IDS project update: Nutrition and Education Project, Madhya Pradesh

As of the end of 2016, the Nutrition and Education Project for children up to 5 years old was being implemented in 11 villages of the Pushprajgarh Block (Anuppur District) in Madhya Pradesh. The project is led by WOTR (Watershed Organisation Trust), an NGO based in Pune which was established in 1993.

Growth monitoring continues

According to the six-month progress report submitted to IDS, the project continues to monitor young children’s growth and keep mothers informed of their children’s status. WOTR also encourages mothers of young children to join self-help groups (SHGs) and attend SHG meetings. WOTR’s work is based in anganwadis (literally, “courtyard shelters”), which were established in 1975 by the Indian government’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program to combat child hunger and malnutrition. In the report, WOTR writes that motivating anganwadi workers and other government departments is critical; in that way, WOTR activities can operate alongside government programs. As a result, the project beneficiaries (i.e., the young children and their mothers) receive the benefits of both.

Health and hygiene education at schools

WOTR staff members conduct sessions on health and hygiene in the project’s anganwadis. WOTR has also begun to teach these concepts to primary and middle school children from the project villages.