"I was six months pregnant when the pandemic first hit Bangladesh, but I knew I had to go out and help my community," shares Sajia Akter, a 29-year-old mother of two. Since July 2019, Sajia has been working as a socio-economic and nutrition facilitator (SENF) for the Alor Pothey CDC Cluster under the Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor Communities (LIUPC) project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

"I used to be petrified of the risks of going out, especially as a pregnant woman. Being in PPE all day under the sun was no easy feat," recounts Sajia, whose team single-handedly distributed five soaps per household to 2,760 families in her community at Bauniabadh. One issue they faced during this operation was that people began to gather around the distribution point. "We couldn't risk COVID-19 transmission, so we instead went door-to-door to every single house. We ensured that not one family was left out," shares Sajia. They also delivered food baskets to 150 families. These essentials were life-changing for people during a time of increasing economic uncertainty, as many community members were being laid off.

With two young children at home, Sajia's day usually begins at 4:30AM as she juggles taking care of the kids and working full-time as a SENF. "We are all slaves of habit. At one point, I got used to this routine, especially since I love the work that I do," shares Sajia, with a big smile on her face. One aspect of her work she is most passionate about is helping pregnant women and young mothers. Currently, her team is responsible for counselling 97 young mothers. Sajia ensures food baskets containing eggs, oil and other essentials are delivered to them every month.

"We regularly monitor whether the food is going directly to the mother and child as intended," she adds. Sajia also holds meetings with the women of the community to explain COVID-19 guidelines and nutrition information, especially for pregnant women and young mothers. "Since I am raising my children following the correct nutritional guidelines, I can be an example to other mothers in the community. If my words can help even one mother, I consider that a huge success," mentions Sajia.

"I am grateful to LIUPC for allowing me to do such meaningful work. I hope to continue working relentlessly for the betterment of my community," she adds.

Photo:Rashed Shumon