2. Sand ball and people’s participation in char development
Maruf Khan
Sand ball is a game. It was introduced in 2004. It is to be played with
football. The game is 3 to 4 times more dynamic than football. This game was
first initiated in Cox’s Bazar sea beach. Sand ball can also be played on football
ground. The rivers of Bangladesh is drying out in such a trend that very soon
Bangladesh will be considered as a char country instead of a riverine country.
The reduction of current poverty is only possible by developing the char areas
and making the agriculture of char area scientific contributing to food
security. The people of village and char area are lagging behind due to lack of
education. With sand ball being such a new dynamic game, people can
achieve thematic knowledge, get a scope of recreation and preserve rural
tradition. Being gathered, they can make the issue of food security and
agriculture participatory and thus the rate of poverty can gradually lessen. At
the first half of the day of sand ball meeting and seminar on food security and
char-based scientific agriculture and its marketing is organized, which is
helpful for the people to get knowledge on food security and char friendly
agriculture. Through this game, an opportunity is created for the people to
learn and plan through participatory exercises and entertainment.
Health, Hygiene and Nutrition
1. Saving mother and children from malnutrition in monga prone
areas
Dr. Sazzad Hossain Khandakar, SAVE
Every year due to monga, the poor in Hatibandha Upazila of Lalmonirhat
district starve. It hampers the health of the pregnant mothers and their
children. Lack of appropriate food affect the health of mothers. As a result
they deliver low weight babies, who, eventually, suffer from malnutrition
and sometimes become physically challenged. Due to lack of food, the
malnourished children as well are unable to regain their weight and suffer
from various sicknesses including night blindness. Therefore, a fund will be
mobilised in monga prone area for ensuring food security, providing health
services to mother and children, preventing night blindness, etc. The
entrepreneurs in the area will be encouraged to extend their support. The
community will be mobilised to construct healthcare centre. The households
will be supported to grow vegetables so that it prevents the children to suffer
from night blindness. The household heads will be motivated to bring the
pregnant mothers at health centres to deliver their child safely. In this way
the monga prone areas can get rid of the vicious cycle of poverty.
Poverty and Development: Realities of Grassroots 35