Protecting Motherhood: Tata Steel Foundation observes Rashtriya Poshan Maah with over 700 women and adolescents in Kalinganagar and Sukinda

In support of the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s Poshan Maah, Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) is playing an active role in leveraging the annual observance by conducting the 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah program across the Danagadi and Sukinda blocks of Kalinganagar. Slated to run for a month, the initiative began on September 10, 2024, and finished on September 26, 2024. During this period, the initiative saw active participation of over 740 rural women and adolescents.

The effort, spanning 17 Gram Panchayats of Danagadi and Sukinda blocks of Odisha, finds its aim in educating communities about the importance of a balanced diet and complementary feeding, and its impact on the health and well-being of mothers and children. The participants, are therefore, inducted in a diverse set of engaging sessions and workshops urging them to adopt lasting nutritional practices, gain a deeper understanding of health and know the importance of nutrition for children, lactating mothers, and adolescents, residing in remote rural and tribal communities.

Throughout Poshan Maah, TSF is collaborating with the state Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs), doctors of Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram (RBSK), Anganwadi Supervisors, Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) Supervisors, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Community Health Officers (CHO), Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), and Anganwadi Workers (AWW) to organise a range of activities- from the Annaprasan ceremony to promote the complementary feeding, health education on balanced diet and importance of breastfeeding, as well as nutrient diet displays. The event also includes nutrition food competitions, rangoli displays, quiz contests, and games designed to engage women and adolescents while upgrading their knowledge on maternal and child health. Each activity has been thoughtfully crafted to encourage community involvement and make learning informative and accessible.

Initiated in the year 2020 keeping women and children at the centre of the thought, the Foundation’s Poshan Programme emerged as a response to the abject lack of nutrition, access to complementary food needs, negating malnutrition in rural children and maintaining food security within households. A major aspect of the programme- development of nutri-gardens allowed women to have easy access to growing vegetables of their choice, ensuring nutritional needs are met in a cost-effective manner. This year, over 10,000 community members across 47 Gram Panchayats of Danagadi and Sukinda blocks have been involved in various efforts under the Poshan Programme, while more than 3800 Nutri-gardens have been built in the backyards of rural homes. Moreover, such concerted efforts have helped restore the health of over 790 children who were severely and acutely malnourished.
 
As Tata Steel Foundation continues to reach more gram panchayats and villages until September 26, 2024 the strategic engagement with communities during the Poshan Maah reflects TSF’s broader commitment to improve nutritional outcomes and make healthcare more accessible, paving the way for stronger communities by enabling women with the tools and knowledge they need to build a healthier future for themselves and their families.