BY ALBERT FERNANDES | NT
POINGUINNIM: On the agenda of human resource development children should be the first priority, not only because they are young and the most vulnerable section of the population, but because the foundation for a lifetime of learning and human development, is laid in these crucial early years.
Early childhood - the first 6 years - constitutes the most crucial period of life, when the foundations are laid for cognitive, social emotional, physical/motor development and cumulative lifelong learning. Child survival, growth and development, have to be looked at, through a holistic approach, as excellence in one area cannot be achieved without the progress of the other areas.
The Government of India proclaimed a national policy on children in August 1974, declaring children as, "Supremely Important Asset" and accordingly assigned priority to different needs of the child. Consequently, the programme of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), was launched in 1975.
The concept of Child Welfare Services focuses not just on the care of the maladjusted and delinquents, but incorporates the social, which secure and protect the well-being of all the children in their physical, intellectual and emotional development. This child welfare is important for the child himself, for the family and for the society.
The health of the child is to be guarded at two stages: namely at the pre-school stage and at the school stage. Besides, provision has also to be made for proper nourishment. At the pre-school stage, their health is to be looked after, along with that of their mothers. Proper care during the ante-and-post natal stage, will reduce the rate of infant mortality.
In pursuance of the national policy for children, which laid emphasis on the integrity and delivery of early childhood services and services for expectant and nursing women, and based on recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial study teams set up by the planning commission, the scheme ICDS was evolved to make a coordinated effort for an integrated programme of delivery of a package of such services. ICDS, therefore, today represents one of the world’s largest programmes for early childhood development.
ICDS was started in Goa, in 1981 and Canacona became a part of it in 1982, as per available reports.
It is a central government scheme, with an aim to give preference for poor children, so that they get proper nutrition, health, education and also to care for the health of pregnant and lactating mothers.
The main aim of ICDS is not only to improve health status of children in the age group of 0-6 years, but to lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child, apart from reducing the incidences of mortality, morbidity and school drop-outs.
The ICDS Canacona functions smoothly with the services of a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) three supervisors (Mukhi Sevikas), 79 Anganwadi workers, 79 helpers, two clerical staff, one driver, one peon and one Bal Sevika. There are in all 79 anganwadis interspersed in the different nooks and corners of the taluka, constituting of seven panchayats and one Municipal Council.
According to available data, the total number of children covered under all these anganwadis are 6 months to 3 years - 476 boys and 627girls, which total 1103; while in the age group of 3 to 6 years, there are 476 boys and 509 girls, which is 985 in total. The Canacona taluka has, as of now, a population of 48,693, of which males are 25419 and the females constitute a total of 23,274, informed the CDPO, Ms Succorina Sequeira.
Eleven of the 79 anganwadis are located at Shristhal VP, while Khola VP has 11, Agonda-6, Poinguinnim - 12, Loliem-Polem VP - 6, Cotigao VP -7, Gaondongrem VP - 14 and the Municipal Council has a total of 12 anganwadis.
The services provided by the ICDS scheme comprise of a package of six services including supplementary nutrition, immunization, health care check-up, referral services, nutrition and health education, non-formal pre-school education.
In the supplementary nutrition, the deficiencies of calories, proteins, minerals and vitamins in the existing diets are identified and cereals to rejuvenate the same are given to children, amounting to Rs 125 per child per month and Rs 200 per woman, either in the first stage of pregnancy or no sooner pregnancy is identified, with a doctor’s certificate, confirming the same.
The ICDS provides several schemes for the adolescent girls, like the Kishori Shakti Yojana, various health schemes, education schemes, Kanya Dhan, where the beneficiary receives an amount of Rs 15,000 for the marriage ceremony.
Ms Sequeira informed that this scheme was started two years back, and the amount is given to the beneficiary only after marriage, on producing the Civil Marriage Certificate. To be eligible for the scheme, one should not come under the yearly income of more than Rs 1.20 lakh.
Ms Sequeira further informed that under the Canacona ICDS, there are presently 42 self help groups. Of these, 13 SHGs have taken the benefits of the different schemes available for the mahila mandals.
The mahila mandals, which now have been named as SHGs, carry out various activities in order to keep themselves self-employed, and to stand on their own feet economically. The activities include cutting and tailoring, agarbhati making, making of garments and selling them, beautification, candle making, bag-making, glass-painting, tailoring, cake-making, mehandi and rangoli designs, cloth painting, flower-making, machine embroidery, fabric painting, cotton bags, soft toys, pot designing, etc.
CDPO, Ms Succorina informed that the three Mukhi Sevikas (supervisors) supervise the work of the anganwadi workers, check their records for food stuff, guide and train them when required. On the whole, each mukhi sevika has under her care a sector comprising of 20-25 anganwadis.
Ms Sequeira further said that during any programme, support and assistance is taken from the health department, education department, RDA, agriculture, BDO, mamlatdar, PWD and electricity.
The Canacona ICDS celebrates in a grand fashion all the national days, besides other occasions like Gandhi Jayanti, Children’s Day, Quami Ekta Week, Bal Shiksha Din, Mahila Din, World Health Day, and others, in collaboration with CHC.
Some prominent citizens including some retired teachers feel that in order to give proper and enough attention to all the different groups of beneficiaries, it is essential to have at least two anganwadi workers (other than the helpers), per center. Moreover, the work of anganwadi worker is of prime importance, hence their salary, training, support and monitoring also need to be improved.
A supportive and effective supervisory mechanism must also be put in place, they said and added that if the ICDS are meant to improve the nutritive status of the children, certain complementary strategies such as crèches and maternity entitlements are also required to provide support for working mothers during breast feeding and even later for provision of early child care and education.
To make all this happen, children must truly become a priority in policy making, they remarked.
