Provide Nutrition to Migrant Children For a Year

1.   INTRODUCTION

Young children playing and roaming unsupervised is a very common sight in migrant workers colonies. With both parents working the whole day, children are left to themselves or an elderly person keeping tabs on all children. Children are extremely undernourished and live under unhygienic surroundings. Their safety is under threat all the time. Children also lose out on their education when they move around with their parents to different places of work.

Sampark realizing the pressing need for crèches in migrant workers colonies runs 17 crèches in different labor colonies. The children are given a safe place to be in and learn basic languages and arts and crafts. Most of the children are under-nourished and the health and nutrition requirements of children are taken care by providing them breakfast, lunch and snacks in the evening.

The crèches work from 9.30am to 5pm. Children as young as 6 months old are taken in. Balwadi consists of children from 3-6 years and Non-formal Education from the age of 6 to 12 years. The builder provides a place in the labor colony to run the crèche. Water and electricity are provided by the builder.

2.   REACH OF CRECHES

Creches in 2 labor colonies, we have reached out to 147 children of which 84 are boys and 63 girls. Each crèche has 2 has two staff, one in-charge and one worker. There is a supervisor to monitor the activities. Prestige kew garden crèche has more children attending them depending upon the size of the labor colony and PLRG creche a less in the last quarter. 

The teachers constantly interact with parents and advise them about the importance of children  health hygiene and how its effect on their growth. New laborers who move into the labor colony are identified and made aware of the Sampark, Covid -19 pandemic diseases and its preventive measures. The teachers plan the day well and have separate themes to be taught each month and children enjoy these activities in their homes.

3.  EDUCATION

Learning Activities for Children in the Creche

Crèche caters to children under 3 different categories. Children above 6 months, Balwadi- children between 3 – 6 years and Non formal education for children above 6 years.   Activities related to overall development such as cognitive and physical development were implemented to the children in all 2 creches.   The topics for include: : Vegetables, Fruits and plants and trees.      The methodology used to teach these topics include: parents’ involvement and Saathi Samooh member discussion about topics, for the category of children, activities were implemented.

Due to Covid 19 situations, all the creches are closed so not able to take up learning activities directly face to face. Instead, teachers made whatsapp groups of the parents of particular creche and the teachers developed pre-recorded videos based on their curriculum and shared in these WhatsApp groups and guided parents to play these videos to their children.   All these pre-recorded videos are available at this link below.

4. HEALTH CAMPS

 Teacher was able to link the crèches to the local Primary Health Centre and the Anganwadi centres for providing age-appropriate immunization with support of ANM from PHC.  Through helper teacher identifying pregnant woman and linked to get mother card and required immunization.

Created videos on preventive measure as against Covid 19 pandemic disease and shared in WhatsApp groups of the parents. With the support of builder’s health camps were organized in crèches. The doctor also special screening for covid 19 symptoms.

The common physical ailments that were identified in children during the health camps were cold, fever, anemia, worm infestations, being underweight and not having proper growth, wounds on legs or hands, and pyoderma (skin infection).   During these health camps doctor created awareness about preventive measures as against Covid 19 pandemic disease among the parents.

During reporting paediatric health camps were organized in 2 crèches. The details about number of children covered is provided in Table 3.  Total of 147 children were screened of which, 84 were male and 63 were female children. The common physical ailments that were identified in children during the health camps were cold, fever, anemia, worm infestations, being underweight and not having proper growth, wounds on legs or hands, and pyoderma (skin infection). 

Sampark was able to link the crèches to the local Primary Health Centre and the Anganwadi centers.  These linkage helps to provide age- appropriate immunization.  During the reporting period 15 children accessed age-appropriate immunization. Then 3 mothers linked to the PHC for Mother card and also covered 5 pregnant women immunisations

5. Nutrition:

Sampark set up the crèche keeping in mind that children’s nutrition should be given utmost priority. Due to Covid 19 pandemic disease Sampark team not able to provide regular three meals for the children as per the diet chart, but providing Anaz mixture once in 15 days, Banana, Eggs once in week and dry ration and supplementary nutrition such as multivitamin, iron syrups, packets of groundnut chikkis and biscuits that will last for one month.

6.  COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS6.1 Awareness about Health and Hygiene

Supervisor from the crèche also focus on interacting with the community members from time to time. Community awareness sessions conducted to create awareness about the services offered for the construction workers by Sampark.  In these sessions Sampark team explained about social protection schemes from the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (KBOCWWB) and linkages to local public health centers, schools etc.  Importance of hygiene is stressed and cleanliness methods inside and outside their homes are discussed. This gives an opportunity to hear from the community their opinion on the issues and discuss suitable solutions for the same.