Page 26 - TRIF Annual Report 2021

Health & Nutrition
Jangudi Bai
Education Change Vector Since 2019 from Wadlipada VO,
Petlawad, Madhya Pradesh
I feel very fortunate that I can
contribute to the learning of the
children in the village. It gives me
immense satisfaction to see the
children learn, play and enjoy
together in these centers.
26 TRANSFORMING RURAL INDIA FOUNDATION
TRIF’s Health and Nutrition
program is focused on working
with the community and public
health care systems to bring
about a paradigm change in the
Health outcomes in the Villages.
The interventions are focused on
critical aspects that fundamentally
intersect with other dimensions,
thereby impacting the opportunities
available for improving the overall
quality of life. TRIF’s engagement in
intensive blocks is pivoted around
strengthening community health care
response on the ground. One such
focus area is the first 1000 days of a
child’s growth, which is a period for
rapid physical growth and mental
development, and offers an
When lockdown was first imposed, all schools in opportunity for building lifelong
the villages were shut. The parents had started health and intelligence. TRIF engages
asking their children to take goats and buffaloes and trains a cadre of resource
out in the field. I was very worried looking at this, persons, called the Change Vectors
(CVs) and Self-Help Groups to anchor
as the risk of children dropping out and not the activities of the health and
returning to school was high. In the Mata Samiti
(Mother’s group) meeting, I heard about the nutrition initiatives, through
“Humara ghar, Humara Vidhyalaya’ Program that structured community-level
processes. Our intervention with the
encouraged and guided us to start the learning public health delivery systems on
center in the neighbourhood. I went door-to-door
and convinced parents to send their children to strengthening the supply-side
the center. With the learning materials provided includes building capacities of the
by the project, I started the center with 5 children, front-line workers and addressing
and within 2 months, 18 children had started Enabling change from within the Indians cannot afford a nutritious diet gaps at the Primary Health Center
coming to the centers. Teachers also became socio-cultural construct of norms leading to further worsening of health (PHC) and Community Health Center
regular at the center and started engaging the and behaviours for improving Health indicators. Moreover, on average the (CHC) level.
children meaningfully in learning activities. nearest health facility from the center of the
With the support of my husband, I contributed to and Nutrition outcomes. village is 9km, and around 31% of the
setting up a proper room as the Learning Center, population has to travel more than 30kms to
and with the help of Village organization, got the India has the highest prevalence of wasted seek health care in
walls painted, creating a fun learning children under five years in the world, rural India. These are only some of the
environment. I was recognized for my efforts by which reflects acute malnutrition (Source: many factors that have resulted in a higher
the school in the 26th January 2021 program. Global Hunger Index 2020). Prevalence of incidence of premature deaths,
child wasting has worsened with 17.3% in malnutrition, and a higher disease burden in
Program: Mission Antyodaya 2015-2019, in comparison to 15.1% in rural areas.
Funder: Tata Trusts 2010-2014. Further, three out of four rural
NGO Partner organization: Aide Et Action
ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021 27