Child marriage, malnutrition fall as education, sanitation improve

Once marked by malnutrition, child marriage, educational deprivation, poor sanitation and poverty, Dhaka East has witnessed significant transformation through 18 years of sustained development interventions.

At the end of this long journey, World Vision Bangladesh has formally concluded its Dhaka East Urban Programme. However, the closure of the programme does not mean the end of the transformation story. Instead, responsibility for sustaining the progress has been handed over to local leaders, community organisations and government partners, opening a new chapter in the development journey.

A ‘Thanksgiving and Closing Ceremony ’26’ was held at the D-Majend Centre in Baridhara, Dhaka, to mark the conclusion of the programme. 

The event highlighted the experiences, achievements and impact of 18 years of development activities carried out across eight wards of Dhaka East since 2008.

A list of various active committees formed under the programme was also formally handed over to the district administration.

Over the past 18 years, the Dhaka East Urban Programme reached approximately 420,015 people. A total of 8,255 registered children received support through sponsorship and development activities.

The programme involved a long-term investment of approximately Tk 140 crore and Tk 37 lakh.

Significant progress was recorded in health and nutrition. The prevalence of underweight among children under five declined from 45.1 per cent to 17.4 per cent, while the rate of stunting fell from 37 per cent to 23.2 per cent.

At the same time, the rate of mothers receiving antenatal healthcare increased. Around 29,936 mothers and caregivers received training on health and nutrition.

Education also witnessed remarkable improvement. The functional literacy rate increased from 5.74 per cent to 61.4 per cent, while school enrolment and regular attendance reached 99.5 per cent.

Thousands of children received educational support, with children with special needs and working children also brought under various education initiatives.

One of the most striking improvements was in child protection and prevention of child marriage. The rate of girls being married before the age of 18 dropped from 28.7 per cent to 0.3 per cent, while child marriage among boys declined from 15.1 per cent to 0.1 per cent.

The programme also ensured 100 per cent birth registration for all 8,255 registered children.

The programme brought significant improvements to household living conditions as well.

The proportion of families with access to basic sanitation facilities rose from 69.5 per cent to 99.3 per cent, while access to handwashing facilities reached 99.6 per cent.

A total of 404 sanitation facilities were established in schools and communities.

The programme focused not only on service delivery but also on developing local leadership. It helped establish 12 Urban Development Committees (UDCs) and 12 Child Forums, bringing together hundreds of trained children and community leaders.

Youth participation in local decision-making also increased significantly.

To strengthen economic resilience, 3,464 ultra-poor households were brought under livelihood support and graduation programmes. Various income-generating skills development initiatives for women and youth contributed to improving household income, savings and resilience.

As part of the closing programme on Wednesday, a documentary highlighting the development activities of the Dhaka East Urban Programme was screened by Dominic Sentu Gomes, ADP Manager of the Dhaka East Urban Programme.

The documentary portrayed various aspects of the positive changes experienced by disadvantaged children and families through the programme.

Registered children, parents, religious leaders, UDCs, Child Forums, Youth Forums and representatives of community-based organisations then shared their experiences and reflections from the 18-year journey.

On behalf of the local community, Rehena Parvin, a community representative, read out an appreciation letter.

Lima Hanna Daring, Director (Operations and Technical Programme) of World Vision Bangladesh, delivered the welcome address.

Later, Additional District Commissioner (Development and Human Resource Management) Md Mahabub Ullah Majumder, along with representatives of government and relevant organisations, addressed the gathering.

Among those present were Md Zulkar Nayan, Regional Executive Officer of Zone-3 of Dhaka North City Corporation, and A N M Badruddoza, Regional Executive Officer of Zone-10, among others.

A significant part of the event was the unveiling of the closing report of the Dhaka East Urban Programme and a compilation titled ‘Stories of Success’.

The documents, containing the achievements and experiences of the 18-year programme, are expected to serve as important knowledge resources for future development initiatives.

As part of efforts to ensure sustainability, a list of active committees in Dhaka East was formally handed over to the district administration.

Chandan Zed Gomes, Senior Director (Operations) of World Vision Bangladesh, handed over the list, which was received by Additional District Commissioner Md Mahabub Ullah Majumder.

The event was chaired by Senior Operations Director Chandan Zed Gomes.

Special guests included A N M Badruddoza, Regional Executive Officer of Zone-10 of Dhaka North City Corporation, and Md Zulkar Nayan, Regional Executive Officer of Zone-3.

As recognition of their 18-year partnership, special guests were presented with commemorative crests.

The closing remarks were delivered by Jenny Mildred D’Cruz, Deputy Director (Field Operations - Southern Bangladesh Cluster) of World Vision Bangladesh.

The event concluded in an emotional and festive atmosphere with the national anthem, performances by the Child Forum, recollections and speeches by guests.

The journey that began 18 years ago as a development programme has now placed its achievements in the hands of local communities, community organisations and government partners.

Thus, although World Vision’s formal programme in Dhaka East has come to an end; the story of transformation is far from over. Instead, the foundations have been laid for that progress to continue under local leadership.

-SA