Honorable Deputy Minister Mrs. Habibun Nahar MP, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is sharing her insights as chief guest in the national consultative discussion to facilitate the formation and functionality of Parliamentary CAUCUS with the Members of Parliament (MPs) of coastal areas and constituents organized by USAID’s Nobo Jatra Project in January 2022 highlighting the importance of establishing a parliamentary caucus for ensuring access to improved water and safe sanitation facilities in coastal regions.
World Vision and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) organized a lessons learned workshop on November 2021, ensuring the results achieved by USAID’s ‘Nobo Jatra – new beginning’ project sustain and families stay resilient in the long term. Key representatives from Government including Dr. Md. Enamur Rahman MP, Honorable State Minister, MoDMR, Mr. Md. Mohsin, Secretary, MoDMR, USAID, donors, private sector and academia shared experiences and lessons learned from Nobo Jatra to support stakeholders effectively carry forward key sustainable services to strengthen the food security, nutrition and livelihoods of poor and extreme poor people in Bangladesh.
The USAID funded ‘Nobo Jatra – new beginning’ project led by World Vision Bangladesh has reached almost 150,000 people like Sadia and Tammana’s families from the vulnerable communities in 4 sub districts in the disaster prone south west coast of Bangladesh, providing them with clean, safe water through ten Reverse Osmosis Water Production Facilities.
To build financial literacy and strengthen access to financial services from banks, Nobo Jatra have partnered with DreamStart Labs to pilot DreamSave fin tech application in 400 Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) groups to improve management of financial records, achieve savings goals and build credit history. “With automatic calculations, this app has made it easier and faster to conduct meetings and we have more time to invest in our business!” Says Momena, a VSLA member and entrepreneur in southwest Bangladesh.
“With USAID and World vision’s support, I have the skills to use computers and be a part of the local Youth Information Center and support my community use online services such as COVID-19 vaccination registration!” Says Shormila Mollik, one of the 1,400 youths engaged with 20 Youth Information Centers equipped with digital gadgets like laptops, printers, scanners etc. by Nobo Jatra Project across four sub districts in southwest Bangladesh so that communities have access to information and online services.
With USAID support, World Vision supports mothers in southwest Bangladesh through Nobo Jatra Project helping children build on their nutrition resilience. Smritikona Mondol is one of the 25,813 mothers who received a monthly Conditional Cash Transfer of $27 for 15 months while she was pregnant with her son Kritik ensuring nutrition intake and healthcare services for the mother and baby.
‘Nobo Jatra- new beginning’, a USAID food security, nutrition and resilience project, is helping women and men in southwest Bangladesh with skills to help support their families. 18,267 micro entrepreneurs like Kakoli Das, are trained with market driven skills such as bamboo product, paper box, shopping bag making that provide regular incomes all year round.