Balwadi

Ghanashyam attends a Balwadi located in Kotra block, one of the poorest areas of India. The instructor of the Balwadi was told by a Balsakhi that the child was malnourished and the mother was leaving him at home while she worked in the fields. The Balsakhi told the instructor that the child was not being looked after properly and was in desperate need of the day-care service which the Balwadi provides. The instructor went to Ghanashyam’s house to talk to his mother, Bhuri, who was at first sceptical 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, Ghanashyam was enrolled in the Balwadi in July, 2018. 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 Ghanashyam enrolled in the Balwadi, he weighed 6.5 kg. In September 2018, 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 so that he could become healthy and beat malnutrition.

Anganwadi

Khushi Banu, a five-year-old girl, is enrolled in an Anganwadi. In 2017, during an annual health camp, her family received the terrible news that she might have blood cancer. They were unable to send her for any medical tests as they could not afford them. But the Anganwadi staff were able to tell them that she could be treated for free under the ‘Bhamashah’ scheme. After lengthy tests, Khushi was diagnosed with a very rare genetic disease in which there is abnormal development of the skin, hair, nails, teeth and sweat glands.

Thankfully, her illness is not fatal, much to her parents’ relief, and Khushi has started treatment which will help in managing the symptoms.

Even though her condition does still limit her ability to attend the Anganwadi, Khushi attends for about an hour every day as she loves playing with the other children, reciting poems, dancing and learning. Her parents continue to encourage her to attend, realising the important contribution the Anganwadi makes to their daughter’s growth.