Inception meeting of SBC- Bhola- Laying the foundation of success

Inception meeting is the first step towards the successful initiation of a project. The inception meeting of “Social & Behavior Change Programme for promoting Maternal, Children & Adolescent Wellbeing” was held on 16 February, 2025 at the conference room of Deputy Commissioner- Bhola. The meeting was presided over by the Deputy Commissioner (acting) Md. Mizanur Rahman. The primary objective of this meeting was to share the project’s vision, timeline, budget & key deliverables. Through open communication & collaboration, this meeting aims to address any potential challenges early on and lay a strong foundation for the project’s success. The civil Surgeon of Bhola Dr. Monirul Islam was present as the chief guest of the meeting. After the introduction session, the project coordinator shared the overview of the project through PowerPoint presentation. It covered the objectives, project participants, key stakeholders, work location, expected output, indicators, coordination strategy etc. She asked support from the respective govt. departments to make the project successful & to bring the positive result for the children & women of Bhola district. In the questioner session, the Chairperson suggested to share the baseline survey result which is proposed to conduct within the project interventions. Deputy Director- Family Planning Bhola suggested to make communication with the health workers in the community level to extend their support. Civil Surgeon, Bhola told that there have been a severe shortage of manpower to deliver healthcare services to the doorsteps of the people in remote areas. Shuahilan team can work collaboratively with them to address this deficiency. He asked to inform him any obstacles arise at the field level. He thanked both UNICEF & Shushilan for their joint venture in Bhola. UNO, Borhunuddin appreciated Shushilan’s initiative to work in a coordinated manner. He mentioned that the Shushilan team in Borhunuddin have already participated in various trainings organized by the Upazila Health Complex. UH&FPO, Bhola- The project’s concern is good but their staffing at the field is much smaller than what it is needed. Finally the chairperson requested to pay special attention to the remote areas like Dhalchar, Mujibnagor, Charkukri mukri, Mujibnagor as the inhabitants of these areas are deprived of essential healthcare. He assured that the project staff will get the necessary support from all departments. The meeting concluded with the expectation that the implementation of this project will contribute positively to the health sector outcomes in Bhola district & play an important role in child protection.