BHUBANESWAR: Sights of a kid licking the last morsel off a plate, children sitting in a row having their mid day meal and kids being weighed were seen in frames lined up on the walls of a photo exhibition titled ‘Close the Gap: Angul’s fight against under-nutrition’ here Monday.
All the pictures were by award-winning photographers Anindito Mukherjee and Ravi Choudhary.
One of the organisers, consulting group IPE Global, which provides technical assistance in developing countries, stated that it has tried to shed light on the everyday struggles of the communities in accessing nutrition services.
The statement said, “The photos showcase the improvement in Angul district as well as focus on the underlying challenges. They also capture the solutions which are rooted in community empowerment, transparency and accountability of the Anganwadi Center and service providers.”
This view was also echoed by the panelists who were part of a discussion on how to ensure last mile delivery of services and closing the gaps between administration and the people. Rajya Sabha MP Amar Pattnaik stated that an intersectional approach is required to combat malnutrition.
“We need to provide people with physical access to infrastructure. We also need to give them informational access. People need to be briefed about the services of Anganwadi centers and other government schemes,” said Pattnaik.
Advisor to the WCD and Mission Shakti departments Sulota Das underscored the importance of members of Panchayati Raj Institutions in reaching out to people. “We have been able to bring down malnutrition drastically by ensuring pregnant women get nutritious food. We are also trying to raise awareness in villages by holding meetings with community members and with the help of our mascot ‘Tiki Mausi.”
Interacting with Orissa Post, photographer Anindito Mukherjee said, “It took more time as there were no case studies to refer to. Hence, I just went on the ground along with the field workers and captured what I found on my own. The process was as authentic as possible. From what I saw, the state needs more awareness so that people, who need the services, can avail them.”
The photo exhibition highlighted that Odisha is one of the few states that provides egg as part of the Supplementary Nutrition Programme and the second highest in the country in Anganwadi centers. Experts concurred that eggs should go to the entitled beneficiaries, often children. There have been cases of eggs being consumed by parents but not the children.
The organisers suggested a couple of measures that the state can take to contribute towards making India malnutrition-free by 2022. They suggested that the government should improve ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) by activating the Jaanch and Matru monitoring committees at the village level. “Leadership starts from the ground. However, the Jaanch and Matru committees are not even aware of their duties,” said Neha Saigal of IPE Global.
- Photographs at the expo showcased improvements and underlying challenges in malnourishment among kids in Angul district
- The expo was also aimed at capturing solutions which are rooted in community empowerment, transparency and accountability of Anganwadi centers and service providers
