People’s Republic of Bangladesh

Preparatory Survey on BOP Business on
Improving Maternal and Child Nutrition
through Locally-Developed Foods
Report(Summary)

January, 2014

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd.
Alliance Forum Foundation

Table of Contents

1

2

3

Overview and Objective of the Proposed BOP Business .................................................. 1
1.1

Overview ........................................................................................................................ 1

1.2

Challenges in Bangladesh .............................................................................................. 1

1.3

Objective of the Research .............................................................................................. 2

Conclusion: Feasibility of the Proposed Business ............................................................. 3
2.1

Feasibility of the Proposed Business ............................................................................. 3

2.2

Business Model .............................................................................................................. 3

2.3

Product Design ............................................................................................................... 8

2.4

Proposed Schedule of Business.................................................................................... 10

2.5

Contributions to Solve Challenges Bangladeshi Face ................................................. 12

Area of Potential Cooperation with JICA ....................................................................... 14

Tables and Figures
Figure 1：New Business Model ...........................................................................................................4
Figure 2：Promotion Process ...............................................................................................................6
Figure 3：Business Schedule .............................................................................................................10

Table 1：Main Target Customers ................................................................................................. 5
Table 2：Overview of the Product Design ................................................................................... 9

1

Overview and Objective of the Proposed BOP Business
1.1

Overview
The proposed BOP business aims at contributing to solve two challenges Bangladesh

faces today. The first is maternal and infant malnutrition. The second is inadequate food aid
and nutrition during the times of natural disasters. The team jointly formed between Nissin
Foods Holdings Co., Ltd (“Nissin”) and Alliance Forum Foundation (“AFF”) proposed tocontribute to these issues by creating a new nutritiously balanced food using Nissin’s foodtechnology. The team aims to accomplish this by creating nutritional food 1) adopted to the
local food culture, and 2) capable to consume without cooking so that people can stock
them up in case of disasters. This report summarizes the findings of the study and thefeasibility of the proposed BOP business.
1.2

Challenges in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, the number of people suffering from malnutrition reaches as high as 42

million, roughly 30% of the population1. Malnutrition is especially serious among children
under 5 years old. Among them, 41.3% is malnourished, which is higher than Sub Sahara
Africa (24.6%), and the average of low income countries (28.3%)2. Malnutrition not only
leads to inadequate growth, but also to a high rate of deaths among maternal and lactating
mothers and infants. UNICEF Bangladesh office calls attention to this situation by terming
it “Silent Emergencies”. The Bangladesh government, international organizations, andNGOs are trying to improve the condition by providing nutritional food and supplements.
However, such aid cannot be a permanent solution to the cause. Once the program ends, thesituation could worsen again.
A lack of food aid after natural disasters is also an issue. Bangladesh experiences
severe cyclones and floods almost every year. Every time after disasters, a large number ofvictims suffering from a lack food are reported. For example, after Cyclone Aira in 2009,
3.9 million became the victims. Among them, 500 thousands were in need of emergency
assistance. Though the number has been declining due to the government’s effort instrengthening the early warning system, there is still a room to be improved. For example,
even with the number of aids provided by the government, international organizations, andNGOs, food aid hardly reaches to areas which became isolated after the road connection
was cut off by flooded water.
The founder of Nissin, Momofuku Ando, gave up his then- job to start a food company
after seeing so many Japanese suffering from malnutrition in post-World War II. He created

1
2

WFP, UNICEF, IPHN, Bangladesh Household Food Security and Nutrition Assessment Report 2009
World Health Organization, Global Database on Growth and Malnutrition1the first instant noodle (“Chicken Noodle”) which is conservable and easy to cook by justpouring hot water. Chicken Noodle was recommended for maternal and lactating mothersby the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan when it came out because of the highnutritional content. Since then, the Nissin Group has been contributing to support people’s
food needs by creating instant foods, biscuits, corn flakes, dairy products and others. The
Nissin Group also actively participates in assisting disaster victims by providing food aids.
The Group established a system that promptly delivers its products to disaster affectedareas by keeping a certain amount of running stock. Nissin aims to contribute solving the
problems in Bangladesh by using its know-how on establishing a business financially
feasible as well as socially committed.
1.3

Objective of the Research
A feasibility study (F/S) was conducted to verify the developmental impact andbusiness feasibility of the proposed BOP business. Based on the F/S, a business plan was
created for a proposal. The following is the list of particulars verified in the F/S.
1.

Dietary habits and nutritional status of maternal and lactating mothers, infants
and young children, and lower income households

2.

Market, competitors and logistic channels

3.

Site and cost of factory4.

Acceptance level of the trial product among target population

5.

Level of damage caused by past disasters and current risk management system

6.

Possibility of partnering with NGOs and government institutions

7.

Development impact and business feasibility of the proposed BOP business basedon the conditions verified above2

2

Conclusion: Feasibility of the Proposed Business
2.1

Feasibility of the Proposed Business
Based on the results of F/S, the team found out that the proposed BOP can contributeto solving the situation of malnutrition and lack of food aid after disasters. However, thetiming of the start of the business has to be carefully planned since the size of the instantnoodle market in Bangladesh is still small. A business model using NGO grass-roots
distribution channel had to be modified as well.
The current size of the instant noodle market in Bangladesh is about 0.2 billion
packets per year. Nissin sets its target market share as 70-80 million packets per year which
represents almost the half of the current market size. This is unrealistic to achieve under thepresence of a strong market leader, Nestle S.A., which provides nationally popular instantnoodle “Maggi”. Thus, a further growth in the market is necessary for Nissin to provide its
nutritional instant noodle sustainably.
Still, the result of F/S implied that the instant noodle market is growing faster thanwhat the data suggests. If the market grows faster than the projected rate, the year ofreaching the target share is likely to accelerate as well. Therefore, in order to assess theright timing of entering into the market, Nissin will continue paying a close attention to thetrend of the instant noodle market. In detail, Nissin will observe the market trend bycollecting the following information.
1) Collect data on the market size of packaged instant noodles in Bangladesh once a year2) Visit Bangladesh regularly to observe the instant noodle market
3) Collect information on the progress and direction of important governmental policies(Ex. Policies on energy, infrastructure, and SEZ development) (The information will becollected if Nissin can obtain a precise assessment on the launching year)
The following chapters explain the business model, product design, and business scheduleNissin likely to adopt if the estimated target year to launch its business in Bangladesh
becomes clear.
2.2

Business Model
The business model was modified from the proposed version based on the result ofmarket research, consumer research, pilot sales, and disaster management research
conducted in F/S (Figure 1). The proposed BOP business aims to contribute to fight against
1) malnutrition and 2) hunger during disasters by partnering with local NGOs. To
contribute to the issue in 1), Nissin plans to teach mothers on the importance of having
3

nutritiously balanced intake by hiring saleswomen who visits remote villages where notmany retail shops are located. Saleswomen will open a pop-up-store of Nissin products inpublic areas, such as in front of schools or community buildings. Saleswomen will teachmothers on what is nutrition, and why it is important to take nutritiously balanced foodbesides promoting Nissin’s products to customers gathered in the area. A partner NGO is
expected to train saleswomen on nutrition and assist their sales activity by acting both as asales advisor and mentor. To contribute to the issue in 2), a pilot project will be jointly
conducted with a NGO actively promoting disaster prevention including educating theimportance to stock emergency food at the Hatia island, a highly disaster affected area at
the Bay of Bengal. Nissin plans to create a noodle product edible even without cooking in
hot water so that it can also be promoted as emergency food stock. The NGO will teach theimportance of stocking foods which may indirectly increase the demand on Nissin’s
product. If the pilot project proves the effectiveness of Nissin’s product as emergency foodstock Nissin will expand its promotion to other disaster prone areas.

Figure 1：New Business Model

1.

Ingredients
Instead of rice, the team proposes to use wheat flour as the ingredient of the nutritional
instant noodle. Though rice is considered as the staple food in Bangladesh, rice noodle4

is still a new idea to many Bangladeshi who are usually conservative on their foodchoice. The cost of using rice is also as high as the wheat flour if processed into rice
flour. Thus from the perspective of food culture and cost, wheat flour is a morecompetitive choice.
Nissin plans to procure the flour from a local company, most likely to be ACI Pure
Four Limited which is the choice of other foreign food companies, such as Nestle andThai President Foods, as well. The quality of the flour shall be determined after
considering Bangladeshi customers’ taste. As it is explained in later chapters, Nissin
plans to enter into the Bangladeshi market in two phases. In phase 1, Nissin plans to
produce noodles using existing factories in nearby Asian countries. Thus, Nissin
intends to cooperate with its local partners in the country for flour procurement.
2.

Target Customers
The main target customers of the proposed BOP business are narrowed down
according to three categories: income, segment, and area. The income shall be
between 5,000-20,000 Tk/month. School kids should be added to the target segment inaddition to maternal and lactating mothers and infants since they are the main
consumers of noodles today. Nissin should start entering into the Bangladeshi market
from Dhaka and Chittagong districts where 60% of the national population resides.
Table 1：Main Target Customers
Category

IncomeSegment(Characteristics)

Area

Target• Monthly income between 5,000-20,000Tk who eats instantnoodles the most likely to become the main target.
 Among BOPs, the transition from stick noodles toinstant noodles usually happens after reaching an
income of 5,000Tk/month.
 56% of the population falls under the category of
5,000-20,000 per month income range.
• It is effective to promote to school children together withmaternal and lactating mothers, and infants.
 School kids seem to be the main consumers of instantnoodles.
 Preferences of children affect parents’ choice of food.
 Mothers showed a high interest in children’s nutrition.
• To reach the target share, it is more effective to start from
Dhaka and Chittagong districts.
 60% of the population resides in Dhaka andChittagong districts.
 Household expenditures are higher in Dhaka andChittagong districts than the rest of the country.
 The number of maternal and lactating mothers is
5about the same in urban and rural areas.

3.

Promotion Strategies
Other than usual sign advertisement, TV commercials, and free samples, Nissin plansa special promotion combining nutrition education with product promotion for its
main target customers. For maternal and lactating mothers, and infants, Nissin plans toform a partnership with a NGO with experience of conducting nutrition education
programs. The partner is not limited to one NGO. Partner NGOs will be selectedaccording to different areas since local reputation is an advantage when introducing
new ideas affecting dietary habits, especially in conservative rural areas. The
following summarizes the process of the promotion.

Figure 2：Promotion Process(Source: Study Team)Saleswomen will first teach about nutrients necessary for healthy growth of children
and mothers. Then they will introduce the nutrients typically lacking among
Bangladeshi, such as Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) and Iron. They will also educate
about health and development problems caused by the lack of such nutrients. Finally,
Nissin’s product which is fortified by Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) and Iron will be
introduced. During customer research, the team discovered that many mothers try to
improve children’s health by feeding vegetables, fruits, and eggs recommended bygovernment health officers or NGOs. However, most mothers have little knowledge on
nutritional content of foods recommended to take. Having proper knowledge on
nutrition—how it works and why it’s important—helps consumers understanding theeffectiveness of Nissin’s product. Therefore, supplementing the knowledge about6nutrition through saleswomen is important.
At the end of the promotion, saleswomen will introduce various ways to cook instantnoodles depending on consumers’ preference. In the customer research we discoveredthat many maternal and lactating mothers consciously take eggs for the health of theirown and babies’. Therefore, Nissin plans to develop a product with a taste thatmatches with eggs. Saleswomen will be asked to effectively convey this message toencourage maternal and lactating mothers try the product. As for infants and young
children, we occasionally observed mothers boiling noodles longer to make themsofter when cooking for infants. Soup powder is also added only for a small portion
since small children are sensitive to salt and spices. Such cooking method will also be
introduced during the promotion in order to appeal to customers that one noodle
product can meet different demands of a family.

Infant eating noodles at customer research

Infant eating noodles during pilot sales

Nissin plans to partner with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) 3 in orderto promote the product to school children. The team has discussed about the plan withGAIN for three times in Tokyo and Bangladesh. GAIN is about to launch a school
meal program with the Ministry of Education of Bangladesh. GAIN prefers to provide
warm processed food in the program. Though the procurement company has been
already selected, GAIN mentioned the food can be substituted with Nissin products
once or twice a week if the cost is incurred by Nissin. This alliance enables Nisshin toadvertise its products to children in the school meal project but also to healthconscious parents through the Bangladesh National TV channel, on which the Ministryof Education holds a program.
3

GAIN is an international NGO conducting projects around the world to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable
people.

7

4.

Logistics
In the proposed BOP business, Nissin aims to distribute its products through acommercial channel collaborating with mom-n-pop shops4 and large scale retailers. A
large scale distributor having the capacity to organize a team of “distributor and sales
operator5” will be the partner. However, such large scale distributors are still limited in
Bangladesh. Thus, forming a partnership with an ideal distributor becomes the key tosuccess.
Nissin has already started negotiation with a potential distributor to understand thecondition of partnership. Stock management and customer management will be largely
dependent on the partner who has local knowledge. However there are some inventory
control methods particular to instant noodles, which should be instructed by Nissin.

5.

Logistics at Emergencies
As in the business model, Nissin aims to encourage consumers to stockpile its productin case of emergency, rather than utilizing NGO’s food aid distribution channel todirectly provide emergency foods to the victims. This strategy is based on thegovernment’s policy shifting from providing emergency food assistance toencouraging household-level food stocking. Nissin will accomplish this goal bypartnering with a NGO which runs a household-level disaster prevention program atthe Hatia Island. While the partner NGO instructs residents in the disaster prone areas
the importance of emergency stock foods, Nissin will explain how edible its product iswithout cooking, as well as how effective a source is to support energy and nutritional
needs during disasters.
Since stocking emergency food supply is a voluntary action, residents in disaster prone
areas are expected to get Nissin products through a commercial channel. Thus logisticchannel is no different to that of the times of non-emergency. However, since the Hatia
island is in a remote area at the Bay of Bengal, Nissin products is not likely to reach tothe area during Phase 1. Therefore, the joint promotion with a NGO to residents in
disaster prone area is expected to start from Phase 2.

2.3

Product Design
Based on market research, consumer research, and pilot sales, the product design was

defined as below.

4

Small scale kiosk type retail shops which are usually run by a family.
Sales operator specializes in promoting goods and taking orders from mom-n-pop shops. The order will be passed
to the distributor.
5

8

Table 2：Overview of the Product Design
Category
Ingredients•

Product Format•

Cooking Style

•

Taste

•

•
Characteristics••

DetailsThough rice was the proposed ingredient at the start, wediscovered that wheat flour is a more viable choice.
 There is no big difference between the price of rice
and wheat flour since rice assumes additional cost
if processed into flour.
Instant noodle is the best choice because of its
fast-growing market. Nissin’s also possesses the highest
advantage on food processing technology in the instantnoodle market.
 Children who typically lack nutrition are the main
consumers of instant noodles.
 Instant noodles are regarded as highly
nutritious.
 Instant noodle goes together with eggs whichmaternal and lactating mothers consciously
consume for their own and the babies’. health Instant noodle can be arranged to suit thepreference of infants and young children if cooked
longer to make noodles softer or adding less soup
powder to minimize spices.
 Considering the target customers’ purchasing
power, packaged instant noodle is a better choicethan cup noodles which are typically more
expensive.
Frying is the standard style of cooking noodles in
Bangladesh, thus Nissin will apply the style to its productdesign.
 There are still many people in Bangladesh who
cannot read, thus introducing a soup noodle styleby putting a cooking instruction on the packet is
not feasible.
Though the taste will be limited to one kind at the
beginning, since an interest in different varieties of taste
were shown during the research, in the long-run, Nissin
will diversify its product range.
Difference between Indian and Bangladeshi Masalashould be noted during the product design.
Beta carotene (Vitamin A) and iron, nutrients typicallylacking among maternal and lactating mothers, andinfants shall be added to the product.
 Iodine which is also typically lacking among target
customers is difficult to add since it is sensitive toheat.
 Whether nutrients should be kneaded into thedough or added in the soup powder shall be
determined in the future.
The product shall be edible even without cooking so thatpeople can use it as stock food in case of disasters.
9

Price• Nissin will target 15-17Tk/packet, the typical range of
packaged noodles in Bangladesh.

At least in the beginning, products will not be differentiated according to different
segments of customers. This is to achieve a better financial return by adopting a single
production line. We did find that a mini-size packaged noodle “Maggi Jr.” is popularamong lower to middle income households in rural areas. However, cost-wise, it is better togive a discount on the normal size packet as a launching promotion, rather than adding
another product size. Besides, Grameen Danone Foods Ltd.6 which introduced different
product lines between rural and urban areas, seemed to find that dealers purchasing
lower-cost Grameen Danone products in rural areas to sell in urban areas. This case implies
that having multiple lines of products according to different segments is not necessarily awise option.
2.4

Proposed Schedule of Business
If the instant noodle market grows as projected, Nissin will most likely to launch its

business according to the schedule shown in Figure 3 below. Since it is Nissin’s first timeto enter into the Bangladeshi market, the business launch will be divided into two phases.

Figure 3：Business Schedule(Source: Study Team)

6

A joint venture founded between Grameen Bank and Group Danone in 2006. Grameen Danone produces a fortified
yogurt called “Shokti Doi” (Energy Yogurt) aiming mainly to improve nutritious condition of children.

10Phase 1: Establishing Local Operation System
The instant noodle market in Bangladesh is growing along with the growth inpopulation and the purchasing power of the middle-income households. Therefore, an early
entrance into the market is anticipated. At the same time, the presence of the competitor,
especially Nestle S.A., is too strong that “Maggi” has become the standard of instantnoodles. Although Nissin found that their products could also be well-accepted among
Bangladeshi consumers, a possibility of establishing a strong logistic system to make suchpotential customers a repeater is still not clear. Thus, a further negotiation with local
potential partners on cooperation is necessary in this stage. Promotion wise, Nissin plans toutilize saleswomen who can teach about the importance of nutrition together with productpromotion, in addition to usual commercial advertisement on TV and sign boards, freesample, and limited-time discount.
In the first phase, products will be produced in other Asian countries where Nissin
already possesses production factories. Still, the products will not be sold as expensive“import product”. The product will be designed especially for Bangladeshi customers. The
138% import tax will be incurred by Nissin as well. Therefore, from the customers’ andretailers’ point of view, the product is no different to locally produced products. By
creating an environment almost the same as the second phase where the local production
starts, Nissin can precisely understand how acceptable its product is and how the productand strategy should be modified if necessary.
Phase 2: Establishing Local Production System and Securing of Financial Viability
Based on the sales growth in Phase 1, Nissin will shift to Phase 2 by establishing a
local production factory in order to secure financial viability. A factory is planned to open
in the industrial area of Gazipur where production sites of competitors like Nestle S.A. andCocola 7 are. Since Gazipur is a popular industrial area, Nissin can find laborers
comparatively easier than other areas. Gazipur also has a good access to the market in
Dhaka and Chittagong districts through the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway.
In Phase 2, Nissin will also gradually increase local employment in the administration
department. At the same time, it will transfer authority to local staffs from Japanese staffs
to ensure operational efficiency. Through such actions, Nissin aims to lower the operationand production cost while expanding market areas to ensure profitability of the proposed
BOP business.

7

Local noodle manufacturer, having the largest share in stick noodle market.

11

2.5

Contributions to Solve Challenges Bangladeshi Face
Mothers and infants in Bangladesh are suffering from stunting8 and wasting9. Thoughmalnutrition is a result of many different causes, in Bangladesh, unbalanced diet is one of
the significant reasons. According to Demographic and Health Survey 2011, a smoothtransition from breast feeding to baby foods is hardly observed. This caused a significant
drop in nutritional status especially among infants between 6 to 12 months since birth.
Maternal and lactating mothers are trying to consume more nutritional foods, such as
vegetables. However, such actions are done by giving up some staple foods most likely
because of their limited household budget. Such actions could have been prevented if
mothers had better knowledge on nutrition. Nissin’s nutritional instant noodles and the
proposed promotion method conducted by NGOs and saleswomen can improve thissituation especially in the areas listed below.
1.

Complementing Knowledge on Nutrition
In the proposed BOP business, Nissin plans to build partnership with NGOs, at least in
the first 4 years, to transfer knowledge in nutrition to mothers in combination to thesales promotion. Saleswomen are expected to teach about necessary nutrients formaternal and lactating mothers, and infants and young children. As a result of thisknowledge transfer, we aim to raise Bangladeshi mothers’ knowledge in balanced diet.

2.

Supplementing Nutrients Typically Lacking among Mothers and Children
Nissin plans to fortify the instant noodles with Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) and Iron.
Beta Carotene will turn into Vitamin A after consumed, but only for the necessaryamount the body claims. Thus it prevents excessive intake of Vitamin A while
protecting them from pregnancy complication, night-blind, and dermatologicaldiseases. Iron helps mothers body create blood required for the health of pre-bornbabies and themselves. It also helps infants’ brain growth by creating hemoglobin.
Additionally, instant noodles are high in calories which contribute to mothers andbabies who also typically lack in energy intake.

8

Stunted growth reflects a process of failure to reach linear growth potential as a result of suboptimal health and/or
nutritional conditions. On a population basis, high levels of stunting are associated with poor socioeconomic
conditions and increased risk of frequent and early exposure to adverse conditions such as illness and/or inappropriate
feeding practices. (Source: WHO, http://www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/about/introduction/en/index2.html, accessed in
Dec, 2012)
9
Wasting or thinness indicates in most cases a recent and severe process of weight loss, which is often associatedwith acute starvation and/or severe disease. Provided there is no severe food shortage, the prevalence of wasting is
usually below 5%. Usually a high rate of wasting can be observed during disasters and non-harvest season. (Source:
WHO, http://www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/about/introduction/en/index2.html, accessed in Dec, 2012)

12

3.

Product Design Encouraging Consumption
In the proposed BOP business, instant noodle, a popular dish among Bangladeshi, areused to first increase their appetite. Instant noodles also have various ways to cook,
thus can be easily arranged to fit to maternal and lactating mothers, and infants andyoung children whose food preferences tend to change. For example, mothers cancook instant noodles by breaking them into pieces and boiling longer so that babies
can easily digest. The amount of soup powder can be adjusted as well to avoid babies
taking too much salt. The taste can be changed by adding different spices instead ofusing soup powder so that maternal mothers can eat them even during they suffer fromhyperemesis. Nissin also plans to design the product that matches with eggs, whichmaternal and lactating mothers regards effective for their own health and the babies’.

13

3

Area of Potential Cooperation with JICA
Based on the product and the business model designed through the research, we
propose to work in two fields with JICA in order to prompt resolving the issue of
malnutrition: 1) work together in spreading the knowledge on nutrition, and 2) prepare ahygienic environment for school meals. The detail method of cooperation is proposed in
the following paragraphs.
As explained in the chapters above, in the proposed BOP business, saleswomen play
the role to disseminate the idea of balanced diet. This is because there is a strong
relationship between the level of nutritional knowledge and demand in nutritional foods.
Still, there is a limit in the number of saleswomen Nissin can organize. Furthermore,
based on the pilot sales, one saleswoman can visit only 2-3 public spaces per day. If
Nissin is the only agent promoting mothers to acquire better knowledge on nutrition, thecoverage will obviously be narrow. Therefore, government-organized nutrition promotion
utilizing Community Support Groups (CSGs) 10 is desired. CSGs are consisted withrepresentatives of the residents and organized under Community Clinics (CCs)11. The
purpose is to clarify and implement health services needed in the community. Althoughcombining the nutrition promotion with a particular product of Nissin may be difficult if
organized under the government, having a better knowledge on nutrition indirectly
increases the needs of fortified foods.
JICA is currently conducting “Safe Motherhood Promotion Project (Phase 2)” whichaims to strengthen cooperation between maternal and child health providers by assisting
systematization of CCs, Community Groups (CGs), and CSGs. Especially, the recognitionof CSGs which work closely with residents and contribute enhancing their healthknowledge is so high that the Government of Bangladesh instructed to organize three
CSGs at each CC all over the country. In Phase 1, JICA developed a Trainer’s of Training(TOT) Program to raise community facilitators (most of the time taken by local NGOs)
who can assist organizing CSGs. In Phase 2, JICA helps the implementation of TOT at thesame time assisting communities to determine the type of health services to be
implemented. CSG members are ordinary residents who typically do not possess any
knowledge on health issues. As a result, although they know health needs, it is difficult forthem to give priorities. Union Coordination Committee Meeting (UCCM)12 invented by
JICA through “Participatory Rural Development Project Phase 2 (PRDP-II)” assist thisprocess. UCCM is attended by Union assembly members, village representatives, local

10

The government of Bangladesh instructs to form 3 CSGs under 1 CC.
There are a total of 10,723 CCs nation-widely in Bangladesh providing primary health care. The level of service
provided depends on each clinic, but ideally, at least one clinical nurse should attend.
12
Union is the smallest regional unit consisted with several villages.
1114NGO representatives, and CSG representatives. Attendants report on their projects andpresent local issues to be discussed. Based on local knowledge, attendants decide onpriority issues to be funded by taking comprehensive and par anomic views. We propose
our local NGO partner to raise the issue of a lack of nutritional knowledge amongresidents at UCCM and recommend CSGs to work as the volunteer educating on nutrition
to residents. Local NGO partner is most suitable to make this proposal since they haveaccess to both UCCM and CSGs.
At the proposed BOP business, Nissin plans to select a NGO partner which is locallyrooted and has an experience in nutrition project at the target areas of Dhaka andChittagong. The selected NGO partner will first teach the current nutritional condition of
mothers and children, and the negative damage it can cause to the health and growth ofthem. After receiving the understanding on the gravity of the issue among UCCM
attendants, the partner NGO will propose to conduct a project to enhance community
mothers’ knowledge on nutritious diet by appointing CSG members to become the agent.
In past examples of CSG projects, there is a case that a female volunteer held a session on
the need of regular check-up during pregnancy in the courtyard by inviting women in theneighbor. This so-called “court yard session” contributed to enhance the number ofpatients getting regular check-ups during pregnancy. Nissin plans to utilize this court yard
session method to teach nutritional diet as well. CSG members will be trained on nutrition
knowledge by our partner NGO.
If the knowledge on nutrition enhances among Bangladeshi, naturally the demand on
nutritional foods will increase. Nissin intends to meet the demand by providing fortified
instant noodles and contribute to solving the issue of malnutrition. Reaching out to larger
number of Bangladeshi by educating residents on nutrition via CSGs will not only benefit
Nissin’s BOP business, but it will also benefit the society as a whole by providing ahealthier diet to maternal and lactating mothers, infants, and school kids.
Secondly, collaboration between JICA is also expected in the school meal program. In
the proposed BOP business, school meal is regarded as an important promotional tool
targeting the main noodle consumer, school age children. As explained in the paragraphs
above, currently GAIN is working together with the Ministry of Education to start a newschool meal program. Nissin has confirmed that it is able to provide its product through thisschool meal channel if cost is incurred by the company. However, in order to conduct
Nissin’s school meal program nation-widely, there is another challenge. According to
GAIN, not all schools in Bangladesh have access to safe water. The Ministry of Education
originally wanted to provide cooked hot meals, however, due to the limit in water accessand unavailability of well-equipped kitchen in some schools, GAIN decided to provide
15

processed foods that require no cooking. Although Nissin’s nutritious instant noodle does
not require a full cooking facility, it does require clean hot water.
JICA has already launched water treatment projects in Chittagong and Kulna districts,
and expanding the project to other districts as well. None are particularly intended toincrease safe water access at schools, still, if the clean water access in urban areas is
promoted, indirectly, schools will benefit as well. As such schools increase, the number ofNissin’s promotional site increases as well. Furthermore, if an access to clean water
increases, hygiene education can be combined with nutrition education by teaching theimportance of hand wash. GAIN says if hand wash is promoted without arranging stable
access to clean water, students have to line up for a long time just to wash their hands. As aresult, meal time will be extended, which inevitably shortens the classes in afternoon. Thus,
most schools end up not teaching the importance on hand-wash. If JICA can increase
students’ access to clean water, students’ health will be promoted holistically by combining
hygienic education and nutrition education.

16