Women power fights malnutrition in Assam villages with local resources

It is an old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Nirmali Adhikari of western Assam's Goalpara district, however, begs to differ with this.

"A guava is more nutritious than an apple. And an amla is also more beneficial than the chemical-laced grapes brought from outside," 46-year-old Adhikari, member of a women group is telling this and many more to women and children in Bapuji Nagar area under Balijana block for nearly three years now.

Nirmali, Chenuka Rabha and a few other members of the women group are helping pregnant women and children fight malnutrition in many villages in Assam, a state with 37% children below five years stunted due to undernourishment. Also, 45% of pregnant women, aged between 15 to 49 years suffer from nutritional anemia.

"Many women gradually started eating fruits and growing vegetables in their backyards. We managed to convince them that the locally available fruits are more nutritious and free from chemicals. They now eat guava, banana, amla, carrot instead of thinking that buying the costly apple or grapes are beyond their reach," said Nirmali.

The women group has also helped prepare kitchen gardens in at least six Anganwadi centres under Goalpara district so that the food served to the children there are prepared with nutritious and organic vegetables and fruits. "We also teach children not to eat packaged items like chips and chocolates. Our efforts are bearing fruits and managed to change the habits of many children," said Chenuka. Cooked food is served to at least 20 to 25 children (below six years) in each Anganwadi centre. "Many children now ask their mother to prepare khichri, soaked gram, eggs or payas (rice cooked in milk and sweet) at home," she said.

Assam unit of the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), an NGO mobilisied the women and provided them training in 2017 on how to promote the habit of eating healthy and nutritious food to fight malnutrition among pregnant/lactating women and children below five years. These women group took part in the Nutrition Mela organised by VHAI in Guwahati on January 24. They put up stalls with other stakeholders to display how they are fighting malnutrition in the state's villages.

Rimzhim Borah, a dietician in Guwahati Medical College and Hospital said malnutrition was a serious issue, particularly among Muslim, Bengali and Adivasi communities. "Every month we get about 15 to 20 seriously malnourished children (below 5 years) in our nutrition rehabilitation centre. Most of them are underweight due to improper breastfeeding. Many mothers can't provide sufficient breast milk as they suffer from anemia. Many children suffer from edema, a severe acute malnourishment caused due to eating of rice only with salt," Borah said. Many such children are admitted and treated for 14 to 21 days.

Providing healthy and nutritious food to children till two years is very significant for the development of the child's brain and body, said J B Ekka, principal secretary of Assam's panchayat and rural development department, who also served in National Health Mission, Assam for years. "Nutrition care is very significant as 90% brain development takes place in the first two years and 52% of the energy provided by the nutritious food goes for brain development," he said.

The VHAI started the project to empower women groups to develop model Anganwadi centres in Goalpara and Morigaon districts and have now extended it to Sonitpur, Dhubri, Darrang and Udalguri districts, Ruchira Neog of VHAI, Assam unit said. "These women are also helping the village women to prepare organic manure to grow food without any harmful chemicals and sell products like turmeric and mushrooms to sell in the markets too," she said.

The project is supported by Civic Engagement Alliance and ICCO, Netherlands, said Arup Saikia, associate coordinator of the project.