HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 1: In a bid to facilitate knowledge exchange and strengthen collaborative governance with respect to the ongoing Early Childhood Development (ECD) mission in the state, a delegation from the Government of Odisha’s Women and Child Development Department concluded their three-day exposure visit to Meghalaya on Friday.
The visit was aimed at gathering insight into Meghalaya’s best practices in terms of Mobilizing collective actions to improve nutrition status of SAM children through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) Approach, to observe and derive key takeaways from Meghalaya’s interventions in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and practices adopted under Poshan Abhiyan. It may be mentioned that between 2020-21, through collaborative cross departmental efforts, the State was able to achieve 91.3% reduction in SAM and 94% reduction in MAM cases in just 12 months.
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The officials from the Odisha team consisted of – Madhusudan Behera, Joint Secretary, ECCE; N.C Jyoti Ranjan Nayak, Additional Secretary, POSHAN; Bhumika Rath, Section Officer, ECCE; Priyadarsini Mohanty, Consultant, ECCE; Deepali Das, Consultant CB&BCC- POSHAN; Punyabati Helen Xess, DSW)-Jharsuguda; Sabita Sahoo, CDPO-Gaislet; Surajit Patnaik, Consultant, Health & Nutrition, POSHAN; Selly Buda, ICDS Project-Barkot; Sagarika Swain, AI, SIWC, Barpali; Akshaya Kumar Limal, Sr. Consultant, UNICEF; Aishwairya Rani Biswal, Accountant, POSHAN; Suchismita Swain, ASO and Tabassum Azad, Consultant OMBADC. At a time when Odisha and Meghalaya are joining forces to share knowledge, experiences, skills and best practices in ECD, the visit exemplifies the importance of horizontal collaboration between States. By fostering this partnership, both states aim to enhance child well-being and nutrition through innovative approaches.
During their three day visit to Meghalaya, the Odisha team along with the ECD programme managers, officials from the State’s Directorate of Social Welfare, CDPO and Lady supervisors visited Bhoirymbong (Lummawria and Umeit B) and Umrynjah Anganwadi Centre to observe preschool activities. They also visited the Amlarem block to observe the collaboration between MSRLS and ICDS for egg distribution in Thadlaskein through SHGs, where the SHG suppliers and egg beneficiaries were also present.
During the visit, Priyadarsini Mohanty, Technical Lead & Consultant (ECCE), Women & Child Health Department, Government of Odisha, expressed satisfaction with the activities in Meghalaya, particularly highlighting the distribution of eggs through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) at pilot centers, which she said was an interesting initiative and worthy of appreciation.
A meeting and sensitization program for the community and Faith based leaders was observed at Jarain Village in Amlarem Block where the team from Odisha met with the Faith- based organizations in Amlarem and observed how the process of social and behavioral change in basic ECD and nutrition practices is being carried out in the state through collaboration with faith based leaders. The team expressed appreciation of the State’s collaboration with faith based leaders and community institutions to strengthen their role in educating communities on the importance of Early Childhood Development, thereby bringing together Faith and Science towards the ECD mission fulfillment.
The Odisha team particularly commended Meghalaya’s inter-departmental convergence model under the ECD mission where 4 departments- Health, Social Welfare, Education and C&RD are working together towards attainment of ECD goals. They believe it could be a key takeaway for their state. Priyadarsini applauded the coordination among the Health, ICDS, Education, and Community and Rural Development departments, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach, which she deemed as a unique initiative from Meghalaya.
“We appreciate the coordination among the health, ICDS, education, and community and rural development departments for the ECD mission. It is a holistic approach and a unique initiative from Meghalaya.” She said, “We are eager to support the ECD mission in the future and hope for great outcomes. Upgrading AWCs to provide parenting opportunities is crucial. We must take a holistic approach.”
While visiting an ICDS uncovered village at Laitkroh along with the Program Managers-ECD Mission, ICDS Supervisors and MSRLS Cluster coordinator in charge of the uncovered village, the Odisha team lauded the efforts of Community Gender and Health Activists (CGHAs) in distributing Take Home Rations (THR) in villages not covered under ICDS and stated that this was a State innovation worthy of recognition. The POSHAN team from Odisha also visited recovered SAM cases in Laitkroh to learn how the ICDS officials and community members managed the cases through inter-departmental collaborative efforts. Later, the Odisha team also had a debriefing session with the Principal Secretary & Development Commissioner, Sampath Kumar, IAS and Director, Social Welfare Department, C.D Lyngwa.
The State Political leadership’s commitment to allocating resources for the launch and implementation of holistic one of a kind ECD Mission aimed at unleashing the full potential of children in Meghalaya was greatly appreciated by Odisha WCD team.
It may be mentioned that in December 2022 and May 2024, Meghalaya’s ECD team members along with State officials from the Directorate of Social Welfare also conducted learning visits to Odisha. The strategy adopted by Odisha that stood out the most was the decentralized system of processing Take Home Ration (THR) under the ICDS Supplementary Nutrition Programme. The THR processing units are run by women self-help groups/SHG federations and the ration is supplied directly to the AWCs by the SHGs. The insights gained were invaluable and has facilitated continuous exposure visits for officials from various departments to learn from the State of Odisha and vice versa.
The Odisha team highlighted the importance of partnering with technical experts globally to strengthen nutritional aspects and utilize best practices through collaboration, while also emphasizing the necessity of research and publication in the field of nutrition and ECD, expressing support for ongoing initiatives in Meghalaya. The Odisha-Meghalaya partnership exemplifies the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and shared commitment to nurturing the full potential of every child. Through cross-learning and adaptation, both states are collectively working towards securing a strong social capital and unleashing the full potential for children. The officials stated that this initiative will pave the way for future collaborations and mutual understanding between both States.
