Seva Mandir’s Balwadi Programme

Meeting with GVC

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  “It is nice to work with kids and lot of benefit is brought to the parents.” (Sunita)
  
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  “One child was skin and bones when he was brought to me. He was not able to walk even after four years of age. I worked with him for two years and he became normal again. He would not have survived otherwise.”
  
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  “I sent a lot of kids to school, this gives me satisfaction.” (Nirmala)
  
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  “Two children who came to me were staying with their grandparents as their parents had split. They could not even walk when they were brought to me. I nursed them back to health. Now both have got entrance in the school. They are so attached to me…” (Prem devi)
  
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  “One child could not walk due to malnutrition and used to drag himself on the floor. He was also eating mud. He has stopped this habit now and is growing normally.”(Kumir devi)
  
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  “When the bell rings, the children know and want to come to the Balwadi. When the kids are not well, I inform the parents. I have taken three children to the hospital and went with the parents. Once the parents had no money and I gave them money so that they could get the child treated.” (Navdi devi)
  
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  “I don’t have any children of my own, so I like this job even more!” (Padma devi)
  
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  “I worked for over two years over a severely malnourished child by massaging her. It was very satisfying to see her recover completely.”
  

In the case of Tulsibai, the motivation was slightly different. She had come back to her parental with her kids after her husband abandoned her. She saw in this job an opportunity for self-sustenance and empowerment. She now wants to take up her case legally. Others too see this as an opportunity to learn, grow and get empowered. For instance Dhanu devi was illiterate when she joined the programme. She had to rely on others to help her fill up the register and other forms. They often did not do a proper job. Fed up of this dependence she decided to become literate. She joined school and has now passed 5^th grade.

1. 
   Sometimes mothers bring 6-month old children to them so that they could go to work. The mother brings the milk with her and leaves the child to the care of the sanchalika.
   
2. 
   Initially it takes some time (say 10-12 days for children to overcome their fear of being away from home. They however get attracted due to the toys and the food and in due course make themselves at home.
   
3. 
   Two out of the 20 sanchalikas had got “A” grades during the evaluation exercise carried out by Seva Mandir. One of these sanchalikas had 33 children registered out of which 25-26 turned up on a given day. She was able to manage so many by segregating the kids according to their age. Small kids were kept inside and bigger kids kept outside.
   
4. 
   The swings and slides are very popular with the children and all want to play with them. The toy cars are even more popular! They are taught to be patient and wait for their turn.
   
5. 
   More than half the parents don’t come to the meetings as they are out to work. If they come they can be given feedback about the weaker children. The Kawad method of communication has proved effective with the parents as they come out in good numbers. Flip charts can also be used to educate them.
   
6. 
   Regarding physical infrastructure it was felt that the rent needs to be increased from Rs 150/- to Rs 300/-. It would then be possible to get better premises. A pucca house is always preferable to a kutcha one as children with iron deficiency tend to eat mud from the floor. If the house is located on the main road, fencing of the compound becomes very important to ensure the safety of the children.
   
7. 
   Regarding supply of feed and other materials, these are provided as and when they place indents during their bi-monthly meeting at Seva mandir. The quality of materials provided is good.
   
8. 
   A few cases of disable children coming to the Balwadi were reported. Children with blindness and deafness have been reported. Such children need special attention.
   
9. 
   Committee members drop in to monitor the centers. They help in collection of shulk and in telling parents to send their children regularly. Shulk is collected in the meeting itself.
   
10. 
    A couple of cases of harassment of the sanchalika by the committee members were noted.
    
11. 
    Sanchalikas give birth-certificates for admission into schools.
    

Seva Mandir organizes a block meeting for sanchalikas once in two months. These meetings are used for the following purpose:

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  Allocation of work for the month
  
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  Discussion of health issues
  
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  Special guidance on such as feeding the weaker children
  
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  Updating all the registers (Panjikaran, status of shulk, number of children admitted to school etc.)
  
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  Filling up of monthly report
  
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  Discussing specific difficulties if any
  

In addition a zonal meeting of two days is organized on a monthly basis where Sanchalikas:

Help each other in updating records

Review the work done

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  Cleaning and whitewashing of all Balwadis for Diwali.
  
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  Safety of Balwadis – if windows are not there, please install, balwadis cannot be held in unsafe buildings.
  
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  Discussion on nutrition status.
  
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  Cooperation of parents.
  
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  To improve nutrition status, we provide meals plus medicine. But even though we provide this everyday, the children are weak, why? Illnesses are also many. Parents don’t take sick children to doctor on time. They don’t send children regularly.
  
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  What are the shortcomings of the centre? The meals are not prepared well. Medicine is not given on time. The centre does not open regularly. Cleanliness is lacking. Work is not done according to a schedule. No record is kept about the regularity of attendance of the children. These things need to be attended to in order to get better performance.
  
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  Play – Chidiya, gai-bail, telephone.
  
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  The centre needs to be cleaned. Rubbish material should be disposed of.
  

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  Health and nutrition.
  
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  Activities
  
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  Story
  
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  Cleanliness (of the attendants, of the children and of the centre)
  
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  Preparing meals
  
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  Opening and closing the centre on time.
  
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  Decorating the centre.
  
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  Monthly report.
  
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  Should involve children in the work of the centre. The children as well as the sanchalikas will enjoy this. The work too will get done properly and on time.
  
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  How did you like the mobile creche training? Response – liked it very much.
  
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  They give toys so efficiently and the toys are distributed according to the age of the child. But here in the balwadi we keep the toys in a sack because of which the parts of the toys get lost and the toys too become spoilt. The toys should be stored in a more organized manner.
  
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  The mats and blankets that have been given are torn.
  
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  The children should be allowed to play on their own but the sanchalika don't let them do this. Think of your own childhood and what you liked to do then and what made you happy. Ensure that the children are provided the same facility.
  
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  Sanchalikas don’t report when medicine stock has finished.
  
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  Children are restless and energetic. If their energies are not properly channeled, they will resort to unruly behaviour.
  
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  More emphasis must be laid to stories and poems.
  
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  Suitable activities for children were discussed, such as building cardboard houses.
  
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  Things belonging to the balwadi are taken to the village and then not returned.
  
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  How to wash hands before meals.
  
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  To send crayons to all balwadis.
  
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  Importance of nutrition – to make the body strong, for development of the body, to fight diseases.
  
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  Balanced diet.
  
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  To improve eating habits.
  
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  Different types of malnutrition.
  
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  Anemia.
  
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  Malnutrition and night blindness.
  

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  Fees.
  
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  Activities.
  
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  Orientation of new sanchalikas.
  
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  Experienced sanchalikas demonstrated how the Balwadi has to be run.
  
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  Stock taking of material in the Balwadi.
  
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  New sanchalikas were taught how much food to be taken, how to prepare it, how to distribute it and how to record it in the register.
  
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  The Balwadi must be thought of as one’s own home. The children should be treated with affection.
  

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  How to make puppets.
  
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  Older sanchalikas will tell new sanchalikas stories, poems and activities that can be done with children.
  

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  Sanchalika training.
  
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  Prayer and songs.
  
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  Games, poetry, paper work, puppet making, stories, songs.
  
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  Children don’t come on time.
  
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  Fee has to collected from door to door.
  
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  Children don’t rest.
  
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  How to make children more attentive.
  
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  Water problem.
  
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  What do children learn from different sources – home, friends, neighbours, balwadi, etc.? Children listen good and bad things. Parents’ quarrels. Abusive language. They also listen to good things.
  
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  Make presentations before a large group.
  
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  Who all influence child’s behaviour?
  
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  Role of sanchalika. How to treat children. Responsibility to parents and society. Responsibility to community. Personal hygiene. Should use sweet language. Should not show partiality. Should be honest. Should keep records. Should prepare meals properly.
  
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  Responsibility towards children – affectionate behaviour, doing activities that children like, children’s hygiene, bringing children to the centre, stories, songs, prayer, exercise, preparing food that children like, informing parents about their children’s illnesses.
  
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  Responsibility towards parents and community – conduct parent meeting, collect fees, cleanliness, send children on time, maintain house to house contact, provide information about balwadi in group meetings.
  
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  Responsibility towards village committee – attend committee meetings, speak about problems, report when number of children is less, provide feedback.
  
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  Development process of children – from conception to till when they are 5 years old.
  
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  Children’s rights - nutritious food to mother, care of pregnant woman, vaccination, weight, breast feeding, complementary food to the child, pleasing living environment, cleanliness, education, health, safety.
  
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  Why all children don’t get these rights – poverty. How to break this cycle.
  
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  Role of government in reaching out to children. How much governmental support is available in villages? How we can improve this?
  
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  What we can do collectively to increase the safety of mother and child?
  
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  Maintaining and decorating the centre.
  
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  Record keeping.
  
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  Daily routine of the centre.
  
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  Collecting potable water and keeping it covered
  
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  Arranging utensils and toys neatly.
  
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  Conducting age-suited activities.
  
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  Washing toys from time to time.
  
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  Washing mats, blankets, etc., from time to time.
  
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  Maintaining registers – meals register, fee register, stock register, receipt book.
  
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  Record how many bowls of food were made. Deposit fees collected with the committee.
  
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  Condition of the village - no water, filth, education, no clothes, no nutritious food, the ill are not looked after, mothers work as labourers, no one in the house to look after children.
  
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  Condition of the country – poverty, large families, alcoholism, infant mortality, illiteracy, hunger.
  
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  Objective of Balwadi – preschool preparation, nutrition, health, support to parents.
  
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  How children’s brain develops.
  
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  How new information and knowledge contributes to children’s welfare.
  
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  How children learn.
  

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  Always bring training register with you.
  
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  Take children’s weight every six months.
  
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  Write their weights in the attendance register. You must also write the date of birth of the child.
  
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  Write children’s name serially.
  
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  In the attendance register, write how many boys and how many girls at the bottom.
  
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  Sanchalika’s responsibility towards guardians?
  
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  Is it important to have guardian meetings?
  
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  What impact do discussions during meetings have?
  
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  Reporting when few children attend centres.
  
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  Obtaining cooperation for problems faced by centres.
  
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  Establishing house-to-house contact.
  

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  Only 3 people attended guardian’s meeting.
  
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  Few children come to the centre. They say they will send the children regularly after harvesting of maize (makai).
  
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  Discussion on fees with parents.
  
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  Parents did not come to meeting even after a house-to-house contact effort.
  
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  Pregnant woman are not taking vaccination so this issue was discussed with them.
  
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  Parents were requested to send children after making them neat and clean.
  
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  Parents were requested to send children on time.
  

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  New children came, 15 girls and 10 boys. 20 children come every day.
  
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  Parents drop children and collect them.
  
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  Parent feedback.
  
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  Pasting daily task schedule on the centre.
  
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  Don’t send sick children to the centre.
  
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  Hygiene and cleanliness while preparing meals.
  
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  Keeping the food covered.
  
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  Phenoyl or Dettol should be given.
  

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  At the time of admitting a new child, write its date of birth in a separate register.
  
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  List of nutritious food items.
  
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  Discussion on how to use the fee money.
  
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  Purchase during Jan and Feb.
  
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  Paste weekly work schedule on all centres.
  
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  Paste nutritious food schedule on all centres.
  
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  Feedback of parents collected – liked it, no questions were asked by parents.
  
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  Few children come.
  
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  Vaccination.
  
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  Children’s activities done - lion and goat game, poetry recital, drawing.
  
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  Children have begun to come neatly.
  
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  Parent meeting – importance discussed.
  

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  Entertainment.
  
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  Increase in concentration of children.
  
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  Friendship.
  
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  Community feeling.
  
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  Knowledge of rules.
  
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  Anatomy, exercise, cooperation, mental development, language skills.
  
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  Poetry recital.
  
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  Indoor and outdoor activities.
  
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  Why cleanliness in the centre is important.
  
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  Involving children in maintaining cleanliness.
  
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  Involving parents in centre’s activities.
  
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  Sanchilakas not able to differentiate between the importance of play and poetry recital. This will have to be taken up in the next meeting.
  
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  Importance of opening the centre on time.
  
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  The furnace should be outside the centre.
  
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  The centre should be located in a safe place.
  

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  School enrollment.
  
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  Fees.
  
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  Properties of kojo, pindolia, gaund phala, bauri kua.
  

Coordinator Kotra block

Shg incharge Kotra Block

Balwadi program incharge Kotra Block

Balwadi program coordinator ,

Sanhalika ------35

Attendance of sanchalika in Block meeting

35/45 77 .7%

In this meeting Story telling was the point of discussion. 50 % of the sanchalikas has started story telling at their centers.

Most of the sanchalikas find it difficult to tell a story to all children (younger and elder) as younger children are not interested in story.

Most of the sanchalikas said that, Children are more interested in stories, which are explained by pictures so they demanded stories with visuals.

It was the fact that there is a need of awareness generation and BCC in parent regarding personnel hygiene.

Suggestions for the issue from sanchalikas:

Issue can be discussed with parents in Bimonthly parents meeting at center.

Some body else from the block like person from YRC, member of GVC, Monitor, can help in health awareness for parents.

‘KAVAD”can also be used for awareness generation on different health issues in parents which was already used at some centers for enrolment and regular attendance at some centers and found effective.

At most of the centers commonly mothers are attending the meeting. Attendance of father is low in the meeting.

Common issues discussed in the meeting were monthly fees and regular attendance and work done by sanchalikas or balwadi services. More than this is only some thing about the personnel hygiene is discussed at some of the center.

It was told to conduct bimonthly parents meeting in the bimonthly block meeting of sanchaikas and training of sanchalikas but schedule,/agenda is not designed and issues to be discussed has not yet designed and percolated to sanchalikas.

Capacity building of sanchalikas on related issues is required

On discussion with sanchalikas; Flip blocks related to nutrition, hygiene, home based care in common health problems can be found useful for sanchalikas .

Record keeping and monthly reporting formats:

new monthly reporting formats were introduced.

House to hiouse visit is scheduled on every Saturday after 2 o clock, but it was possible only in 50 % cases , and during these visit many a time sanchalikas could not meet to the mother because mother was at the field .

The issues discussed in majority of home visits are regular attendance of the child and some times personnel hygiene.
Group discussion with Sanchalikas

At about 50%of centers member of GVC was visiting Balwadi at least once a month, at 7 centers it was visited by female member of GVC.

Only 50 % of sanchalikas told that GVC help them in solving problems.

Most of the sanchalikas are aware about the grading system of Balwadis, only few knows about the grading of their center.

Majority of sanchalikas are in favor of continuing the grading system, they take it in appositive way for improvement.

None of the sanchalikas are getting salary fom gramkosh in Kotra block.

At some of the centers mothers help in the work of sanchalika like cleaning, bringing water etc.

At majority of the ccenters in kotra blocks nutripop is out of stock, Parle G buiscuits are in use as an alternative.

In this block a good no of sanchalikas are just literate only and also they get from sevamandir literacy program.

One of the sanchalika has atarted studying after joining the Balwadi program with sarva siksha abhiyan and completed 5^th Std.
According to the discussion with sanchalikas common health problem faced by children during last three months in all the 35 centers of Kotra block are
Fever - 24

Payoderma --- 11

Conjunctivitis 15

URI 12

Scabies 6