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FROM THE FIELD

Bangladesh: Health, Development, Literacy for Mothers and Children
29 Jul 2009 15:00:00 GMT
 Source: Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International
Nadia McGill

Website: Website: http://www.adra.org

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Through the Mirpur Mother and Child Health Project (MMCHP), ADRA is providing health and literacy classes for women in a region where 90 percent of the women are illiterate.
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Through the Mirpur Mother and Child Health Project (MMCHP), ADRA is providing health and literacy classes for women in a region where 90 percent of the women are illiterate.
Hearly Mayr/ADRA International

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SILVER SPRING, Md.--In Dhaka's Mirpur slum, where approximately 90 percent of women are illiterate, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is improving the literacy and health of an estimated 2,000 vulnerable women and children through an ongoing project.

Through the Mirpur Mother and Child Health Project (MMCHP), originally launched in 2002, ADRA is facilitating literacy and health classes, which are being held in community classrooms or private homes. According to ADRA Bangladesh, an estimated 70 percent of project members are participating in the literacy classes.

"Most of the women have never attended a class before," said Elidon Bardhi, country director for ADRA Bangladesh. "Those who have attended from the beginning of the project have learned to read and write. In fact, many have indicated that the project has changed their lives."

Project participants are being taught to identify and prevent common childhood diseases, so that they can more effectively look after the health of their children. In addition, they are receiving food preparation training and learning the importance of breastfeeding their newborns for at least six months, and valuable family planning methods. Students are also encouraged to keep their children's vaccinations up to date, and receive instruction on how to make their own Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), which are used to rehydrate a child suffering from diarrhea.

Because an estimated 90 percent of births in this region take place at home assisted by traditional birth attendants (TBAs), MMCHP has also completed a training program for TBAs, educating them on safe delivery procedures and improved hygiene conditions. ADRA also provides medical attention for beneficiaries and their children through an ADRA Bangladesh physician who is able to dispense basic medicines at reduced prices.

The project is also helping low-income and unemployed women increase their household incomes by providing training in sewing, a vocational skill that can help a person find employment in Dhaka's thriving garment industry.

MMCHP is providing warm, nutritious meals for 120 malnourished children whose mothers are participating in the program. Through the program, mothers receive additional education on nutrition, and the methods that can be used to treat malnutrition.

"This project is making a difference in the lives of the women and children of this community," said Bardhi. "Many have told us that they would like the project to continue running forever. They feel that the center is like their second home."

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

For more information, visit www.adra.org.


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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A man throws a child to a pond as he teaches swimming in the outskirt of Dhaka July 29, 2009. Nearly 2 million people in the low-lying areas of the Bangladesh ...


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Last updated:Wed Jul 29 15:06:34 2009