Paving the way for Generation UpUpUp

Max Foundation takes on the biggest challenges to stop child mortality and hindered early-childhood development by tackling stunting, for those who need it the most. By providing children under five a healthy start in life we are paving the way for all. Those who live now and in the coming times - generation UpUpUp.

Max Foundation advances:

• lasting behaviour change in sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and care
• empowerment of local community members, entrepreneurs and government officials to build thriving villages so that nothing stands in the way for young children to grow up, thrive and realise the potential of all by forming a healthy generation
• effective approaches by integrating sanitation, hygiene, nutrition, and care in one programme aimed at those who need it the most.

Max Foundation works entrepreneurial-minded to create the Maximum Value for Money, our approaches are evidence-based and can be up to three times more effective, in comparison to conventional ways of working in tackling stunting.

We have reached more than 1.9 million people with our integrated programmes in Bangladesh. In the coming years, we aim to continue to grow without losing focus or the flexibility to innovate.

The Problem - children's poor health and stunting

Despite a dramatic decline in child mortality around the world, one third of all the children in South Asia will not reach their fifth birthday.

Water and sanitation-related diseases are one of the main causes of poor health, stunted growth and even death for children under five.

Worldwide, approximately 162 million children under five are stunted (too short for their age), and 40 percent of them live in South Asia. Stunting is caused by inadequate nutrition and recurring infectious diseases in the first one thousand days of life. In Bangladesh, 36 per cent of children under five are stunted. Stunting is known to negatively impact cognitive and physical development, productive capacity and health.

Our Solution - Integrated actions on WASH, Nutrition and Care (SRHR and Safe Motherhood)

When it comes to fighting stunted growth, the most critical period is a child’s first one thousand days of life—but we don’t stop there. We target children up to age five because they are still extremely vulnerable and we want to make sure the healthy habits stick. Our approach focuses on WASH while also integrating nutrition and sexual reproductive health. By engaging local stakeholders from the start, we catalyze lasting change in sanitation and hygiene behaviour in the entire community.

In Sylhet, Bangladesh we are implementing the Growing UpUpUp programme until 2019 in collaboration with our local partners and donor, the Dutch Postcode Lottery. We aim to form a living environment -the Stunting Free Village- where close to 5.500 children will grow up healthy, and to provide nearly 58.000 people with access to clean drinking water, clean toilets and information on hygiene and nutrition. Our beneficiaries are mostly pregnant women and mothers, adolescent women, children, and primary and secondary schoolchildren from ethnic minorities in poor rural villages. Ultimately, the key to our programme’s success is in creating Max Healthy Villages, where the entire community becomes healthier.

Our partners

With the research expertise of KIT, the Dutch Royal Institute of Tropical Health, the local communities operate as principle action researchers. VERC (Village Education Resource Center) works in the field on resource mobilisation and community development. RedOrange Media and Communications follows and promotes the experience on the interactive website.