Nobo Jatra’s mission to ensure healthier childhood in remote areas  | The Business Standard
Skip to main content
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard

Sunday
June 15, 2025

Sign In
Subscribe
  • Latest
  • Economy
    • Banking
    • Stocks
    • Industry
    • Analysis
    • Bazaar
    • RMG
    • Corporates
    • Aviation
  • Videos
    • TBS Today
    • TBS Stories
    • TBS World
    • News of the day
    • TBS Programs
    • Podcast
    • Editor's Pick
  • World+Biz
  • Features
    • Panorama
    • The Big Picture
    • Pursuit
    • Habitat
    • Thoughts
    • Splash
    • Mode
    • Tech
    • Explorer
    • Brands
    • In Focus
    • Book Review
    • Earth
    • Food
    • Luxury
    • Wheels
  • More
    • Sports
    • TBS Graduates
    • Bangladesh
    • Supplement
    • Infograph
    • Archive
    • Gallery
    • Long Read
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Magazine
    • Climate Change
    • Health
    • Cartoons
  • বাংলা
SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2025
Nobo Jatra’s mission to ensure healthier childhood in remote areas 

Bangladesh

TBS Report 
26 September, 2021, 10:35 pm
Last modified: 27 September, 2021, 07:03 pm

Related News

  • Photo exhibition 'Empower Her: Cultivating Change in Agriculture' opens in Dhaka
  • World Vision Bangladesh, Gildan Launch Transformative Projects
  • 4 remote villages of Ramu declared free of child marriage
  • NHRC, World Vision team up to stop violence against children
  • Experts focus on climate change as driver of violence against children

Nobo Jatra’s mission to ensure healthier childhood in remote areas 

Surany goes to the child service centre every month for her child’s medical check-up since she gave birth to her second child 22 months ago

TBS Report 
26 September, 2021, 10:35 pm
Last modified: 27 September, 2021, 07:03 pm
Nobo Jatra’s mission to ensure healthier childhood in remote areas 

On a hot sunny day in August, Surany Mondol (27) of remote Pankhali union under Dacope upazila in Khulna came to a child service centre for her kid's health check-up. Immediately after her arrival at the centre, the service givers measured her child's weight and vaccinated it.

Surany goes to the child service centre every month for her child's medical check-up since she gave birth to her second child 22 months ago.

"To know whether a child is in good health, regular health check-up, including measuring weight, of them is very important," said the unschooled mother adding that the baby's diet has to be adjusted depending on their weight.

The Business Standard Google News Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel

Like Surani, all of the several other mothers who came to that child healthcare centre were unschooled but well aware of their children's health and nutrition. The centre has been set up under the USAID-funded Nobo Jatra project – implemented by development organisation World Vision.

Asked how they had come to know so much about child health, the mothers said they learned these from field officers of the World Vision.

"Earlier, we knew nothing about child health and nutrition. Children in our area were suffering from several complications induced by malnutrition. Child mortality rate was also higher.

"But the picture has changed now. Nobo Jatra has taught us how to deal with these issues", said Mukta Mondol, a mother of an 18-month-old boy.

"They even taught us how to take care of a pregnant woman and how to give birth to a healthy child," she added.

Replying to a query, Nobo Jatra WASH Specialist Nazneen Ara said, their field officers go from house to house one day prior to the monthly health check-up of children to make sure no child is left out. "We conduct the programme (health check-up) for two years – once every month. In addition, nine vaccines are given officially."

"After these two years, we have another programme called 'Household Visit'. Children's houses are visited and monitored every month and our indicators are followed up through backyard meetings."

In addition, when a child reaches the age of two years, we provide services depending on their need.

The Nobo Jatra project has been working for six years to improve gender equitable food security, nutrition, and resilience for vulnerable populations. 

Alex Bekunda, chief of party at World Vision, said they are working to improve the nutritional status of children under five years of age, and pregnant as well as lactating women.

"Till now, our service has reached around 2 lakh households in 40 unions under 4 upazilas," he said, adding the Nobo Jatra project will end in September 2022. 

Under the Maternal Child Health and Nutrition Programme of the Nobo Jatra project, pregnant women are provided with a monthly cash allowance of Tk2,200 for 15 months to buy nutritious foods. So far, at least 25,813 women have received the benefit. 

Besides, the organisation provides health services to pregnant women and adolescent girls for two years.

However, providing healthcare services to the people of that remote area was not easy.

Mohammad Azizul Haque, the manager of the Dacope field office of World Vision, said the biggest obstacle was the poor road connectivity and communication system, which often caused delays in providing services.

The setting up of the community clinic has resolved that problem to some extent, he said.

"But there is a challenge for the community clinic too," he mentioned, pointing out that there is only one doctor for a population of about 16,000-17,000. Because of this, the clinic has never been able to provide good services, he observed.

He further added that due to salinity in river and canal water, people here use pond water or rain water for drinking, which increases the risk of water-borne diseases.

"We found that inadequacy of drinkable sweet water has become the biggest challenge here. To solve this crisis, we have set up three reverse-osmosis-plants. Around 800-900 liters of water is being produced per hour at each plant. We are providing drinking water to the people at Tk0.50 per litre." 

A villager Rima Begum said, "We collect drinking water from the plant. We harvest rainwater for cooking purposes."

She was shocked to hear the news that the project was going to end after one year.

Beneficiaries have demanded that the project be continued for several more years.

Top News

Nobo Jatra / healthier childhood / USAID-funded Nobo Jatra project / World Vision

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • BNP gears up for polls — preps ongoing from grassroots to top brass 
    BNP gears up for polls — preps ongoing from grassroots to top brass 
  • Non-performing loans surge by Tk74,570cr in Q1 as hidden rot exposed
    Non-performing loans surge by Tk74,570cr in Q1 as hidden rot exposed
  • Representational image of school children. File photo: Collected
    Govt issues urgent guidelines to educational institutes to curb Covid, dengue spread

MOST VIEWED

  • Vehicles were seen stuck on the Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway due to a traffic jam stretching 15 kilometres on 14 June 2025. Photo: TBS
    15km traffic jam on Dhaka-Tangail-Jamuna Bridge highway as post-Eid rush continues
  • Tour operator Borsha Islam. Photo: Collected
    ‘Tour Expert’ admin Borsha Islam arrested over Bandarban tourist deaths
  • Infographic: TBS
    Chattogram Port proposes 70%-100% tariff hike
  • Fighter jet. Photo: AFP
    3 F-35 fighter jets downed, two Israeli pilots in custody, claims Iranian media
  • Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur. TBS Sketch
    Merger of 5 Islamic banks at final stage: BB governor
  • Infograph: TBS
    Why 10 economic zones, including BGMEA's garment park, were cancelled

Related News

  • Photo exhibition 'Empower Her: Cultivating Change in Agriculture' opens in Dhaka
  • World Vision Bangladesh, Gildan Launch Transformative Projects
  • 4 remote villages of Ramu declared free of child marriage
  • NHRC, World Vision team up to stop violence against children
  • Experts focus on climate change as driver of violence against children

Features

Renowned authors Imdadul Haque Milon, Mohit Kamal, and poet–children’s writer Rashed Rouf seen at Current Book Centre, alongside the store's proprietor, Shahin. Photo: Collected

From ‘Screen and Culture’ to ‘Current Book House’: Chattogram’s oldest surviving bookstore

5h | Panorama
Photos: Collected

Kurtis that make a great office wear

2d | Mode
Among pet birds in the country, lovebirds are the most common, and they are also the most numerous in the haat. Photo: Junayet Rashel

Where feathers meet fortune: How a small pigeon stall became Dhaka’s premiere bird market

4d | Panorama
Illustration: Duniya Jahan/ TBS

Forget Katy Perry, here’s Bangladesh’s Ruthba Yasmin shooting for the moon

5d | Features

More Videos from TBS

Macron to visit Greenland after Trump's annexation threat

Macron to visit Greenland after Trump's annexation threat

1h | TBS World
Important facilities including Natanz damaged in Israeli attack

Important facilities including Natanz damaged in Israeli attack

1h | Others
Iran's gas production from South Pars halted after Israeli attack

Iran's gas production from South Pars halted after Israeli attack

2h | TBS World
Why the Strait of Hormuz is a key point of discussion in the Iran-Israel conflict

Why the Strait of Hormuz is a key point of discussion in the Iran-Israel conflict

1h | Others
EMAIL US
contact@tbsnews.net
FOLLOW US
WHATSAPP
+880 1847416158
The Business Standard
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
Copyright © 2025
The Business Standard All rights reserved
Technical Partner: RSI Lab

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net