child and maternal health,
education, nutrition, improving peoples' livelihoods and building
the community's capacity. Together in the coming years, World
Vision and the Nilphamari community will work together to address
these issues in a sustainable way. The current focus areas are
livelihood security and nutrition, and health and education.
Issues covered: Health, education,
livelihood security and nutrition
Updates on World Vision's work
Livelihood security and nutrition
- Farmers were trained in modern farming methods to increase crop
yields, so they can better feed their families and earn an income
from selling surplus produce.
- In the past year, malnourished children under 3 years were
supported, and women educated on good nutrition. Water and
sanitation programmes were also implemented to help reduce the
prevalence of water-borne diseases.
Health and education
- In the past year, World Vision and the community worked
together to increase awareness on HIV and AIDS prevention, care and
support.
- To help improve education, teachers received extra training in
teaching skills and methodology, and life skills-based education
was implemented. Children's clubs were also formed to enable
children to participate in their community's development
programmes.
The Nilphamari Sadar community is in the second year of its
development journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Nilphamari Sadar
Goats helping to grow livelihoods
Almost 70 per cent of community members in Nilphamari Sadar
depend on agriculture for a livelihood. Focus group discussions
have brought to light that only about 30 per cent of families eat
three meals a day. The rest are sustaining themselves on only one
or two meals a day. The staple diet is rice and salt, with
vegetables and protein in short supply. To help Nilphamari Sadar
community members achieve self-reliance, improve nutrition, and
ensure the well-being of children and families, goats are being
introduced to 1250 households. The focus will be on training the
women from these households in goat rearing, so they can generate
income and contribute to the welfare of their families. Directly,
this project will benefit approximately 6125 individuals, and 12,
250 people indirectly. This means families will be able to afford
food, medical care and an education for their children â€" in
accordance with the Nilphamari Sadar community's aspirations for
the children: "Children are nourished and children are
educated".
Bangladesh at a glance
Bangladesh has the highest population density in the world. The
country's land area is slightly smaller than the South Island of
New Zealand, yet, is home to about 162 million people. A
combination of frequent natural disasters, internal political
strife and corruption affects the people's struggle to rise above
the poverty line.
