Education India Project #31546

Fighting Malnutrition Through Child Care in India

by Seva Mandir

Project Report | Nov 11, 2022
Yamuna: From Malnourished Child to a Healthy Child

By Atul Lekhra | Programme Incharge

In a remote hamlet of Dhar village, in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan, India, lives, Yamuna. Ever since the four year old was born, she was physically weak due to a lack of proper nutrition and care. As both her parents were farmers, income would often be unreliable. Without access to proper help, her smile started inverting slowly along with her health condition.

During a routine visit to the village, Seema, a caretaker at Seva Mandir’s Balwadi (daycare centre), saw Yamuna. Immediately after seeing her poor and malnourished condition, Seema approached Yamuna’s parents, Panki and Panna, to enroll their daughter at the Balwadi centre. When they agreed and sent her everyday, she was very quiet and indifferent to any learning activities. Seema monitored Yamuna’s diet both at the centre and at home, to ensure she got the required intake of food and leafy green vegetables with extra oil. She further counseled her parents on hygiene and the importance of providing children with a proper nutritious diet.

In the next 6-7 months, Yamuna’s health started improving and she moved safely into the healthy category.

Now, she is an active child who enjoys learning and playing with her friends. At present, her smile shines brighter than before. Through her involvement in Seva Mandir’s initiative, her health evidently transformed her ability to enjoy the joys of life.

In Seva Mandir’s regional working areas, young children of 0-5 age are often left neglected at home either without any supervision or with elder siblings while their parents work. More than 60% of the children in the tribal areas of Udaipur are malnourished. Balwadis provide a safe and healthy environment for these children by ensuring the required nutrition and health care. The work of our Balwadis enable children an opportunity for a healthier and brighter future.

Every donation helps these children see their dreams of a better life. With as little as $10 you can help one child, like Yamuna, receive nutritional meals in Balwadi for 3 months. To support this cause, please follow the link: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/childcare/. Given your faithful support, please consider becoming a monthly donor to resolve this shared cause.

All thanks goes to our faithful well-wishers and supporters like you by whom we are able to keep this program running successfully. We hope that you will continue to help the many children in need.

Best wishes,

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir Team

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Jul 19, 2022
Treating Malnourished Children with Your Support

By Atul Lekhra | Programme Incharge

Golu (name changed) attends Seva Mandir’s Balwadi (Day Care Centre) located in Kotra block, one of the poorest areas of India. The care taker of the Balwadi was told by one of our staff that the child was malnourished and the mother was leaving him at home all alone, everyday while she worked in the fields. The staff membertold the care taker that the child was not being looked after properly in her mother’s absence and was in desperate need of the day-care service which the Balwadi provides. The care taker went to Golu’s house to talk to his mother, Bhuri, who was at first skeptical about leaving her child in the care of someone outside the family.

She gave excuses and avoided the instructor, but she was determined that the child should receive appropriate care. After some persuasion, Golu was enrolled in the Balwadi. He was given fresh porridge with hot oil poured over it for extra nutrition and he receives a daily spoonful of iron supplement and six-monthly doses of Vitamin A.

When Golu enrolled in the Balwadi, he weighed 6.5 kg. After two months of regular care and nourishment, he had put on 1 kg. He is now in the ‘well-nourished’ category and his mother Bhuri is grateful that she decided to send her son to the Balwadi regularly.

Many mother like Bhuri are unaware that their children are malnourished. We deeply appreciate your trust and support which enables us to run day care centres for tribal communities and raise awareness on malnutrition and importance of care and nutrition for young children.

We are happy to share that we are participating in GlobalGiving’s July Bonus Day Campaign. Donations of $100 USD and up will be matched on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, starting at 9 a.m. ET. The higher the amount, the higher will be the match resulting into deeper impact of your contribution. We do hope that you will once again support the young children in need through this program

Best Wishes,

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir team

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Apr 5, 2022
Creating a Better Tomorrow for Young Children

By Atul Lekhra | Programme Incharge

Hansa, aged 4, is enrolled in Seva Mandir’s Balwadi (daycare) center in Dhar-Madar, a village in rural Rajasthan. She was only 1 year old when her mother Shanti abandoned her. Now her grandmother is her primary care-giver and accompanies her to the center every day.

We organize regular health checkups for the children in all our Balwadi centres. Hansa was in the red (severely malnourished) category when she joined our Balwadi center. Owing to her physical weakness, she could not actively participate in the routine activities of the Balwadi center.

Being severely malnourished, Hansa would often fall ill. So the female instructor at her Balwadi center, took her for a visit to the pediatrician. After the doctor's consultation, she was given extra daily care in the form of 2 nutritious meals and multivitamin syrup.

Hansa slowly recovered and is now in the yellow category (malnourished). She is doing fine but requires more care to move up to the green (healthy) category. She is recovering well and now actively enjoys her day at the center.

Her grandmother is very happy with her decision of enrolling Hansa in the Balwadi center. She takes very good care of Hansa and follows the recommendations of the Balwadi instructor.

This is just one example of the impact of Seva Mandir’s Balwadis on children. A big thank you also goes to you, our supporters. With your help, we have been successfully running this program.

We are excited to share with you that we are participating in GlobalGiving’s Little by Little Campaign, which will run from 04^th to 08^th April 2022. It is a five-day crowdfunding campaign. All eligible donations of up to $50 will be matched at 50% during the campaign.

We need your support once again to help us get matching funds, which will then help us reach out to more children in need. For only $50, you can provide life saving nutritious meals and protein snacks to 30 children.

Your donation will build a brighter future for underprivileged children. Thank you once again for your continual support.

Regards

Atul Lekhra & the Seva Mandir team

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