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NT Bureau
Chennia, Dec 28:

        The ICDS project sector of Perambur saw anganwadi workers undergo the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) training programme from 26 December.

        Batches of workers, who formed groups of 30 members, were trained intensively on specific topics. And each worker was guided by a richly illustrated, training manual on 'IYCF practices and the use of Mother-Child protection card'.

        About 960 anganwadi workers from all the 12 project sectors in the city, attended four day training sessions in the past three weeks at various centres. Another 91 strong staff contingent from the Social Welfare Board also attended these training sessions. And it included Child Development Project Officers (CDPO), Auxiliary Nursing Midwives (ANM) and also supervisors.

        Presently, the duties of an Anganwadi Worker (AWW) extends even after the pre-school children leave their day care centres around 3 pm. The AWW's are required to maintain detailed records of pregnant and lactating mothers in their sectors. And they venture out to the neighborhood settlements periodically, to collect relevant data. But after this particular IYCF training programme, the AWW's will be empowered to form Mother Support Groups headed by local volunteers. A local woman / mother, will be identified who will volunteer to liaise between the anganwadi worker and pregnant, lactating mothers in her locality of approximately 25 families.

        Village mapping procedures will be employed to help locate the local volunteer. For the first six months after the formation of a Mother Support Group (MSG), the anganwadi workers are expected to meet with the volunteer heads every 15 days. As the local volunteer heads take root, monthly meetings may become the norm. And devices such as 'Web-Charts' are formulated in the training manual to help the AWW's keep track of progress. About 10 field parameters that may include, feeding status of ante-natal women, colostrums feeding, nutrition of lactating mothers, supplementary feeding of child after 6 months, hygiene, iodine and mineral supplements, etc., will be plotted radially, against concentric percentage grades of 25, 50, 75 and 100%, in a given Mother Support Group.

        And over a period of time the participatory enthusiasm of the various groups that come under a single anganwadi centre will also be kept track of, with other 'web-charts'. 'These web-charts are simple devices that can even be drawn on the ground with a piece of chalk by the local volunteers. Even a simple visual inspection of such a chart can give a clear picture of a particular Mother Support Group. And the anganwadi worker can easily duplicate the chart in her records to monitor periodical progress,' says an official of ICDS.

        'After the present IYCF training programme an elaborate and comprehensive 'Mother-Child Protection Card' designed by the UNICEF, now waits to be distributed to the participants,' says Mrs. Ramajothi, District Project Officer, ICDS, Teynampet. The colorfully illustrated 'card' opens to 12 folded leaves, quite like an elaborate catalogue. Apart from the detachable registration forms, the card contains illustrated information on ante-natal tests, high risk pregnancies, points to be remembered during pregnancy, child birth, milestones to look out for in each semester of the child's development up to 3 years of age and also a 'Growth Chart'.