Voices from the Field

Nutrition

Sector: Nutrition
Organization: Peace Corps
PD Practitioner: Peace Corps Volunteer
Location: Guinea

“I was in one health center one day and nothing they did made sense, it was a combination of motivation and misunderstanding.  I was starting to get visibly frustrated and then I remembered positive deviance.  I thought to myself, “Wait a minute, instead of continuing to tell them how they are doing it wrong, why don’t I take them and show them someone who is doing it right?”  Someone who is on their level, i.e., someone who has had the same training, receives the same salary, and has the same demands placed on them every day.  There is one health center worker, Madame Cherif, who is exceptional.  She is enthusiastic, she does everything correctly, she gives nutritional advice to women that come to the health center and she always goes the extra mile even if it is out of her way.  I took the two health center staff that did not understand protocol to see Madame Cherif in action.  It worked out wonderfully!  I avoided being discouraged with the staff, the staff learned a whole lot and Madame Cherif felt a huge sense of pride in her work.”

Sector: Nutrition
Organization: Peace Corps
PD Practitioner: Peace Corps Volunteer

“Finally, using the Positive Deviance approach can be highly rewarding for a volunteer.  During my service, I have worked both with supplementary feeding programs and the PD/Hearth approach.  I enjoy my work with the supplementary feeding programs and I do think that the supplementary feeding programs help in the moment, the more amount of time that a child is healthy in her development years is important.  However, it is my work with PD/Hearth that makes me really proud of my service.  I know that through my PD/Hearth work I left something truly lasting: knowledge, knowledge that built upon what already existed.  There were many mothers who were really proud after the Hearth, they could see the change it made in their child and they knew they (and their local ingredients!) made it happen.  I am certain that those same mothers are passing on that knowledge to other mothers and it makes me happy to know that our (The community members who made the Hearth happen, CRS staff, and myself) work continues.” 

Sector: Nutrition
Organization: UNICEF Kolkata
PD Practitioner: Rupali Haldar (Anganwadi worker)
Location: Mala Village, West Bengal
Date: February 2005

My name is Rupali Haldar. Initially when I started my work as an AWW (Anganwadi Worker), and used to weigh children, then many mothers refused to allow me to weigh their children. Many used to make faces, many used to say if you weigh my child the weight will go down but I still didn’t lose hope. Whenever I used to go to the village, the villagers used to snub me by saying, “There she goes, once again she will try to weigh our children.” Many used to comment, “She gets money so she comes here, she must have some purpose.” Again, some used to say, “Even though some people get money they don’t work, they don’t come to advise us”.

Slowly, I became much closer to them. My first session started at 1.6.02. There were 14 children then. The programme was not initiated in the centre but in a mothers’ house.  It takes 10 minutes from the centre to reach that house. The programme stopped for a month due to heavy rains.  By 28.8.02, a number of Grade IV, III, and II malnourished children moved to Grade I and Normal. Their mothers were so happy. They started feeding the meal at home as well.

Another aspect of joy was that the grandmothers used to bring the children to the centre. If the mothers did not want to come the grandmothers used to persuade them to attend. The grandmothers also reported the cases of mothers who did not prepare the meal at home.  In the PD programme, the Hindu and Muslim mothers prepared the meal together. The programme started in a Hindu family, but then it also took place in the Muslim families. Even the mothers of the normal children have supported and participated in the programme wholeheartedly. Once I asked a normal child’s mother, “Why do you want to attend regularly?” She said, “I want my child to remain healthy and not lose weight and besides my child loves to eat with all the children.”

Initially the Panchayat people did not help me. They wouldn’t even behave properly.  I supplied the fuel till the 8th session. From the 9th session, the mothers’ contributed the fuel. One of the fathers refused to give polio drops to the child but the grandmother came to me to give the child the drops secretly. I was so happy.

My CDPO and Supervisor told me to work well to get good results. Today I am very happy.  Now even the Panchayat have come forward.  Earlier they wouldn’t listen to me, now they do.  Earlier those who would make faces and wouldn’t talk to me, now consider me as their own. This is my biggest gift. My work is for mothers and children, and to reduce child deaths. If I am aware, then I can create awareness in others. I feel AWWs should have a mentality of maternal love and affection. I feel even if there is a VHC (Village Health Committee), to back up the AWW, she has to give her best effort. Whenever there is a problem the mothers must be consulted, this helps in understanding what each mother wants to say. Once while facing the fuel problem, I said I don’t get any money for fuel, how long can I keep arranging for it? The mothers were quick to answer “Didi, these are our children who have the food, so we will arrange the fuel, don’t worry.”

Sector: Nutrition
Organization: UNICEF Kolkata
PD Practitioner: Kabita Sardar (Anganwadi worker)
Location: Bharuram Krishnapur, West Bengal

Why can’t I do it? “Keno parbo na?”

In the PD programme, along with reduction, prevention, and eradication of child malnutrition, emphasis has been given on overall development. The novelty of this programme lies in the fact that it tries to find solutions to problems from its very root. The problems are solved by those who are the ones affected.

This programme does not force itself on the community. They have agreed to come ahead. It is due to them that the Village Health Committee (VHC) was formed. Only those people were considered in the VHC who could give ample time and can resolve problems whenever they come across one. However, in this project the AWW has to be a ‘yes’ believer.

We find that in the same conditions some children are healthy and some are not. So if one can keep one’s child healthy why can’t the others?  So I feel that as an AWW, even in adversities, why can’t I keep all the children under 3 yrs in my area healthy? For this the AWW has to take a very special role. She has to spare a lot of time too. It took 4 hrs then now it can take 6 hrs. But Kano Parbo Na project will be successful!

The positive practices we had found through the PDI home visits, many mothers did not practice them.  But after the continuous 12 days sessions, the mothers learnt by doing- hygiene practices, feeding practices, nutritive value and amount, good health practices, care practices, where care was not only to be given by the mothers but by the entire family. These positive practices are not only for the families’ and the ‘paras’ (neighborhood), but also for the whole village. So many picnics and melas were organized.

I also faced adversities. I faced the fuel problem. So I met the VHC and mothers and decided that those who arranged fuel would only contribute fuel and nothing else. The mothers who could not contribute anything gave their labour and time. One child’s father used to sell fish in the village market. The child’s mother used to come to the session and since she gave a lot of time, the husband used to beat her up.  When the VHC and I talked to the father, he gave his consent and allowed his wife to attend regularly since then.

In order to see whether the mothers were practicing the positive practices, a girl/ or boy was selected from each ‘para’ to supervise. The VHC decided the start and finish dates of each session and also maintained the records. The mothers collected the vegetables, and each mother took the responsibility each day. In this way I attained success in the PD programme. Today out of say 50 initially malnourished children at least 35 are normal!

Sector: Nutrition
Organization: CINI and ICDS
PD Practitioner: Supervisor ICDS
Location: Rajak Gohaliya, India

The Kano Parbo Na programme was initiated by a joint endeavor of Child In Need Institute (CINI) and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). The programme has seen some success and some failures. While sharing my experiences, I still remember my first village meeting where everybody asked, “Why should we do it?” Generally when I visit the villages, the villagers expect some economic benefits from me but when they realize that there are no benefits, they lose their motivation.

When I started PD in an underprivileged community called Rajak Gohaliya, the main problem was poverty; but when the programme started, it was the willingness of the mothers and the hard work of the AWW which removed all hurdles. After a series of meetings, the mothers started contributing eggs, vegetables, etc. After some time the mothers of the pre-school also got inspired and started their own programme.

One startling feature was that the child of the village pradhan was also severely malnourished. I was amazed because the child belonged to a rich family. The other mothers from underprivileged sections shared their experiences to the child’s mother and helped him revive.

I have realized that to make this programme a success, the involvement of the mothers is the most important ingredient. Also I feel that the joint collaboration of various departments is extremely necessary for the success of the programme.

Sector: Nutrition
Organization: ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services)
PD Practitioner: Supervisor ICDS

When I was introduced to the PD programme, I thought, yet another training! After the training, I received a whole lot of information on care, food, health, and hygiene, which would further lead to behavioral change and eradication of malnutrition. I started the programme in two villages, it was all going on very well, but problems started.

In the extreme climates, it became very difficult for the mothers to contribute and the programme stopped. The very next day all the community members rushed to the Panchayat and asked the members for support. At the same time we also went to the houses of the families of the village for support. In no time our problems were resolved, the programme started with the endeavour of the entire village. I feel that with the joint support of the Panchayat, ICDS, and Health Workers and Community, however difficult the endeavour might be, we can still say, “Kano Parbo Na.”

 Join the PDI Listserv!

Listserv members receive a monthly newsletter and important updates.