PROJEKTE

The Bolpur Project

gesundekids (healthy kids) Project in India

Promoting health of mother and child in 21 Santal Villages (Bolpur, West Bengal)

Since 2015 the Rotary Glob­al Grant “Healthy Kids/Bolpur” has been sup­port­ing the health of moth­er and child with a focus on nutri­tion edu­ca­tion and grow­ing kitchen gar­dens. A fol­low-up project starts this August 2019.

Facts and figures:

• Bolpur, West Ben­gal, 21 San­tal-vil­lages: 320 chil­dren < 3 years

• Ane­mia in 94% of kids (diet is 80% carbohydrates)

• Chron­ic mal­nu­tri­tion (stunt­ing) in 47% of kids

Achievements since 2015:

• 55% of fam­i­lies have a kitchen gar­den (570 families)

• 80% of these fam­i­lies have chil­dren < 3 years

• Nutri­tion edu­ca­tion and cook­ing train­ing at home

• Feed­ing of Nutri-Mix (Wheat-Lentil-Oil-Sug­ar-Milk-Por­ridge)

• Enhanced field cul­ti­va­tion with lentils and mus­tard (mus­tard oil) in 332 families

• Decrease in ane­mia in children

• Trans­fer of project knowl­edge to state nutri­tion centers

• Eval­u­a­tion of results in coop­er­a­tion with Uni­ver­si­ty Stuttgart/Hohenheim (Prof. H. Biesalski)

Topics for follow-up project:

• Main­tain and increase kitchen gar­dens (min. 55% of families)

• Train fam­i­lies to care for their kitchen gar­den and to increase out­put (com­post­ing and water irrigation)

• Train fam­i­lies healthy usage of veg­eta­bles and fruits from their kitchen gardens

• Train moth­ers to pre­pare NutriM­ix themselves

• Con­tin­ued treat­ment of ane­mia amongst kids < 3 years

• Grow fruits (banana, papaya) as well in kitchen gardens

• Enhance field cul­ti­va­tion: Moringa/amaranth, lentils, wheat and mus­tard (for the prepa­ra­tion of Nutri-Mix)

• Guide par­ents on fam­i­ly planning