Seven-year-old Roshni stands coyly holding on to the corner of her mother’s saree in the Sethi Nagar, Indore, based Anganwadi Centre as there is a whirlwind of activity going around her. Her eyes bright with excitement hold a different tale- a tale of survival against odds.
Barely a few years ago, her mother, Kajal had given up hopes of Roshni’s survival after she was detected with Severe Acute Malnutrition. An Anganwadi worker detected her condition and got her admitted to the Poshan Rehabilitation centre in the government hospital. It took months of efforts and hard work both from a team of dedicated doctors and workers at Anganwadi centre to ensure that Roshni was growing up healthy and far away from the scare of being a malnourished child. Speaking to The Statesman, at the centre today, Kajal retold her daughter’s tale of survival while all the while expressing gratitude to the Anganwadi workers at the centre.
The centre has also played a tremendous role in empowering the women from the marginalised section of the community by guiding them towards being self-reliant and financially independent. A group of women narrated how they bought a couple of sewing machines to open their own business. The money provided under various government run schemes helped the women realise their dream.
During her visit to the centre today, Minister of State for Women and Child Development (WCD) Government of India, Savitri reviewed the services being delivered at the AWC and interacted with Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), beneficiaries, and the community to understand the ground-level impact of nutrition, health, and education interventions for women and children.
During her interaction, the MoS spoke at length about how the transformation of Anganwadi infrastructure, introduction of digital tools (Poshan Tracker), and training of frontline workers have made Anganwadis more responsive and efficient in delivering essential services.
The Minister of State emphasized that Anganwadi Centres are not just delivery points of nutrition, but are becoming vibrant, modern centres of early childhood care and development, in line with the vision of Saksham Anganwadi under the Poshan 2.0 framework.
The Minister highlighted the Government’s commitment to strengthening Anganwadi infrastructure, ensuring last-mile service delivery, and making India malnutrition-free. She reiterated that Anganwadi Centres are key instruments of social justice, supporting the health and development of future generations.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said from ensuring a safe childbirth to securing girls’ education, from financial access to legal protection — this decade has laid the foundation for a New India led by Nari Shakti.