Anganwadi worker is a change maker for the Community
Anganwadi worker is a change maker for the Community
Sekupur village which falls under Banwar Sub-health Centre in Bhitarwar. This sub-health center is characterized by Dafais or Puras which as small hamlets where families live, away from the village centre, to tend to their fields. Most Adivasi families prefer living in these Dafai, and are, thus, often cut off from the main village centre. Further, due to constant travel, and laborious work, the migrant population here especially the children are very prone to falling ill and being relatively weaker.
Mala was a young mother who lived in a far-flung Dafai in Banwar. Today, she is a mother of three healthy and beautiful babies. She gave birth to a baby boy, Shivraj Adivasi, in June 2023. The baby and the mother were both healthy. They left the village within the next couple of weeks to go work outside. When they came back to the village after a month, the Anganwadi Worker (AWW) Ms Kiran Kushwah noticed that the child was frail. The mother had also developed an infection on her neck and hands that was causing her skin to peel off.
Activity/Action
Ms. Kiran Kushwah had the opportunity to undergo continuous capacity-building training and gain knowledge on growth monitoring, malnutrition, and treatment, with the support of the local NGO, The Antara Foundation. Her efforts have led to significant positive changes in the community.
The Anganwadi worker asked the parents to bring the child to the anganwadi center so she could check current the height and weight of the child. Upon doing so, it was evident that the child was Severely Acutely Malnourished (SAM). Anganwadi worker counselled the family to admit the child to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) in Bhitarwar. She explained about the importance of going to the NRC and the criticality of the child’s condition. However, the parents remained sceptical Anganwadi worker then asked Lakshmi Adivasi, a mother of two and a former beneficiary of the services provided at the NRC to talk to Mala and make her understand the importance of going to the NRC. Lakshmi spoke to Mala about her experience at the NRC, the health of her daughter, and how her condition significantly improved after going to the NRC.
Lakshmi convinced the family and they agreed to go get admitted to the NRC. Anganwadi worker immediately called for a government ambulance using the 108 hotline number and the child was taken to the hospital.
Results of the action and follow-up
Upon checking by the dietitian and doctor at the NRC, the child was admitted along with the mother. Anganwadi worker also requested the doctor to look at Mala’s infection on her skin. The doctor advised them to take an X-ray. A range of tests were done, and it was discovered that the mom had Tuberculosis. She too along with the baby was put on a course of treatment. The AWW worker visited them every two days until they were discharged. Post that, she made sure to go to their house every day to ensure that they had their medicine. She also took on the responsibility of going to the NRC to get the medicines for them. She also constantly monitored the child’s height and weight, and it was seen that he was improving quite well. They were on treatment for 6 months and they gradually became healthy. All along, Kiran also kept Lakshmi Tomar, Supervisor, Women and Child Development, Bhitarwar informed about the developments in the case.
On 20 July, 2023, Mala had her third child, a baby girl, who had a low birth weight. She weighed 1900 grams during birth and was 45 cms tall. She too fell under the category of Severely Acutely Malnourished (SAM) but fortunately she had no other medical complications. Having prior experience of dealing with her first born who was admitted to the NRC, Mala, this time around knew how to deal with this. The baby was registered under the C-SAM program. The Anganwadi worker constantly monitored the baby’s height and weight, checked for appetite and counselled Mala on how to feed the baby and what to feed her. With the efforts of the Anganwadi worker and the mother, the baby bounced back within a few months. She is today 8 months old and weighs a healthy 5 kilos 300 grams. Below is the growth chart of the baby month on month. Mala too has now become a local advocate for NRC and encourages the other sceptical caretakers with malnourished babies in the village to go to the NRC
Ever since I experienced this issue, I suffered from a burning sensation in my throat, making it difficult to eat or drink. However, thanks to Aganwadi Didi’s intervention, she took me and my child to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center (NRC), where we both benefitted greatly. Following the prescribed medication regimen diligently, both my child and I are now free from any such discomfort.- Mala Adivasi, Mother
In 2020, a child was born, but his mother left him after a month. She returned a year later to find the child's health deteriorated, with vomiting after drinking milk. Upon measuring the child's weight and height, it was found that the child was suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). The mother was also in poor health, experiencing pain in her hands and neck. After explaining the situation to the mother, both she and the child were admitted for treatment. Within 14 days, both the mother and child showed significant improvement in their health. .- Kiran Kushwah, AWW
Aganwadi worker of Sekuper feels happy that after such success stories and cases, people in her village have become more receptive to her advice and listen to her. She is glad that her work and efforts translate into the health and well-being of a child.