A scheme, ‘Upavan’ - launched to check growing malnutrition problem in the children sans any financial grant from the Government has got many takers since its inception in August and the industrial sector is coming forward to utilise its CSR funds towards development of these undernourished children. Eleven children have moved from malnutrition to normal category.
Under this scheme, food and maintenance expenses of one Anganwadi Kendra are borne by some industry and an estimated expense of `10, 000 is borne by them. They may continue for life time or as many months they wish to.
Speaking to The Pioneer, CDO Sonika said, “We have recently got confirmation from human resource head of Anchor, a company operating in SIDCUl which is ready to adopt two Anganwadi centres and AXIS bank has also assured the support.”
“Till date, 11 children have been brought under normal category by the team effort,” informed the district program officer Mohit Choudhary. “There are two ways of checking this problem, one at the child and the other at the mother’s end. The child needs to be fed on the spot and the mother needs one to one counseling on various ailments regularly. There is a special nutritious drink for these children which we provide and for three hours the child is fed and monitored at intervals. The mother is given tips for healthy diet and her queries are answered by the pediatricians as per the system that is developed,” said Ranjna.
ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers along with ANM (auxiliary nurse midwife) and assistants bring the malnutrition-stricken child and his mother every week for medical check- up to the Anganwadi centre and daily from 11 to 1 pm for feed and counseling. The nutritious drinks has been named as ‘Haridwar drink’ which contains 100 gms warm milk, four tea spoons of roasted gram powder, two tea spoons of jiggery and one tea spoon of coconut oil. After an hour of this intake, one boiled egg is given to the child and when he goes back, he takes a banana. The leftover of this diet is given to the mother. In this way nothing goes waste, says the district program officer. This diet is easily palatable and absorbable, he adds.
Notably, SDM Roorkee has also joined the project and has assured of initiating the scheme in four Anganwadi centres with the help of corporate social responsibility funds. Ambuja Cement Factory and TIDC factory based in Bhagwanpur have already adopted two such centres.