My son Rizbi is three and a half but he didn’t look like one, he was severely underweight. He used to fall sick, frequently. Since the COVID-19 happened, our income reduced significantly. I was at a loss about what to feed my son and how to help him. Then I took him to Spreeha healthcare center. We also got food support from them. Now, my son is better than ever…

– says Rizbi’s mother Nipa. Her son is no longer malnourished since she joined Spreeha Nutrition Program in Dhaka

In the bustling heart of Rayerbazar, Dhaka, a once-underdeveloped area faced a troubling dilemma – undernourished children, reduced incomes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and food insecurity. The story of Rizbi, a once severely underweight 3-year-old, reflects the transformative impact of Spreeha’s Nutrition Program. Through dedicated community health workers, monthly food support, and guidance on nutrition, children like Rizbi are now on a path to better health.

The Hunger Challenge in Bangladesh

In a nation of 165 million, Bangladesh had achieved self-sustainability in staple foods like rice, fish, and vegetables before the pandemic. However, even in pre-pandemic times, 40 million people remained food insecure, and 11 million suffered from acute hunger. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, poverty rate increased by 10%, with 65% of Dhaka’s slum-dwelling families experiencing a 26% income loss, earning less than $80 per month for a family of five. Prolonged lockdowns forced 69% of these households to reduce their food consumption, and nearly half of families with children reported skipping one meal daily due to financial constraints. Spreeha’s regular growth monitoring activities for under-5-year-old children also revealed an increase in mild and moderate malnutrition cases.

A High-Impact Nutrition Initiative

Faced with these challenges, Spreeha, in partnership with Confidence Group, launched a COVID-19 response project to support ultra-poor households in Dhaka’s Rayerbazar slum with monthly food relief. The project aimed to secure access to nutritious food amidst disrupted supply chains and income loss. Households with monthly incomes below $150 and families with children under 5, pregnant women, and elderly individuals were eligible to receive support for two years.

Read the full article about Spreeha by Halima-Tus-Sadia and Karishma Tahsin at Global Washington.