World Breastfeeding Week 2018: Helping families to improve nutrition in south west Bangladesh

Rabeya Begum carefully listens during a courtyard nutrition session in the remote sub district of Dacope in south west Bangladesh. Led by an exuberant community nutrition facilitator, mothers with children aged under two, grandmothers and a number of fathers – closely follow the preparation and cooking of khichuri – an indigenous dish made of rice, lentils and seasonal vegetables. The mothers, like Rabeya, are all involved in a 15 month nutrition safety net cash transfer activity – designed to reduce stunting in children by targeting pregnant and lactating women with chronic food insecurity living under the lower poverty threshold. Hossain, Rabeya’s healthy 6 month old son, is about to transition to complementary feeding - therefore, the session is of particular importance to Rabeya who is attending with Kabir, her husband and her mother in law. Rabeya, attentive and quietly confident, has attended five courtyard sessions covering a range of topics such as breastfeeding and essential WASH practices and is keen to point out that she, Kabir, and her mother in law consult closely with the community nutrition facilitator to ensure that Hossain, her six month old is healthy and happy.