Child Friendly Anganwadis and your chance to help

Goonj (http://www.goonj.com/) an wonderful Delhi-based NGO is sponsoring the Vastrasamman event during Joy of Giving Week across India. In Bhopal two friend-NGOs, Spaandan and Aham Bhumika, are organizing the efforts in MP. Its a drive to encourage and stimulate giving amongst Indians - not neccessarily monetarily, but mostly in used clothes, games, toys, furniture, etc. These goods will be redistributed by volunteers and NGOs across the state to people who would really value these items.

Relating to malnutrition, the many toys discarded by many urban kids that are still in almost new condition can make a huge difference in improving the nutritional status of children in rural areas. Let me explain:

Children who attend anganwadi centers regularly and spend the maximum amount of time there often have better nutrition outcomes than children who never come at all. This is in part because they obtain a supplementary meal there but also because if they spend enough time at the center, the anganwadi worker will eventually have enough time to notice a malnourished child, take his height and weight, and talk to his mother (in theory). If the child is in and out of the center in minutes along with dozens of other kids, this doesn't give the worker enough time to do her job (let alone start with preschool education). You can't blaim mothers for not sending her children the the anganwadi center for longer. They're often a plain room with no windows, stuffy, with nothing to keep a child under 6 entertained. I wouldn't want to hang out there or send my kids there.

who wants to hang out here?

But imagine if the anganwadi center was bright and colorful and full of stimulating posters, toys for kids to play with, educating games, and a cheer that would entice mothers to bring their kids and for kids to ask their mothers to go. In these "child-friendly" anganwadi centers, mothers are more likely to bring their kids, who are more likely going to want to stay, where they will be more likely to learn, and the anganwadi worker will be more likely to assess their height and weight.

I've seen examples of child-friendly anganwadi centers set up by the Spandan Organization in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. They started with donated toys, stuffed animals, posters, and games and then got the people from the village to donate paints and building materials from their homes. The whole village got involved in making the anganwadi center cheerful and child friendly, adding a covered area outside the main room where kids could sit outdoors and painting the place with colorful decorations. The anganwadi center was transformed into a place only the poorest people go to when they're sick (and often didn't get care) to a community location centered around maternal and child health. At Spandan's three child friendly anganwadis nutrition outcomes are noticably better than the neighboring centers.

I would encourage everyone in Bhopal to support this effort! Clean out the clutter from your homes and transform an anganwadi center! I also recommend that everyone check out Joy of Giving's website for a lot of volunteer opportunities around India: http://joyofgivingweek.org/

Here are details on the week long drive in Bhopal below:

"Vastra Samman" ( Dignifying Clothing ) Joy of Giving Week from 27th Sept. to 03rd Oct.'09

Joy of Giving Week is a Nation wide campaign aimed at reinforcing giving as a festival. It is an effort to pool in resources that can be channeled to the marginalized. It is being simultaneously organized at 25 cities across the Country from 27th September – 3rd October’09. Give India and GOONJ are prime- moving this campaign.

At Bhopal level "Aham Bhumika" & "Spandan" have taken responsibility to facilitate it. But we certainly can't do it alone and are seeking wider civil society participation in this anecdote event.

AhamBhumika is facilitating "Goonj" in Bhopal for the Event "VastraSamman" during the Joy of Giving Week. Click on for more information at Joy of Giving Week official website.

Vastra Samman ( Dignifying Clothing )
During this campaign we will be collecting clothes, utensils, school material, toys, books, dry ration etc. The material will be distributed to the rural areas as an incentive under cloth for work programme.

You can support us:
(i) By launching collection drive in your colony, office, school, bank, college etc. ( Posters for this will be provided by us)
(ii) By approaching schools, colleges, organizations, corporate, kitty parties, residential societies, clubs, Satsang mandal etc.
(iii) Volunteering us in sorting, packing and transportation of the material.
(iv) By transporting material to our collection centres.

Collection centers in Bhopal where you can submit the material :-
1. Saraswati Collections, Geet Bunglow, Phase II , Ayodhya Nagar, Bhopal.
Contact person - Mr. Ranjan Singh (M) 9993365612
2. Matratva Medical Store, B Sector, Sarvadharam Colony, Kolar Road, Bhopal.
Contact Person - Mr. Subrat Goswami (M) 9826472718
3. Mona Resturant, 9-A, Saket Nagar, Bhopal.
Contact person - Mr. Yogesh Vaidya (M) 9826492924
4. HRLN, 10-B, Aman Complex, 2nd Floor, Above Noble Electronics, Govind Garden, Near Apsara Talkies , Bhopal.
Contact Person - Mrs. Shubhra Pachouri (M) 9993928903

I think some more sites will be added to this list next week when I'm in Bhopal, if so I'll update this post.

For any query please e-mail us at ahambhumika@yahoo.co.in or call Mr. Subrat - 9826472718 or Mr.Yogesh - 9826492924