Positive changes in the lives of women, children and vulnerable groups have begun to surface across various areas under the Area Program (AP), reflecting the impact of ongoing development efforts and growing community participation.
This progress was highlighted during a two-day community review and planning meeting in Jamalpur, where child protection, innovative community initiatives and enhanced local engagement were presented as major achievements of AP activities.
The programme has placed strong emphasis on supporting vulnerable children, fostering tolerance and belonging, establishing green schools, building clean and environmentally friendly villages, and encouraging creative work among children and adolescents. Activities such as mass awareness campaigns, sponsorship initiatives, technical skills training, information sharing, networking, advocacy and social solidarity have strengthened the programme’s impact. Efforts to establish child marriage-free villages, ensure gender equality, modernise agriculture, improve nutrition and implement the Five Zero Plus model have also contributed to noticeable improvements in the AP working areas.
Reports, photographs and various displays at the review meeting illustrated the depth of progress made through these initiatives. On November 16, Jamalpur Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Jinnat Shahid Pinky formally inaugurated the two-day annual community review and planning meeting. The programme was presided over by Unnayan Sangha’s Human Resource Development Director, Jahangir Selim. Upazila Social Service Officer Shahadat Hossain and Upazila Secondary Education Officer Chanowar Hossain addressed the inaugural session.
Key discussions were led by Satyabrat Saha, Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator of World Vision’s Jamalpur AP; Ujjwal Patrick Coraiya, Acting Programme Manager of Jamalpur AP; and Minara Parveen, AP Manager of Unnayan Sangha. The closing ceremony on 18 November featured contributions from Development Association Executive Director Rafiqul Alam Molla, Programme Director Murshed Iqbal, Aparajeyo Bangladesh Centre Manager Ashraful Alam and children’s representative Arpa.
A total of 75 representatives participated in the event, including officials from the Health Department, Family Planning, Social Services, Cooperatives, Youth Development and Education. Public representatives, members of Village and Urban Development Committees, children’s forum members, NGO representatives and AP staff also took part. Held at the hall of Jamalpur Swed Autistic School for the Disabled, the meeting took on a lively and festive atmosphere.
According to meeting sources, Village Development Committee members, with AP support, developed detailed maps and action plans for their respective areas, identifying resources, institutions and demographic information. They also created visual models of their “dream village.” After reviewing these inputs, a practical one-year sustainable action plan was finalised.
The 10-year Area Program is being implemented in Jamalpur to improve social conditions by supporting family income generation, ensuring children’s basic needs, enhancing maternal and child health and nutrition, promoting WASH services, strengthening child protection and increasing child participation. Unnayan Sangha is implementing the AP in partnership with World Vision Bangladesh.
Launched in 2021 in Laxmirchar and Sharifpur unions and several municipal wards, the programme has expanded this year to all unions of Jamalpur Sadar Upazila and all municipal wards. Current initiatives cover livelihood development, health, nutrition, WASH and sponsorship, along with skill building, eco-friendly village development, zinc rice cultivation, extreme poverty reduction, disaster management, prenatal and postnatal care, child rights awareness and identification of at-risk children. The programme is funded by Hong Kong and Malaysian contributors.
