SERAC-Bangladesh with support from Ipas Bangladesh has celebrated World Contraception Day 2022 on 27 & 28 September with the theme ‘Reproductive health is a right for all, Access to this right is our commitment’ under Improving SRHR in Dhaka project in 20 areas of Dhaka North and South city corporations including Uttara Sector-12, Goaltek, Baunia, Ranavola, Ashkona, Madartek, Basabo, Pallabi-Eastern Housing, Pallabi-Rupnagar, Kafrul, Kamrangirchar, Hazaribag- Borhanpur, Hazaribag- Baddanagar, Lalbagh, Gopibag, Geneva Camp, Mohammadpur-Azom Road, Pirerbag, Shewrapara, and Mogbazar. Volunteers under this project named as ‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ have organized human chains by engaging the community people. Besides, they have shared information on family planning services and its importance provided by their nearby general practitioners (GP) of their designated areas.
Volunteers have organized the events on their own and have also shared their experience regarding this. ‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ Zafrul Karim from Uttara Sector-12 said, “This was my first time to arrange and participate in any public awareness raising event with the support from SERAC-Bangladesh. This experience was fully new for me. At the end of the rally, a rickshaw puller wanted to know about our activities and his interests amazed me. Following him, 2 more rickshaw pullers also came to know about the services.”
Fahima Akter, ‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ of Pallabi-Rupnagar area said, “It was first experience to organize a public event to celebrate world contraception day 2022. Though there was fear and excitement, me and my team successfully organized the rally. It has reduced my shyness and we are very happy.”
‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ Kazi Jahidul Islam Rocky from Pallabi-eastern Housing said, “People from surrounding area were surprised and looking at us during the rally, some of them came to us and asked about the matter. Though some were hesitating, they were listening about the health services with others. It has made us realize that everyone has a need for reproductive health services which many of them can’t share due to shyness. We feel happy to support them as volunteers.”
Farjana Parvin Rochona, ‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ from Mohammadpur-Azom Road area said, “We had a great experience by celebrating this day. We tried to make people aware with the slogan – adolescence pregnancy destroys the whole life.
‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ Afia Afrin Erina from Kafrul said, “We are very happy having the opportunity to talk about family planning in the community. We noticed that people are very interested to know about the services and locations of health facilities.”
Safa Jalal Safrin, ‘Projonon Sastho Bandhu’ of Geneva Camp area said, “People said that youths should not know about these services while we were talking about reproductive health. But when we share with them the importance of it, then they praise our work.”
10 volunteers from each area have organized a human chain by engaging 20 community people and distributing Hand Pakha with a strong message about reproductive health services. SERAC-Bangladesh’s Program Manager Tasnia Ahmed, SBCC Officers – Monower Hossain, Khadija Kalam, and Md. Nazmul Hasan has supported the overall activity. Besides, 3 paramedics under this project–Ayesha Siddiqa Tonni, Khadizatul Kobra, and Halima Khatun have also supported in organizing the events.
