The theme for Nutrition Month 2024, “Beyond the Table,” was celebrated with great enthusiasm in rural Nuh. S M Sehgal Foundation, in collaboration with a corporate social responsibility (CSR)-supported project, has been dedicated to improving nutrition and sanitation in selected villages in the region since 2019. In each village, about twenty adolescent and adult women were mobilized into groups to receive monthly training on nutrition, focusing on balanced diets for women and children. These women took the lead in organizing Nutrition Month events in their own villages and nearby areas. Events held in six villages across the Indri, Punhana, and Nagina blocks included nearly 700 women participants from eleven villages.
Invited guests included anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), government school teachers, doctors from Primary Health Centres, and officials from the departments of Horticulture and Agriculture. The experts provided participants with valuable information about government schemes, such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the roles of ASHA and anganwadi workers, and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. ANMs highlighted the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding for young children. Officials from the Horticulture and Agriculture departments emphasized the nutritional value of millet and the benefits of kitchen nutri-gardens as sources of balanced diets.
Beneficiaries of the kitchen nutri-garden initiative shared their experiences. They reported growing a variety of vegetables in their backyards, which not only provided their families with fresh produce at no cost but also contributed to their overall health. One beneficiary from Sihri noted, “Since I started growing different vegetables in my kitchen nutri-garden, I’ve been able to provide my children with a variety of vegetables daily, without worrying about the cost.”
Many participants brought vegetables from their gardens, and facilitators demonstrated simple, nutritious recipes. The importance of macronutrients and micronutrients was explained using animated videos, making the information more accessible to the attendees.
At the conclusion of the events, the women took a pledge to expand kitchen nutri-gardens in their villages and take full advantage of the government schemes available to them. They embraced the understanding that “Santulit Ahaar, Khush haal Gaon!” (A balanced diet leads to a happy village!)
(Author: Sreeja Basu, assistant program lead, Local Participation and Sustainability)
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