NOURISH TO FLOURISH:

REDUCING MALNUTRITION

PROJECT

YUMIKO

*Logo credit: AYUSHI KUSHWAHA

YUMIKO,the Japanese term which literally means a beautiful child, talks about

Malnutrition in the country which shelters one of the largest child population in the

world. Before talking in detail about Malnutrition, a doubt might arise in your

mind about the name of the project. A child is a beautiful being, which is blessed with incomparable beauty, both literally and

figuratively, and that this beauty is easily perishable if proper care is not provided. Malnutrition, the subject of our project, if left unchecked devours a child’s beauty. This is the essence of the name Yumiko.

”People are malnourished if their diet does not provide

adequate calories and protein for growth and maintenance or they are unable to fully

utilize the food they eat due to illness (undernutrition).

They are also malnourished if they consume too many calories (overnutrition).”

-UNICEF

MALNUTRITION

47% of India’s

children under

three are

Malnourished

At least half of

Indian infant

deaths are

related to

Malnutrition

Every year, 17

million children are

born undernourished

due to a mother’s

lack of nutrition

before and during

pregnancy.

CAUSES

Poverty

Improper diet

Maternal Malnutrition

Diarrhoea, Aids, TB, Measles

Unsanitary Living, Poor Quality Water

Droughts, Floods, Wars, Forced Migrations

Drugs & Alcohol

EFFECTS

Frequent Diarrhoea

Reduced Heart size,

Reduced amount of Blood pumped,

Heart Failure

Slow breathing, Reduced lung capacity,

Respiratory failure

Mental Retardation

Reduced Muscle mass & Strength

Anaemia, Hypothermia

Impaired ability to fight infections &

Repair wounds

NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN: SAARC & BRIC COUNTRIES 2000-7

SOURCE: The State of the World’s Children Report, UNICEF 2009.

05

101520253035404550

LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

UNDER 5 UNDERWEIGHT

CHILDREN

WASTING

STUNTING

STATEMENT OF FINANCE

All the issues related to Child Malnutrition would exclusively be covered by PROJECT YUMIKO. It has been proposed that the existing

policies and schemes for Prevention of Child Malnutrition viz. Mid-Day Meal, ICDS, Anganwadi and even schemes for children under PDS

and Food Security Bill will be merged into our Project. Their functions will be modified accordingly so that various lacunas of the existing

schemes could be filled. The funds of these schemes will directly transfer to our project. For example, the Mid-Day Meal Scheme Fund is

around Rs.2583.21 Cr.( in 2013-14) and the ICDS fund is around Rs.110500 (in thousands). Hence, through the merger system, the already

existing but scattered funds will be brought together under a common head ‘YUMIKO’ and therefore our Project will not create any extra

financial burden on the Exchequer of Government of India and Current Account Deficit.

For the remaining funds we will use the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility. As per the rules companies are bound to spend 2% of

PAT (profit after tax). But there is massive underutilisation of CSR funds. For instance, the 2% of PAT of top 10 companies of India was

14,670 mn. out of which less than half (only 6,890 mn.) was used. Therefore, our project is ensuring optimum utilisation of available financial

resources.

THE ENTIRE STATE SHALL BE DIVIDED ACCORDING TO THE POPULATION AND

NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OF THE PARTICULAR AREA WHICH SHALL BE KNOWN AS BLOCK.

EACH BLOCK WILL HAVE THE ABOVE THREE SUB-COMMITTEES.

CENTRE COMMISSION FOR ERADICATION OF MALNUTRITION

This particular commission shall be established under Article 47 of the constitution which gives the State the duty to raise the Nutritional Level, Standard of Living and Public Health in the country. This commission will include 7 members -The Union Health

Minister, eminent persons from social, economic backgrounds, and medical experts. The commission will be the nodal agency for coordination among various states and the

supervision and planning of the whole project.

STATE COMMISSION

Each state and Union territory of the country will ensure that there is establishment of such commission which will make sure that the project is

effectively carried out throughout the nation. This commission shall be responsible for establishing blocks and laying out proper statistics. This

commission shall have 11 members - The State Health minister, Nutritionists, Eminent personalities from social background, Economic analysts.

TRAPTI: FFED THE POOR COMMITTEE

Supervise all block level feed the poor committees

AHWAAN: AWARENESSS AND MATERNITY CARE COMMITTEE

Supervise all block level Ahwaans

DHANWANTARI: SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICERS COMMITTEE

Supervise all block level Dhanwantaris

RESEARCH WING: Research and analyse the number of malnourished children in the block and their locations, their

specific nutrition requirements and on the basis of which it will give suggestions to the other sections of Feed of The Poor

Committee.

EXTRA FOOD ANALYSIS, COLLECTION AND DISTRIBUTION WING: Unconsumed food articles which are not

properly stored in granaries and warehouses would be sent to the community kitchens. The grains will be bought and

transported through local transportation channels and local grain trading companies through contract with the Government of

India.

MINI FARMS: The blocks shall have mini farms which will grow grains and necessary materials for the dietary needs of the

population which are not covered by the extra food. Farmers shall be employed from villages which might come under the

block and these farmers shall be paid from the state. The output of these mini farms will be sent to the community kitchens.

Farms will ensure specifications as per the nutrition needs of the block.

COMMUNITY KITCHEN: The food would be cooked here on nutritional basis and distributed to children. Parents of the

kids will cook food in order to ensure proper quality of the food and medical interns will ensure nutritional level of the food.

For cooking and hygienic working, SHGs (Self Help Groups) and NGOs will be brought in the scene to ensure community

participation. Special focus will be given to the dietary needs of Girl Child.

TRAPTI: FEED THE POOR COMMITTEE

RESEARCH

WING

EXTRA FOOD ANALYSIS,

COLLECTION & DISTRIBUTION

WING

MINI

FARMS

COMMUNITY KITCHEN KIDS

The committee will perform two tasks:

SPREAD AWARENESS: We will take help of ANGANWADIS. Anganwadis will be entrusted with only awareness work.

They will be made free from all other works which they are performing currently. Here they will spread awareness through

door to door campaign.

MATERNITY CARE: The problem of malnutrition arises from the stage of pregnancy. Not taking proper diet during

pregnancy and lack of proper breastfeeding etc. can lead to Malnutrition. For this function we will bring ASHA under the

ambit of this committee. The whole Asha system will perform various works like registering pregnant women of that area,

timely check-up and tests, proper diet of pregnant women and providing nutrition to the child after birth till the age of 3 and

ensuring that he/she gets breast milk.

Under this project it will be made compulsory for all government/non-government schools to appoint medical officers who will give

nutrition certificate to the new admissions. He will be responsible for the nutritional intake of all students. He will give nutrition

report to the parents of the kids from time to time and will guide them for improvement in their nutritional level. If he notices

something seriously wrong related to the nutrition of kids he will report it to the state student medical officer’s committee. The basic

idea behind this committee is that not just the poor children are malnourished, but also the rich kids, due to negligence are

malnourished.

AHWAAN: AWARENESSS AND MATERNITY CARE COMMITTEE

DHANWANTARI: SCHOOL MEDICAL OFFICERS COMMITTEE

EXISTING MODEL

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY: Politics and money influence in funding, Procurement and pilferage of supplies to the open market instead to ration

shops, Politically influenced Identification and issuing of ration cards, Diversion of supplies to the open market that ails the poor.

LACK OF MASS COVERAGE: The biggest problem with the current distribution system is there coverage is very limited. For example only 46./.

children and around 35./. pregnant and lactating women are covered under SNP of ICDS leaving more than half of the children and womenfolk out of its ambit. Similarly Anganwadi Survey has left 20./. kids unsurveyed which means 29./.

kids not getting any Anganwadi benefits.

LACK OF QUALITY: The quality of the food provided under midday meal and Public Distribution System is of inferior quality due to black

marketing and gross negligence.In midday meal the teachers are responsible for quality of food.But due to over burden if work they are

not able to ensure the quality.

PROPOSED MODEL

TRANSPARENCY: In our model we will include IT companies for data collection and data entrance. Employees of the IT

companies will be appointed in each block for this purpose and they will be held liable personally for all the data related to their

block.Computerisation and personal liablity will ensure transparancy Data of beneficiaries will also be computerized.

MASS COVERAGE: In our model Research work will be done. Each and every block will be thoroughly surveyed and according to the survey

statistics collected, suitable food will be distributed to the kids. Hence, each and every kid will be properly examined and fed. Also, when any

poor family migrates from one block to another (which will be conducted time to time) it will be included in new block.

QUALITY: In our project as parents of the Malnourished kids will cook food in the kitchen and will be paid for it, so it will naturally

ensure quality of food that will be cooked.

EXISTING MODEL

UNEMPLOYMENT: The most serious concern for our economy is unemployment. Huge portion of our

Demographic Dividend is not able to get a chance of using their skills.

FOOD WASTAGE: Our country is not poor in resources but is poor in management of resources. The same goes with food resources. The irony of our country is that on one hand we have the highest number of malnourished kids in our country and on the other hand around 40% food is wasted per yearin our country.(According to

UNDP).

PROPOSED MODEL

CREATING EMPLOYMENT: This is the biggest merit of our project. Farmers (committing suicide) are given ample opportunity in mini

farms.The poor parents of malnourished kids are also given jobs in the community kitchen which will lead to reduction in poverty. More

employment opportunities will be created in IT Companies and local grains-transportation companies, Economists, Nutritionist, New medical

students, SHG etc will get employment.

MINIMISING FOOD WASTAGE: If we ideally utilize left over food then there is least possibility of malnutrition in our country. In our proposed model

the food which get ruined due to lack of warehousing facilities is sent to community kitchen for distributing it to kids so again proper use of food. We

will even use the concept of Food Bank which will be in the community kitchen itself . In the food bank the extra food of the households of the area, of the marriage and other ceremonies will be used after proper quality analysis.

The other benefits of our plan are: Decentralisation, Reduction in Poverty, Economic Empowerment, Assurance of Transparency between the State and the Central

government, Specifications, and WEAKENING THE FORCES OF MALNUTRITION.

REFERENCES:

BOOKS:

1. Mehrotra, Santosh and others , Indian Human Development Report 2011 Towards Social Inclusion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, 1st

edition, 2011

2. Mahadwan, K (ed.), Policies and Strategies for Child Survival Experiences from Asia, Neeraj Publishing House, Delhi, 2nd

edition, 2008

3. Dologan, Corey, Chris Baker, Social Problems and Service Learning Approach, Pine Forge Press, USA, 2011

4. Pandey, Dr. JN, Constitutional Law of India, Central Law Agency, Allahabad, 25th

edition, 1993

WEB RESOURCES:

1. www.unicef.org/india

2. www.who.int/

3. www.fciweb.nic.in/

4. www.children.india.org.in

5. www.tehelka.com

6. www.hindu.com

7. www.sccommissioners.org

8. www.guardian.com

9. www.safrg.org

10. www.indiainfoline.com

REPORTS:

1. DP Wadhwa Committee Report 2006: Transparency in PDS.

2. Right to Food Campaign, Commissioners to the Supreme Court, Ninth Report, 2009.

3. Youth Employment and Unemployment in India: S. Mahendra Dev and M. Venkata Narayana, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development

Research, Mumbai, 2011

HENCE PROJECT YUMIKO WILL SERVE AS A ‘BRAHMASTRA’

TO KILL THIS GHOST OF MALNUTRITION!!!

THANK YOU