Posts tagged Nutrition

Lighting up young lives through mid-day meals in schools

0 Comments read Education, Health & Science
Pradeep and Sandeep sharing their mid-day meal at Rajkya Prathmik Vidyalaya, Ghanchiyon ki Gufa, Saraswati Nagar in Jodhpur. Photo Credit: ©Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Jodhpur (Rajasthan), 09.03.2012 (WFS): The clock chimes 11 am. Neetu Yadav, 10, and her classmates’ eyes turn expectantly from the blackboard to the school gates. The roar of the approaching autorickshaw carrying their mid-day meal is growing louder, and the 35 students at the government-run Rajkya Prathmik Vidyalaya, Ghanchiyon ki Gufa, Saraswati Nagar in Jodhpur, erupt into a loud cheer.

Jodhpur, located in the vast Thar desert of western Rajasthan, is the state’s second largest city, with a population of around 3.68 million, according to the 2011 Census. The city prides itself on its educational institutions and the average literacy here is 81.56 per cent – with female literacy at 73.93 per cent. Impressive figures, given that the average literacy rate in the state is 67 per cent.

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Good nutrition essential to reduce maternal & infant mortality

0 Comments read Gender, Health & Science
Mohani Devi covering chhach (buttermilk) and bajre ki roti. Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Jhakaron ki Dhani (Jodhpur, Rajasthan) 11.02.2012: In the dusty village of Jhakaron ki Dhani, 25 km from Jodhpur in western Rajasthan, early marriage and early motherhood are not uncommon. Shamu Meghwal was married at the age of 13 and her first baby was born at 15. At 25, she is the mother of four kids and has just lost her husband. Visibly anaemic, she epitomises the many young women in her community experiencing weakness, back and abdominal pain.

It is estimated that more than half of all married women in India are anaemic and one-third of them are malnourished (have a body index below normal). “These women are already at a lower health level when they get pregnant. They don’t receive proper nutrition, especially vital during pregnancy. This makes them anaemic resulting in long-term consequences on their health”, says Dr Kanta Tiwari, a known gynaecologist, who has been working in Jodhpur and surrounding areas for the past 41 years.

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