Anganwadi centres were introduced in India in 1975 in order to combat child malnutrition and to further children’s psychological, physical and social development. Each village should have an Anganwadi centre and there is roughly one centre per 1000 people.
Anganwadi Centres are centres for women and children (0-6). The children come to a kind of Kindergarden in the morning for pre-school education. The Anganwadi worker is part Kindergarden teacher, part social worker and has a helper to support her work. In the mornings she will look after the Kindergarden, and in the afternoon she completes 5 home visits. These home visits focus on the following high risk groups:- pregnant women
- lactating mothers
- 0-6 year olds
- adolescent girls (11-18)
- children who do not regularly attend the Anganwadi centre
The Anganwadi worker organizes a monthly community meeting for mothers in the Anganwadi centre, discussing 1 particular issue relevant to the community. The Anganwadi worker additionally supports local women’s self help groups.
Structure of Anganwadi centre functionaries:- Child Development Project Officer
- Supervisors
- Anganwadi Worker
- Helper
The MLTC and AWTC fall under the responsibility of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) initiated by the Department of Women’s Welfare, Ministry of HRD, Government of India.
AIM and OBJECTIVES
Objectives of the training programme:- To organize job and refresher courses for ICDS functionaries (Anganwadi workers and helpers)
- To build the functionary’s capacity through increasing their knowledge and skill levels
- To improve the quality of work in the Anganwadi centres
- To promote a better understanding of existing community and child care practices
- To enhance the ICDS functionary’s performance in the field
Target Groups and their training:
1. Anganwadi Worker- Job course – 30 days duration
- Refresher course – 7 days duration
2. Helpers- Job Course – 8 days duration
- Refresher course – 5 days duration
Anganwadi Worker Job training course:
Out of the 30 days of job training, 27 days are dedicated to teaching and assignments, whilst 3 days are dedicated to supervised, practical training. The teaching schedule includes outdoor and indoor activities, as well as exams and practical assignments. Taught subjects include low cost recipes, puppet shows, low cost teaching materials, role plays, reasons of malnutrition, early childhood development, save pregnancy, breast feeding, nutrition and growth, immunization, hygiene, HIV/AIDS prevention, family planning, menstrual hygiene, community participation, and sex education.
The Anganwadi workers are also instructed in methods of community participation. They learn how to conduct mothers and parents meetings, how to form and support Self Help Groups, and how to conduct home visits to their beneficiaries. Additionally, the Anganwadi workers learn how to introduce government schemes to their community.
Additionally, the AWTC will visit Anganwadi centres in order to see all aspects of the Anganwadi’s work including early child development, home visits, anti and post natal care, supporting mothers with their problems.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Between 1983 and 2013 the AWTC trained 16200 functionaries from across Maharashtra.
| 1983 – 2012 | | Sr.No. | Particulars | Total days | Total Batches | Total trainees | | 1 | Job Training for Anganwadi Workers | 30 days | 113 | 5547 | | 2 | Job Training for Anganwadi Helpers | 08 days | 45 | 1666 | | 3 | Refresher Training for Anganwadi Workers | 07days | 97 | 2865 | | 4 | Refresher Training for Anganwadi Helpers | 05 days | 48 | 1337 | | | 11465 |
CHALLENGES
The main challenge lies in tackling blind faith, which is at the root of many problems facing India’s rural poor today.
- Example: Newborn babies are often refused breastmilk for the first three days of their lives and instead are fed with sugar water. The first milk produced by the mother after birth, which contains vital anti-bodies to strengthen the child’s immune system, is deemed too thick for the baby to drink, leaving the child with a very low starting weight and vulnerable to illnesses and infections which will weaken it further.
Tackling malnutrition in children, which is repressing their overall growth and their brain development. This requires a holistic approach encompassing nutrition, health, hygiene, and environmental sanitation. |