“Rates of malnutrition in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world. More than 54% of preschool-age children, equivalent to more than 9.5 million children, are stunted, 56% are underweight and more than 17% are wasted”- according to FAO.

“Only polluted air causes 10,000 premature deaths per year”- according to WHO.

In Bangladesh, 40% of the total population lives in slums. Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in this world accommodating nearly 17 core people within 1, 47,570 square kilometer. More than 40% people live under poverty line.

The Hazards

1. Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, produces more than 5000 tons of waste per day. But there is no proper waste management system in these slums. Thus, high environmental pollution becomes the cause of an unhealthy life.

2. More than 80% of the slum children are chronically malnourished. They suffer from ill-health and diseases like throughout their lives.

This malnutrition rate is overwhelming to the slum areas in Bangladesh. With little income slum people can’t afford necessary food for their families. Nutrient food is nightmare to them. So, malnutrition in children, adolescents and women is a major concern in Bangladesh. Despite progress, levels of malnutrition in Bangladesh are amongst the highest in the world, and this is a major cause of death and disease in children and women. In addition to causing individual tragedies like maternal and child mortality, malnutrition exacts heavy costs from the health care system through excess morbidity, increased premature delivery, and elevated risks of heart disease and diabetes. The economic consequences of Bangladesh’s malnutrition problem are profound, resulting in lost productivity and reduced intellectual and learning capacity.

Another crucial point is Bangladesh has serious problem of waste management. It’s a sad reality that government waste management doesn’t work in slums. So, slum people throw their waste rivers, canals, open places lower areas. Thus it creates tremendous environment pollution also increase health threats to them.

Solution

HrH, stands for Health replaced Hazard. HrH will collect waste from the slums through the micro-prenuers (our waste collector) who are slum dwellers. The will bring these wastes to the HrH decentralized processing point. Here the waste will be separated into two parts- organic waste and inorganic waste. The organic waste will be treated to make fertilizer and the inorganic waste containing plastics and polythene will be sold to the recycling firms. This will ensure proper waste management and keep the environment pollution-free.

Selling the fertilizer and the inorganic waste will give us revenue. This money will be again used for reducing malnutrition in the same slums from which the waste will be collected. As a part of our plan, we will provide them with spirulina.

Spirulina is one of the most nutritious, complete, efficient and effective food on Earth. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, antioxidants that is a complete solution of existing malnutrition. According to UN, “Spirulina is the best food for the future” (World Food Conference, 1974)

Uniqueness of HrH solution

The ultimate consumers need not pay directly; rather they will provide just their domestic wastes that they used to throw in the road side, rivers or elsewhere. The rationale behind all their effort will be that HrH will provide them with the best nutritious food on earth, Spirulina, totally free of cost.

Hence, HrH will be able to reduce nutrition problem and save the environment from pollution. In addition, HrH will create employment opportunities for the slum people when people will be employed in collecting waste and producing fertilizer. By including women in the workforce, empowerment of women will be ensured.  

So, HrH will be able to reduce malnutrition, save environment, create jobs for unemployment and will contribute to keep clean one of the most polluted country in this world.