Under the joint auspices of Samanvaya's Community-cased Rehabilitation (CBR) programme, the Kanakanala Watershed Project (KWP) and the Village Development Council of Juelkunti, a healthy baby show was organised in the Anganwadi centre, Juelkunti.
Samanvaya CBR programme coordinator Yamannurappa Gowda inaugurated the programme while Veerabhadrappa, member of the Village Development Council, vllage elder Ranganagowda Patil, Anganwadi volunteer Saraswati K, and SAMUHA-KWP member Hanumantha D attended the programme conducted by Suresh Kallamalli, a CBR volunteer.
Yamannurappa Gowda's inaugural speech covered all aspects of a healthy diet for pregnant women and babies. For a child to be healthy, the mother-to-be must eat lots of vegetables, greens and fruits. He also said that some people superstitiously believe that feeding a newborn child honey and castor oil will keep away all diseases. He pointed out that this is not true, and in fact, this results in unhealthy children and greater chances of the child contracting one of the six deadly diseases.
He also stressed the importance of mother's milk for the baby, saying that a mother who breastfeeds the child must have a greater intake of green vegetables, fish, eggs and meat. Vaccinations to prevent DPT, polio and the six deadly diseases are equally important. Thus, in order to ensure healthy babies, pregnant women must follow these healthy practices and a healthy daily regimen. Finally, he spoke about the need for health education.
Village elder Ranganagowda Patil said that by participating in such programmes, mothers could develop a greater understanding about their babies' health and well-being. This will lead to greater awareness about the health of pregnant women and related issues.
Forty women, 10 men and 25 babies participated in the show, where nine of the healthiest children in the village were identified and given prizes.
