Building Brighter Beginnings in Bhola

Bhola, BANGLADESH – The community clinic, where families come for their most basic health care needs, hums with rhythmic singing, chitchat and the occasional cries of babies. It is late morning, and the play-based Early Childhood Development (ECD) session has just begun for children under three and their caregivers.

On a sprawling red flower-patterned sheet across the floor, six to eight mothers sit in a circle with their children and listen attentively to Prodip, the community health worker leading the session. In front of them lie scattered colorful picture books and puzzle cards.

Fahima Begum sits beside her 18-month-old daughter, Roza, while pointing at a flower in a puzzle card.

“What is this?” she asks in Bangla.

Hearing her mother, Roza looks at the book intently. Some of the other children have started fidgeting or crying in the heat, but Roza’s gaze is fixed on the flower. Occasionally, she would glance at her peers as if checking to make sure she is doing it right.

The First 1,000 Days: A Window That Doesn’t Reopen

Two years ago, Fahima wouldn’t have imagined sitting like this with her child. A mother of three, she raised her first two children without much parenting guidance beyond the routine health check-ups. She had never been told that the first 1,000 days of a child’s life are the most critical period for brain development, that simple acts of talking, engaging with the child, and playing were shaping her children’s future.

“I didn’t have any idea how to play with my children,” she remembers. “I used to scold them without any control because I didn’t know that could harm their brain development.”

That changed when Prodip, who had known Fahima’s family for over five years, knocked on her door. A familiar and reliable face in the village, he had been visiting households to administer immunizations and give maternal, child health and nutrition counseling. After receiving the ECD training and play materials - all eco-friendly and locally produced,1 he started inviting families with children under three like Fahima’s to the sessions led by him.

“I’ve learned so much,” he admits. “The ECD training did not just help me become a better health worker. It helped me become a better father.”

Parenting Their Children in a Different Way

Roza is Fahima’s third child, but the first to receive early stimulation, responsive feeding, and nurturing care during her early years. This period represents a golden window of opportunity for children’s development – when more than a million new neural connections are formed each second, when optimal nutrition and responsive care lay the foundation for lifelong health, learning and productivity.

Roza’s development, compared to her older siblings, has been noticeably faster.

“My older daughter, Maha, started speaking at age three,” Fahima reflects. “Roza is already constructing meaningful sentences at 18 months. She is more active and interested in everything.”

Fahima and Roza now attend the play-based ECD sessions once every two weeks at the clinic. Roza’s developmental milestones are also checked every six months to identify any early sign of developmental delays. Fahima has learned how to interact with Roza during mealtimes, play with her using the toys she made at home, and take the girl outside to connect her with nature. Fahima’s husband, Mohiuddin Talukdar also gets involved.

“I really like playing with my children,” he says. “I enjoy introducing them to new things and helping them learn.”

Fahima and Mohiuddin have always loved their children. Yet now they are learning how to raise them in a way that makes their children feel what every child deserves: to be the centre of someone’s universe.

Through small, everyday acts, from attentive feeding, play, to storytelling, they are raising Maha differently and giving Roza a stronger start than her siblings ever received. 

A shift in perspectives

The changes in the village are easy to see. Working closely with families, Prodip and other community health workers have noticed a shift: where mothers once set their babies down and left them on their own, they now sit close, talk, play, and actively engage with their babies. More families are coming forward, asking how their children can be part of the ECD program.

Still, challenges remain. With limited space, materials, and trained staff, not every child can be included.

“Sometimes children cry or tear up playbooks. Sometimes we do not have electricity. Some families live far and cannot afford the transportation cost,” Prodip shares.

Building the Foundations of a Smarter Bangladesh

The pilot program led by the government and supported by UNICEF in a remote island like Bhola shows what’s possible when ECD services are woven into home visits and everyday health care. By using the country’s network of community clinics and training community health workers like Prodip, the program is reaching children, especially those most easily left behind, with the stimulation, attention, and love they need to thrive to their full potential later in life. Integrating ECD into the primary health care system also brings more opportunities for play - an essential part of how young children learn and develop.

“ECD services should be scaled up across the country,” Dr. Md. Anisur Rahman, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer observes after seeing the results firsthand in his community.

Bangladesh already has a strong policy framework for early childhood development. What is needed now is to bring that policy to life - to make services like these a part of everyday care for every family, everywhere. The return is clear: for every dollar spent on the ECD programme, there is up to $13 return on investment. But beyond the numbers, the true return is in people - healthier children for a smarter Bangladesh in the future. 

A Future Redefined

At home, Roza and Maha are flipping through their picture books together with Fahima besides them.

“I have no doubt about ECD,” she says. “It has changed the way I raise my children. I want her to complete her studies, be educated, and get a job.”

Because a brighter future begins with love, nurturing care, responsive feeding, and early stimulation.

Yes, early moments matter!

____________________________

1 These materials include age-appropriate and locally-produced toys, picture books, and puzzles.

UNICEF wishes to express sincere gratitude to The LDS, Gina Tricot, and Gavi for their continued support and immense contributions in ensuring nurturing care for early childhood development- Beginning Early for Building Better Brains for Future Bangladesh.