Bangladesh is a country of farmers. And yet, many people are malnourished.

In 2007-08, in particular, millions of people could not afford to purchase basic food items because of steep increases in food prices, and damage and devastation to crops and livelihoods by Cylone Sidr.

Following these events, a 2007 Household Income and Expenditure Survey found that about 80 million people in Bangladesh could be categorised as “absolutely poor”, failing to acquire the minimum food energy level of 8800Kj per person per day. Among them, more than 39 million people could be described as “severely food insecure”, falling below the food consumption threshold of 7500Kj per person per day.

Together, we are making a difference
To help people in the Kaliganj Area Development Programme (ADP) who specifically felt the combined pressure of high food prices and the effects of Cyclone Sidr, World Vision Bangladesh implemented a food crisis response project.

The project, which ran from March to May 2009, was financed by generous Kiwis who support World Vision New Zealand’s Children in Crisis (CIC) programme.

The main objective of the food crisis response project was to create short-term employment opportunities, enabling people to increase their household income to afford food. The emphasis was on assisting the landless, female-headed households, marginal farmers, day labourers and households with disabled family members.

A family enjoys three meals per day again

World Vision’s food crisis response project could not have come at a better time for Majida Begum, 45, and her family of seven from Vatgati village in Kaliganj. The family has no land. For income they depend on a small grocery shop run by Majida’s husband, and the low wages of their three sons.

The combined family income was not enough for Majida to provide her family with three meals per day. Majida cleaned houses from time to time for extra money. Then she heard about World Vision’s cash-for-work scheme, and joined a road-improvement workforce.

With the extra income she earned, Majida was able to buy food and her family could enjoy three meals per day again. She also managed to save approximately NZ$160 from her daily wage with which she was able to buy a dairy cow for milk. Not only does the family now have milk for household use, but Majida is also able to sell milk for extra income.

Majida would like to thank World Vision for giving her this opportunity, especially the fact that the work-for-cash scheme has resulted in a sustainable business opportunity for the Begum family.

“My family can now eat properly, and I am also able to save some money,” says Majida.

Your contribution to the Kaliganj Nutrition project has also made possible the following:

• The cash-for-work schemes involved 40 men and 93 women
• There were more than 3000 direct beneficiaries, including 600 children, and 13,000 indirect beneficiaries
• The initial scheme entailed four road-improvement schemes, four ground-raising schemes to protect schools from flooding and three irrigation canal maintenance schemes
• The cash-for-work scheme was ultimately expanded to 26 projects with 21 road-improvement projects, five ground-raising schemes at schools, and the removal of water hyacinths from canals
• Families’ household income was boosted by an average of NZ$200 over the three-month period, enabling them to afford basic food items