While rapid urbanization has fueled economic growth, it has also expanded low-income settlements where poor sanitation, limited services, and unstable livelihoods are common. In the narrow lanes of Bangladesh’s growing cities, health risks often begin at home; where clean water is scarce, nutrition is uncertain, and daily survival takes priority over well-being. For women and children, these conditions carry lasting consequences. Limited awareness of balanced diets, safe food practices, and menstrual hygiene deepens these vulnerabilities.

It is within this reality that the Livelihoods Support for Urban Poor Communities in Bangladesh (LSUPCB) project is working to make change tangible.

Implemented by the Local Government Division and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from GDF/CIDCA, the project brings together livelihood, health, and nutrition support recognizing that poverty is not only about income, but also access, awareness, and dignity.

Through an integrated approach, the project strengthens economic resilience while improving nutrition and hygiene among women and girls, contributing to more inclusive and healthier urban communities.

Across six urban areas, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Narayanganj, and Chandpur, the project reaches 100 vulnerable communities, supporting around 30,000 households.

At the community level, nutrition sessions bring women and adolescent girls together in small groups to learn, share, and ask questions. Participants explore balanced diets, maternal nutrition, infant feeding, and hygiene practices through interactive discussions and demonstrations, guided by trained facilitators with expertise in public health and community engagement.

For many, these sessions are the first step toward linking daily habits with long-term health.