Desk Report: Grameen Danone Foods Limited (GDFL) has secured two Champion titles at the Bangladesh Project Management Symposium & Awards 2026, marking a notable recognition of the company’s community-focused nutrition initiative and project leadership.

The Transforming Lives Through Nutrition (TLTN) project, implemented by GDFL in partnership with IDE Bangladesh in Sylhet, was named Champion Project of the Year in the Social Impact (Small) category. At the same event, Purba Chowdhury Joya, Senior Manager, Marketing and Projects at GDFL, received the Champion Project Manager of the Year award in the Social Impact category.

Organised by the PMI Bangladesh Chapter, the Bangladesh Project Management Symposium & Awards recognise projects, project managers and organisations demonstrating excellence in project planning, innovation, execution and impact.

The TLTN project was designed to improve nutrition awareness and access to fortified food while strengthening community-level distribution networks. The initiative combined awareness programmes, community engagement and capacity building to promote better understanding of nutrition among children, mothers and wider communities.

As part of the initiative, GDFL conducted school campaigns and Uthan Boithok sessions involving students, mothers and community members. Storytelling-based videos and interactive sessions were used to communicate nutrition-related messages in an accessible way, while quizzes and community discussions encouraged active participation.

The project also developed a network of Nutrition Entrepreneurs through training on nutrition, product knowledge, hygiene, communication, facilitation and sales. The approach linked nutrition education with community-level engagement and distribution.

According to GDFL, the initiative directly reached more than 1,750 students and 1,250 mothers, while over 5,000 community members were reached indirectly. The project also trained 64 Nutrition Entrepreneurs, organised 58 Uthan Boithak sessions and conducted seven school campaigns.

The recognition of the TLTN project comes at a time when nutrition awareness and community-based approaches are increasingly important for improving access to nutritious food, particularly among children and families.

Commenting on her recognition as Project Manager of the Year, Purba Chowdhury Joya said the award reflected the collective efforts of her team, partners and the communities involved in the project.

“I am honored to receive this recognition from PMI Bangladesh Chapter. TLTN was a strong learning journey for me as a project manager, and this award reflects the support of my team, partners and the communities we worked with. I sincerely thank PMI for recognizing our efforts,” she said.

Surayya Siddiqua, Managing Director of Grameen Danone Foods Limited, said the recognition demonstrated the value of combining a clear social purpose with effective partnerships and disciplined project management.

“The TLTN recognition reflects what can be achieved when a clear purpose is supported by strong partnerships and disciplined project management. We are proud of the team for turning the project`s vision into meaningful community impact,” she said.

The double recognition has highlighted both the community impact of the TLTN initiative and the project management leadership behind its implementation, strengthening GDFL’s profile in social-impact project management.