Progress Sharing Meeting on the SBC Sylhet Project at the Divisional Level in Bishwambarpur, Sunamganj District

With technical support from UNICEF, Shushilan is implementing a project titled “Social and Behavior Change Interventions to Foster the Wellbeing, Rights, and Empowerment of the Most Marginalized Children and Adolescents in Sylhet, Bangladesh.” The primary objective of this project is to protect children and adolescents from harm and empower them to raise their voices on any critical issues. The initiative also focuses on ending child marriage, preventing violence against children and women, addressing climate change impacts, increasing EPI coverage, promoting nutrition and education, and mobilizing families and communities through positive behavioral change to create awareness and address challenges. In line with these efforts, a Progress Sharing Meeting for the SBC Project was held on 12 December 2024 at the Hall Room of the UNO office premises. The meeting aimed to review and share the project's progress from December 2023 to November 2024. The event began with a welcome speech by Mr. Abdul Malek, Upazila Coordinator of the SBC Project, Bishwambarpur. Following this, Mr. Mofijur Rahman, UNO of Bishwambarpur and Chief Guest of the programme, delivered the opening remarks, welcomed participants, and formally inaugurated the meeting. Mr. Md. Alamgir Mia, Project Coordinator of the SBC Sylhet Project, then presented the project's objectives and progress to the assembled stakeholders, which included government officials, UP Chairmen, Kazi, Imam, journalists, and NGO representatives. Highlights from Stakeholder’s Remarks: •Mr. Md. Moniruzzam, Upazila Family Planning Officer, praised Shushilan's activities over the current year. He emphasized the importance of increasing awareness, as some community members still rely on traditional healers (Kabiraj) instead of seeking medical care. He noted that field-level efforts are ongoing to ensure all pregnant mothers complete four antenatal checkups and give birth in hospitals. •Mr. Suman Chandra, RMO of the Bishwambarpur Upazila Health Complex, expressed satisfaction with Shushilan’s progress. He noted improvements in Community Group (CG) meetings, which are now held regularly at Putiti Community Clinic (CC). Monthly courtyard meetings are raising health awareness and providing services effectively. •Mr. Md. Aziz, Upazila Youth Development Officer, shared his positive experience of attending school and community-based engagement programmes. These programmes disseminated SBC messages through interactive methods, including quizzes on health, education, nutrition, child labor, WASH, and child marriage. The initiative of distributing trees to the quiz participants who were particularly received the SBC message successfully. •Mr. Mridul Kanti Sarkar, Assistant Engineer of DPHE, emphasized the effectiveness of street dramas in conveying SBC messages and expressed hope for Shushilan’s continuation in every union. •Mr. Swapan Kumar, President of Bishwambarpur Upazila Press Club, thanked to Shushilan for raising significant awareness, particularly at the community and school levels, within a short time. •Mr. Ashiq Noor and Ms. Rozina Begum, CHCPs, highlighted Shushilan's contributions to regular monthly meetings in community clinics and providing critical advice to pregnant mothers, including the importance of regular checkups. Mr. Chabab Mia, Chairman of Badaghat Union Parishad and Chairperson of the meeting, concluded with closing remarks, appreciating Shushilan's impactful activities over the year. He thanked the attendees and Shushilan’s team for organizing the meeting. The Progress Sharing Meeting of the SBC Project highlighted the significant initiatives made by Shushilan in fostering positive social and behavioral changes in Bishwambarpur. The collaborative efforts of stakeholders, including government officials, health professionals, educators, and community leaders, have been involved in addressing these issues such as child marriage, violence against children, maternal health, and climate change. Through interactive events, community engagements, and innovative initiatives like street dramas and school quizzes, the project has successfully been raising awareness to the community people.