WUNRN
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©
UNICEF India/2010/Purshotam |
In Jharkhand state in rural |
By
Angela Walker
LALGANJ,
Rina
lives in Jharkhand state in eastern
Girls at risk
The
village school that Rina used to attend is located about 22 km outside of
“During
my period, there was a lot of blood,” explained Rina. “I used to face a lot of
problems to keep clean.”
Now
Rina spends her days doing household chores, washing clothes and dishes and
helping her mother cook and care for her four siblings.
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©
UNICEF India/2010/Purshotam |
Chari Kachhap, left, with her daughter Rina, 16, at their home
in |
“My
parents asked why I dropped out,” Rina recalled. “I was feeling dizzy and not
feeling well. But now I wonder what I could have done with my life if I
stayed."
“I’ve
given up studies, so I don’t know what I can do in future,” she added.
Adequate
sanitation has a huge impact on girls’ school attendance. Providing private and
separate sanitary latrines in school can increase girls’ enrolment and help
keep them in school as they enter adolescence, said UNICEF Chief of Child
Environment in India Lizette Burgers.
Widespead anaemia
In
“When
she had her first periods, Rina was having dizziness and weakness and would
take to her bed,” said Rina’s mother, Chari Kachhap. “We consulted the doctor,
who said it was a vitamin deficiency. But even after taking vitamin tablets,
there was no improvement.”
Then
Sheila Tirkey, an ‘anganwadi,’ or community health worker, visited their home
and explained the symptoms of anaemia – as well as the need for adolescent
girls to take iron tablets and eat a healthy, balanced diet to prevent the
disease.
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©
UNICEF India/2010/Purshotam |
Community health worker Sheila Tirkey visits the homes of
young girls in Jharkhand state, |
“After
taking iron tablets she started feeling better, and now she is perfectly fit,”
said Ms. Kachhap. She added that there has been a major shift in the family’s
diet, including eating more leafy vegetables and fruit and trying to have
protein every day.
“Now
we plan it out,” she said. “We have the best meal we can with the money we have
to spend on food.”
Changing behaviour
In
2005, Ms. Tirkey started an adolescent girls’ group where every Saturday girls
can get iron tablets and learn about health, menstrual hygiene and cultural
arts and crafts. But at first she faced resistance from some families.
“Many parents asked, ‘why are you leaving work and going to sit and chat?’” Ms.
Tirkey said. “I went to their homes and explained to their mothers why it is
important to control anaemia. Parents became convinced.”
The
group has now swelled to 28 members. Volunteers map the homes in the village,
visiting girls to make sure they take their iron supplements, as well as
promoting breastfeeding and immunization to new mothers and their families.
Anaemia
affects a large percentage of adolescent girls in
Legal protection
Supervised Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation is essential to preventing anaemia, added Dr. Prakash Gurnani, Chief of UNICEF’s field office in Jharkhand. UNICEF is working to administer weekly tablets to both school-going and out-of-school adolescent girls in five districts of the state. As of March 2010, about 90 per cent of girls were consuming IFA tablets in these five districts.
“We’re
reaching out to 2.8 million girls,” said Dr. Gurnani. “In just a few years,
this programme has changed the face of anaemia in the state.”
But
despite improvements in their health, many young women remain out of school for
other reasons, including traditions and social pressure. In Jharkhand, as in
many parts of rural
However,
experts hope that a 2009 law known as the ‘Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act’ will help to guarantee all Indian children quality
elementary education.
For
her part, Rina hopes to one day take advantage of the new law to achieve her
dream job in paramilitary service.
“Education
is very important,” she said. “If I had a chance, I would go back to school. I
would be happy to go back and sit with the little ones, just so that I can
learn.”