As part of Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS), the Health and Nutrition Programme team works in conjunction with Anganwadis to bring about better health and nutrition for children and pregnant women. This includes doing the rounds of Anganwadis to examine women and children in the light of established health parameters. On one such visit in Charbardi, a panchayat in Dewas district, Programme worker Pawan Parmar found that two-year-old Jigar of Kamath village had severe malnutrition. According to health norms for his age, his weight ought to have been around 9 kg 700 gm, but he weighed just 7 kg. Pawan advised the boy’s parents to send him to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC)[1]

Eggs being distributed in Anganwadi

Jigar’s mother Pooja was pregnant with her second child at the time, and because Jigar himself was too young to be without his mother, the family could not agree to send him to the Centre, which was 8 km away. Given the circumstances, Pawan asked them to ensure a nutritious diet for Jigar at home – for instance, eggs, along with laddoos made of peanuts, sesame and jaggery. He explained that these were excellent sources of essential nutrients, and would help the child reach the desired weight soon. However, while they wanted to do the best for their son, Jigar’s parents could not afford such foods.

A primary aspect of the initiative by SPS to create awareness about malnutrition and reduce its impact on poor families involves distributing eggs and sesame-jaggery-peanut laddoos to frail children over a three-month period. In February 2024, Jigar was included in this scheme, which at present covers only a few areas. Since every organisation worker looks after five or six villages, they cannot visit each village every day, and so Jigar’s household would receive a week’s supply each time: seven eggs and seven laddoos.

Jigar’s mother began giving him a laddoo and an egg to eat every day. She’d make him an omelette, or hand him a boiled egg. As for the laddoo, Jigar could munch on it on the go, anytime. Organisation workers conducted weekly follow-ups, and could see his physical condition improving. In about three months, Jigar had reached a weight of 9 kg. No longer suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), he is considered to have progressed to the Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) category. His parents are overjoyed to see him growing more robust and healthy.

Jigar on the path towards nutrition

In the Bagli location, SPS’s egg distribution initiative has, through the Anganwadis, benefited 94 children across 23 villages, whose inhabitants have a good deal of praise for this effort. Given the fact that Madhya Pradesh is among the states with the highest levels of malnutrition, this is a significant step towards better health for children.

[1]The Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) is a health provision under the Govt. of India. Set up in many parts of the country, these centres admit children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) for treatment. Workers at the Centre care for the children and look after their accommodation, playtimes and dietary needs.

Writing: Karan Bacchaniya and Rabindra Kumar Barik

Source: Mamta Solanki

Photography: Pawan Parmar

Translation (Hindi to English): Smriti Nevatia

Guidance: Pinky Brahma Choudhary

Page Layout: Roshani Chouhan