Page 36 - Mann Ki Baat - English, August 2022
P. 36
Bongaigaon Fights Malnutrition with
'Project Sampoorna'
A special initiative launched of my kid. The ‘Buddy Mother’
by the District Administration gave me advice on taking care of
of Bongaigaon, Assam has the child. This helped to improve
drawn the attention of many. my child’s health.”
Launched in September 2020, Sujala Sarkar, an Anganwadi
‘Project Sampoorna’ aims to Worker, informed, “For three
combat malnutrition. Under this months, we Anganwadi Workers,
project, 2,416 children have been and the buddy mothers used to
identified and after being given measure the height and weight
the right support, more than 90% of selected children. Nutritious
of these children showed signs food, including milk and eggs,
of improved health in just one was provided to them every
year. The project week by the district
adopted a unique administration and
way to engage a the social welfare
‘Buddy Mother’ (the department. We
mother of a healthy also suggested
child) to give advice the mothers to eat
to the mother of a nutritious foods which
child suffering from are easily available
malnutrition. The and not very costly.
‘Buddy Mother’ visits This process showed
the other mother results and the health
once a week to of the kids started
discuss the growth improving.”
of the child, healthy food habits, Suniti Das Singha, a
and other ways to take care of ‘Buddy Mother’, also shared
the child. Anganwadi workers are her experience, “I am a 'Buddy
also engaged to give advice to Mother' of 2020 of the Sampoorna
the mothers. scheme. The Anganwadi worker
Our Doordarshan team informed us that Deepika’s child
talked to the stakeholders of this was not very healthy, unlike my
project to know more. child. So as assigned, I used to
Deepika Ray, mother of the tell Deepika how to take care
child suffering from malnutrition, of the child’s health in addition
said, “I got immense support to the support provided by
through ‘Project Sampoorna’. the district administration and
Anganwadi worker and the social welfare department,
'Buddy Mother' used to visit me which helped a lot and her child
and my son every week and became healthy very soon.”
measured the weight and height
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