Keonjhar: A day-long workshop titled ‘Empowerment through Nutrition: Together towards a Healthy Keonjhar’ was organised by the Keonjhar district administration Saturday at the Keonjhar auditorium. Attending the workshop presided over by District Collector Ashish Thakare, retired IAS officer and UNICEF Odisha’s senior advisor Akhila Bihari Ota expressed his high appreciation for maternal and childcare programmes in Keonjhar district and said that Keonjhar has shown the way to others in this direction. Ota said that the care of children and pregnant women among different age groups is very important. “In this context, in Keonjhar district, we have innovative programmes such as Ama Kalika, Maa Gruha, Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre, etc. How can a mother and child be taken care of by all these efforts, Keonjhar district has shown the way. Keonjhar has created a model of its own, which others are following. The NITI Aayog also appreciated it,” he said.
Similarly, District Collector Thakare said that many innovative programs have been taken up in Keonjhar district in the field of maternal and child care. In this context, ‘Ama Kalika’ is a unique programme. “Bringing children under the age of three and taking care of them all in one place is quite a challenge. Our officers and workers have made it happen,” he said. “From the NITI Aayog to the top officials of the Central and state governments, it has been highly praised. Motivated by the success of Keonjhar, other districts are also following this model. It is a matter of great pride for us. Similarly, the ‘Maa Gruha’ system for institutional and safe delivery at the government level is a successful programme in our district,” he added.
On the nutrition program, Keonjhar is the first district in the country where eggs are being distributed to children in schools and Anganwadi centres every day. Keonjhar is also a leading district in implementing the Odisha Millet Mission. The state’s first millet cafe was established in Keonjhar. Also, the district is the first to start a ragi laddu distribution system. All these interventions have had a positive impact on childcare and safety in the district. The District Collector expressed hope that such a unique workshop will bring good results in the coming days.
On this occasion, UNICEF Odisha nutrition specialist Sourav Bhattacharya, mentor of Ekjut NGO Dr Prasanta Tripathi, executive board member of CFNS Basant Mohanty, SVPPGIP Cuttack professor Dr Sunil Agarwal, TISS, Mumbai assistant professor Dr Priyanka Dixit, project director (Nutrition) CINI Swapan Vikas Shah, Kalavati Saran Children’s Hospital senior consultant Dr Rajesh Sinha and Keonjhar CDM & PHO Dr Kishore Kumar Prusty were present on the dais. The guests visited the millet exhibition stalls and Ama Kalika Centre (replica) opened in the auditorium premises. Ama Kalika workers, group members, Asha and Anganwadi workers from Joda, Harichandanpur, Jhumpura, Banspal, and Hatadihi shared their experiences of how Ama Kalika Kendra impacts people’s lives in their respective areas. The workshop was attended by more than 200 people including the staff of Ama Kalika Kendra, project coordinators of various blocks, CDPOs, group members, senior officials of the Child Development and Health Department, and officials of the District Mineral Foundation and DPMU.