Staff Reporter: For the past seven years, a group of environmentally conscious Adolescent girl has been welcoming newborn baby into the world by gifting them saplings. The children’s journey has thus begun with zero carbon. To build a green earth in Netrokona, these nature-loving teenage girls visit the homes of newborn babies. A group of Adolescent girl from the village is congratulating the newborns with tree saplings. Fifteen teenage girls from Fochika village, under Kailati Union of Netrokona Sadar Upazila, formed an organization called ‘Agrajatra Kishori’ 12 years ago. All the girls are students of differents educational institutions.
Continuing their work, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, members of the girls’ organization arranged a unique program to collectively greet 5 newborns and 7 pregnant women of Fochika village and provide them with nutritious food. The Chief Guest at the event was Mr. Asma Binte Rafiq, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Sadar Upazila, and Special Guests included Mr. Nazmul Haque, Chairman of Kailati Union Parishad, Md. Ohidur Rahman, Regional Coordinator of BARCIK, and village men and women.
Whenever a new baby is born in Fochika village and the surrounding areas, they arrive at the mother’s home with three saplings: one fruit, one medicinal, and one forest tree. They welcome the baby to this world. This initiative aims to meet the child’s oxygen demand throughout their life and achieve zero carbon. Seeing this makes the families of the newborns and the villagers happy.
They don’t just greet the babies with saplings. If any woman in the village is pregnant, these enterprising teenage girls provide the woman with a month’s supply of nutritious food, an initiative spearheaded by the girls’ organization. They collect the food themselves and, with the support of the non-governmental research organization BARCIK, purchase 30 eggs, bananas, guavas, lemons, uncultivated green food etc. Additionally, they provide advice on increasing health awareness through experienced health workers, regular weighing of the pregnant mother, checking blood pressure and diabetes, and regular health check-ups at the health center or community clinic.
Bithi Akter, President of the organization, said: “We advise pregnant and new mothers to eat naturally produced greens and vegetables from around their homes. To build a beautiful green society and country, we must take the initiative to care for the child right from the mother’s womb. This nutrition comes from various kinds of vegetables and fruits. Furthermore, when these newborn children grow up, a lot of money will be needed for their maintenance, education, and treatment. The trees given through our organization’s initiative will one day become their assets.”
The Chief Guest, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mr. Asma Binte Rafiq, said: “The initiative of the `Agrajatra Kishori organization’ is truly commendable. Although the members of the organization are young, there is no way to underestimate or neglect their initiatives. Their commitment to building a green earth, within their capacity, will play a role in tackling climate change. Let us salute these courageous Adolescent girl.”
The event was conducted by Bithi Akter of the Agrajatra Kishori organization and BARCIK official Khadiza Akter Lita.
