Project Prothom Hashi: Digital Healthcare Accountability
Ensuring Every Child Smiles
Kurigram, a northern delta district of Bangladesh, faces severe geographical and socio-economic challenges. Crisscrossed by rivers and dotted with isolated char (riverine island) settlements, the district contends with difficult terrain and communication barriers that leave remote rural communities structurally marginalized. In these hard-to-reach border areas, access to routine public healthcare—particularly the state-mandated Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI)—remains a significant challenge for infants, young children, and mothers.
The Challenges of Grassroots Healthcare & Vaccination Access
Every year, hundreds of children in remote unions and char clusters face delays or complete gaps in receiving life-saving routine immunizations. Due to logistical bottlenecks, vaccine supply disruptions, clinic distance, and low institutional oversight in isolated settlements, many infants miss crucial vaccination schedules. Furthermore, rural families encounter service barriers and lack a direct, transparent channel to report infrastructure gaps or service deficiencies. Without timely data and evidence-based feedback loops, local healthcare authorities face difficulties identifying bottlenecks and deploying targeted interventions where they are needed most.
Our Mission: Youth-Led Civic Technology for Health Equity
To address these challenges and ensure that no child in Kurigram is left behind in routine healthcare delivery, DFBY Foundation has launched Project “Prothom Hashi” (First Smile). This transformative, youth-powered civic technology initiative bridges the gap between grassroots citizens and the public health administration. By training and deploying local youth watchdogs equipped with a custom-built mobile application, we create a transparent, real-time feedback mechanism to track vaccination delivery and uphold public healthcare accountability. DFBY Foundation: Youth watchdogs and project volunteers collaborating during the field auditing campaign in Bhurungamari.
Swift Digital Auditing & Field Monitoring
One of the primary responsibilities of our youth watchdogs is conducting comprehensive, door-to-door community audits across remote unions and char settlements. Equipped with a specialized, offline-first mobile survey application, our watchdogs document whether infants and mothers are receiving essential routine EPI vaccines on schedule, record systemic service delays, and aggregate citizen grievances. Over intensive field auditing campaigns, the team systematically captures verified grassroots data across vulnerable households, prioritizing the inclusion of women, children, and marginalized families.
Providing Actionable Data & Administrative Linkages
In the aftermath of field data collection, turning information into action is critical. The collected field data and service gap reports are compiled and officially submitted to the Upazila Health Department, the Upazila Health & Family Planning Officer (UH&FPO), and local sub-district administrative authorities (UNO). By identifying specific vaccination gaps and clinic resource shortages with high precision, our reports enable local government duty-bearers to take swift corrective action, restock vaccines, and improve clinic service delivery in underserved areas.
Inclusive Community Representation
Social inclusion and gender equity are foundational to the mission of Project Prothom Hashi. Our dedicated auditing cohort reflects full community representation, mobilizing young women, young men, and gender-diverse youth as frontline civic watchdogs. This inclusive approach ensures safe, culturally sensitive access to mothers and female caregivers during household surveys, fostering community trust and encouraging open dialogue around maternal and child health rights.
Training and Equipping Our Youth Watchdogs
The effectiveness and accuracy of our monitoring mechanism depend on the rigorous preparation of our team. To ensure our youth watchdogs conduct field audits ethically, securely, and efficiently, we provide them with comprehensive capacity-building workshops and digital tools.
Capacity Building Programs
Our training programs cover essential competencies, including digital mobile app navigation, offline data synchronization, research ethics, and informed community consent. Team members learn how to conduct constructive citizen interviews, document evidence accurately, practice digital safety and data privacy, and escalate urgent public health issues safely. DFBY Foundation: Dignitaries, local government officials, and youth volunteers participating in the Capacity Building Workshop for Project Prothom Hashi.
Digital Tools & Technical Infrastructure
We equip our youth watchdogs with the necessary technical infrastructure to operate smoothly in low-connectivity areas. Mobile data tools, secure cloud databases, and offline-first survey applications enable our volunteers to gather precise healthcare data even in the most remote char settlements. DFBY Foundation implements this initiative with technical and financial collaboration from the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) South Asia and Accountability Lab.
Institutional Dialogue & Sustainable Solutions
Our commitment extends beyond initial data collection. We foster continuous multi-stakeholder dialogue to ensure systemic, long-term improvements in public service delivery.
Multi-Stakeholder Coordination
We organize review meetings and roundtables with healthcare professionals, educators, press club representatives, local government officials, and community leaders. These platforms enable civil society and public authorities to analyze monitoring findings collaboratively and co-create sustainable solutions for grassroots healthcare infrastructure.
Evidence-Based Policy Advocacy
By transforming community feedback into structured evidence, Project Prothom Hashi advocates for fair resource allocation and improved healthcare coverage. This evidence-based advocacy ensures local administrative bodies maintain high public service standards across remote border and riverine char areas. DFBY Foundation empowers youth watchdogs to collect real-time healthcare data and bridge public service gaps for rural communities.
Partnering for a Healthier Future
Our work is made possible through strategic partnerships and shared commitments to good governance. DFBY Foundation collaborates with international and regional development partners, including Accountability Lab and DDI South Asia, as well as local government line departments. Together, we are dedicated to building a transparent, accountable, and inclusive healthcare environment for all.
How You Can Help
You can make a difference in the lives of the people in Bangladesh. Your support enables us to continue our vital work and expand our reach to even more communities in need. Whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading awareness, every contribution counts.
Donate: Your financial contributions help us purchase essential supplies, provide training for our team, and offer financial assistance to affected families. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a significant impact.
Volunteer: Join our team and help us in our disaster response and community outreach efforts. Your time and skills can make a real difference in the lives of those affected by natural disasters.
Spread the Word: Raise awareness about the challenges faced by the people of Kurigram and the work we do to support them. Share our mission with your friends, family, and social networks to help us reach more people and garner more support.
We remain dedicated to empowering communities and protecting public health through youth-led digital innovation. Through Project Prothom Hashi, comprehensive training, and constructive institutional collaboration, we strive to secure a healthier, more accountable future for every child in our region. With your support, we can continue bridging healthcare gaps and delivering hope where it is needed most.