This village deals with child malnutrition amazingly | Fusion - WeRIndia

The prosperity of a country is reflected most prominently in its quality of life. The quality of the lives of children directly reflect the overall quality of life in the country, and thus, the happiness of the country.

However, in India, the quality of children’s lives has been quite bleak for a long time. The majority of India’s massive population lives in poverty, with little food to feed the adults and even less to feed the massive number of impoverished children.

Child malnutrition, especially in the first three years of life, can have severe consequences, affecting the health of the child’s entire future life.

The state of Chhattisgarh has been one of the states most affected by malnutrition in the country, and the malnutrition of Chhattisgarhi children is a particularly significant concern.

However, an NGO named the Jan Swasthya Sahyog (or JSS) is tackling the hunger problem in Chhattisgarh head-on, providing both daily meals and daycare to children under three years old.

Since 2009, the JSS has been running creches, where children who are ages three and under can stay for eight hours. They are provided with three meals per day, with a diet of khichdi, sattu, iron supplements, and eggs. The children are also taught how to maintain their hygiene.

In Bilaspur alone, there are 91 creches in 38 villages, which serve about 1,200 children. However, this is only a short-term solution to a massive widespread problem.

Although the JSS may be treating the sick children, this will not solve the long-term malnutrition issue.

There are some cases where children are breastfed at the beginning of the day and left behind with only leftovers to eat until the parents come home at night.

Currently, the JSS is working on a solution to prevent chronic hunger, thus breaking the cycle of disease and unhealthiness among children.

This may be a difficult task to accomplish, but the JSS is determined to continue tackling the issue of chronic hunger until it is fully solved.

Image Reference: TheBetterIndia, BBC