Food security-nutrition project 'Suchana' slated to wrap up by 31 Dec

After seven and a half years of implementation, "Suchana – Ending the cycle of undernutrition in Bangladesh", a food security and nutrition programme implemented by the Save the Children in Bangladesh, will be closed by 31 December.

Suchana, launched in August 2015, is one of the largest food and nutrition security programmes in the country led by Save the Children in Bangladesh, it said in a press release.

A closing event for the project was held at Hotel Westin in the capital on Monday.

Addressing the event as chief guest, Nahid Rashid, secretary of fisheries and livestock ministry, "Investing in children and women can give lifelong returns. Previously, there was no mention of 'nutrition' in the National Fisheries Policy, but thanks to Suchana, we have now included nutrition in the policy revision."

Suchana worked to address the many drivers of stunting, she said.

She stressed the need for multi-department collaboration to improve household food security, saying, "The government is keen to make changes in tackling poverty alleviation and the health sector, for which collaboration between government, NGOs and the private sector is very important".

The programme Suchana is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the European Union (EU).  Working in partnership with the government, the Suchana consortium is led by Save the Children, and consists of seven members— Helen Keller International, WorldFish, International Development Enterprise, Friends in Village Development Bangladesh, Centre for Natural Resource Studies, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Services, along with research partner icddr,b. 

The primary goal of Suchana was to achieve significant reduction of stunting among children under-two in Sylhet and Moulvibazar and catalyse support from government and other stakeholders for a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach to undernutrition at the national and sub-national levels.

It targeted 235,579 households which reached 1.4 million programme participants living in the 20 upazilas and 157 unions in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts. Suchana continued replication of best practices in Sunamganj and Habiganj district.

Addressing the event as special guest, Edwin Koekkoek, team leader (Green Inclusive Development), Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, said, "Suchana has empowered women and girls to improve nutrition in their households and communities. To reduce stunting, concerted efforts of multiple sectors working together in harmony."

"Suchana is a model of effective partnership and the results of the programme stay in the ground and also with the government ministries and departments," he added.

Shahed Rahman, chief of party at Suchana, presented the key achievements of the project, including inclusion of nutrition into the National Fisheries Policy (under revision), nutrition promotion through 4.1 million seed packets, and inclusion of climate smart technology in the National Adaptation Plan (2023- 2050) and 79,674 poor and ultra-poor beneficiaries into social protection schemes.

Alex Harvey, team leader (Climate and Environment), British High Commission Dhaka, also addressed the event as a special guest.