The Saksham Project, implemented by Arpan in collaboration with Jumio India CSR, aims to achieve a 'malnutrition-free panchayat' in the Dhani Boraj and Dinda villages of Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The project focuses on addressing malnutrition and strengthening the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) through targeted interventions at the panchayat level. The main objectives include:
-Ensuring 100 percent enrollment of children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in all Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) for proper immunization, weight and growth management.
- Implementing interventions based on a rapid baseline assessment of malnutrition among children, adolescents, and women in the project villages. This includes strategies such as enrolment drives, household counseling, child tracking, capacity building, and Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities to support ICDS and Anganwadis.
- Strengthening all six services of Anganwadi Centres through social audits to address malnutrition effectively.
- Facilitating entitlements and support systems to connect relevant community and government institutions in tackling malnutrition issues.
The project strives to demonstrate the potential of strengthening the government system to address local nutritional challenges, with a particular focus on severe and acute malnutrition among children. By working in convergence with the ICDS and the health department of the Government of Rajasthan, Arpan aims to save future generations and lay the groundwork for comprehensive planning to address malnutrition across all sections of society.