Extreme poverty has risen globally due to the significant setback to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic inspite of the efforts that have been taken. The local and global food supply chains have caused sharp increases in the prices of food, raw materials, and energy. This has exacerbated existing weaknesses in global food and health safety. Even if food is available, people's capacity to purchase has been severely hampered. Bangladesh is experiencing "serious localized food insecurity" because of financial hardships, natural disasters, and inflated costs for key food commodities.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), nearly 35 million people, or 21% of Bangladesh's total population, experience moderate to severe chronic food insecurity, with 11.7 million of those individuals experiencing severe food insecurity and 23.2 million experiencing moderate to severe chronic food insecurity. According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, 28% of children under the age of five in Bangladesh have moderate or severe stunting, which is caused by insufficient nutrition.

We as Compassion Bangladesh have prioritized our programming to impact children and youth by equipping our partners to focus on the below as we facilitate holistic development of every child/youth:

1.Building family resilience which is inclusive of enabling food security apart from recovery from life shocks. Adequacy of food supply through increased homestead food production. Access to food through consumption support and linkage in the social SafetyNet programs. Improved food utilization for meet the nutrition as required. Compassion Bangladesh works with partners /parents and youth in sponsorship to increase their knowledge and skills to diversify their income and livelihoods to break the cycle of poverty.

2. Reduction of malnutrition and child deaths is a strategic focus. Focus on child survival from conception to 1 years inclusive of maternal well being. Multisectoral approach to Nutrition, Health and WASH to reduce malnutrition in families

3. Focus on child protection, especially in reduction of child marriages. Poverty pushes families to get their girls married very early in life. The pandemic and food security issues also trigger the link to the increase in child marriages. We have a specialized focus in the prevention of child marriage through equipping partners. Supportive initiative to enable married girls & boys to have a resilient life as they are victims in child marriage.

4. Access to quality education. Food security also deepens issues of children education to be affected especially with deepening of migration. Prevention of migration through strengthening livelihoods of parents/care givers coupled with ensuring that the enrollment of children & youth in schools is accelerated through partners.

5. Youth finish well. Migration also affects youth exiting program without being equipped for life. Focused approach in facilitating partners to ensure that eligible youth are enrolled in either technical, vocational.

This amazing work, the fingerprints of God at work, is a collaborative effort of our Compassion International family, our partners who implement in communities, and child sponsors who support the efforts with their sacrificial giving. This is truly inspirational and the results are what we have achieved together. Sanjida's father works as a day laborer and is unable to support his family because there aren't enough opportunities to earn money. Sanjida registered as a kid in 2009 with a new outlook and the desire of joining the police force to uphold morality and maintain the law, which she learned from partners equipped by Compassion Bangladesh. Sanjida paid close attention in class, passed the Secondary School Certificate exam, began studying for the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), and at that point applied for the job of her dreams as a police constable.

Her preparedness and what she learned from the project provide her and her parents the assurance they need to help her realize their ambition. Her ambition has finally come true, and she was chosen to become a police constable and support her family. She has made her parents incredibly happy. Sanjida is appreciative of Compassion and her sponsor for providing the funding necessary for her to finish her education and qualify as a police constable.

Since 2019, Shudangshu started learning computer operation and internet browsing at Project Digital Computer Lab. Shudangshu utilized most of his time learning English speaking, graphics design, and out-sourcing skills using his personal cell phone device during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown situation. He purchased a second-hand laptop with the financial assistance of our partner to start his outsourcing work. At present, he is earning approximately USD 1,000 (BDT 80,000) each month for last 6-7 months. He spent his earnings for his parent's full treatment, repaired his house to make it livable, and purchased a full PC system with a laptop for continuing his work. The project not only contributed to his education & life skills but also to the development of their whole family.

He also manually taught outsourcing to the other 5 unemployed youth and made a team in his area for outsourcing services. They are also contributing to their family financially and dreaming to become self-reliant. Shudangshu said "It is a good feeling to be able to manage my family living cost along with my parent's treatment cost and run my higher education without any concern. Now I am able to save money for the future. Compassion project inspired me to reach the pinnacle of success". The biggest success is that he is sponsoring a 4-year-old child who is a Compassion participant. He is the 1st ever successful youth to sponsor a Compassion child. He extends his thankfulness to his sponsor and project staff for his achievement. He is an inspiration to all our beneficiaries.