Cordaid hosts learning workshop for SONGO project

Cordaid, an international emergency relief and development organisation, yesterday hosted a 'Learning and Closing Workshop' for their 70-month-long project Sustained Opportunities for Nutrition Governance (SONGO) – funded by the European Union and implemented by Cordaid and RDRS Bangladesh.

Mr Douwe Dijkstra, country director, Cordaid, Bangladesh inaugurated the programme at Lakeshore Grand in the capital's Banani while the Ministry of Food's Food Planning and Monitoring Unit Director General Md Shahidul Alam attended the event as the chief guest, read a press release.

From September 2018 to June 2024, Cordaid and RDRS have been implementing the EU-funded SONGO Project to improve maternal and child nutrition in Kurigram and Gaibandha districts.

The SONGO project aimed to achieve 4 interlinked outcomes; strengthening local nutrition governance and decision-making mechanisms, improving maternal and child health and nutrition practices, improving household WASH practices and enhancing availability and access to safe and nutritious food.

The programme has supported 112,000 households, 95,000 women of reproductive age, 90,000 adult males 138,000, and children under 5 years of age.

Bangladesh National Nutrition Council Director General Dr Mahbubur Rahman, Ministry of Youth and Sports Department of Youth Development Director (Implementation) Priyasindhu Talukder European Union Delegation to Bangladesh Programme Manager (Agriculture and Rural Development, Food and Nutrition Security) Margherita Capalbi, RDRS Head of Agriculture and Climate Change Enamul Haque, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh Policy Advisor, Agriculture and Food Security, Trade and Business Development Osman Haruni were present as special guests.

SONGO project Programme Manager Abul Kalam Azad and PMEL Lead Md Shariful Islam presented the results and achievements of the project.

The EU representative underscored as a cornerstone of the project the development of local WASH entrepreneurs by establishing a triangular service relationship between the community, local government and the private sector while continuing to create the demand at the household level.

She encouraged the replication and scaling up of this green business model and other SONGO's best practices in other parts of Bangladesh.

The chief guest underscored the importance of continuing working in a new phase to consolidate SONGO's results in Gaibandha and Kurigram and start to replicate the good practices in other parts of the country.

The event was well attended by different stakeholders including representatives from the private sector, CSOs, development partners and the government. The discussions highlighted both the achievements and challenges of SONGO's journey.