<p>Description of contributions</p><p>We are delighted to apply for the Youth for Development Prize hosted by World Organization of Scout Movement with our Bangladesh Japan Joint Primary health Care and Nature Conservation Twinning Project. We are organized by Japanese Rover Scouts and adult leaders who are belong to Scout Association of Japan. We all have the experience to join this project among past 8 years. Bangladesh Japan Joint Primary health Care and Nature Conservation Twinning Project has been provided and carried on by both Bangladesh and Japanese rovers for 8 years. We strongly believe that our project has been contributing for the development of Bangladeshi rural people, especially in the area of Primary Health Care. We are sure that Bangladeshi rovers who have joined this project should be pleased with this application.</p><p>In 1994, a proposal of twinning project focusing on “Environment” and “Education” was raised from Bangladesh Scouts at “Marrakesh international symposium” held in Morroco. And to that end, preliminary surveys were conducted in 1995 and 1997. Then Scout Association of Japan has signed a contract of twinning project on ORT (Oral Rehydration Therapy) activities. And the conduct of this five-year-project on ORT was decided.</p><p>At the same time of the preliminary surveys, one Japanese rover scout went to COMDECA in Bangladesh as the after Fuji awarded personal project of himself and he proposed the needs of some Oral Rehydration Therapy project in Bangladesh with SAJ. And then SAJ has organized the preliminary surveys according to his proposal.</p><p>The contents of the project are getting better year by year not only the conventional ORT Program, comprehensive Primary Health Care Program was added. Our project is constructed by three parts. First, ORT; oral rehydration therapy. During the first five years since, the launch of the project, we concentrated on promoting of ORT. ORT is a therapy for dehydration caused by diarrhea. The drinking of water mixed with oral rehydration salt, a powder consisting of salt and sugar, enhances the body’s ability to rehydrate.</p><p>Secondly, PHC; primary health care. Because of the way of life and the environment in Bangladesh, primary health care is of critical importance, and especially so for infants and pregnant women. We have been working to raise awareness of the importance of primary health care, covering such items as installation of wells and securing of potable water; sewage treatment methods that prevent pollution of water supplies; installation of toilets and their use; separation, collection and disposal of waste; how to feed babies so as to prevent dehydration due to diarrhea; and oral hygiene. </p><p>Thirdly, NC; natural conservation. In 2003 we launched a new program to protect the natural environment. We are planted kenaf and jute. In many cases areas are logged, the wood is pulped for the paper industry, and the result is deforestation. So, we are planted kenaf and jute, which grow quickly, to provide an alternative source of pulp. Other activities include composting of garbage. The objective is to improve hygiene by recycling garbage.</p><p>The project has been structured by 1 Japanese Contingent by 1 year, that Japanese Contingent were organized by 10 to 18 rovers include female rovers headed by 1 Official of SAJ and also include some rover leaders. Japanese Contingent had stayed during 2 weeks or above in February to March in every year and cooperated with Bangladeshi project members. Bangladeshi project members were organized by Bangladesh Scouts Officials, and structured by rovers, scouts, health workers in those rural areas, rover leaders and officials. Bangladeshi Dhaka rovers and local rovers were appointed as project team leader, liaison, coordinator and other important staff. All the Bangladeshi members were counted 180 to 200 persons rounded per every time. First camp was held at Jessore by 10 Japanese male rovers and 2 Japanese adult leaders on February to march 1998. Second camp was held at Sirajganj by 14 Japanese male rovers, 3 Japanese female rovers and 4 Japanese adult leaders on 1999. Third one was at Mymensingh by 11 male rovers, 2 female rovers and 3 adult leaders from Japan on 2000. Fourth one was at Barguna by 17 male rovers, 2 female rovers and 3 adult leaders from Japan on 2001. Fifth one was at Noakhali by 14 male rovers, 4 female rovers and 2 adult leaders on 2002. The contracting ceremony for another five year was held at Sattahip, Thailand on 3 January 2003 attended by Vice Chairman Mr. Habibul Alam and member Mr. Toby Suzuki from WOSM.</p><p>Sixth camp was held at Barguna by 15 male rovers, 2 female rovers and a adult leaders from Japan on 2003. Seventh one was at Barguna by 15 male rovers and 2 adult leaders on 2004. There was no female rovers from Japan to this camp. </p><p>To strengthen our development project, we have been taking the PDCA management cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Action) same as TOYOTA Motor Coop. since the first five year project. Since the second five year project, we are carrying the project camp at the fixed area to clarify the improvement of the practice and the behavior of rural people. If we detect a few improvements on the CHECK, we could take necessary ACTION to reflect to next year’s PLAN. Actually Bangladeshi rovers and Japanese rovers have learned much from this project. We have analyzed the information from the villagers we have contacted, evaluated and discussed with each other via internet mailing list constructed between our countries and improved our activities for the next project camp. Our mission is “We support Bangladeshi people so that they can make efforts in order to live happily”. We are going on our project with discussing where our goal should be set by 2007, when our project will be finished.</p><p>And then, we improve our programs with PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle every time. For example, we have improved the following points; “Bengali messages which we use when we visit rural houses.” “how to do the survey and analyze the data with visiting rural houses” “By using a picture-story show, we can tell our messages to local people, even if they can’t understand what we say.”</p><p>In our project, a house to house approach is adopted to raising awareness. Groups of Rover Scouts call at houses and explain about health care. A group consists of seven or eight Bangladeshi Rover Scouts and a Japanese Rover Scout. Each group visits some 66 houses a day. A professional health worker accompanies each group. On average, in one cycle of the project, the groups visit six villages and some 1,200 houses. Groups visiting houses use a story told with the aid of pictures on a series of storyboards to explain the importance of primary health care. Explanation is given in an easy-to-understand manner. A simple story with powerful visual impact captures the attention of the audience. This is an efficient way to of communicate useful knowledge to parents and other adults.</p><p>An evaluation meeting is held soon after every the completion of a project cycle to clarify useful information for the next phase of activities. The achievements of the project cycle are compiled in a report that is used as the basis of the next action. The evaluation should be held after coming back to Japan by our contingent as mentioned above.</p><p>Just before the end of the first-five-year project in 2002, Mr. Mihir Kanti Majumder, chief coordinator of the twinning project in Bangladeshi side has come to Japan to attend the evaluation meeting by SAJ invitation program. He presented some speech include the evaluation of our project in the evaluation meeting held by SAJ and former project members at Nagoya, Japan. His presentation pitches said that the ORT knowledge and practice of community people were improved and health and sanitation knowledge and practice were improved. Actually some figures had shown that respondent’s knowledge of health and sanitation were increased from 34% to 87.3%. He has also mentioned that the mortality of the babies within two years after born was decreased significantly.</p><p>Now, we will explain the project from February to March, 2005</p><p>In this project, we selected Chotobogi village in Barguna district as a model village. We made a base camp there and did various programs around Chotobogi. Our activities consist of four programs. First program is Base-line Survey. The purpose of the survey is to grasp how much local people understand Primary Health Care (PHC) and Nature Conservation (NC). Japanese rover scouts visit 200 houses in Chotobogi one by one in cooperation with Bangladesh rover scouts. And then, we asked villagers some simple questions and wrote answers into some sheets. After coming back to Japan, we can understand the present situation of the local life by analyzing some data which we collected. And we try to use the data effectively and improve our programs. Second program is House to House Campaign.In this program, Japanese rover scouts and Bangladesh rover scouts visited many housesin six villages including Chotobogi, and told villagers some important messages about PHC and NC with original tools made of a sketch book and posters. For example, we appealed “the importance of Breast Feeding and Baby food”, “the effect of cutting trees and necessity of planting”. We were able to tell our message to a few people with seeing their reaction at one time. Villagers may have felt that our message was for them. So we think we were able to improve their attitudes toward effectively.</p><p>Third program is Booth Demonstration. The purpose of this program is to encourage people in Bangladesh to improve their attitudes toward PHC and NC. We set a few booths at local schools and held some workshops. The workshop consists of three programs; “The correct way of practicing LGS” (LGS is effective treatment for thirst due to diarrhea.) “Effects of environmental destruction and importance of nature conservation” “How to make a garbage pit and dispose of garbage”. We were able to tell our messages to a lot of people at a time effectively. And it was so impressive visually because of various demonstrations. Fourth program is Setting of Signs and Posters. The purpose of this project is to continue to encourage people in Bangladesh to improve their attitudes toward PHC and NC after coming back to Japan. We introduced this program for the first time in eight year projects. In the last project, we decided to appeal the importance of disposing garbage into garbage pits. Japanese rover scouts set some signs and posters whose picture were about disposing garbage into garbage pit at local schools in cooperation with Bangladesh rover scouts.</p><p>Contents of programs: Programs of this project consist of Primary Health Care, Nature Conservation and Disposal of wastes. In the PHC program, we made it our purpose that “Every villager can live a healthy and sanitary life”. And for the purpose, we chose Breast Feeding, Kitchen Garden, ORS packets, the spread of LGS, and worms, so that the people can understand them as a matter of daily lives. In Bangladesh, the death rate of the babies and infants are extremely high. So we are carrying out our activity for the purpose of reducing the rate and spreading some general knowledge that are good for the health. As to ORS packets and the spread of LGS, we have continued since our 1stproject. The findings suggest that most of the people in Chotobogi village understand these things. And we can also see the achievement of our project.</p><p>The program of the Nature Conservation focused on the problems proposed by Bangladesh: the excessive use of agricultural chemicals, the protection of plants and animals and the conservation of mangroves. And we explained the importance of the eco-system, planting trees and the environmental circulation. Under the present situation of be giving priority to making daily life over others things, we tried to accomplish the purpose of “Raising consciousness of the nature conservation and the challenge of putting in action. We also did the rally claiming the preservation of wild birds.</p><p>The third program is about the disposal of wastes: this project is related to both PHC and NC. We regard this is one of the important problem, because this is closely related to the daily lives. In Bangladesh, the use of plastic bags was abolished and jute bags are used instead. In spite of the gradual improvement, roads are littered with rubbish. People in the country don’t have the idea of putting garbage into garbage cans. Then, we selected the message of “Let’s put the garbage into the designated place” and tried to familiarize it. Through this program, from the improvement of heath and hygiene to the landscape improvement, we can get the two merits. We hope to continue to tackle with the problem about wastes on and on. This project is a golden opportunity for the Rover Scouts to enrich their capabilities. They can experience a different culture, improve their communication skills, enhance international co- operation and friendship, and widen their horizons. Rover Scouts in Japan are increasingly interested in international cooperation. This is because Rover Scouts who participated in the twinning project speak about the project and encourage other Rover Scouts to take part. This is making a valuable contribution to the promotion of the Scouting Movement in Japan while enhancing the friendship between the peoples of Japan and Bangladesh. </p><p>We are hoping that the method we cultivated through this twinning project will be utilized in other projects in other countries.</p><p>About the entire project We can get various kinds of experience through this project. For example, knowledge of PHC and NC, international exchange, cultural exchange, self-study and enhancing of worldwide view. Then friendship is sure to arise by talking eagerly through the project. We are supported by many people in this project. And we can get connections specific to Boy scouts. By getting a stronger sense of responsibility and finding a sense of achievement, we can approach a scout as a sensible member of society. Ｉ n other words, we can find a true significance of Rovering in this activity. We prepare various things to do our project. Physical power, soul, and individual skills are trained. And then, participants enhance their motivation through various preparation and take part in the project. And several members have been to Bangladesh for meetings before the project. They adjust the program and confirm some needs of both Japanese side and Bangladeshi side beforehand. And our activity doesn't end even if returning home. We start to prepare for the next project. Then, we are asked to report our activities and what we have got through this project. Telling all over the world the thing that we can do for other countries is a most important task .Our project doesn't end.</p>