Field Note @Jharkhand 15 May 2025
The second day of my visit to the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand took me to West Singhbhum district, a land of lush Sal forests, winding red-soil roads, and quiet tribal villages nestled among rolling hills. The district's naturally endowed beauty and rich Indigenous culture, however, make it difficult to reach all children with essential health and nutrition services.
The Government of Jharkhand, with UNICEF and partners, is making significant efforts to reach the last mile of children with essential services. Here, in Toklo B Anganwadi Centre, I met Suni and her one-year-old daughter, Suru, who was detected severely malnourished until she was eight months old.
Today, little Suru’s health is improving, and she is beginning to thrive, thanks to the dedicated, focused services of frontline health workers and the SAAMAR (Strategic Action for Alleviation of Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction) programme.
Cynthia McCaffrey, Representative, UNICEF India, interacting with children in Toklo B Anganwadi Centre in West Singbhum in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, highlighting the importance of play For Every Child
The SAAMAR programme, started by the Government of Jharkhand in 2021 with support from UNICEF, builds on the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s national model of CMAM (Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition).
Anganwadi Worker Palo, Accredited Social Health Activist Sukhsari, and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife Indu swiftly came together and treated Suru—examples of real-life heroes. They undertook regular follow-ups, gave essential medicines, and, with the recently introduced Shishu Shakti augmented take-home ration, trained Suni, the mother, to take good care of Suru at home.
Suru’s recovery goes far beyond service delivery. It is systems in action, compassion in action, and impact in real lives resulting from the convergence of care, commitment, and community.
It is heartening to witness firsthand how the partnerships between the Government of Jharkhand and UNICEF are making strides to leave no child behind.
#FrontlineHeroes #ChildNutrition #HealthForAll #UNICEF #SAAMAR #CommunityCare
