Nanda Rani Das, the only child of a fisher household was not
immunized until her age of 10 months. After taking up
immunization, children usually suffer from fever and diarrhoea
and that caused for delaying immunization’ said her mother,
Maneka Nama Das. However, the child came under immunization at
her 11 months of age and that was possible only after a
successful campaign of Social Assistance Program under Social
Investment Program Project.
A cluster of traditional poor fishing community lives in the
southern part of the Paschim Amkhawa village of Hativangha Union
under Dewangonj Upazila whose main livelihood depend on fishing.
The socio-economic condition of this community is miserable and
they are reluctant to take up development interventions due to
lack of proper education.
Community people believe that immunization is good for health
and save children from some deadly diseases like Polio, Measles
and Tetanus. But, a common voice of the community members
reflects that they are much worried about the immediate illness
of children after taking immunization. Even in some cases
infection creates sores in the immunized spot.
Maneka
with her newly immunized Daughter
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Kalpona Rani, a neighbor of Meneaka said, ``I immunized my
children timely though it creates some difficulties.
Immunization is essential for the children to protect them from
various diseases. But, Meneka has wrong conception about
immunization.”
Meneaka had to see the death of her two children. Her first son
died at the age of 4 months due to an unidentified disease. Her
second child died after 7 days of birth due to diarrhoea. Now
she has a daughter and Meneaka is very much aware of her. She
doest not want to take any risk for her daughter now.
Shadhana Nama Das has one son named Pradip Nama Das of two years
old is living in the same cluster. Pradip was born in the house
of his maternal grandfather. Shadhana return to her house from
her paternal house when Pradip was 5 months old. She did not
immunize her child like Meneka due to same reason. After getting
various awareness supports from SIPP, Shadhana accompanied
Meneaka to immunize for her child too. Unfortunately, the time
for her son, Pradip, was over as he is now 2 years old. She is
regretting for loosing vaccination and told that if SIPP would
have come some years back her child could also come under
immunization.
The system of immunization is that after three months of birth
every baby should get the first dosage of immunization with
vitamin A capsule. It takes two years to complete the course.
Sheafali Begum, government local health worker is responsible
for Paschim Amkhawa village. In the immunization day she invites
all the villagers to come in immunization centre for immunizing
their children.
The 7th December 2004 was a special day for Meneka as her
daughter got 3 types of immunization vaccines namely BCG, DPT
and Polio in their village immunization center (house of a UP
member). Papia Biswash has been working with this fisher
community as Social Worker of Social Investment Program Project
since last seven months. She was able to remove all
misconceptions prevailed among the women folk in the community
like Meneka through proper campaigns including meetings and
personal contacts. SIPP conducted awareness raising campaigns on
dowry, early marriage, immunization and various social issues.
Meneaka said, “I was in the dark and so I did not know many
useful things. But now I realize that immunization is not at all
harmful rather lives saving the children of vulnerable families
like us. She was firm that each children of this fisher
community would surely take immunization in time in future.”
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