AFP Release
Penny MacRae
Nearly a third of children are born underweight which means their mothers are underweight and undernourished. Many mothers do not have time to regularly nurse their baby’s as they must work as farm or manual labourers, domestic servants or in factories
KOLARAS, India: His wizened frame cradled in his mother’s arms, 18-month-old Nitish gazes listlessly at his surroundings in an Indian government feeding centre in this parched farming belt. The baby’s skin is so taut that each rib can be counted and his whispy hair is a rusty brown rather than glossy black, characteristic of malnutrition.
“He just got thinner and thinner after getting diarrhea,” said his mother Savitri, 24, a farm labourer’s wife. On the other side of the room, seven-month-old Niketa, being fed formula milk with a spoon by her grandmother, waves a stick-like arm. Her mother died two days after she was born following a difficult delivery.
“God is unjust — He took her mother away and her father doesn’t want her,” said her grandmother Soni, 55, rocking the tiny doll-like figure at the feeding centre in Kolaras in central Madhya Pradesh state.
These babies, lying in a room hung with pictures of roly-poly infants smiling down, are just two of the 46 per cent of all Indian children under three years old that the government says are malnourished. In the dust-bowl state of Madhya Pradesh, where monsoon rains have been scant for five years, the number is higher — a staggering 60 percent, the worst in the country.
“It’s the silent emergency — children are just fading away,” said Meital Rusdia, spokeswoman for the UN children’s agency Unicef. Malnutrition endures despite India’s booming economy, which grew by an average 8.5 per cent over the past four years.
“It’s shameful to have India become a trillion-dollar economy and to have nearly 50 per cent of the children hungry,” pediatrician Vandana Prasad, a member of the People’s Health Movement. Government investments in development are “insufficient,” Unicef says.
Figures for child mortality, underweight children and other basic health indicators have shown no significant improvement in seven years.
While India has banished the spectre of famine that plagued its history and overshadowed the early years of independence, “household level” food security has still not been achieved.
Millions subsist on the barest of basic foods — wheat, lentils and rice. Poor sanitation, under nourishment and haphazard immunisation makes them vulnerable to infection. Children suffer most in this cycle.
Just not enough feeding centres to care for all those in need. The “anganwadis” or village child care centres look after children under six and are the government’s first line of defence against malnutrition.
The Supreme Court has ordered free noon meals for all children under six. But the Citizens’ Initiative for the Rights of Children Under Six has highlighted lack of funds, poor staffing and corruption in providing meals that are often scanty and sometimes non-existent as the money has been pocketed.
At one centre visited by AFP, the children were served two small pieces of flat Indian bread and a tiny portion of potatoes. There was no protein.
“The government only gives two rupees (five cents) per child. What can you do with such small funds.
What they get is a disgrace,” said an aid worker who asked not to be identified.
To help severely malnourished babies, the government has set up intensive feeding centres but there just are not enough. “The babies’ mothers are often undernourished and they have low weight babies,” said Dr Nisar Ahmed, whose job it is at the Kolaras feeding centre to fatten up the children.
Nearly a third of children are born underweight which means their mothers are underweight and undernourished. “Some mothers just don’t produce enough breast milk,” he says.
Also, as pediatrician Prasad notes, many mothers do not have time to regularly breastfeed as they must work as farm or manual labourers, domestic servants or in factories.
“Some 97 per cent of working women in India work in the unorganised sector” — a catch-all phrase for casual workers — “and nobody makes time for them to breast-feed so their children suffer,” she says.
Some unlucky babies like Niketa lose their mothers in childbirth or soon after.
The maternal mortality ratio is 540 maternal deaths per 100,000 births, mainly due to lack of timely, proper health care. Malnutrition exacts a high cost.
“Their physical and mental development is stunted,” says Ahmed. With 40 per cent of India’s population under 18, the malnutrition figures are significant for India’s future.
Some studies suggest widespread malnutrition lops two to four percentage points off potential economic growth. Ahmed says for every baby who is saved, many go undetected. We do our best but we can’t reach everyone,” he said.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Workshop on water management begins
The Pioneer, May 24, 2007
A two-day workshop on 'wise water management' began here on Wednesday. The seminar was inaugurated by Bhopal division Commissioner BK Naidu.He stressed on the importance of the Jal Abhishek Abhiyan, effective water management and sanitation.
At the inuagural session Bhopal-Hoshangabad Divisional Commissioner BR Naidu said that the motive of the workshop is to target the 200 nirmal gram per district project in the divisions. He called on officials to engage community and Panchayati Raj members in their efforts.
Assistant Commissioner (Tribal) Jassu spoke on the need to scale up the water and sanitation efforts in Ashram schools. HN Gupta, superintending engineer of Bhopal division also spoke at the meeting. Project officer of water and environmental sanitation of UNICEF Sam Godfrey said that aim of the workshop is to orient district level officials on global techniques for solving water scarcity (such as water reuse/recycling) with the objective of scaling up the wise water management approach to Ashram schools throughout the Bhopal division. He spoke on UNICEF experiences in Dhar and Jhabua. Wise water management was initially implemented in 26 Ashram schools of Dhar and Jhabua districts and construction in Ashram schools of Bhopal division to be undertaken in May, 2007. Tribal Welfare Department has already allocated Rs three crore for construction of 100 wise water management systems in addition to funds allocation by PHED for 300 systems in Madhya Pradesh. UNICEF's Pawan Kumar, HB Dwivedi of National Centre for Human Settlement and Environment (NCHSE) were also present. Officials of Public Health Engineering Department and Tribal Welfare Department from eight districts of Bhopal Division are participating in the same.
A two-day workshop on 'wise water management' began here on Wednesday. The seminar was inaugurated by Bhopal division Commissioner BK Naidu.He stressed on the importance of the Jal Abhishek Abhiyan, effective water management and sanitation.
At the inuagural session Bhopal-Hoshangabad Divisional Commissioner BR Naidu said that the motive of the workshop is to target the 200 nirmal gram per district project in the divisions. He called on officials to engage community and Panchayati Raj members in their efforts.
Assistant Commissioner (Tribal) Jassu spoke on the need to scale up the water and sanitation efforts in Ashram schools. HN Gupta, superintending engineer of Bhopal division also spoke at the meeting. Project officer of water and environmental sanitation of UNICEF Sam Godfrey said that aim of the workshop is to orient district level officials on global techniques for solving water scarcity (such as water reuse/recycling) with the objective of scaling up the wise water management approach to Ashram schools throughout the Bhopal division. He spoke on UNICEF experiences in Dhar and Jhabua. Wise water management was initially implemented in 26 Ashram schools of Dhar and Jhabua districts and construction in Ashram schools of Bhopal division to be undertaken in May, 2007. Tribal Welfare Department has already allocated Rs three crore for construction of 100 wise water management systems in addition to funds allocation by PHED for 300 systems in Madhya Pradesh. UNICEF's Pawan Kumar, HB Dwivedi of National Centre for Human Settlement and Environment (NCHSE) were also present. Officials of Public Health Engineering Department and Tribal Welfare Department from eight districts of Bhopal Division are participating in the same.
Friday, May 4, 2007
A sanitation revolution sweeps across Madhya Pradesh
By Anil Gulati
May 2007: Jabarha village in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh is gripped with lliteracy poverty. Yet amidst all the grim socio-economic scenario, aray of hope shines.
A robust improvement in sanitation has metamorphosed the basic look of the village.
The central government has set a target of constructing a latrine in every house in all villages by 2012.With the implementation of the Total Sanitation Campaign, this tribal dominated hamlet nearly 100 kms from Dhar district headquarters, has gradually started learning the ABCs of sanitation. The first revolutionary step in this direction was the construction of a latrine in each of the 310 households of the village.
Like many traditional Indian villages Jabarha was almost untouched by modern infrastructural development. Open air defecation, uncontrolled movement of cattle, littering adjacent to water reservoirs---all the standard unhygienic characteristics were prevalent in the village.
But in the last four months the village has spruced up its 'hygiene quotient' and the residents have acquired a new sanitation vocabulary, all without any coercion. Each of the 310 houses has a latrine, a container has been kept outside each house to accumulate the garbage, the streets are without any stray cattle and the drains impeccably clean without overflow on the roads.
The campaign's reach was 8 percent in Dhar district in 2005 and has risen to 23 percent in 2007
In Indore district more than 75 percent of Below-Poverty-Line dwellers have constructed a latrine in their homes. In Seoni, Hoshangabad and Sehore this figure has touched between 50 to 75 percent.Sarpanch Ms Rajkunwar Jatav Jat maintains: "To bring such a change in four months time was an arduous task. The veterans of the village in particular had to be coaxed to give up the 'loti' habit and take to the new method."
Jatav Jat says that she took the help of children and UNICEF supported NGO Vasudha Vikas Sansthan to accomplish this mission. Enumerating the steps taken she said films were shown to the villagers highlighting the benefits of sanitation. "The school teachers were also roped in to make the parents and grandparents realise
the virtues of having a latrine at home. Even we – the village leaders - took up the broom and did not shy away from cleaning the roads. This motivated the villagers to follow suit."
UNICEF's Dr Sam Godfrey says it is nothing less than a revolution for social change.
Five village panchayats had been chosen in the Badnawar Janpad of Dhar District for the Nirmal Gram Puruskar this year.
May 2007: Jabarha village in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh is gripped with lliteracy poverty. Yet amidst all the grim socio-economic scenario, aray of hope shines.
A robust improvement in sanitation has metamorphosed the basic look of the village.
The central government has set a target of constructing a latrine in every house in all villages by 2012.With the implementation of the Total Sanitation Campaign, this tribal dominated hamlet nearly 100 kms from Dhar district headquarters, has gradually started learning the ABCs of sanitation. The first revolutionary step in this direction was the construction of a latrine in each of the 310 households of the village.
Like many traditional Indian villages Jabarha was almost untouched by modern infrastructural development. Open air defecation, uncontrolled movement of cattle, littering adjacent to water reservoirs---all the standard unhygienic characteristics were prevalent in the village.
But in the last four months the village has spruced up its 'hygiene quotient' and the residents have acquired a new sanitation vocabulary, all without any coercion. Each of the 310 houses has a latrine, a container has been kept outside each house to accumulate the garbage, the streets are without any stray cattle and the drains impeccably clean without overflow on the roads.
The campaign's reach was 8 percent in Dhar district in 2005 and has risen to 23 percent in 2007
In Indore district more than 75 percent of Below-Poverty-Line dwellers have constructed a latrine in their homes. In Seoni, Hoshangabad and Sehore this figure has touched between 50 to 75 percent.Sarpanch Ms Rajkunwar Jatav Jat maintains: "To bring such a change in four months time was an arduous task. The veterans of the village in particular had to be coaxed to give up the 'loti' habit and take to the new method."
Jatav Jat says that she took the help of children and UNICEF supported NGO Vasudha Vikas Sansthan to accomplish this mission. Enumerating the steps taken she said films were shown to the villagers highlighting the benefits of sanitation. "The school teachers were also roped in to make the parents and grandparents realise
the virtues of having a latrine at home. Even we – the village leaders - took up the broom and did not shy away from cleaning the roads. This motivated the villagers to follow suit."
UNICEF's Dr Sam Godfrey says it is nothing less than a revolution for social change.
Five village panchayats had been chosen in the Badnawar Janpad of Dhar District for the Nirmal Gram Puruskar this year.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
'Anganwadi calendar', a communication tool
Bhopal, May 2:
At a first look it may look like a typical monthly Indian calendar available in the nearby market place. But on a second look, it is not!
It is an 'anganwadi calendar' published by the State Women and Child Development Department of the central Indian state, Madhya Pradesh in India. Anganwadi centre is a child care centre in villages of the state which provides services to help improve the nutritional and health status of children below the age of six years and pregnant and lactating mothers. It is set up by the state with the support from Government of India under its Integrated Child Development Scheme. It includes package of services like supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education and nutrition & health education for children below the age of six years and pregnant and lactating mothers. The said calendar probably has all the information which one Anganwadi worker needs to provide it to mothers, pregnant women who visit the centre along with their children.
As in all the calendars it has month wise dates in a 'week wise' format duly stapled on to the calendar. In this calendar the month slips could be removed after the month gets over and rest of the portion of the calendar for that month could be used as a poster. It could be stuck on to the wall of an 'anganwadi centre'. It becomes an IEC (information education and communication) tool and helps provide the much needed 'right' information to the families visiting the centre. The information on the calendar is provided both in written and pictorial format, keeping the literacy levels in mind the rural areas of the state.
The calendar has information on the various services available in the anganwadi centre, (very importantly) full child's immunization chart and information about care of pregnant women. It also talks about right age of marriage i.e. 21 years for boys and 18 years for girls and motivates parents to marry their children especially girls at the right age. That's not all it also has key messages on gender equality, importance of exclusive breast feeding till six months and complimentary feeding, which is important in the state which has high rates of infant mortality and low rates of exclusive breastfeeding.
The calendar also relays importance of institutional delivery and has key messages which probably ever family should know and understand. No doubt an effort worth praise, but it may be important to evaluate its effective distribution and use.
By Anil Gulati
At a first look it may look like a typical monthly Indian calendar available in the nearby market place. But on a second look, it is not!
It is an 'anganwadi calendar' published by the State Women and Child Development Department of the central Indian state, Madhya Pradesh in India. Anganwadi centre is a child care centre in villages of the state which provides services to help improve the nutritional and health status of children below the age of six years and pregnant and lactating mothers. It is set up by the state with the support from Government of India under its Integrated Child Development Scheme. It includes package of services like supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-up, referral services, pre-school non-formal education and nutrition & health education for children below the age of six years and pregnant and lactating mothers. The said calendar probably has all the information which one Anganwadi worker needs to provide it to mothers, pregnant women who visit the centre along with their children.
As in all the calendars it has month wise dates in a 'week wise' format duly stapled on to the calendar. In this calendar the month slips could be removed after the month gets over and rest of the portion of the calendar for that month could be used as a poster. It could be stuck on to the wall of an 'anganwadi centre'. It becomes an IEC (information education and communication) tool and helps provide the much needed 'right' information to the families visiting the centre. The information on the calendar is provided both in written and pictorial format, keeping the literacy levels in mind the rural areas of the state.
The calendar has information on the various services available in the anganwadi centre, (very importantly) full child's immunization chart and information about care of pregnant women. It also talks about right age of marriage i.e. 21 years for boys and 18 years for girls and motivates parents to marry their children especially girls at the right age. That's not all it also has key messages on gender equality, importance of exclusive breast feeding till six months and complimentary feeding, which is important in the state which has high rates of infant mortality and low rates of exclusive breastfeeding.
The calendar also relays importance of institutional delivery and has key messages which probably ever family should know and understand. No doubt an effort worth praise, but it may be important to evaluate its effective distribution and use.
By Anil Gulati
Monday, April 30, 2007
Ray of Hope from Bhind, Madhya Pradesh
Source - www.unicef.org/india
An Indian village with all children who have attended primary school, in educationally backward Madhya Pradesh seems unbelievable. Nonetheless, this is really the case in Baghora village in Bhind district.
The state’s literacy level is 64 percent, nearly paralleling the national literacy rate of 65 percent. However, the rural literacy rate is only 43 percent. The situation is particularly grim in rural areas: 87 percent (272) of the blocks record below average literacy rates and over 90 percent of the blocks have higher gender differentials in literacy levels than the national average. These figures clearly indicate the persisting gender disparities in the state. Bhind district also reflects these disparities with the female literacy at 55.2% and the sex ratio for children in 0-6 years being 832.
With a population of 450 people, Baghora village situated in Bhind district's rough terrain has more that 100 children in the age group of 3-14 years and all of them have either attained education till Class V or are in the process of completing it under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The village has only one primary school - Shaskiya Prathmik Vidhyalaya, Baghora – which at present has 70 students enrolled, including 29 girls.
So what makes the children of this village attend school regularly when other parts of the state - barring a few - are plagued with teacher absenteeism and drop outs? This is despite incentives like mid-day meals, free textbooks, free uniforms for girls and scholarships. Apt comes the reply, "I go and pursue the parents to send their children to school regularly whenever any one is found absent", said the school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) president Badou Singh Kushwaha.
Madhya Pradesh has passed the Peoples Education Act, 2002 and these PTAs have been constituted under its aegis. This is one of the landmark efforts of the State Government to enhance school-community linkages and bring about effective participation of parents and community in school development. UNICEF has collaborated with the state education department in developing the training modules for training of PTAs on their roles and responsibilities - modules which are now being used to train PTAs across the state.
“Both parents and teachers own joint responsibility to educate the child", said Krishna Murari Mishra, Headmaster of Sarva Primary School, whose school has five teachers and 229 students. "Earlier teachers used to be concerned only with teaching but now they also know about their responsibility of bringing the child to school and involving the community in school development”. To attract children to schools, education kits and school furniture provided by UNICEF have added to ensuring regularity of children’s’ presence in school.
A few kilometers away from Sarva is Dhamsa - another Bhind village with a government primary school exclusively for girls. This school has 96 girls studying from Class I to Class V. "I want to be a doctor", says Revati (14), who has three brothers and two sisters. Asked the reason why, she said "My father died for want of treatment because there is no doctor in my village". Whether Revati succeeds in fulfilling her desire only time will tell, but one amongst so many Revatis will definitely achieve that milestone one day. "And this has been possible due to Quality Education inputs which have helped improve learning among children", says Sanjay Manjhi, one of the teachers.
UNICEF is partnering the state in implementing Quality Education Initiative across the state to improve quality of education under SSA. There is a special focus on four districts viz. Guna, Shivpuri, Jhabua and Bhind.
Hamid El- Bashir, UNICEF State Representative for Madhya Pradesh, said that 'State of Madhya Pradesh has many developmental challenges and of course many potentials. Among the challenges is to get girls into school and to retain them up to higher grades. Educating children, particularly girls multiplies positive implications on the family and the society at large. Girls’ education is an important indicator for total social change in society. These are some successful initiatives that need to be replicated state wide.”
An Indian village with all children who have attended primary school, in educationally backward Madhya Pradesh seems unbelievable. Nonetheless, this is really the case in Baghora village in Bhind district.
The state’s literacy level is 64 percent, nearly paralleling the national literacy rate of 65 percent. However, the rural literacy rate is only 43 percent. The situation is particularly grim in rural areas: 87 percent (272) of the blocks record below average literacy rates and over 90 percent of the blocks have higher gender differentials in literacy levels than the national average. These figures clearly indicate the persisting gender disparities in the state. Bhind district also reflects these disparities with the female literacy at 55.2% and the sex ratio for children in 0-6 years being 832.
With a population of 450 people, Baghora village situated in Bhind district's rough terrain has more that 100 children in the age group of 3-14 years and all of them have either attained education till Class V or are in the process of completing it under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The village has only one primary school - Shaskiya Prathmik Vidhyalaya, Baghora – which at present has 70 students enrolled, including 29 girls.
So what makes the children of this village attend school regularly when other parts of the state - barring a few - are plagued with teacher absenteeism and drop outs? This is despite incentives like mid-day meals, free textbooks, free uniforms for girls and scholarships. Apt comes the reply, "I go and pursue the parents to send their children to school regularly whenever any one is found absent", said the school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) president Badou Singh Kushwaha.
Madhya Pradesh has passed the Peoples Education Act, 2002 and these PTAs have been constituted under its aegis. This is one of the landmark efforts of the State Government to enhance school-community linkages and bring about effective participation of parents and community in school development. UNICEF has collaborated with the state education department in developing the training modules for training of PTAs on their roles and responsibilities - modules which are now being used to train PTAs across the state.
“Both parents and teachers own joint responsibility to educate the child", said Krishna Murari Mishra, Headmaster of Sarva Primary School, whose school has five teachers and 229 students. "Earlier teachers used to be concerned only with teaching but now they also know about their responsibility of bringing the child to school and involving the community in school development”. To attract children to schools, education kits and school furniture provided by UNICEF have added to ensuring regularity of children’s’ presence in school.
A few kilometers away from Sarva is Dhamsa - another Bhind village with a government primary school exclusively for girls. This school has 96 girls studying from Class I to Class V. "I want to be a doctor", says Revati (14), who has three brothers and two sisters. Asked the reason why, she said "My father died for want of treatment because there is no doctor in my village". Whether Revati succeeds in fulfilling her desire only time will tell, but one amongst so many Revatis will definitely achieve that milestone one day. "And this has been possible due to Quality Education inputs which have helped improve learning among children", says Sanjay Manjhi, one of the teachers.
UNICEF is partnering the state in implementing Quality Education Initiative across the state to improve quality of education under SSA. There is a special focus on four districts viz. Guna, Shivpuri, Jhabua and Bhind.
Hamid El- Bashir, UNICEF State Representative for Madhya Pradesh, said that 'State of Madhya Pradesh has many developmental challenges and of course many potentials. Among the challenges is to get girls into school and to retain them up to higher grades. Educating children, particularly girls multiplies positive implications on the family and the society at large. Girls’ education is an important indicator for total social change in society. These are some successful initiatives that need to be replicated state wide.”
Saturday, April 28, 2007
100 per cent sanitation in Madhya Pradesh village
Tarawata village in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district stands apart from other villages - it's spick and span. This has been made possible through the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) launched by the administration almost six months back.
Slogans propagating sanitary habits and cleanliness adorn its walls. The alleys passing through the nearly 200 'pucca' (concrete) houses are bereft of any litter. There are no flying plastic bags, no unwanted paper, no cow dung scattered on the streets that look immaculately clean.
The populace, which consists of mainly Kushwah and Brahmin communities, depends mainly on agriculture for sustenance. And it's not just external cleanliness that the around 1,950 villagers have imbibed.
Only two houses in the village had toilets just six months back. Today, it boasts of having a 100 percent sanitation graph. "Not a single house of the village is without a toilet," says SK Mishra, nodal officer of TSC.
"Earlier, the nullahs (drains) would always be choked. But after the district administration's efforts and the implementation of the project, the village has undergone a 'sanitation surgery'," says Sarpanch Hanumant Singh Kushwah. Initially, a lot of counselling had to be done to convince the villagers to discard the age-old tradition of taking a 'lota' (small utensil) and going out for defecation.
"Motivating them to change their mindset was an extremely arduous task. But gradually each one started aping the other. They understood the importance of having a personal and exclusive toilet," says Mishra. Even the children of this village have learnt the importance of personal hygiene. Talk to them about the subject and they start parroting lines straight out of the Class 5 environmental science book: "We should wash our hands before eating. We should brush daily. We should bathe daily and wear clean clothes...."
The children of Tarawata now have a game "Play Pump" installed in their schools by which they lift water to the rooftop. This has helped them to get enough water for drinking and cleaning in their school. This new technique has also helped them understand that electricity is not needed for lifting water - all through the "learn by play" technique.
"What is more important, no case of dysentery has been reported from the village in the past few months. The health indices have become more hygienic," says the sarpanch.
"Efforts of the Guna district team will indeed go a long way in bringing positive results for the children of the district and the state as the scheme is being replicated in other districts," said Hamid El Bashir, the Madhya Pradesh state UNICEF representative.
Slogans propagating sanitary habits and cleanliness adorn its walls. The alleys passing through the nearly 200 'pucca' (concrete) houses are bereft of any litter. There are no flying plastic bags, no unwanted paper, no cow dung scattered on the streets that look immaculately clean.
The populace, which consists of mainly Kushwah and Brahmin communities, depends mainly on agriculture for sustenance. And it's not just external cleanliness that the around 1,950 villagers have imbibed.
Only two houses in the village had toilets just six months back. Today, it boasts of having a 100 percent sanitation graph. "Not a single house of the village is without a toilet," says SK Mishra, nodal officer of TSC.
"Earlier, the nullahs (drains) would always be choked. But after the district administration's efforts and the implementation of the project, the village has undergone a 'sanitation surgery'," says Sarpanch Hanumant Singh Kushwah. Initially, a lot of counselling had to be done to convince the villagers to discard the age-old tradition of taking a 'lota' (small utensil) and going out for defecation.
"Motivating them to change their mindset was an extremely arduous task. But gradually each one started aping the other. They understood the importance of having a personal and exclusive toilet," says Mishra. Even the children of this village have learnt the importance of personal hygiene. Talk to them about the subject and they start parroting lines straight out of the Class 5 environmental science book: "We should wash our hands before eating. We should brush daily. We should bathe daily and wear clean clothes...."
The children of Tarawata now have a game "Play Pump" installed in their schools by which they lift water to the rooftop. This has helped them to get enough water for drinking and cleaning in their school. This new technique has also helped them understand that electricity is not needed for lifting water - all through the "learn by play" technique.
"What is more important, no case of dysentery has been reported from the village in the past few months. The health indices have become more hygienic," says the sarpanch.
"Efforts of the Guna district team will indeed go a long way in bringing positive results for the children of the district and the state as the scheme is being replicated in other districts," said Hamid El Bashir, the Madhya Pradesh state UNICEF representative.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Women bidi industry workers lament neglect
Workers of hand-rolled traditional cigarette or bidi industry, most of whom are women are lamenting poor working conditions and low wages.
Thousands of women work for long hours in the predominantly unorganised sector, to roll bidis - tobacco rolled into tendu leaves - but are paid less than Rupees 50 rupees per day.Many bidi manufacturers outsource bidi rolling to women, who take the raw material from these manufacturers and roll it at their at home during free time. They roll around 1000 bidi sticks in a 10-hour shift.The workers complain that they neither get the minimum wages stipulated under law, nor any compensation for health hazards."My eyesight has suffered and my limbs ache as a consequence of working in the tobacco industry for so long. We have to deal with persistent cough and fever due to constant exposure to tobacco, but continue to work due to poverty," said Batibai, a bidi worker.The government runs several schemes for the tobacco industry workers but most say the schemes either remain on paper, or a privileged few draw all benefits."We have become old working in this industry. Fifty years ago I rolled the first bidi but my hands shiver now. I am dependent on my children for food and clothing. Our children have no work; we have no security, pensions or houses to live in," said Sarmania Bai, a septuagenarian. According to a study by the Union Health Ministry, the health hazard in the industry is relatively high - 34 per 100 population, especially get affected by tuberculosis and cancer.State functionaries responsible for labour welfare say the welfare of bidi workers is the responsibility of the Central government, and they are mere facilitators.
"All the welfare schemes pertaining to the 'bidi rolling' workers are under the purview of the Labour Ministry. We are mere co-coordinators. Even the scholarship forms are submitted in the relevant office. If they (the bidi industry workers) have any grudges or applications for identity cards, they can submit them to the Labour Ministry through us. But personally, my office has no direct role in the matter," said S S Dixit, Assistant Labour Commissioner.Bidi accounts for about 53.5 per cent of the country's domestic consumption of tobacco as compared to cigarettes, which account for18.8 percent.The bidi market is pegged between 120 billion rupees to 150 billion rupees.The industry is fragmented across the country, with around 200 manufacturers in every state. But Madhya Pradesh is the major producer of bidis, for easy availability of raw material in the state.
Thousands of women work for long hours in the predominantly unorganised sector, to roll bidis - tobacco rolled into tendu leaves - but are paid less than Rupees 50 rupees per day.Many bidi manufacturers outsource bidi rolling to women, who take the raw material from these manufacturers and roll it at their at home during free time. They roll around 1000 bidi sticks in a 10-hour shift.The workers complain that they neither get the minimum wages stipulated under law, nor any compensation for health hazards."My eyesight has suffered and my limbs ache as a consequence of working in the tobacco industry for so long. We have to deal with persistent cough and fever due to constant exposure to tobacco, but continue to work due to poverty," said Batibai, a bidi worker.The government runs several schemes for the tobacco industry workers but most say the schemes either remain on paper, or a privileged few draw all benefits."We have become old working in this industry. Fifty years ago I rolled the first bidi but my hands shiver now. I am dependent on my children for food and clothing. Our children have no work; we have no security, pensions or houses to live in," said Sarmania Bai, a septuagenarian. According to a study by the Union Health Ministry, the health hazard in the industry is relatively high - 34 per 100 population, especially get affected by tuberculosis and cancer.State functionaries responsible for labour welfare say the welfare of bidi workers is the responsibility of the Central government, and they are mere facilitators.
"All the welfare schemes pertaining to the 'bidi rolling' workers are under the purview of the Labour Ministry. We are mere co-coordinators. Even the scholarship forms are submitted in the relevant office. If they (the bidi industry workers) have any grudges or applications for identity cards, they can submit them to the Labour Ministry through us. But personally, my office has no direct role in the matter," said S S Dixit, Assistant Labour Commissioner.Bidi accounts for about 53.5 per cent of the country's domestic consumption of tobacco as compared to cigarettes, which account for18.8 percent.The bidi market is pegged between 120 billion rupees to 150 billion rupees.The industry is fragmented across the country, with around 200 manufacturers in every state. But Madhya Pradesh is the major producer of bidis, for easy availability of raw material in the state.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Madhya Pradesh moves to curb child marriages
Madhya Pradesh is using an auspicious day in the Hindu calendar to crack down on child marriages.The government has unveiled 'Raksha Sootra Bandhan' programmes under its special action plan to check mass child marriages that take place on 'Akshay Tritiya' day April 20. On that day, minor children will tie a band on their parents' wrists with a message that they should not marry off their adolescent children.Akshay Tritiya generally falls in April or May and is considered auspicious for Hindu marriages. Wedding ceremonies, including child marriages, take place on this day in Madhya Pradesh, besides Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The plan envisages the holding of camps and rallies to generate awareness among the people in Madhya Pradesh. These events would be organised at district and block headquarters and main villages.NGOs say nearly 20,000 children were married off last year on this day in Madhya Pradesh alone. Child marriages normally take place within the Tawar Rajputs, Lodhas, Sodhiyas and Dangi communities. Yadavs and Gujjars also join the cult.Madhya Pradesh comes second to Rajasthan as far as marriage of minor girls is concerned. While the average age of marriage for an Indian girl is 20 years, it is 17 in Madhya Pradesh.
The Unicef's state of the children report for 2007 states that the average age for marriage of girls has been increasing during the last 20 years, but 46 percent girls are still married off before they reach 18 years.The reason for early marriage of girls is not only financial. People also feel that by getting their daughters married off early the girls could be saved from sexual harassment and getting pregnant prior to marriage.
As per Unicef's 'The State of the World's Children 2007', girls marrying before 15 years have five times more chances of dying while giving birth. The state already has a high maternal mortality rate.Realising that such malpractices cannot be curbed through government efforts alone and there is a need to generate awareness in the society, Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni has instructed district collectors to follow the plan guidelines to make the campaign against child marriage successful.Sahni has asked the collectors to chalk out their own strategy and take action against the 'culprits'.The collectors have been directed to organise awareness camps at every block headquarters, where influential people should be invited.
IANS
The plan envisages the holding of camps and rallies to generate awareness among the people in Madhya Pradesh. These events would be organised at district and block headquarters and main villages.NGOs say nearly 20,000 children were married off last year on this day in Madhya Pradesh alone. Child marriages normally take place within the Tawar Rajputs, Lodhas, Sodhiyas and Dangi communities. Yadavs and Gujjars also join the cult.Madhya Pradesh comes second to Rajasthan as far as marriage of minor girls is concerned. While the average age of marriage for an Indian girl is 20 years, it is 17 in Madhya Pradesh.
The Unicef's state of the children report for 2007 states that the average age for marriage of girls has been increasing during the last 20 years, but 46 percent girls are still married off before they reach 18 years.The reason for early marriage of girls is not only financial. People also feel that by getting their daughters married off early the girls could be saved from sexual harassment and getting pregnant prior to marriage.
As per Unicef's 'The State of the World's Children 2007', girls marrying before 15 years have five times more chances of dying while giving birth. The state already has a high maternal mortality rate.Realising that such malpractices cannot be curbed through government efforts alone and there is a need to generate awareness in the society, Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni has instructed district collectors to follow the plan guidelines to make the campaign against child marriage successful.Sahni has asked the collectors to chalk out their own strategy and take action against the 'culprits'.The collectors have been directed to organise awareness camps at every block headquarters, where influential people should be invited.
IANS
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Young MPs show they care
Nitin Sethi, Times of India
GWALIOR: Not that one needs to travel deep into India to find it, but a few young MPs, cutting across party lines, decide to, nevertheless, trace the contours of malnourishment in the rural areas of Gwalior. Lack of nutrition makes 46% of children under the age of three underweight, says the third National Family Health Survey. Madhya Pradesh has the highest levels of malnourishment among children, and substantially worse than Gujarat and Meghalaya, the two other states with high levels of malnourishment. But the MPs are not tossing up the stats in a political cauldron. One just can't. It's a phenomenon entrenched long — and wide — enough in the hinterland to make all parties equally culpable. Sachin Pilot (Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP), Shahnawaz Hussain (BJP), Jay Panda (BJD) and Prema Cariappa (Congress) comprise the team. First official stop on the day-long tour and they learn visual evidence can hide or tell as much as statistics do. UNICEF is backing up the tour, with logistics and information. The district administration, aware of the visit, has tried to 'sanitise' the villages on the schedule. The Anganwadi centre, run under the government's Integrated Child Development Scheme, at the two villages that the MPs visit are working on the day. Villagers voice their issues well when they confront the MPs. The primary health centre at one village is freshly painted, the mattresses have just been brought in from the town and the ice and water too have been arranged for the visiting dignitaries. But the Anganwadi at Rampura village, the first official pit stop, is just like one of the 7.44 lakh Anganwadis under ICDS. It's got its attendant problems, but the village is right now too bothered about the lack of water for agriculture. "Get us water and we will sort out the rest,"says one villager to the team, which also has Peenaz Masani, the veteran singer, and Gauri Karnik, a budding actor. It's an expected statement but it underpins the fact about doles. No Anganwadi project can perpetually provide nutritional security to rural India. Nutritional and food security is a far larger political question of second-generation agrarian reforms. Till politics finds an answer to that question, Anganwadis and other programmes under ICDS remain key operational tactic to reduce malnutrition, albeit, an expensive tactic. The government's expenditure on ICDS has risen from Rs 1,444 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 4,087 crore in 2006-07, an annual growth of 41%. "We are not here to point out problems or mistakes; we are here to understand what causes such chronic malnourishment in India. This is just the first place we are visiting and it's not as if we have not seen the situation in our own regions but it's a collective effort by us to see if we can voice these concerns louder, at a greater level,"says Sachin Pilot. The journalists travelling with them are enthusiastic-sceptics: "So what will this lead to? What does this venture by the young MPs really mean for the people?"— they fire out the questions at the first given opportunity. "The problem is acute and it needs to be addressed in Parliament just as much as the media needs to put it out prominently in the public domain,"replies Sule. "If we can get it higher on national priority, a tad bit higher, we will achieve our bit,"she adds.
GWALIOR: Not that one needs to travel deep into India to find it, but a few young MPs, cutting across party lines, decide to, nevertheless, trace the contours of malnourishment in the rural areas of Gwalior. Lack of nutrition makes 46% of children under the age of three underweight, says the third National Family Health Survey. Madhya Pradesh has the highest levels of malnourishment among children, and substantially worse than Gujarat and Meghalaya, the two other states with high levels of malnourishment. But the MPs are not tossing up the stats in a political cauldron. One just can't. It's a phenomenon entrenched long — and wide — enough in the hinterland to make all parties equally culpable. Sachin Pilot (Congress), Supriya Sule (NCP), Shahnawaz Hussain (BJP), Jay Panda (BJD) and Prema Cariappa (Congress) comprise the team. First official stop on the day-long tour and they learn visual evidence can hide or tell as much as statistics do. UNICEF is backing up the tour, with logistics and information. The district administration, aware of the visit, has tried to 'sanitise' the villages on the schedule. The Anganwadi centre, run under the government's Integrated Child Development Scheme, at the two villages that the MPs visit are working on the day. Villagers voice their issues well when they confront the MPs. The primary health centre at one village is freshly painted, the mattresses have just been brought in from the town and the ice and water too have been arranged for the visiting dignitaries. But the Anganwadi at Rampura village, the first official pit stop, is just like one of the 7.44 lakh Anganwadis under ICDS. It's got its attendant problems, but the village is right now too bothered about the lack of water for agriculture. "Get us water and we will sort out the rest,"says one villager to the team, which also has Peenaz Masani, the veteran singer, and Gauri Karnik, a budding actor. It's an expected statement but it underpins the fact about doles. No Anganwadi project can perpetually provide nutritional security to rural India. Nutritional and food security is a far larger political question of second-generation agrarian reforms. Till politics finds an answer to that question, Anganwadis and other programmes under ICDS remain key operational tactic to reduce malnutrition, albeit, an expensive tactic. The government's expenditure on ICDS has risen from Rs 1,444 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 4,087 crore in 2006-07, an annual growth of 41%. "We are not here to point out problems or mistakes; we are here to understand what causes such chronic malnourishment in India. This is just the first place we are visiting and it's not as if we have not seen the situation in our own regions but it's a collective effort by us to see if we can voice these concerns louder, at a greater level,"says Sachin Pilot. The journalists travelling with them are enthusiastic-sceptics: "So what will this lead to? What does this venture by the young MPs really mean for the people?"— they fire out the questions at the first given opportunity. "The problem is acute and it needs to be addressed in Parliament just as much as the media needs to put it out prominently in the public domain,"replies Sule. "If we can get it higher on national priority, a tad bit higher, we will achieve our bit,"she adds.
Madhya Pradesh nutrition policy draw activists' ire
IANS
The Madhya Pradesh government's plan to enhance the nutritional value of food provided to children under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is being met with skepticism by activists who question the new nutrition policy.The Madhya Pradesh government's plan to enhance the nutritional value of food provided to children under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is being met with skepticism by activists who question the new nutrition policy.'The state government has decided to provide 20 different kinds of meal including kheer pudi, laddoo, mathri to the children in place of daliya (roasted gram).
The choice about the kind of meal would be made on the basis of local food habit in a particular area,' says Kusum Mehdele, women and child welfare minister. While the centre and the state government will share the expenses equally, the latter has set Rs.1.55 billion as its share.Funds for the policy has been increased to Rs.3 billion for the current fiscal (2007-08) as against Rs. 1.1 billion during fiscal 2006-07. Though Mehdele hopes that the policy would be a boon for the malnourished children, health activists don't agree with her.
'Do you think a child in 0-3 years age group who requires micro-nutrients would do well with halwa-puri?' asks Sachin Jain of Right to Food campaign.'We have been demanding since long that there should be at least two aanganwadi workers, each with one helper, at every centre, but to no avail.' But the minister denies that the government was unaware of the situation. According to her, the government has sanctioned opening of 9,914 aaganwadis or care centres under the ICDS during 2007-08 to take the facility to all the municipal corporations, municipalities and town local bodies. '
Also, a survey to identify poor children below six years, expectant and nursing mothers and girls has been carried out and supplementary diet of 10 gram proteins and 300 calories is given to them for at least 300 days,' said Mehdele.As many as 367 ICDS schemes are being run in the state. As part of the schemes, health check ups and vaccinations are being conducted every month.
The Madhya Pradesh government's plan to enhance the nutritional value of food provided to children under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is being met with skepticism by activists who question the new nutrition policy.The Madhya Pradesh government's plan to enhance the nutritional value of food provided to children under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) is being met with skepticism by activists who question the new nutrition policy.'The state government has decided to provide 20 different kinds of meal including kheer pudi, laddoo, mathri to the children in place of daliya (roasted gram).
The choice about the kind of meal would be made on the basis of local food habit in a particular area,' says Kusum Mehdele, women and child welfare minister. While the centre and the state government will share the expenses equally, the latter has set Rs.1.55 billion as its share.Funds for the policy has been increased to Rs.3 billion for the current fiscal (2007-08) as against Rs. 1.1 billion during fiscal 2006-07. Though Mehdele hopes that the policy would be a boon for the malnourished children, health activists don't agree with her.
'Do you think a child in 0-3 years age group who requires micro-nutrients would do well with halwa-puri?' asks Sachin Jain of Right to Food campaign.'We have been demanding since long that there should be at least two aanganwadi workers, each with one helper, at every centre, but to no avail.' But the minister denies that the government was unaware of the situation. According to her, the government has sanctioned opening of 9,914 aaganwadis or care centres under the ICDS during 2007-08 to take the facility to all the municipal corporations, municipalities and town local bodies. '
Also, a survey to identify poor children below six years, expectant and nursing mothers and girls has been carried out and supplementary diet of 10 gram proteins and 300 calories is given to them for at least 300 days,' said Mehdele.As many as 367 ICDS schemes are being run in the state. As part of the schemes, health check ups and vaccinations are being conducted every month.
Domestic Grey water reuse
United News of IndiaDhar, July 19:
Grey water reuse is one of the alternatives of water resource management to overcome water scarcity. Grey water is defined as water emanating from bathroom, kitchen and laundry. The water from bathroom is collected and treated in simple filtration system. The advantages of household water reuse system are reduction in water requirements, availability of water for non-potable purposes, minimization of sewage generation and also helps save water. Treated grey water reuse system can also be used for flushing toilets and gardening.This is also being promoted by UNICEF in Ashram schools of Dhar and Jhabua. The simple water reuse household system was inaugurated by a child named Sartaj in presence of Cynthia de Windt, State Representative UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh at the house of Dr Samuel Godfrey Project Officer UNICEF. The installed domestic grey water reuse system can help treat 200 liters of grey water everyday and can be useful for irrigating plants and garden.
Grey water reuse is one of the alternatives of water resource management to overcome water scarcity. Grey water is defined as water emanating from bathroom, kitchen and laundry. The water from bathroom is collected and treated in simple filtration system. The advantages of household water reuse system are reduction in water requirements, availability of water for non-potable purposes, minimization of sewage generation and also helps save water. Treated grey water reuse system can also be used for flushing toilets and gardening.This is also being promoted by UNICEF in Ashram schools of Dhar and Jhabua. The simple water reuse household system was inaugurated by a child named Sartaj in presence of Cynthia de Windt, State Representative UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh at the house of Dr Samuel Godfrey Project Officer UNICEF. The installed domestic grey water reuse system can help treat 200 liters of grey water everyday and can be useful for irrigating plants and garden.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Communicating to bring about social change
Anil Gulati
www.merinews.com
01 April 2007, Sunday
Views: 3444 Comments: 3
Conventional strategies which focus on the individual’s behaviour change may not work, these have to be more broad-based, which address the wide range of determinants in the individual’s environment and settings.
‘Meaning is not something that is delivered to people, it is made by them’. A perspective paper by Panos Institute, 1998 had mention of this statement, which still is true. Lot of debate and discussion is held in recent times on the issue on communication and in the meetings on the subject one often hears a term i.e. behaviour change communication.
The experts say that this is it. It is the need of the day especially in the states like Madhya Pradesh in India, which has challenges like high rates of malnutrition in children under three years of age, infant mortality, and has large incidences of diarrhea especially in children. Many of these could be addressed to great extent by following simple practices. The need is to communicate these practices in form of simple messages, in a manner wherein this acquired information turns into a positive action. It is well known today that, that colostrum feeding and exclusive breast feeding can help reduce infant mortality and malnutrition, hygiene practices can help prevent diarrhea, simple precautions can help prevent respiratory tract infection to the new born, but still somehow we are unable to get these across to all including people in rural and tribal areas.
Fact is that we are lagging behind. May be it is easier said, than done. May be individual wanting to make changes in his life, does not feel the need for that change or even if the urge is there but it is not so strong to turn it into motivation for action, or face resistance from family, peers and community. Many a time’s services are often inadequate for their needs or insensitive to their situation. The system often fails them. ‘I want to take my child for vaccination but health centre is closed’ said one mother in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, similarly ‘I want to go to school but teachers sent us back after taking attendance’ - a young boy of 10 years mentioned it in the gram sabha in Shivpuri district . They may also face religious, cultural, economic, or social pressures or a lack of structural and legislative support-that constrain their freedom to choose healthy and safe options.
Strategies designed to improve individual lives focus only on the “individual” pushing them to change practices by defining them as wrong and right. Such strategies ‘many a times’ ignore that there exists an environment and the forces within the society which push them following practices or doing things that undermine their health or health of their child. For example in case of just creating awareness on prevention of HIV/AIDS may not work, if we do not take into account the social determinants, cultural sensitivities and deep seated inequalities within the system. One may need different strategies, which is possible and there may be threats but may be that is the reason why working for change on both macro and micro level would help. When strategies for behaviour change are formed we therefore need to think in much broader terms, keeping the real picture in mind and think beyond the individual behaviour change.
Conventional strategies which focus on the individual’s behavior change may not work, these have to be more broad-based, which address the wide range of determinants in the individual’s environment and settings. One cannot push for hand washing if there is no water, or they cannot afford the soap.
May be that is the reason rather than focusing on ‘individual behaviour change’ need of the day is to focus on social change. For communication professional the focus needs to be communication for social change, may be the individual issues would get diluted, in actual they may not be the real problems, may get addressed in the process for social change.
In the process of this kind of communication for social change such “enabling” strategies would intend to remove barriers or constraints to positive action or conversely could erect barriers or constraints to behaviour which one should not practice. A combination of approaches is therefore necessary to promote the individual’s capacity for action within a supportive environment and community.
www.merinews.com
01 April 2007, Sunday
Views: 3444 Comments: 3
Conventional strategies which focus on the individual’s behaviour change may not work, these have to be more broad-based, which address the wide range of determinants in the individual’s environment and settings.
‘Meaning is not something that is delivered to people, it is made by them’. A perspective paper by Panos Institute, 1998 had mention of this statement, which still is true. Lot of debate and discussion is held in recent times on the issue on communication and in the meetings on the subject one often hears a term i.e. behaviour change communication.
The experts say that this is it. It is the need of the day especially in the states like Madhya Pradesh in India, which has challenges like high rates of malnutrition in children under three years of age, infant mortality, and has large incidences of diarrhea especially in children. Many of these could be addressed to great extent by following simple practices. The need is to communicate these practices in form of simple messages, in a manner wherein this acquired information turns into a positive action. It is well known today that, that colostrum feeding and exclusive breast feeding can help reduce infant mortality and malnutrition, hygiene practices can help prevent diarrhea, simple precautions can help prevent respiratory tract infection to the new born, but still somehow we are unable to get these across to all including people in rural and tribal areas.
Fact is that we are lagging behind. May be it is easier said, than done. May be individual wanting to make changes in his life, does not feel the need for that change or even if the urge is there but it is not so strong to turn it into motivation for action, or face resistance from family, peers and community. Many a time’s services are often inadequate for their needs or insensitive to their situation. The system often fails them. ‘I want to take my child for vaccination but health centre is closed’ said one mother in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, similarly ‘I want to go to school but teachers sent us back after taking attendance’ - a young boy of 10 years mentioned it in the gram sabha in Shivpuri district . They may also face religious, cultural, economic, or social pressures or a lack of structural and legislative support-that constrain their freedom to choose healthy and safe options.
Strategies designed to improve individual lives focus only on the “individual” pushing them to change practices by defining them as wrong and right. Such strategies ‘many a times’ ignore that there exists an environment and the forces within the society which push them following practices or doing things that undermine their health or health of their child. For example in case of just creating awareness on prevention of HIV/AIDS may not work, if we do not take into account the social determinants, cultural sensitivities and deep seated inequalities within the system. One may need different strategies, which is possible and there may be threats but may be that is the reason why working for change on both macro and micro level would help. When strategies for behaviour change are formed we therefore need to think in much broader terms, keeping the real picture in mind and think beyond the individual behaviour change.
Conventional strategies which focus on the individual’s behavior change may not work, these have to be more broad-based, which address the wide range of determinants in the individual’s environment and settings. One cannot push for hand washing if there is no water, or they cannot afford the soap.
May be that is the reason rather than focusing on ‘individual behaviour change’ need of the day is to focus on social change. For communication professional the focus needs to be communication for social change, may be the individual issues would get diluted, in actual they may not be the real problems, may get addressed in the process for social change.
In the process of this kind of communication for social change such “enabling” strategies would intend to remove barriers or constraints to positive action or conversely could erect barriers or constraints to behaviour which one should not practice. A combination of approaches is therefore necessary to promote the individual’s capacity for action within a supportive environment and community.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Water management must to combat scarcity: UNICEF
The Pioneer, March 22, 2007
The theme, 'Coping with water scarcity' on this year's World Water Day -March 22, highlights the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of water resources.
The theme is quite relevant for Madhya Pradesh where many districts face water scarcity and level of ground water are going down. Almost 25 per cent of the groundwater, which is the main source of water in Madhya Pradesh, are over exploited. The Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) in its report stated that the State is facing water scarcity problem due to ongoing over exploitation of sources and inadequate recharge structures.
A study by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) points out that increased number of private boreholes has led to over consumption of water at domestic level.
India is in grip of water crisis and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) estimates that by 2025 one third of India's population will suffer from severe water scarcity. According to IWMI estimation, India supports over 15 per cent of world's population but has only 4 per cent of the world's water resources.
State Representative UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh Hamid, El Bashir says that millions of people suffer every year from multiple episodes of diarrhoea and many other fall ill on account of other diseases caused by poor hygiene and unsafe drinking water, especially children. We need to bring the issue into focus not on just one day but every day and it is our call for action. According to NEERI 2006 report, approximately 60 per cent of water consumed in the household is from bathing. This water is known as is 'greywater' as it is not highly contaminated and easily treatable and reuseble.
UNICEF, in collaboration with Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and NGOs have developed a system that recycles up to 200 litres of water per household for flushing toilets and for gardening. The system reduces the demand on groundwater by 60 per cent. At Ganaganagar ashram school in Dhar district, the reuse of greywater has resulted in for the first time during summer months of March, April and May 2006.
Bashir believes that it is imperative the State Government scales the wise water management statewide wherein UNICEF can bring on board experts both national and international to help draft the same plan. PHE department is already planning to build 1500 similar schemes.
The theme, 'Coping with water scarcity' on this year's World Water Day -March 22, highlights the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of water resources.
The theme is quite relevant for Madhya Pradesh where many districts face water scarcity and level of ground water are going down. Almost 25 per cent of the groundwater, which is the main source of water in Madhya Pradesh, are over exploited. The Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) in its report stated that the State is facing water scarcity problem due to ongoing over exploitation of sources and inadequate recharge structures.
A study by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) points out that increased number of private boreholes has led to over consumption of water at domestic level.
India is in grip of water crisis and International Water Management Institute (IWMI) estimates that by 2025 one third of India's population will suffer from severe water scarcity. According to IWMI estimation, India supports over 15 per cent of world's population but has only 4 per cent of the world's water resources.
State Representative UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh Hamid, El Bashir says that millions of people suffer every year from multiple episodes of diarrhoea and many other fall ill on account of other diseases caused by poor hygiene and unsafe drinking water, especially children. We need to bring the issue into focus not on just one day but every day and it is our call for action. According to NEERI 2006 report, approximately 60 per cent of water consumed in the household is from bathing. This water is known as is 'greywater' as it is not highly contaminated and easily treatable and reuseble.
UNICEF, in collaboration with Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and NGOs have developed a system that recycles up to 200 litres of water per household for flushing toilets and for gardening. The system reduces the demand on groundwater by 60 per cent. At Ganaganagar ashram school in Dhar district, the reuse of greywater has resulted in for the first time during summer months of March, April and May 2006.
Bashir believes that it is imperative the State Government scales the wise water management statewide wherein UNICEF can bring on board experts both national and international to help draft the same plan. PHE department is already planning to build 1500 similar schemes.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Four women village heads felicitated
Sahara Samay, Posted at Thursday, 08 March 2007 21:03 IST
Indore, March 8 : Four women village heads were honoured by the Madhya Pradesh government for their excellent performance under the UNICEF sponsored programme ‘Nirmal Village’, Sahara Samay sources said.During the UNICEF programme, a group of four village heads were travelled to Chennai and Mumbai through aeroplane, where they stayed in a five star hotel and learn about the western style toilet technique.The Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Shukla said that they were given tour package as an honour for their better performance.
Indore, March 8 : Four women village heads were honoured by the Madhya Pradesh government for their excellent performance under the UNICEF sponsored programme ‘Nirmal Village’, Sahara Samay sources said.During the UNICEF programme, a group of four village heads were travelled to Chennai and Mumbai through aeroplane, where they stayed in a five star hotel and learn about the western style toilet technique.The Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Shukla said that they were given tour package as an honour for their better performance.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Gritty women script stories of success
Vanita Srivastava. Hindustan Times, March 8, 2007 - women's day special
TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Krishna of Tikariya village in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh is a proud woman today. She is a primary school teacher in a government school. She is the ‘first’ girl of her village to have passed the 12th grade exam. The secondary school was very far from her village and one by one all her friends dropped out. Krishna, however, did not lose hope. Her father who had dropped out of school in grade seven knew how difficult it was to get a job without education.
He promised himself that he would educate all his children. Krishna would trudge several kilometers on foot to reach her school. Later, she started running night classes under the ‘Mahila Padhna-Badhna Andolan’. “Education enables us to express our thoughts and ideas to a wide spectrum of people,” she says. Krishna is one of the three women from the State who have been beautifully featured in ‘Girl Star’, UNICEF calendar of 2007, which focuses on those girls and women who have achieved something defying odds.
26-year-old Rupali Jain aka ‘Ruby’ runs a beauty parlour in Guna. After her father’s death, Rupali took over all the responsibilities of the family. She underwent training for a beautician’s course and also completed her Class XII exam. After that she did her BA. “My education helped me obtain a loan from the bank to open my parlour. Education is the only thing that helps a woman during hardship. It gives a woman the strength to brave challenges,” she says.
28-year-old Premlata Varma works as an accountant in the office of superintendent of police in Jhabua. She is the youngest in her department but has risen to this level through sheer hard work. She has four others working under her. Her grandmother who raised her was adamant that she should go to school although she had herself never been to a school. Premlata’s journey was, however, full of struggles.
As a child she used to collect water from a river for her neighbours and thus earned money both for her own and her sister’s education. She also had to look after her Nani (maternal grandmother) during her student days. Today, she has a masters in economics, a government job and lots of water in her house. “There was a time when I used to collect water from a river for others. Today, I have a house, a scooter and a tap for water,” she reminisces. The UNICEF calendar has some very beautiful pictures, which captures the strength of twelve different women from different areas of the country. Krishna, Premlata and Rupali are featured for the months of July, October and November respectively.
The calendar unveils the story of 12 ordinary women with special stories. All have written their own destiny by tasting the beauty of education.
TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Krishna of Tikariya village in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh is a proud woman today. She is a primary school teacher in a government school. She is the ‘first’ girl of her village to have passed the 12th grade exam. The secondary school was very far from her village and one by one all her friends dropped out. Krishna, however, did not lose hope. Her father who had dropped out of school in grade seven knew how difficult it was to get a job without education.
He promised himself that he would educate all his children. Krishna would trudge several kilometers on foot to reach her school. Later, she started running night classes under the ‘Mahila Padhna-Badhna Andolan’. “Education enables us to express our thoughts and ideas to a wide spectrum of people,” she says. Krishna is one of the three women from the State who have been beautifully featured in ‘Girl Star’, UNICEF calendar of 2007, which focuses on those girls and women who have achieved something defying odds.
26-year-old Rupali Jain aka ‘Ruby’ runs a beauty parlour in Guna. After her father’s death, Rupali took over all the responsibilities of the family. She underwent training for a beautician’s course and also completed her Class XII exam. After that she did her BA. “My education helped me obtain a loan from the bank to open my parlour. Education is the only thing that helps a woman during hardship. It gives a woman the strength to brave challenges,” she says.
28-year-old Premlata Varma works as an accountant in the office of superintendent of police in Jhabua. She is the youngest in her department but has risen to this level through sheer hard work. She has four others working under her. Her grandmother who raised her was adamant that she should go to school although she had herself never been to a school. Premlata’s journey was, however, full of struggles.
As a child she used to collect water from a river for her neighbours and thus earned money both for her own and her sister’s education. She also had to look after her Nani (maternal grandmother) during her student days. Today, she has a masters in economics, a government job and lots of water in her house. “There was a time when I used to collect water from a river for others. Today, I have a house, a scooter and a tap for water,” she reminisces. The UNICEF calendar has some very beautiful pictures, which captures the strength of twelve different women from different areas of the country. Krishna, Premlata and Rupali are featured for the months of July, October and November respectively.
The calendar unveils the story of 12 ordinary women with special stories. All have written their own destiny by tasting the beauty of education.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Blogs becoming new fad to raise social issues
The Pioneer, Bhopal edition Feb. 23, 2007
Blogs, which were earlier used to talk about ones work, travel or personal diaries, are now becoming new media platforms to raise social issues.
Blog is user-generated web pages, which an individual or a group generates to share views with people at large. If need be one can keep it private too. Many platforms like blogspot, wordpress, and rediff provide a facility to make blogs free of cost. You just need an email ID and you can do it. It is new techie now-a-days and thousand come up every day.
In a new trend in the State, people are increasingly making and using blogs to voice concern on social issues like maternal mortality, education, water, situation of children in the State.
There are some old one like www.safemotherhood.blogsopt.com. This is managed by the Campaign to Raise Concern on Maternal Deaths, which is working towards raising concern on the issue of high maternal deaths in the State. Many stories which have appeared in The Pioneer on the issue also feature in there, with due credit.
Blogs help to give expression to ones creative challenge, but one needs to devote time too shares view with it, says Anil Gulati, the Bhopal blogger. It is easy to make them but tough to maintain them, one gets pressurised to keep blogs fresh. I update them very regularly adds Gulati.
He contributes on blogs like www.newswhichmatter.blogspot.com, which focuses on news and view from the State and www.mpchildinfo.blogspot.com focusing on issues of women and children of the State. Both of them along with madhyapradesh.blogspot.com are mainly focussed on the State perspective. One on photographs from the State is http://madyapradesh1.blogspot.com is managed by Sandip, who is a freelance photographer.
Though this may be start but is a newer phenomenon to raise and share issues not only within the State but across on web world.
Blogs, which were earlier used to talk about ones work, travel or personal diaries, are now becoming new media platforms to raise social issues.
Blog is user-generated web pages, which an individual or a group generates to share views with people at large. If need be one can keep it private too. Many platforms like blogspot, wordpress, and rediff provide a facility to make blogs free of cost. You just need an email ID and you can do it. It is new techie now-a-days and thousand come up every day.
In a new trend in the State, people are increasingly making and using blogs to voice concern on social issues like maternal mortality, education, water, situation of children in the State.
There are some old one like www.safemotherhood.blogsopt.com. This is managed by the Campaign to Raise Concern on Maternal Deaths, which is working towards raising concern on the issue of high maternal deaths in the State. Many stories which have appeared in The Pioneer on the issue also feature in there, with due credit.
Blogs help to give expression to ones creative challenge, but one needs to devote time too shares view with it, says Anil Gulati, the Bhopal blogger. It is easy to make them but tough to maintain them, one gets pressurised to keep blogs fresh. I update them very regularly adds Gulati.
He contributes on blogs like www.newswhichmatter.blogspot.com, which focuses on news and view from the State and www.mpchildinfo.blogspot.com focusing on issues of women and children of the State. Both of them along with madhyapradesh.blogspot.com are mainly focussed on the State perspective. One on photographs from the State is http://madyapradesh1.blogspot.com is managed by Sandip, who is a freelance photographer.
Though this may be start but is a newer phenomenon to raise and share issues not only within the State but across on web world.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
NGOs need to involve communities : Bashir
Hindustan Times, Bhopal
HT Correspondent, Bhopal, February 16, 2007
A STATE-LEVEL meeting of campaign partners supporting the promotion of safe motherhood and raising concern on maternal mortality in Madhya Pradesh was held here on Friday.
More than 60 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) representing network organisations like Madhya Pradesh Voluntary Health Association, Madhya Pradesh Samaj Sewa Sanstha, Madhya Pradesh Jan Adhikar Manch, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Central Regional Board of Health Services, Mahila Chetna Manch, Vikas Samvad, Department of Journalism, Makhan Lal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism shared their concern and outcomes of their efforts with communities and elected representatives.
Inaugurating the meeting, UNICEF Madhya Pradesh office State Representative Hamid El Bashir said civil society organisations should engage communities at a high level to push accountabilities within the system so that better care was delivered to women and children.
He added that Madhya Pradesh contributed to 10 per cent of maternal deaths in the country while India contributed 20 per cent of maternal deaths in the world. He said it was possible to reduce these deaths, but there was a need for sustained commitment to deliver for benefit of women and children in the State.
UNICEF Communication officer Anil Gulati spoke on the need for community empowerment and civil society’s engagement on the issue of women health. He said the media had helped to bring the issue to forefront but there was a need to take this momentum forward.
Makhan Lal Chaturvedi University of Journalism Department of Journalism’s PP Singh about the role of media in women’s health while Sachin Jain of Vikas Samvad stressed on media advocacy efforts in raising issues of women and child health.
Madhya Pradesh Voluntary Health Association’s Manoj Joshi, State Coordinator Jan Adhikar Manch Sandesh Bansal, Central Board of Regional Health Services Dr Sheela Bhambal, Mahila Chetna Manch Deep Damani, and Madhya Pradesh Samaj Sewa Sanstha Father Mathew and Sister Joicy spoke about their efforts in various parts of the State to help bring much needed momentum on the issue of maternal deaths and promoting safe motherhood state wide.
UNICEF Health Officer Dr Narayan Goankar presented the findings of maternal deaths audit in the districts of Guna and Shivpuri. UNICEF Planning officer Veena Bandyopadhyay presented a possible option of setting up of ‘Child Rights Observatory’ in Madhya Pradesh, which could act as a third party for monitoring rights of children and women. Himanshu Sikka of Infrastructure Professional Enterprise also participated in the meeting.
HT Correspondent, Bhopal, February 16, 2007
A STATE-LEVEL meeting of campaign partners supporting the promotion of safe motherhood and raising concern on maternal mortality in Madhya Pradesh was held here on Friday.
More than 60 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) representing network organisations like Madhya Pradesh Voluntary Health Association, Madhya Pradesh Samaj Sewa Sanstha, Madhya Pradesh Jan Adhikar Manch, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Central Regional Board of Health Services, Mahila Chetna Manch, Vikas Samvad, Department of Journalism, Makhan Lal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism shared their concern and outcomes of their efforts with communities and elected representatives.
Inaugurating the meeting, UNICEF Madhya Pradesh office State Representative Hamid El Bashir said civil society organisations should engage communities at a high level to push accountabilities within the system so that better care was delivered to women and children.
He added that Madhya Pradesh contributed to 10 per cent of maternal deaths in the country while India contributed 20 per cent of maternal deaths in the world. He said it was possible to reduce these deaths, but there was a need for sustained commitment to deliver for benefit of women and children in the State.
UNICEF Communication officer Anil Gulati spoke on the need for community empowerment and civil society’s engagement on the issue of women health. He said the media had helped to bring the issue to forefront but there was a need to take this momentum forward.
Makhan Lal Chaturvedi University of Journalism Department of Journalism’s PP Singh about the role of media in women’s health while Sachin Jain of Vikas Samvad stressed on media advocacy efforts in raising issues of women and child health.
Madhya Pradesh Voluntary Health Association’s Manoj Joshi, State Coordinator Jan Adhikar Manch Sandesh Bansal, Central Board of Regional Health Services Dr Sheela Bhambal, Mahila Chetna Manch Deep Damani, and Madhya Pradesh Samaj Sewa Sanstha Father Mathew and Sister Joicy spoke about their efforts in various parts of the State to help bring much needed momentum on the issue of maternal deaths and promoting safe motherhood state wide.
UNICEF Health Officer Dr Narayan Goankar presented the findings of maternal deaths audit in the districts of Guna and Shivpuri. UNICEF Planning officer Veena Bandyopadhyay presented a possible option of setting up of ‘Child Rights Observatory’ in Madhya Pradesh, which could act as a third party for monitoring rights of children and women. Himanshu Sikka of Infrastructure Professional Enterprise also participated in the meeting.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
MP anganwadis provide nutritious food
Rubina Khan Shapoo
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 (Shivpuri):
Madhya Pradesh has the highest level of malnutrition amongst children under six in India but here is a story on a mini revolution that's successfully fighting it. An NDTV Correspondent travelled to another historical hunger spot Shivpuri to find that with a little initiative not only can malnutrition be fought but set new benchmarks.
MP has now become the first state in the country that's providing a nutritious a la carte menu to its youngsters. Earlier the children could barely walk now they run. Their faces are lit with excitement as kids wait for surprise packet they get each day at the anganwadi centre in Badharwaas. One of the leader is 45-year-old Shakuntala, an anganwadi worker known to people as amma or chachi.
Special menu
Last year when the collector asked for suggestion to make the aanganwadi more attractive for children, Shakuntala Sharma and a few other workers suggested that apart from the standard panjiri and daliya, they cook different food items for the children. The recipes, which would not cost more than the prescribed Rs 2 per child daily and also meet the calorie requirements set out by the Supreme Court. That suggestion is now part of a daily routine.
From October 2006, Shivpuri is the only district in Madhya Pradesh, which has 15 different recipes under the supplementary nutrition programme at all the 25 centres where the aanganwadi workers have volunteered to cook. For cooking the special meals they get the money at the beginning of each month. The result is phenomenal, almost 220 of those registered in the centres actually come here every day a five times increase in attendance. "Earlier the number would fluctuate between 35-60. Now you come any day, you will find from pregnant ladies to children, all of them are present," said Shakuntala.
No malnutrition death
In fact Shakuntala proudly claims that in the last five years no child has died due to malnutrition. This in an area where malnutrition deaths were amongst the highest in the country. Shakuntala says she is not harassed for bribes by officers to get her salary nor does she have to beg them for supplies for the aanganwadi. If only Shivpuri could set an example for the rest of the state, where today there are 49,784 aanganwadi workers while the need is for nearly double that number. What's more that 50 per cent say they have not been paid and 70 per cent say they are harassed by senior officials. It is a situation the collector says they can reverse.
"We have a lot of interaction with the aanganwadi workers through our follow up camps, routine meetings and visits. We try to keep them motivated," said Manohar Aganani, collector, Shivpuri.
She is allowed to speak her mind and her views on improving the childcare system. On being asked the best part is her work is appreciated and these are great motivating factors that indeed make a huge difference in combating a severe problem like malnutrition.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 (Shivpuri):
Madhya Pradesh has the highest level of malnutrition amongst children under six in India but here is a story on a mini revolution that's successfully fighting it. An NDTV Correspondent travelled to another historical hunger spot Shivpuri to find that with a little initiative not only can malnutrition be fought but set new benchmarks.
MP has now become the first state in the country that's providing a nutritious a la carte menu to its youngsters. Earlier the children could barely walk now they run. Their faces are lit with excitement as kids wait for surprise packet they get each day at the anganwadi centre in Badharwaas. One of the leader is 45-year-old Shakuntala, an anganwadi worker known to people as amma or chachi.
Special menu
Last year when the collector asked for suggestion to make the aanganwadi more attractive for children, Shakuntala Sharma and a few other workers suggested that apart from the standard panjiri and daliya, they cook different food items for the children. The recipes, which would not cost more than the prescribed Rs 2 per child daily and also meet the calorie requirements set out by the Supreme Court. That suggestion is now part of a daily routine.
From October 2006, Shivpuri is the only district in Madhya Pradesh, which has 15 different recipes under the supplementary nutrition programme at all the 25 centres where the aanganwadi workers have volunteered to cook. For cooking the special meals they get the money at the beginning of each month. The result is phenomenal, almost 220 of those registered in the centres actually come here every day a five times increase in attendance. "Earlier the number would fluctuate between 35-60. Now you come any day, you will find from pregnant ladies to children, all of them are present," said Shakuntala.
No malnutrition death
In fact Shakuntala proudly claims that in the last five years no child has died due to malnutrition. This in an area where malnutrition deaths were amongst the highest in the country. Shakuntala says she is not harassed for bribes by officers to get her salary nor does she have to beg them for supplies for the aanganwadi. If only Shivpuri could set an example for the rest of the state, where today there are 49,784 aanganwadi workers while the need is for nearly double that number. What's more that 50 per cent say they have not been paid and 70 per cent say they are harassed by senior officials. It is a situation the collector says they can reverse.
"We have a lot of interaction with the aanganwadi workers through our follow up camps, routine meetings and visits. We try to keep them motivated," said Manohar Aganani, collector, Shivpuri.
She is allowed to speak her mind and her views on improving the childcare system. On being asked the best part is her work is appreciated and these are great motivating factors that indeed make a huge difference in combating a severe problem like malnutrition.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Govt Schemes : It is same old story
Sonia Khandelwal, Indore, January 23, 2007
THE LOFTY schemes of Madhya Pradesh government for promoting institutional deliveries — for bringing down Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) — need a reality check at ground level as was highlighted by an incident in a village in Barwani district raising several questions about awareness and implementation of these schemes.
Twentyone-year-old Santoshi Raju from Rajpur was referred to the District Hospital at Barwani for delivery, from where she was referred to M Y Hospital here as her blood pressure had increased to a dangerous level. Then started her traumatic journey of running from pillar to post.
“At Barwani, they (the doctors) asked us either to fill a consent form for taking responsibility of complicated delivery (which could mean threat to the lives of either the mother or the child or both) at Barwani or take her to Indore,” Santoshi’s husband Raju, a labourer, told Hindustan Times at the post natal ward.
Not ready to take risk at Barwani, Raju asked Barwani Civil Surgeon Dr B K Sawner to provide him ambulance to take Santoshi to Indore. “But as we did not have Deendayal Antyoday Yojana card, the doctor did not agree for the ambulance,” Raju added.
However, Deendayal Yojana card is not required for ambulance service. Despite repeated requests when the hospital authorities did not agree, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) from Rajpur Sarika Gopal Mukesh, who had accompanied them to Barwani, suggested taking Santoshi back to Rajpur.
By this time, Raju, whose family comes under BPL, was penniless and collected funds from donors to take Santoshi back to Rajpur.
Fortunately, the PHC there provided an ambulance and Santoshi was brought to MY Hospital here on time, where she delivered a girl late Thursday night.The incident has exposed the cracks in the system and brings out the true picture painted by the actual implementation of the various welfare schemes of the state government. To start with, Sarika, an ASHA, did not have proper information about Janani Suraksha Yojana, wherein she is supposed to get Rs 600 for bringing any expectant mother to a health facility. Not just this one scheme, she was not aware of many other schemes.
“I have not heard about Janani Suraksha Yojana but during our training, we were told only about our incentives and basic work. They (trainers) never told us about how to tackle serious situations and also about facilities available like ambulance service for taking expecting women to a health facility,” Sarika told Hindustan Times at MY Hospital here.
When asked why the family had no Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana card, Sarika further said, “Almost 50 per cent of the people in our village (Rajpur) do not have this card as on today. The cards are being prepared for a long time and hence not distributed.” Higher medical officials do not want to take any responsibility and have been passing the buck when it came to pinning down the person responsible for such an incident. Barwani Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Lakshmi Baghel, when contacted on telephone about the incident, said, “As far as I am concerned, we had organised fairs and programmes to create awareness about Janani Suraksha Yojana at all the villages under our jurisdiction. If the volunteers are still unaware about it, we will try to create more awareness about it.”
Dr Sawner when contacted over telephone first said “I had given permission for providing ambulance to Santoshi”, only to retract later saying “Santoshi was referred to Indore by Barwani District Hospital gynaecologist Dr Sushila Kumrawat. Santoshi’s relatives did not approach me for ambulance.”
The above incident raises several questions. Like inadequate training of ASHAs, no proper publicity about various schemes of the government amid the target group; officials not bothered about proper implementation of schemes and last but not the least lack of awareness on part of the individual (here both Santoshi and Raju are illiterate) about their rights and the facilities available for them.
THE LOFTY schemes of Madhya Pradesh government for promoting institutional deliveries — for bringing down Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) — need a reality check at ground level as was highlighted by an incident in a village in Barwani district raising several questions about awareness and implementation of these schemes.
Twentyone-year-old Santoshi Raju from Rajpur was referred to the District Hospital at Barwani for delivery, from where she was referred to M Y Hospital here as her blood pressure had increased to a dangerous level. Then started her traumatic journey of running from pillar to post.
“At Barwani, they (the doctors) asked us either to fill a consent form for taking responsibility of complicated delivery (which could mean threat to the lives of either the mother or the child or both) at Barwani or take her to Indore,” Santoshi’s husband Raju, a labourer, told Hindustan Times at the post natal ward.
Not ready to take risk at Barwani, Raju asked Barwani Civil Surgeon Dr B K Sawner to provide him ambulance to take Santoshi to Indore. “But as we did not have Deendayal Antyoday Yojana card, the doctor did not agree for the ambulance,” Raju added.
However, Deendayal Yojana card is not required for ambulance service. Despite repeated requests when the hospital authorities did not agree, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) from Rajpur Sarika Gopal Mukesh, who had accompanied them to Barwani, suggested taking Santoshi back to Rajpur.
By this time, Raju, whose family comes under BPL, was penniless and collected funds from donors to take Santoshi back to Rajpur.
Fortunately, the PHC there provided an ambulance and Santoshi was brought to MY Hospital here on time, where she delivered a girl late Thursday night.The incident has exposed the cracks in the system and brings out the true picture painted by the actual implementation of the various welfare schemes of the state government. To start with, Sarika, an ASHA, did not have proper information about Janani Suraksha Yojana, wherein she is supposed to get Rs 600 for bringing any expectant mother to a health facility. Not just this one scheme, she was not aware of many other schemes.
“I have not heard about Janani Suraksha Yojana but during our training, we were told only about our incentives and basic work. They (trainers) never told us about how to tackle serious situations and also about facilities available like ambulance service for taking expecting women to a health facility,” Sarika told Hindustan Times at MY Hospital here.
When asked why the family had no Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana card, Sarika further said, “Almost 50 per cent of the people in our village (Rajpur) do not have this card as on today. The cards are being prepared for a long time and hence not distributed.” Higher medical officials do not want to take any responsibility and have been passing the buck when it came to pinning down the person responsible for such an incident. Barwani Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Lakshmi Baghel, when contacted on telephone about the incident, said, “As far as I am concerned, we had organised fairs and programmes to create awareness about Janani Suraksha Yojana at all the villages under our jurisdiction. If the volunteers are still unaware about it, we will try to create more awareness about it.”
Dr Sawner when contacted over telephone first said “I had given permission for providing ambulance to Santoshi”, only to retract later saying “Santoshi was referred to Indore by Barwani District Hospital gynaecologist Dr Sushila Kumrawat. Santoshi’s relatives did not approach me for ambulance.”
The above incident raises several questions. Like inadequate training of ASHAs, no proper publicity about various schemes of the government amid the target group; officials not bothered about proper implementation of schemes and last but not the least lack of awareness on part of the individual (here both Santoshi and Raju are illiterate) about their rights and the facilities available for them.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
'Play Pumps' installed in MP schools
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 (13:41:08)'Play Pumps' installed in MP schools
By Sanjay Sharma
Bhopal: School is a happy proposition now for many children in Madhya Pradesh. No longer do they have to stay with parched throats or go without using toilets the whole day. In Dhar district, where many children - particularly girls - had stopped going to school for want of drinking water and sanitation facilities, Unicef has helped install 'play pumps' in educational institutions. The 'play pump' is a children's merry-go-round that pumps out clean, safe drinking water from a deep borehole every time it is spun. "Since cavorting on a roundabout has always been fun for children, they enjoy doing it and clean borehole water is pumped into water storage tanks," explained Unicef communications officer Anil Gulati. So Unicef, which has helped the district administration provide the play pumps, has not only solved the water problem but also brought in a means of entertainment for schoolchildren. "Earlier I used to run away from school for want of water and bathrooms, but now I don't feel like going back home because we have this facility there and can play with it as well," said Kavita, a tribal girl studying in Class 8.
The children earlier used to go without drinking water during the day, with 90 percent of schools in Dhar having no potable water or sanitation facilities. "The play pumps project was started on an experimental basis in March 2005. Since then several such pumps have been installed in districts like Dhar, Jhabua, Vidisha and Guna. There are plans to provide 40 such pumps in different parts of the state," said Samuel Godfrey, a Unicef official. The water pumped into tanks - the process doesn't require electricity - is distributed among schools and communities in the area.
The device is thus a boon not only for schoolchildren but also for the people living in the surroundings, mainly women who have the responsibility of collecting water. "Each morning the women used to set off to the nearest borehole to collect water. They used leaky and often contaminated hand-pumps to collect water and then carry it all back. It was exhausting and time-consuming work. Now they can spend the same time at home looking after their kids and teaching them," Gulati said.
The groundwater level in these districts is too low and whatever little water is available is highly contaminated with fluoride. The water table has fallen from an average of 10 metres to 80 metres. This has led to higher concentration of contaminants like fluoride, arsenic and iron in groundwater. A total of 324 villages are affected with this problem in tribal-dominated Dhar district alone.
Unicef and the state's Public Health Engineering Department are promoting projects on water reuse, water safety and sanitation in 22 schools of Dhar and Jhabua. Children participating in a convention on water security and sanitation in Bhopal this week expressed their happiness by presenting the very songs they sing while playing with the pumps in their schools in Dhar.
They also performed plays on different themes, including re-using water, water safety, rainwater harvesting and sanitation. "Such projects, aimed at promoting recycling of grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation, are being implemented in the tribal schools of Dhar. These also promote rain water harvesting and increase the focus on sanitation," said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir.
(IANS)
By Sanjay Sharma
Bhopal: School is a happy proposition now for many children in Madhya Pradesh. No longer do they have to stay with parched throats or go without using toilets the whole day. In Dhar district, where many children - particularly girls - had stopped going to school for want of drinking water and sanitation facilities, Unicef has helped install 'play pumps' in educational institutions. The 'play pump' is a children's merry-go-round that pumps out clean, safe drinking water from a deep borehole every time it is spun. "Since cavorting on a roundabout has always been fun for children, they enjoy doing it and clean borehole water is pumped into water storage tanks," explained Unicef communications officer Anil Gulati. So Unicef, which has helped the district administration provide the play pumps, has not only solved the water problem but also brought in a means of entertainment for schoolchildren. "Earlier I used to run away from school for want of water and bathrooms, but now I don't feel like going back home because we have this facility there and can play with it as well," said Kavita, a tribal girl studying in Class 8.
The children earlier used to go without drinking water during the day, with 90 percent of schools in Dhar having no potable water or sanitation facilities. "The play pumps project was started on an experimental basis in March 2005. Since then several such pumps have been installed in districts like Dhar, Jhabua, Vidisha and Guna. There are plans to provide 40 such pumps in different parts of the state," said Samuel Godfrey, a Unicef official. The water pumped into tanks - the process doesn't require electricity - is distributed among schools and communities in the area.
The device is thus a boon not only for schoolchildren but also for the people living in the surroundings, mainly women who have the responsibility of collecting water. "Each morning the women used to set off to the nearest borehole to collect water. They used leaky and often contaminated hand-pumps to collect water and then carry it all back. It was exhausting and time-consuming work. Now they can spend the same time at home looking after their kids and teaching them," Gulati said.
The groundwater level in these districts is too low and whatever little water is available is highly contaminated with fluoride. The water table has fallen from an average of 10 metres to 80 metres. This has led to higher concentration of contaminants like fluoride, arsenic and iron in groundwater. A total of 324 villages are affected with this problem in tribal-dominated Dhar district alone.
Unicef and the state's Public Health Engineering Department are promoting projects on water reuse, water safety and sanitation in 22 schools of Dhar and Jhabua. Children participating in a convention on water security and sanitation in Bhopal this week expressed their happiness by presenting the very songs they sing while playing with the pumps in their schools in Dhar.
They also performed plays on different themes, including re-using water, water safety, rainwater harvesting and sanitation. "Such projects, aimed at promoting recycling of grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation, are being implemented in the tribal schools of Dhar. These also promote rain water harvesting and increase the focus on sanitation," said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir.
(IANS)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Grassroot reporting by grassroot children
Vanita Srivastava
Hindustan Times, Bhopal, January14
Eighteen-year-old Kamod Singh Ahirwar of Chechli village in Sohapur tehsil of Hoshangabad district candidly narrates all the problems of his village. From lackadaisical teaching staff to poor electricity supply to sanitation. He forks them out with ease. Ninth standard student Lal Singh of Gundaria hamlet rattles out the same problems but with different tone. He emphasizes on the need to have good teachers in schools.
Both Kamod and Lal Singh are abreast with the problems that plague their villages. But they need a platform to delineate them. Both understand the strength of pen and have a desire to write their woes so that it reaches the person vested with authority.
The two are among the 35-40 child reporters selected between the age group 11-18 by the Dalit Sangh, an organization that works for the socially oppressed communities in Sohagpur. The Sangh with the help of UNICEF is going to take out a quarterly Newsletter which would be in toto written by children of five villages Jamonia, Semri Harchan, Gundavai, Turakhapa and Chicli. A large chunk would be children of the backward communities Pardi and Sapera.
Enumerating the details Dr Authey Gopal, Chief Functionary Officer of Dalit Sangh in Sohagpur said " the objective was to give them a dais to spell out their problems." The first issue of the four paged edition would be released in March and is likely to have 30-40 news stories.
More than 200 names had come from the government schools of the five villages. A written test was thereafter conducted to prune the students on the basis of their writing and expressive skills. The test themed on five subjects asked the children to write on a subject of their choice, a model village, newspaper, problem of village and sanitation.
Several interesting facets came to fore during the tests, Dr Gopal said adding " Like for instance one of the girls said that Chichli village has been notified as a model village by the government but the hamlet does not have any drain." A workshop conducted by some selected journalists would train the child reporters on the nitty- gritty of journalism. They will also be trained in making cartoons by experts. Barring the grammatical mistakes which would be corrected, the news would not be edited and would be placed as such to retain the originality and simplicity, he said.
The child reporters would also get an opportunity to interview administrative authorities including the sarpanch and the collector. How successful the newsletter will be is yet to be seen. But for Kanmod Singh and Lal Singh this could be an opportunity to disseminate their problems to someone who can 'redress' them.
Hindustan Times, Bhopal, January14
Eighteen-year-old Kamod Singh Ahirwar of Chechli village in Sohapur tehsil of Hoshangabad district candidly narrates all the problems of his village. From lackadaisical teaching staff to poor electricity supply to sanitation. He forks them out with ease. Ninth standard student Lal Singh of Gundaria hamlet rattles out the same problems but with different tone. He emphasizes on the need to have good teachers in schools.
Both Kamod and Lal Singh are abreast with the problems that plague their villages. But they need a platform to delineate them. Both understand the strength of pen and have a desire to write their woes so that it reaches the person vested with authority.
The two are among the 35-40 child reporters selected between the age group 11-18 by the Dalit Sangh, an organization that works for the socially oppressed communities in Sohagpur. The Sangh with the help of UNICEF is going to take out a quarterly Newsletter which would be in toto written by children of five villages Jamonia, Semri Harchan, Gundavai, Turakhapa and Chicli. A large chunk would be children of the backward communities Pardi and Sapera.
Enumerating the details Dr Authey Gopal, Chief Functionary Officer of Dalit Sangh in Sohagpur said " the objective was to give them a dais to spell out their problems." The first issue of the four paged edition would be released in March and is likely to have 30-40 news stories.
More than 200 names had come from the government schools of the five villages. A written test was thereafter conducted to prune the students on the basis of their writing and expressive skills. The test themed on five subjects asked the children to write on a subject of their choice, a model village, newspaper, problem of village and sanitation.
Several interesting facets came to fore during the tests, Dr Gopal said adding " Like for instance one of the girls said that Chichli village has been notified as a model village by the government but the hamlet does not have any drain." A workshop conducted by some selected journalists would train the child reporters on the nitty- gritty of journalism. They will also be trained in making cartoons by experts. Barring the grammatical mistakes which would be corrected, the news would not be edited and would be placed as such to retain the originality and simplicity, he said.
The child reporters would also get an opportunity to interview administrative authorities including the sarpanch and the collector. How successful the newsletter will be is yet to be seen. But for Kanmod Singh and Lal Singh this could be an opportunity to disseminate their problems to someone who can 'redress' them.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Tribal kids come forward to sketch means of water conservation in Dhar
Published in The Pioneer, January 17, 2007
Staff Reporter Bhopal
A children's convention on the theme of sanitation and water was organised at Dhar. It was Dhar's first such meet on issues like water and sanitation. It was organised by Vasudha Vikas Sansthan with support from UNICEF, district administration, Public health engineering department and tribal welfare department.
More than 200 hundred children from various tribal villages participated in the same. Children enacted dramas, songs and plays on the theme of water reuse, water safety, rain water harvesting, and sanitation.
They also sang a song based on a play pump installed by UNICEF in tribal schools of Dhar. This is a unique play pump which pumps water to the tank while children play in the same.
This water when pumped up to the tank, without use of electricity can then be wisely distributed and used both by communities and for schools.
Present at the event was UNICEF State representative Hamid El Bashir who interacted with the children and appreciated their efforts. He said that UNICEF remains committed and with support from public health engineering department it is keen to take this 'to scale' so that we can cover as many districts as possible.
Lizette Burgers Chief Water and Environmental Sanitation UNICEF Delhi present especially for the occasion said this is a good example of including children and young people and in driving positive change towards sanitation and water within communities.
District Collector Dhar RK Gupta encouraged the participating children and presented prizes to winners of the various events held during last week which commenced in this children convention today.
Dr Samuel Godfrey, Project Officer Water and Environmental Sanitation, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh said that innovations like are being implemented in tribal schools of Dhar and are aimed to promote recycle grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation. Children also painted a thirty meter flex on various themes on issue related to water and sanitation at end of the convention.
Staff Reporter Bhopal
A children's convention on the theme of sanitation and water was organised at Dhar. It was Dhar's first such meet on issues like water and sanitation. It was organised by Vasudha Vikas Sansthan with support from UNICEF, district administration, Public health engineering department and tribal welfare department.
More than 200 hundred children from various tribal villages participated in the same. Children enacted dramas, songs and plays on the theme of water reuse, water safety, rain water harvesting, and sanitation.
They also sang a song based on a play pump installed by UNICEF in tribal schools of Dhar. This is a unique play pump which pumps water to the tank while children play in the same.
This water when pumped up to the tank, without use of electricity can then be wisely distributed and used both by communities and for schools.
Present at the event was UNICEF State representative Hamid El Bashir who interacted with the children and appreciated their efforts. He said that UNICEF remains committed and with support from public health engineering department it is keen to take this 'to scale' so that we can cover as many districts as possible.
Lizette Burgers Chief Water and Environmental Sanitation UNICEF Delhi present especially for the occasion said this is a good example of including children and young people and in driving positive change towards sanitation and water within communities.
District Collector Dhar RK Gupta encouraged the participating children and presented prizes to winners of the various events held during last week which commenced in this children convention today.
Dr Samuel Godfrey, Project Officer Water and Environmental Sanitation, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh said that innovations like are being implemented in tribal schools of Dhar and are aimed to promote recycle grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation. Children also painted a thirty meter flex on various themes on issue related to water and sanitation at end of the convention.
Turning water into child's play in parched schools
By Sanjay Sharma, Indo-Asian News service, [RxPG] Bhopal, Jan 17 -
They also performed plays on different themes, including re-using water, water safety, rainwater harvesting and sanitation..
School is a happy proposition now for many children in Madhya Pradesh. No longer do they have to stay with parched throats or go without using toilets the whole day.In Dhar district, where many children - particularly girls - had stopped going to school for want of drinking water and sanitation facilities, Unicef has helped install 'play pumps' in educational institutions.
The 'play pump' is a children's merry-go-round that pumps out clean, safe drinking water from a deep borehole every time it is spun.'Since cavorting on a roundabout has always been fun for children, they enjoy doing it and clean borehole water is pumped into water storage tanks,' explained Unicef communications officer Anil Gulati.
So Unicef, which has helped the district administration provide the play pumps, has not only solved the water problem but also brought in a means of entertainment for schoolchildren.'Earlier I used to run away from school for want of water and bathrooms, but now I don't feel like going back home because we have this facility there and can play with it as well,' said Kavita, a tribal girl studying in Class 8.
The children earlier used to go without drinking water during the day, with 90 percent of schools in Dhar having no potable water or sanitation facilities.'The play pumps project was started on an experimental basis in March 2005. Since then several such pumps have been installed in districts like Dhar, Jhabua, Vidisha and Guna. There are plans to provide 40 such pumps in different parts of the state,' said Samuel Godfrey, a Unicef official.
The water pumped into tanks - the process doesn't require electricity - is distributed among schools and communities in the area.The device is thus a boon not only for schoolchildren but also for the people living in the surroundings, mainly women who have the responsibility of collecting water.'Each morning the women used to set off to the nearest borehole to collect water. They used leaky and often contaminated hand-pumps to collect water and then carry it all back. It was exhausting and time-consuming work. Now they can spend the same time at home looking after their kids and teaching them,' Gulati said.
The groundwater level in these districts is too low and whatever little water is available is highly contaminated with fluoride.The water table has fallen from an average of 10 metres to 80 metres. This has led to higher concentration of contaminants like fluoride, arsenic and iron in groundwater. A total of 324 villages are affected with this problem in tribal-dominated Dhar district alone.Unicef and the state's Public Health Engineering Department are promoting projects on water reuse, water safety and sanitation in 22 schools of Dhar and Jhabua.
Children participating in a convention on water security and sanitation here this week expressed their happiness by presenting the very songs they sing while playing with the pumps in their schools in Dhar.They also performed plays on different themes, including re-using water, water safety, rainwater harvesting and sanitation.'Such projects, aimed at promoting recycling of grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation, are being implemented in the tribal schools of Dhar. These also promote rain water harvesting and increase the focus on sanitation,' said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir.
They also performed plays on different themes, including re-using water, water safety, rainwater harvesting and sanitation..
School is a happy proposition now for many children in Madhya Pradesh. No longer do they have to stay with parched throats or go without using toilets the whole day.In Dhar district, where many children - particularly girls - had stopped going to school for want of drinking water and sanitation facilities, Unicef has helped install 'play pumps' in educational institutions.
The 'play pump' is a children's merry-go-round that pumps out clean, safe drinking water from a deep borehole every time it is spun.'Since cavorting on a roundabout has always been fun for children, they enjoy doing it and clean borehole water is pumped into water storage tanks,' explained Unicef communications officer Anil Gulati.
So Unicef, which has helped the district administration provide the play pumps, has not only solved the water problem but also brought in a means of entertainment for schoolchildren.'Earlier I used to run away from school for want of water and bathrooms, but now I don't feel like going back home because we have this facility there and can play with it as well,' said Kavita, a tribal girl studying in Class 8.
The children earlier used to go without drinking water during the day, with 90 percent of schools in Dhar having no potable water or sanitation facilities.'The play pumps project was started on an experimental basis in March 2005. Since then several such pumps have been installed in districts like Dhar, Jhabua, Vidisha and Guna. There are plans to provide 40 such pumps in different parts of the state,' said Samuel Godfrey, a Unicef official.
The water pumped into tanks - the process doesn't require electricity - is distributed among schools and communities in the area.The device is thus a boon not only for schoolchildren but also for the people living in the surroundings, mainly women who have the responsibility of collecting water.'Each morning the women used to set off to the nearest borehole to collect water. They used leaky and often contaminated hand-pumps to collect water and then carry it all back. It was exhausting and time-consuming work. Now they can spend the same time at home looking after their kids and teaching them,' Gulati said.
The groundwater level in these districts is too low and whatever little water is available is highly contaminated with fluoride.The water table has fallen from an average of 10 metres to 80 metres. This has led to higher concentration of contaminants like fluoride, arsenic and iron in groundwater. A total of 324 villages are affected with this problem in tribal-dominated Dhar district alone.Unicef and the state's Public Health Engineering Department are promoting projects on water reuse, water safety and sanitation in 22 schools of Dhar and Jhabua.
Children participating in a convention on water security and sanitation here this week expressed their happiness by presenting the very songs they sing while playing with the pumps in their schools in Dhar.They also performed plays on different themes, including re-using water, water safety, rainwater harvesting and sanitation.'Such projects, aimed at promoting recycling of grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation, are being implemented in the tribal schools of Dhar. These also promote rain water harvesting and increase the focus on sanitation,' said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
It was Children's Turn on Radio in Bhopal
by Anil Gulati
It was second Sunday of December and reins of all the programs broadcast by the All India Radio Bhopal were in hands of children. The occasion was to mark International Children's Broadcasting day. Right from the early morning greetings (Vande Mataram) children managed all the programs through out the day. Whether it was thought of the day or news, or conducting proceedings of the day it was children who managed the show and that too immaculately. Various drama and song based programs were also aired the same day which were based on the theme.
The International Children's Day of Broadcasting was launched in 1992 to provide a day that allows children to be seen and heard on the airwaves. It is now celebrated around the world on Second Sunday of December every year.
The theme for this year's International Children's Day of Broadcasting was Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS. AIR Bhopal and UNICEF in an effort to bring voice of children to forefront support children to be as anchors, presenters, and even producers on this occasion.
To take the enthusiasm forward All India Radio in partnership with UNICEF had organized a special children's evening with Governor of Madhya Pradesh at Bhopal on December 19, 2006. More than 250 children from districts of Bhopal, Guna, Shivpuri and Hoshangabad of Madhya Pradesh participated. It was an opportunity for them to speak and also showcase their talent. The entire programme was managed by children. Children had an opportunity to question and raise their concern with Honorable Governor of Madhya Pradesh i.e. head of the state on issues which impact them. A group of school children participating in the programme questioned Governor about issues like child labor, HIV/AIDS, education for girls, facilities for poor children, disabled and children affected with HIV/AIDS. Governor candidly replied to their questions.
Dr Balram Jhakar Governor of Madhya Pradesh, UNICEF State Representative Hamid El Bashir and AIR Station Director also spoke on the day. Governor in his address to children at the occasion said that future of country lies in their hands. He called on the Government on the need to protect them give them all they deserved. He urged state to help overcome poverty, child labor and make sure that every child goes to school.
Hamid El Bashir State Representative of UNICEF's office for Madhya Pradesh spoke on the theme of the broadcasting day. He in his address spoke on the rights of children affected and impacted by HIV/AIDS and a need for them to be protected. He spoke on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and about the campaign Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS. He added that the campaign calls for the young people of Madhya Pradesh and the rest of India to become alive to the cause of children affected by HIV/AIDS, to alert society to the reality that HIV/AIDS which is robbing tens of millions of children of their childhood. A copy of UNICEF's State of World's Children report 2007 was also presented to the Governor. Ms Salina Singh Project Director Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society, Mrs. Asha Shukla, Station Director All India Radio were also present at the occasion. In addition to this events AIR Bhopal also undertakes a regular weekly programme for children which is aired around the year.
It was second Sunday of December and reins of all the programs broadcast by the All India Radio Bhopal were in hands of children. The occasion was to mark International Children's Broadcasting day. Right from the early morning greetings (Vande Mataram) children managed all the programs through out the day. Whether it was thought of the day or news, or conducting proceedings of the day it was children who managed the show and that too immaculately. Various drama and song based programs were also aired the same day which were based on the theme.
The International Children's Day of Broadcasting was launched in 1992 to provide a day that allows children to be seen and heard on the airwaves. It is now celebrated around the world on Second Sunday of December every year.
The theme for this year's International Children's Day of Broadcasting was Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS. AIR Bhopal and UNICEF in an effort to bring voice of children to forefront support children to be as anchors, presenters, and even producers on this occasion.
To take the enthusiasm forward All India Radio in partnership with UNICEF had organized a special children's evening with Governor of Madhya Pradesh at Bhopal on December 19, 2006. More than 250 children from districts of Bhopal, Guna, Shivpuri and Hoshangabad of Madhya Pradesh participated. It was an opportunity for them to speak and also showcase their talent. The entire programme was managed by children. Children had an opportunity to question and raise their concern with Honorable Governor of Madhya Pradesh i.e. head of the state on issues which impact them. A group of school children participating in the programme questioned Governor about issues like child labor, HIV/AIDS, education for girls, facilities for poor children, disabled and children affected with HIV/AIDS. Governor candidly replied to their questions.
Dr Balram Jhakar Governor of Madhya Pradesh, UNICEF State Representative Hamid El Bashir and AIR Station Director also spoke on the day. Governor in his address to children at the occasion said that future of country lies in their hands. He called on the Government on the need to protect them give them all they deserved. He urged state to help overcome poverty, child labor and make sure that every child goes to school.
Hamid El Bashir State Representative of UNICEF's office for Madhya Pradesh spoke on the theme of the broadcasting day. He in his address spoke on the rights of children affected and impacted by HIV/AIDS and a need for them to be protected. He spoke on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and about the campaign Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS. He added that the campaign calls for the young people of Madhya Pradesh and the rest of India to become alive to the cause of children affected by HIV/AIDS, to alert society to the reality that HIV/AIDS which is robbing tens of millions of children of their childhood. A copy of UNICEF's State of World's Children report 2007 was also presented to the Governor. Ms Salina Singh Project Director Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society, Mrs. Asha Shukla, Station Director All India Radio were also present at the occasion. In addition to this events AIR Bhopal also undertakes a regular weekly programme for children which is aired around the year.
Friday, January 5, 2007
VIKAS SAMVAD ANNOUNCES FOUR MEDIA FELLOWSHIPS
Vikas Samvad, a media advocacy group in Madhya Pradesh has called for application for third media fellowships for the mainstream hindi journalists from Madhya Pradesh. These fellowships are being supported by UNICEF, The Hunger Project and Action Aid. These fellowships will be provided to those four journalists who are willing to work on any of these following issues on a full time basis for one year in Madhya Pradesh-
- Women in Panchayati Raj and their political leadership for social change
- Women and Child rights (with special reference to Health Rights)
- Social Exclusion and Discrimination
- Universalisation of Education with qualityThese fellows will be selected by an independent jury.
This selection committee includes senior and eminent journalists/editors from Madhya Pradesh and social workers. Interested Journalists may obtain application formats from below mentioned address
Vikas Samvad
E-7/226, First Floor, Opp. Dhanvantri Complex, Arera Colony, Shahpura, Bhopal
Email- vikassamvad@gmail.com
The last date for the submission of application is 10th January 2007. For forms please contact at above address and email.
- Women in Panchayati Raj and their political leadership for social change
- Women and Child rights (with special reference to Health Rights)
- Social Exclusion and Discrimination
- Universalisation of Education with qualityThese fellows will be selected by an independent jury.
This selection committee includes senior and eminent journalists/editors from Madhya Pradesh and social workers. Interested Journalists may obtain application formats from below mentioned address
Vikas Samvad
E-7/226, First Floor, Opp. Dhanvantri Complex, Arera Colony, Shahpura, Bhopal
Email- vikassamvad@gmail.com
The last date for the submission of application is 10th January 2007. For forms please contact at above address and email.
Only 13.9 pc schools have toilets in MP
Published in the Pioneer
Bhopal, Jan 04 : Only 13.9 percent of schools in Madhya Pradesh have toilets for girls in schools at the primary level. The findings of the State Report Cards based on the figures of the year 2004-05 on the status of elementary Education in India complied by National Institute of Educational planning and administration, are revealing.
These school report cards are based on data received from 1.04 million schools spread over 58 districts in 29 states and Union Territories (UTs). This data is not only about education but also talks of many facts, which influence education in India.The report card analysis mentions that only 33.7 percent schools in category of primary and upper primary schools have girls' toilets. This is important, as a reducing gender gap is one of the major challenges, which state faces when it comes to education. Data also reveals that 11.1 percent schools are single classroom school and 26.7 percent are single teacher schools. Though state survey say that state has good enrolment rates but providing quality education and retaining children to school is an issue, probably educationist says that factors like these have huge impact on the quality of education and preventing drop out which are an issue in this state.
According to Census 2001, the Percentage of children aged 6 to 13 years attending school was found satisfactory at 66.8 percent (female) and 76 percent (male). The percentage of children in the age group of 11-13 years completing primary education was 45.8 (female), and 55 percent (male).Archana Sahay of voluntary orgnaisation 'Arambh' opined that toilet for girl students, is an essential facility in schools. The school education department should look into this problem on priority basis while education at primary level is being encouraged in the state, she added. She informed that there are over 10.50 lakh children out of school in the state, but surprisingly, the government has almost a decade old figures of only 2.50 lakh.
The government had last year launched a special campaign 'School Chalo' in the state for encouraging education in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in rural areas. State Education Centre Commissioner MK Singh said that in all the new school buildings toilets for girls are being constructed, while in the old school buildings, the facility of toilet and pure drinking water is being provided under 'Total Sanitation drive'
Bhopal, Jan 04 : Only 13.9 percent of schools in Madhya Pradesh have toilets for girls in schools at the primary level. The findings of the State Report Cards based on the figures of the year 2004-05 on the status of elementary Education in India complied by National Institute of Educational planning and administration, are revealing.
These school report cards are based on data received from 1.04 million schools spread over 58 districts in 29 states and Union Territories (UTs). This data is not only about education but also talks of many facts, which influence education in India.The report card analysis mentions that only 33.7 percent schools in category of primary and upper primary schools have girls' toilets. This is important, as a reducing gender gap is one of the major challenges, which state faces when it comes to education. Data also reveals that 11.1 percent schools are single classroom school and 26.7 percent are single teacher schools. Though state survey say that state has good enrolment rates but providing quality education and retaining children to school is an issue, probably educationist says that factors like these have huge impact on the quality of education and preventing drop out which are an issue in this state.
According to Census 2001, the Percentage of children aged 6 to 13 years attending school was found satisfactory at 66.8 percent (female) and 76 percent (male). The percentage of children in the age group of 11-13 years completing primary education was 45.8 (female), and 55 percent (male).Archana Sahay of voluntary orgnaisation 'Arambh' opined that toilet for girl students, is an essential facility in schools. The school education department should look into this problem on priority basis while education at primary level is being encouraged in the state, she added. She informed that there are over 10.50 lakh children out of school in the state, but surprisingly, the government has almost a decade old figures of only 2.50 lakh.
The government had last year launched a special campaign 'School Chalo' in the state for encouraging education in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in rural areas. State Education Centre Commissioner MK Singh said that in all the new school buildings toilets for girls are being constructed, while in the old school buildings, the facility of toilet and pure drinking water is being provided under 'Total Sanitation drive'
Tackling the Water Crisis
Mini Sharma
There is a water crisis in India, but it is particularly pressing in some states more than in others - Madhya Pradesh, for instance. The country's infrastructure for basic supplies of water for drinking and sanitation is seriously wanting, even as urban and industrial water needs increase exponentially with every passing year.
In Madhya Pradesh (MP), there is acute shortage of water in 22 of the 48 districts. Short of a complete overhaul of existing supply systems, the solutions are deliverable but necessarily less than adequate. Fortunately, efforts towards water management throughout the state, with support from UNICEF, have started yielding results better than in the past. The water conservation drive initiated by the state government in 2002, called Jalabhishek Abhiyan, is doing well in the rural areas.
What has been nationally recognized is that the future of the country's food security and the quality of the lives and livelihood of its people depends on the collective ability to conserve and utilize groundwater resources in an environmentally-friendly, economically-efficient and socially-equitable manner.The MP government is also financially assisting villagers to develop ponds, which is one of the moves towards maintaining a balance in a depleting water table. Dr Sam Godfrey, UNICEF's project officer for water and sanitation, says, "A holistic approach that involves rooftop rainwater harvesting, grey-water recycling, and reduced groundwater abstraction will solve the quality as well as the quantity demands of the state."
The average rainfall in MP is 800 mm. High rainfall between 1,100-2,200 mm occurs in the Seoni, Balaghat, Umaria, Katni, Sidhi, Panna and Satna districts; low rainfall (below 600 mm) occurs in Ratlam, Ujjain, Barwani, Khargone, Rajgarh, etc.
A good part of the land suffers from rock desiccation. A fifth of the state's area is underlain by granite gneisses and meta-sedimentary rocks; a tenth is covered by the Gondwanas, which comprise of sandstone, limestone and marble.
Tube-wells and hand-pumps are rendered useless particularly in the summer, when groundwater levels drop below 200 meters in several districts. This is when lakhs of people become dependent on conventional water sources such as ponds, bawalis (step-wells) and rivers.
The situation is so chronic that people's representatives have repeatedly raised the water crisis specter in the State Assembly, forcing the government to declare three districts - Panna, Chhattarpur and Tikamgarh - drought-hit immediately after the end of the rainy season. (When did this happen?) The groundwater level has dropped below 150 meters in these districts, for which the government has announced special financial packages for construction of ponds and water transportation facilities.
Brijendra Singh Rathore, a legislator, says that the situation in Tikamgarh district worsens every year. Despite average rainfall, nothing much has changed. Merely transporting water from nearby districts is not the solution, he says: rainwater needs to be utilized properly.
This problem is serious enough for the state to have recently gone on a water conservation drive involving grey-water reuse and rainwater harvesting. An engineer of the state's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) claimed that awareness is being created among citizens towards water conservation.In the most basic architectural terms, this entails the construction of a special structure on the rooftops of buildings, from where rainwater debouches into an over-ground or underground water tank. This water is used for non-potable purposes such as gardening and in bathrooms.
Technological simplicity is the keyword. In the state's Dhar and Jhabua districts, UNICEF and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, have designed and implemented water management schemes that are simple enough to be operated and maintained by children's water safety clubs.These clubs have reduced water demand by 60 per cent in tribal 'ashram schools', and have been highlighted by the PHED as worth replicating throughout the state.
Pinky Bhawar, a student of class 10 in a government school in Dhar district, who shares a tribal hostel with 275 other girls, is member of a water safety club in her hostel. The club not only discusses matters of awareness of water conservation and reuse, but also helps the hostel maintain the system and keep it clean.The water reuse system in Pinky's hostel recycles wastewater from bathroom use and washing hands and reuses it for gardening and flushing toilets. The hostel also has a rainwater harvesting system in place. Apart from showcasing the fact that development functions best when it percolates down, it also means that the girls at the hostel get extra water to bathe every day.
December 24, 2006
There is a water crisis in India, but it is particularly pressing in some states more than in others - Madhya Pradesh, for instance. The country's infrastructure for basic supplies of water for drinking and sanitation is seriously wanting, even as urban and industrial water needs increase exponentially with every passing year.
In Madhya Pradesh (MP), there is acute shortage of water in 22 of the 48 districts. Short of a complete overhaul of existing supply systems, the solutions are deliverable but necessarily less than adequate. Fortunately, efforts towards water management throughout the state, with support from UNICEF, have started yielding results better than in the past. The water conservation drive initiated by the state government in 2002, called Jalabhishek Abhiyan, is doing well in the rural areas.
What has been nationally recognized is that the future of the country's food security and the quality of the lives and livelihood of its people depends on the collective ability to conserve and utilize groundwater resources in an environmentally-friendly, economically-efficient and socially-equitable manner.The MP government is also financially assisting villagers to develop ponds, which is one of the moves towards maintaining a balance in a depleting water table. Dr Sam Godfrey, UNICEF's project officer for water and sanitation, says, "A holistic approach that involves rooftop rainwater harvesting, grey-water recycling, and reduced groundwater abstraction will solve the quality as well as the quantity demands of the state."
The average rainfall in MP is 800 mm. High rainfall between 1,100-2,200 mm occurs in the Seoni, Balaghat, Umaria, Katni, Sidhi, Panna and Satna districts; low rainfall (below 600 mm) occurs in Ratlam, Ujjain, Barwani, Khargone, Rajgarh, etc.
A good part of the land suffers from rock desiccation. A fifth of the state's area is underlain by granite gneisses and meta-sedimentary rocks; a tenth is covered by the Gondwanas, which comprise of sandstone, limestone and marble.
Tube-wells and hand-pumps are rendered useless particularly in the summer, when groundwater levels drop below 200 meters in several districts. This is when lakhs of people become dependent on conventional water sources such as ponds, bawalis (step-wells) and rivers.
The situation is so chronic that people's representatives have repeatedly raised the water crisis specter in the State Assembly, forcing the government to declare three districts - Panna, Chhattarpur and Tikamgarh - drought-hit immediately after the end of the rainy season. (When did this happen?) The groundwater level has dropped below 150 meters in these districts, for which the government has announced special financial packages for construction of ponds and water transportation facilities.
Brijendra Singh Rathore, a legislator, says that the situation in Tikamgarh district worsens every year. Despite average rainfall, nothing much has changed. Merely transporting water from nearby districts is not the solution, he says: rainwater needs to be utilized properly.
This problem is serious enough for the state to have recently gone on a water conservation drive involving grey-water reuse and rainwater harvesting. An engineer of the state's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) claimed that awareness is being created among citizens towards water conservation.In the most basic architectural terms, this entails the construction of a special structure on the rooftops of buildings, from where rainwater debouches into an over-ground or underground water tank. This water is used for non-potable purposes such as gardening and in bathrooms.
Technological simplicity is the keyword. In the state's Dhar and Jhabua districts, UNICEF and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, have designed and implemented water management schemes that are simple enough to be operated and maintained by children's water safety clubs.These clubs have reduced water demand by 60 per cent in tribal 'ashram schools', and have been highlighted by the PHED as worth replicating throughout the state.
Pinky Bhawar, a student of class 10 in a government school in Dhar district, who shares a tribal hostel with 275 other girls, is member of a water safety club in her hostel. The club not only discusses matters of awareness of water conservation and reuse, but also helps the hostel maintain the system and keep it clean.The water reuse system in Pinky's hostel recycles wastewater from bathroom use and washing hands and reuses it for gardening and flushing toilets. The hostel also has a rainwater harvesting system in place. Apart from showcasing the fact that development functions best when it percolates down, it also means that the girls at the hostel get extra water to bathe every day.
December 24, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Children raise their concern with Governor
Published in Central Chronicle December 21, 2006
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Dec 19: AIR with support from UNICEF as part of International Children's Day of broadcasting celebration had organized an event at Bhopal wherein more than 250 children had participated. It was an opportunity for the to showcase their talents. The whole programme was managed by children. Prior to this on the International Children's Day of Broadcasting that is December 10, 2006 full radio station was managed by children.
Governor Dr Balram Jakhar was the chief guest of the occasion. Children asked him numerous questions relating to child labour, education, HIV/ AIDS, which he candidly answered.
He is his address said that children are future of this country and need is to protect them give them all they deserved. The future of country lies in their hands and we need to overcome poverty, child labor and make sure that ever child goes to school.
Hamdi El Bashir State Representative UNICEF office fro Madhya Pradesh spoke about the theme of this years ICDB which is 'Unite for Children Unite against AIDS'. He added that children affected and impacted by HIV/AIDS have rights and they need to be protected. He spoke on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and about the campaign. He added that the campaign calls for the young people of Madhya Pradesh and the rest of India to become alive to the cause of children affected by HIV/AIDS, to alert society to the reality that HIV/AIDS is robbing tens of millions of children of their childhood. He present a copy of UNICEF's State of World's Children report 2007 to the Governor.
Ms Salina Singh Project Director Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society, Mrs. Asha Shukla, Station Director All India Radio, Anil Gulati Communication Officer UNICEF were also present. Children from Bhopal, Guna, Shivpuri and Hoshangabad participated in the event.
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061220/2012021.htm
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Dec 19: AIR with support from UNICEF as part of International Children's Day of broadcasting celebration had organized an event at Bhopal wherein more than 250 children had participated. It was an opportunity for the to showcase their talents. The whole programme was managed by children. Prior to this on the International Children's Day of Broadcasting that is December 10, 2006 full radio station was managed by children.
Governor Dr Balram Jakhar was the chief guest of the occasion. Children asked him numerous questions relating to child labour, education, HIV/ AIDS, which he candidly answered.
He is his address said that children are future of this country and need is to protect them give them all they deserved. The future of country lies in their hands and we need to overcome poverty, child labor and make sure that ever child goes to school.
Hamdi El Bashir State Representative UNICEF office fro Madhya Pradesh spoke about the theme of this years ICDB which is 'Unite for Children Unite against AIDS'. He added that children affected and impacted by HIV/AIDS have rights and they need to be protected. He spoke on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and about the campaign. He added that the campaign calls for the young people of Madhya Pradesh and the rest of India to become alive to the cause of children affected by HIV/AIDS, to alert society to the reality that HIV/AIDS is robbing tens of millions of children of their childhood. He present a copy of UNICEF's State of World's Children report 2007 to the Governor.
Ms Salina Singh Project Director Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society, Mrs. Asha Shukla, Station Director All India Radio, Anil Gulati Communication Officer UNICEF were also present. Children from Bhopal, Guna, Shivpuri and Hoshangabad participated in the event.
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061220/2012021.htm
Youth for noble cause
Indo Asian News ServiceBhopal, December 19, 2006
Youth for a noble causeUnite for Children, Unite Against AIDS aims at engaging the young to prevent the spread of the diseaseThe programme aims to achieve results in preventing parent-to-child transmission, providing pediatric treatment to affected children and providing treatment to affected childrenThe programme is in association with Unicef and the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society
Hundreds of students in Madhya Pradesh took part in an AIDS awareness campaign and vowed to do their bit to control the fatal virus.The students tied suraksha bandhan (protection bands) on their wrists on Sunday to symbolise their awareness of HIV and their commitment to spread awareness on HIV and AIDS.
The students were participants in a workshop organised by the Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism in Bhopal as part of a ‘Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS’ drive aimed at engaging the young to prevent the deadly disease. The campaign, in association with the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (MPSACS) and Unicef, aims to achieve measurable results in preventing parent-to-child transmission, providing pediatric treatment for HIV children, preventing HIV infection among the youth and providing treatment for affected children. “We need to be equipped with the right knowledge and young people can help spread awareness and the right information,” said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir. He said that worldwide millions of children, adolescents and youngsters are at risk and in need of protection. Across the world millions of children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS. “More disturbing is that HIV/AIDS is now engulfing the ‘productive population’ in the age group of 20-40 years. With the exposure teens and youth are getting through television, they have started experimenting with sex at an early age, further aggravating the problem,” said an MPSACS official
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7087_1872703,00870000.htm
Youth for a noble causeUnite for Children, Unite Against AIDS aims at engaging the young to prevent the spread of the diseaseThe programme aims to achieve results in preventing parent-to-child transmission, providing pediatric treatment to affected children and providing treatment to affected childrenThe programme is in association with Unicef and the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society
Hundreds of students in Madhya Pradesh took part in an AIDS awareness campaign and vowed to do their bit to control the fatal virus.The students tied suraksha bandhan (protection bands) on their wrists on Sunday to symbolise their awareness of HIV and their commitment to spread awareness on HIV and AIDS.
The students were participants in a workshop organised by the Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism in Bhopal as part of a ‘Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS’ drive aimed at engaging the young to prevent the deadly disease. The campaign, in association with the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (MPSACS) and Unicef, aims to achieve measurable results in preventing parent-to-child transmission, providing pediatric treatment for HIV children, preventing HIV infection among the youth and providing treatment for affected children. “We need to be equipped with the right knowledge and young people can help spread awareness and the right information,” said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir. He said that worldwide millions of children, adolescents and youngsters are at risk and in need of protection. Across the world millions of children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS. “More disturbing is that HIV/AIDS is now engulfing the ‘productive population’ in the age group of 20-40 years. With the exposure teens and youth are getting through television, they have started experimenting with sex at an early age, further aggravating the problem,” said an MPSACS official
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7087_1872703,00870000.htm
Empowering of women benefits children
Central Chronicle, December 14, 2006
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Dec 13: UNICEF's annual State of the World's Children report for 2007 Women and Children: The Double Dividend of Gender Equality, was released yesterday lauds India for investing in women's leadership. It details the positive impact that India has seen from the reservation of one third of Panchyat positions for women leading to significant benefits for children.
The report argues that providing girls with an education is the first critical step on the road to empowerment, but it is not the only one. Women must be given the opportunity to fully participate in decision-making regarding their own lives and the lives of their children. To do so, they must have equality and voice in the household, in the workplace and in the political sphere. India can not progress leaving half its population behind.
Sharing the report in UNICEF's state office for Madhya Pradesh UNICEF's State Representative Hamid El Bashir said this is imperative that all stakeholders must move from realm of words to realm of concrete action. He quoted the report which says that 'All obstacles to gender equality, regardless of origin, must be dismantled so that development can move forward... failure to secure equality for all has deleterious consequences for the moral, legal and economic fabric of nations' He added that the report lays out seven milestones to achieve parity: education, financing, legislation, legislative quotas, women empowering women, engaging men and boys, and improved research and data.
The latest India data reflects the global scenario mapped out in the report and shows that despite great strides in positive policies, India still faces a declining girl to boy child sex ratio in 80% of all districts, a high number of early marriages with nearly half of all girls marrying before the legal age of 18, and high infant and maternal mortality rates. These are all directly linked to attitudes towards women and their lack of access to basic services.
Also present at the launch in Delhi was, Sharmila Tagore, renowned actor and UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador, said "the formula is: Invest in women. The promise is a double dividend - a dividend for children, a dividend for adults. Invest in women when they are young infants and girls, invest in women in their prime of youth, invest in women when they are at their productive best."
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061214/1412024.htm
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, Dec 13: UNICEF's annual State of the World's Children report for 2007 Women and Children: The Double Dividend of Gender Equality, was released yesterday lauds India for investing in women's leadership. It details the positive impact that India has seen from the reservation of one third of Panchyat positions for women leading to significant benefits for children.
The report argues that providing girls with an education is the first critical step on the road to empowerment, but it is not the only one. Women must be given the opportunity to fully participate in decision-making regarding their own lives and the lives of their children. To do so, they must have equality and voice in the household, in the workplace and in the political sphere. India can not progress leaving half its population behind.
Sharing the report in UNICEF's state office for Madhya Pradesh UNICEF's State Representative Hamid El Bashir said this is imperative that all stakeholders must move from realm of words to realm of concrete action. He quoted the report which says that 'All obstacles to gender equality, regardless of origin, must be dismantled so that development can move forward... failure to secure equality for all has deleterious consequences for the moral, legal and economic fabric of nations' He added that the report lays out seven milestones to achieve parity: education, financing, legislation, legislative quotas, women empowering women, engaging men and boys, and improved research and data.
The latest India data reflects the global scenario mapped out in the report and shows that despite great strides in positive policies, India still faces a declining girl to boy child sex ratio in 80% of all districts, a high number of early marriages with nearly half of all girls marrying before the legal age of 18, and high infant and maternal mortality rates. These are all directly linked to attitudes towards women and their lack of access to basic services.
Also present at the launch in Delhi was, Sharmila Tagore, renowned actor and UNICEF National Goodwill Ambassador, said "the formula is: Invest in women. The promise is a double dividend - a dividend for children, a dividend for adults. Invest in women when they are young infants and girls, invest in women in their prime of youth, invest in women when they are at their productive best."
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20061214/1412024.htm
Madhya Pradesh students campaign against AIDS
Bhopal, Hundreds of students in Madhya Pradesh took part in an AIDS awareness campaign and vowed to do their bit to control the fatal virus.The students tied ’suraksha bandhan’ (protection bands) on their wrists Sunday to symbolise their awareness of HIV and their commitment to spread this awareness.The students were in a workshop organised by the Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism here as part of a ’Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS’ drive aimed at engaging the young to prevent the deadly disease.The campaign, in association with the Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Society (MPSACS) and Unicef, aims to achieve measurable results in preventing parent-to-child transmission, providing pediatric treatment for HIV children, preventing HIV infection among the youth and providing treatment for affected children."We need to be equipped with the right knowledge and young people can help spread awareness and the right information," said Unicef state representative Hamid El Bashir here. He said that worldwide millions of children, adolescents and youngsters are at risk and in need of protection. Across the world millions of children under the age of 15 have lost one or both parents to AIDS. "More disturbing is that HIV/AIDS is now engulfing the ’productive population’ in the age group of 20-40 years. With the exposure teens and youth are getting through television, they have started experiencing sex at an early age, further aggravating the problem," said a MPSACS official.
UNICEF stresses on right knowledge on AIDS
UNICEF stresses on right knowledge on AIDSBhopal December 18, 2006 4:36:08 AM IST
Equipping youngsters with the right knowledge will help spread AIDS awareness and also accurate information regarding the dreaded ailment, says UNICEF State Representative Hamid El Bashir.
''Millions of children, adolescents and youth across the globe are in the path of the pandemic, at risk and in need of protection. Beginning with the family, the community, social workers, students and media professionals need to combat the spread of this disease,'' he said at a day-long workshop here, as per a release.
As part of the 'Unite for Children Unite against AIDS' drive and to help engage young people in an effort to prevent HIV/AIDS, the Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism, with support from the Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society (MPSACS) and UNICEF, organised the workshop with students of the Master of Journalism course.
Mr Bashir briefed the students about the campaign that was launched in October 2005 to mobilise voices on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children.
MPSACS Deputy Director Shradha Bose spoke on the issue of the three 's' -- stigma, silence and shame -- associated with the ailment and how, with an open mind, they could be overcome.
''Information imparted at this meet will help empower you with the right knowledge and you not only can contribute when you enter the profession, but also even now by talking about it with your peers in your neighborhood, college etc. You can play a role that is not just rhetoric but strong action,'' UNICEF Communication Officer Anil Gulati told the students. Gandhi Medical College Assistant Professor Brajendar Mishra explained the technical aspects and took the students through the history of the disease, the release added.
UNI AC RL KP2110
Equipping youngsters with the right knowledge will help spread AIDS awareness and also accurate information regarding the dreaded ailment, says UNICEF State Representative Hamid El Bashir.
''Millions of children, adolescents and youth across the globe are in the path of the pandemic, at risk and in need of protection. Beginning with the family, the community, social workers, students and media professionals need to combat the spread of this disease,'' he said at a day-long workshop here, as per a release.
As part of the 'Unite for Children Unite against AIDS' drive and to help engage young people in an effort to prevent HIV/AIDS, the Makhanlal Chaturvedi University of Journalism, with support from the Madhya Pradesh State Aids Control Society (MPSACS) and UNICEF, organised the workshop with students of the Master of Journalism course.
Mr Bashir briefed the students about the campaign that was launched in October 2005 to mobilise voices on the impact of HIV/AIDS on children.
MPSACS Deputy Director Shradha Bose spoke on the issue of the three 's' -- stigma, silence and shame -- associated with the ailment and how, with an open mind, they could be overcome.
''Information imparted at this meet will help empower you with the right knowledge and you not only can contribute when you enter the profession, but also even now by talking about it with your peers in your neighborhood, college etc. You can play a role that is not just rhetoric but strong action,'' UNICEF Communication Officer Anil Gulati told the students. Gandhi Medical College Assistant Professor Brajendar Mishra explained the technical aspects and took the students through the history of the disease, the release added.
UNI AC RL KP2110
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