Nandeeta Samad :
The community development group of SAYS (South Asian Youth Society) took a great initiative to swell awareness among underprivileged community about the process of staying healthy and disease free in winter. Climate change impedes the wonted living sequences of peoples’ life. The indigenous strata of the community mainly bear the load of malign effects of climate change. Remarkably, during winter, cold hits the entity of the destitute community and causes morbidity, mortality to a great extent which is sometimes overlooked. Keeping that in mind, the panoramic objective of the awareness campaign was to anatomize the sufferings, disease prevalence, food intake pattern, expenditure , people’s knowledge and educational level about proper hygiene , sanitation and pure drinking water, presence of misconceptions and food taboos their attitude towards the treatment of winter diseases , intrahousehold food distribution in the particular community of Lalbag with the optimism to explicate proper suggestion and recommendations for the melioration of the condition of that studied community during climate change. The 9 compeers of the team namely Nandeeta Samad, Maisha Reza, Iqra Iqbal Priyata, Jannatul Ferdous Miftah, Forijul Islam, Azizul Haq, Mustak Ahmed Shimul, Oishee Mujtaba and Nishat Salsabil did a daylong survey in the targeted area & recorded the wretchedness of the targeted population. The incorrect food intake pattern, unnecessary expenditure and improper ways of treating diseases during winter have been mirrored through the survey. Moreover, the survey has also reflected the conventional perception of life style of the necessitous section of the society. The team rendered basic knowledge and guidance and delivered lectures on healthy eating during cold with low to moderate income,minimizing food loss and reutilizing food scraps if safe and healthy , common diseases of winter and how to prevent and combat these , precaution of cold and importance of sufficient water intake in winter , combating the harsh footprint of winter and also ways of relishing the cold.
Spontaneous and affirmative responses were received during the feedback session. Through this awareness campaign, one thing got cleared that donation and distributing warm clothes and other materials can cover stress temporarily. But knowledge and right guidance and direction influence permanently for maintaining a sustainable life. South Asian Youth Society empowers youth by giving them inspiration to sculpt their ambition and notion for erecting a better world. SAYS members of community development team have made a contribution in depicting the dejected condition and affliction of the disadvantaged group of the society and at the same time this event encourages zillions of youth of the country to participate in bringing positive change in the society.
(Nandeeta Samad, Member, South Asian Youth Society (SAYS))
