Teenage volunteers in a Netrakona village combine tree planting, maternal nutrition support and community healthcare to improve family wellbeing while encouraging long-term environmental stewardship from the earliest stage of life.
For the past seven years, a group of environmentally conscious teenage girls have been welcoming newborns into the world by gifting them tree saplings, helping children begin their lives with a zero-carbon journey. The nature-loving girls visit the homes of families whenever a baby is born to help build a greener future in Netrakona district in north-central Bangladesh.
A group of teenage girls welcome newborns with tree saplings in Fochika village under Kailati Union of Netrakona Sadar Upazila in Netrakona district, north-central Bangladesh. Fifteen girls from the village formed an organisation called “Agrojatra Kishori” seven years ago. All of them are students at different educational institutions.
As part of their ongoing activities, the members of the organisation this year arranged a unique programme to congratulate the families of five newborns and provide nutritious food to seven pregnant women in Fochika village. The chief guest was Netrakona Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Asma Binte Rafiq. Special guests included Kailati Union Parishad Chairman Nazmul Haque, BARCIK Regional Coordinator Md Ahidur Rahman and local residents.
Whenever a child is born in Fochika village and the surrounding areas, the girls visit the baby’s mother with one fruit tree sapling, one medicinal plant and one timber tree sapling to welcome the newborn into the world. The initiative aims to help meet the child’s future oxygen needs and contribute to a zero-carbon future. The families of the newborns and other villagers appreciate the initiative.
The girls do not stop at presenting tree saplings. Whenever a woman in the village becomes pregnant, the organisation provides her with one month’s supply of nutritious food. The girls collect the food themselves and, with support from the non-governmental research organisation BARCIK, provide 30 eggs, bananas, guavas, lemons and uncultivated leafy vegetables. They also promote health awareness through experienced health workers by regularly measuring the weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels of pregnant women and advising them to receive regular check-ups at health centres or community clinics.
To help protect the environment, the organisation has planted 299 moringa and neem tree saplings in households across the village. For the past five years, Agrojatra Kishori has also been raising awareness among villagers about planting trees.
With the support of trained and experienced youth members from the Kishori Information Centre, the organisation has been providing healthcare services to pregnant women in the village. These services include measuring blood pressure and weight, conducting diabetes tests and transporting patients to the district hospital by van in emergencies. Members of the organisation have also donated blood to critically ill pregnant women and played an important role in caring for patients.
Organisation president Bithi Akter said, “We advise pregnant and postpartum mothers to eat naturally grown vegetables from around their homes. To build a green and beautiful society and country, we must take care of children from the mother’s womb. Nutrition comes from a variety of vegetables and fruits. In addition, when these newborns grow up, their families will need a great deal of money for their upbringing, education and medical treatment. The trees we provide to mothers today will one day become valuable assets for their families.”
Chief guest and Netrakona Sadar Upazila Executive Officer Asma Binte Rafiq said the initiative taken by Agrojatra Kishori was truly commendable.
“Although the members are young, there is no way to underestimate or overlook their efforts. Their commitment to building a greener world according to their capacity will contribute to addressing climate change. Let us salute these brave girls.”
