'All Anganwadi Centres are Closed'

Q: Have you been able to commence routine work yet? If not, what activities have not yet started?

Child Development Project Officer (CDPO): If I talk about myself, then I am doing most of my work in the office just like before. However, all our Anganwadi centres are closed.

Children are not being weighed, they are not being given Hot Cooked Meals (HCM); all of this can lead to a lot of problems in the future. It will be difficult to track how many children are malnourished. Take Home Ration (THR), although, is still being given to the beneficiaries.

Q: How do you think the disruption of nutrition services will impact nutrition in the coming months?

CDPO: If this situation persists or becomes worse, then it will impact nutrition in a huge way. The children who were enrolled in the Anganwadi centres and were getting HCM regularly will be the most affected.

Q: What do you need to do your job better? Have you received any incentives?

CDPO: It will be easier for us if we can be given proper training whenever we are expected to do a new task. We have not been given any training on COVID-19 or other subjects in the last months.

Q: Is there anything that you are proud of in your work?

CDPO: The whole team has worked tirelessly in pandemic times to spread awareness. They have ensured that the THR is delivered to people. I am proud of all this!

This interview was conducted with a CDPO in Solan, Himachal Pradesh in Hindi on 25 July 2020, and has been translated.

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Curious to know more? View this photo essay on Himachal Pradesh's welfare measures during the pandemic.