Illiteracy, child marriage, poor dietary habits are the biggest hurdles in bringing change
Three-year old Shivaranjini weighs nine kg, while her sister who is three years older weighs 12 kg. Both are at least one kg lower than the minimum recommended weight for their age. But they are not exceptions. Weak and underweight children, all bony hands and feet and nearly visible rib cages, are a common sight here.
It’s lunch time in the remote villages of Devadurga taluk, some 50 km off the most backward district of Karnataka, Raichur. Anganwadi teachers and their helpers get ready to feed moong sprouts to motley groups of children between one and five years old. Thrice a week, the children are given sira (a rustic version of kesribath made from semolina and milk, sans the rich garnish of ghee and dry fruits), a rice and dal preparation similar to pongal, eggs and milk. It’s an effort to tackle the high levels of malnutrition among young children, the reason why Devadurga shot to infamy, along with its lowest score in the human development index.
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