Case study

Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Project

We believe that education plays a vital role in moulding the future of our children. The first five years of a child’s life are the most crucial and lay the foundation for a healthy mind and body. Our Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Project (VBCA, child care center) addresses this critical aspect of development. The objective of the project is two fold: a) to improve the nutritional status of children in the age group of 0-6 years and b) to impart value based education through the play way method.

The project being conducted in partnership with the State Government’s Integrated Child Development Services program and the Vedanta Foundation, in 937 centers, currently reaches out to 30,347 children at BALCO, Korba, HZL and VAL, Lanjigarh.

In operation for a year now, the results have been heartening. At HZL, 20% of the children have been mainstreamed into primary education and 10% of the malnourished children brought to normal grade within 12 months time. At BALCO, we have been successful at breaking social taboos like compulsory fasting of the mother post delivery and non administration of breast milk to infant immediately after birth, along with reduction of Infant and Maternal Mortality Rate from 115 to 85 & from 60 to 40 respectively. At VAL, Lanjigarh there is now 95% attendance at the centers. Dr. Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary cum Commissioner, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of Orissa, on her recent visit to Bhatguda commented, “The children are full of energy, very confident & want us to listen to all their rhymes. It is a refreshing change in Lanjigarh Block. I am sure all young children will blossom like this in this Block.” An overall assessment revealed that 100% of these centers are operational now in comparison to 20% and attendance is up by 83% in comparison to 21% at the start of the year.

On conducting an internal assessment we felt there was scope to enhance the program further with 3 additional elements: pre-school education to create a base for formal schooling; capacity building of the centers functionaries for effective delivery of services; lastly formation of a mothers committee to ensure involvement of each mother and child in the program. We have plans to expand the reach of the project to more than 0.5 million children over a period of 2 years.