The Kaliganj community programme
The Kaliganj community development programme is in the Gazipur
district, 40km northeast of the Bangladeshi capital city, Dhaka.
World Vision reaches 130 villages with a total population of
157,700. Â World Vision's partnership with the community started in
1994 and is envisaged to continue until the end of September 2012,
as the community is now almost fully equipped with the resources
and skills to take ownership of its own development. In the past
year, significant improvements were made in the final focus areas
of nutrition and education.
Issues covered: Nutrition and
education
Updates on World Vision's work
Nutrition
- Throughout the duration of the development programme, 42
nutrition centres were established, reaching 420 malnourished
children aged 6 - 59 months. As a result, in 90 per cent of these
interventions, the malnourished children have recovered fully.
- 1985 mothers and 668 adolescents attended nutrition education
sessions to improve their families' and community's health for the
future.
Education
- 5 non-formal education centres for 100 child labourers are
functioning in the area, supporting children who are still working
to continue their education. The aim is to support and enable these
children to return to school full-time.
- 12 preschools attended by 360 children are now functioning in
the area.
The Kaliganj community is in the ninteenth year of its development
journey with World Vision.
Life on
the ground in Kaliganj
Preschool success in Kaliganj
Ten-year-old Shukla Rani is a shining
example of the benefits of preschool.
"One of the Kaliganj community's success stories is its growing
early childhood education and preschool programme for children aged
3 to 5," say World Vision staff in the area. Laying the foundation
for continued formal education, a 2009 survey showed that of the
350 students newly enrolled at one primary school, 254 had attended
preschool - a whopping 73 per cent. The community currently has 12
preschools attended by 360 children, with highly dedicated parents,
teachers and school committee members. Ten-year-old Shukla Rani is
a shining example of the benefits of preschool. With both her
parents working when she was little, they enrolled her in a
preschool established with the support of World Vision. The young
girl blossomed from the start. She gained in confidence, learned to
read, and participated wholeheartedly in singing and dancing. In
2008, Shukla Rani enrolled in primary school, and according to the
Kaliganj World Vision staff, she is making excellent progress.
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.
One of the Kaliganj community's success stories is its
growing early childhood education and preschool programme for
children aged 3 to 5.
- World Vision staff, Kaliganj