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Author: Smile Editorial Team

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In The Spotlight

Ravi Dahiya Teams Up with Shiksha Na Ruke

Ravi Dahiya Teams Up with Shiksha Na Ruke

An Olympic medal is a dream-come-true for any sportsperson and also for their fellow countrymen. Thus, when India’s Ravi Dahiya won the silver for wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics, everyone was extremely proud of him. It is a source of great joy and pleasure for Smile Foundation that Olympian Ravi Dahiya is supporting our Shiksha Na Ruke campaign.

 

The 23-year-old wrestler is a source of inspiration for millions. The humble sportsperson, who is everyone’s favourite at the moment, will be visiting one of Smile Foundation’s Mission Education centres in a slum cluster in Delhi on 6 October. During this meet-and-greet session, he will interact with some beneficiaries of the Shiksha Na Ruke campaign. Meeting an Olympic medallist who is a household name is an unachievable desire for most people. However, Ravi Dahiya has set aside time for this cause—that each child has the right to continued education, even in the midst of the pandemic.

 

Children between the ages of 9 and 16 will get a chance to interact with Dahiya during this session. For these children from such an underprivileged background, meeting such an inspirational person can motivate them to a great extent. This can be the push they need to keep working hard and not give up, just like Ravi Dahiya.

 

He shares, “I also would like to encourage children to start playing a sport, which can help them make a name and strong future for themselves. I would urge people to come forward and help in every possible way so that each child can attend the classes and sturdy without much difficulty.”

 

Ravi Dahiya teams up with Shiksha Na Ruke to support children’s education

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has left over 24 million children globally at risk of dropping out of school. According to the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2020, the number of out-of-school children increased tremendously in 2020 as compared to 2018, especially in rural areas.  Almost 5.3 per cent of rural children aged 6-10 years have not enrolled in school this year. In 2018, this number was 1.8 per cent. This is on account of various factors, which include financial constraints of parents and the digital divide between the urban and the rural.

 

Underprivileged children are still deprived of learning as they have no access to computers or smart phones. The pandemic has made their difficult journeys harder. For lakhs of such children, education has come to a halt. They can’t afford smartphones or Internet data packs.

 

Shiksha Na Ruke attempts to help these children continue their dream of getting an education.

 

Speaking on being associated with the campaign, Dahiya, said, “I am happy to team up with Smile Foundation for such a cause. I hope this campaign will help in increasing awareness about the problems faced by underprivileged children who lack facilities for online education. I also hope to motivate these children to face up to the challenges caused by the pandemic.

 

Students during a cluster learning session as part of the campaign. Ravi Dahiya has teamed up with Shiksha Na Ruke to support education for all. Photo by ARIJIT SEN

 

Key interventions under Shiksha Na Ruke

 

Tools for Education: Provision of smartphones and tablets for the deprived children

Alternate Learning Mediums: Curating educational content for radio, television, door to door visits

Teachers Training: Training teachers for the dynamic digital learning environment

Counseling for Parents: Regular counseling of parents to ensure the child’s participation

Ensuring mental well-being: Regular helpline services and one-on-one mentoring sessions for children to keep them engaged.

 

Ravi Dahiya supports Shiksha Na Ruke campaign. You can also donate now.

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In The Spotlight

World Teachers’ Day: A Day to Honour Our Gurus

World Teachers’ Day: A Day to Honour Our Gurus

October 5 is observed as World Teachers’ Day every year to celebrate and recognize the importance of teachers throughout the globe. In the past one and a half years, we have all understood the value of teachers even more. They have been at the forefront to ensure continued education for millions of children across the globe. Thus, they definitely deserve a special day dedicated to them.

 

Origin of World Teachers’ Day

 

World Teacher’s Day was first observed in 1994 by UNESCO to focus on teachers and their concerns. This day is celebrated to honour UNESCO’s 1996 adoption of the Recommendations Concerning Teachers’ status to ensure the Fundamental Right of Education for all. 

 

These recommendations were adopted in 1996. They dealt with the rights and responsibilities of teachers, their achievements, preparations, and education. These recommendations also covered the aspects of recruitment, employment, teaching, and learning conditions. These along with the Recommendation Concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel in 1997 stressed on higher education. Governments from all over the world have recognized these guidelines and taken steps to value teachers in ensuring quality equation for all.

 

Theme for this year

 

Keeping in view the impact of lockdown on teachers and educators, the theme of World Teachers’ Day 2021 is “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”.  This time, the focus is on the impact of the pandemic on the profession. It also seeks effective policy response and actions required to empower educators and help them realize their full potential.

 

Why teachers deserve a special day

Teachers play a pertinent role in education. And the exert a significant influence on their students, especially in the formative years. Education is not limited to just course work. Thus, teachers have a bigger responsibility of shaping students as individuals, and in ensuring that they grow holistically. A good teacher can motivate students to stay positive, learn good values, and contribute to a wholesome future for themselves, their families, and their country.

India has produced many great teachers. For example, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated as ‘Teachers’ Day’ in India. Savitribai Phule is remembered for starting schools for girls of the Dalit community.  Great educators like Swami Vivekanand and A.P.J Abdul Kalam are also widely celebrated throughout the country.

 

Teaching-learning during COVID

 

The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the teaching-learning landscape. As the mode of education shifted online, laptops and smartphones became the new classrooms. Teachers who work with Smile Foundation have gone the extra mile more often than we can count. A case in point is mentioned here.

 

Geetha, a Mathematics teacher at a Mission Education Centre run by Smile Foundation at Hyderabad says that Mathematics is a difficult subject to teach. During the pandemic, it was tougher as the teaching shifted online. “Due to collected efforts by other teachers and constant support by Smile Foundation, we used various online modes to teach children and eventually shifted to offline classes”.

 

On the one hand, there were many teachers who weren’t familiar with the online mode of teaching. Initially they had a difficult time in coping with new “classroom” spaces. Adjusting to the online mode was as difficult for teachers as it was for the students. Teachers had to become innovators during this period to ensure that their students did not suffer any learning losses during this difficult time. At the same time, thousands of educators across the world were also laid off due to huge economic losses following the pandemic.

 

Teacher’s role in the post-COVID world

 

Due to the pandemic, a lot of teaching-learning has become digital. As a result, there seems to be a potential threat to the role of teachers in school/college education. Another aspect of the teaching profession is the increase in digital divide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to re-imagine the role of teachers in the post-COVID world and take adequate steps to ensure that our educators are protected and empowered.

 

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In The Spotlight

Second Batch of CtGA Youth Chapter Leaders Graduate with Flying Colours

Second Batch of CtGA Youth Chapter Leaders Graduate with Flying Colours

Training the youth to make them better leaders tomorrow is an important aspect of social development and change. Thus, Change the Game Academy and KidsRights have joined forces to create ‘Change the Game Youth’.  Smile Foundation is the official partner for CtGA in India.

 

The partnership aims to support grassroots projects and young changemakers through projects, research, and advocacy. The second batch of CtGA Youth Chapter Leaders graduated on 1 October in a virtual ceremony. These young people are independently developing and implementing projects and networking actions on the ground with the help of CtGA Youth.

 

About CtGA Youth

 

This initiative seeks to create digital tools to support youth ambassadors ‘on the ground’. The youth ambassadors are selected by KidsRights. All these youth are eager to bring change in their respective communities. They are being trained by the CtGA coaches for the same.

 

CtGA started coaching the first batch of chapter leaders in 2020 as a pilot project. The successful project coached five chapter leaders in India, along with similar implementation in Kenya and Brazil as well.

 

The 2nd batch of CtGA Youth Program is being facilitated by Wilde Ganzen Foundation of the Netherlands. They have collaborated with CtGA National Partners and KidsRights Foundation, the Netherlands. India had two chapter leaders in the second batch of this program–Iqra Khan from Panchkula, Haryana, and Aaina Lohia from Ludhiana, Punjab. Coaching has been done on modules of LFR, MS and Social & Leadership Skills for all chapter leaders. Youth leaders from countries such as Indonesia and Pakistan were also part of the training modules.

 

CtGA Youth Chapter Leaders from India

 

Iqra is a student of Claa 12 at Satluj Public School in Panchkula. She has experience of working as an intern at Rising Youth Model United Nations (RYMUN). She is skilled at creative writing, problem solving, team work, and collaboration.

 

Aaina is studying to become a computer engineer in Ludhiana. She is also a volunteer at Missing Link Trust. She is also a part of the marketing team of FM 90.8 MHZ Community Radio. Aaina brings a lot to the plate with her wide range of skills. She is well-versed with a wide range of design and communication tools. She works great independently as well as in a team.

 

Iqra and Aaina have both been actively involved in learning and implementation of the skills they have learned from the CtGA Youth modules. Since their training began, they have organized different activities around Sustainable Development Goals. Iqra has worked on a tree plantation activity. Aaina has been working on LGBTQI+ issues, inequality in education opportunities, and raising awareness about mental health.

 

 

Second Batch Graduates

 

During the graduation ceremony, the youth chapter leaders and the mentors all shared insights about their work.

 

Nienke Nuijens from Wilde Ganzen Foundation was happy to share her thoughts. ‘CtGA was developed for leaders like you, to give you the tools you need.’

 

‘This was my first time as a leader, so I was very nervous. Although the activities we were conducting were successful, I was still feeling under-confident,’ Aaina shared. She further told her peers and mentors how she used the learnings from the CtGA modules, such as elevator pitch, to implement on-ground activities.

 

Iqra also shared her experiences of the CtGA training. ‘Before joining CtGA, I didn’t even know that I needed this! Working with the CtGA team, sharing thoughts and ideas, coming up with solutions—it has all been amazing. I especially found the module on mobilizing support very helpful.’

 

Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder and Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation also attended the graduation ceremony. “This is a reality that we are in the middle of a convergence of the physical world and the virtual world. At the same time, there exists a great disparity and inequality in the society. I believe that we must find a balance between both the extremes. At such a young age, you already know that this is what you want to do. You also have a vision of bringing real change, and you are committed to it. I think this is wonderful.”

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In The Spotlight

International Day for Older Persons: Aiming for Digital Equity for All

International Day for Older Persons: Aiming for Digital Equity for All

October 1 is marked as International Day for Older Persons. This is an important day because elderly people are a vulnerable group. This day has been earmarked to celebrate the older generation. It is also for reminding everyone that it is important to take them into consideration while moving forward on the path to development. As per a report by the UN published in 2019, there are 703 million persons aged 65 or over. The regions of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of older persons (261 million). This is followed by Europe and Northern America (over 200 million). These large numbers make it more important than ever to bring into focus the issues faced by elderly people of our community.

 

 

History of International Day for Older Persons

 

The United Nations General Assembly declared 14 December 1990 as the International Day of Older Persons. Before this, the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing was in place. This had been adopted in 1982 by the World Assembly on Ageing.

 

Following the declaration in 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. Later, in 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. All of these measures were taken to respond to the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages.

 

Theme for International Day of Older People 2021: Digital Equity for All Ages

 

Like every year, this year also there is a theme for the International Day of Older Persons—Digital Equity for All Ages. This theme seeks to affirm older people’s need for access and meaningful participation in the digital world.

 

The idea is to bring awareness about the inclusion of older persons in the mainstream. At the same time, we also need to address stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination. Elderly people face all of this on the path to digitalization.

 

Need for protecting the elderly

 

Growing use of digital technology has transformed all aspects of our lives. It has impacted the way we live, work, and relate to one another. Despite the staggering impact of digital innovation in our lives, the International Telecommunications Union has done a survey revealing some notable figures. Almost half of the global population was using the Internet in 2019. However, the percentage of youth among this is 69 per cent. This shows that elderly people are not using the Internet as much. Moreover, their reports also indicate that women and older persons experience greater digital inequity. This can be due to various reasons. For instance, they may lack access to technologies or are not able to fully benefit from the opportunities provided by technological progress.

 

People from the older generation are at new kinds of risks in the digital era. They are prime targets for cybercrimes which can threaten their privacy and security. The policy and governance spaces have not been able to keep up with the rapid digitization of technology. Thus, digital equity is an important aspect in the life of an older person.

 

Objectives set by the UN for inclusion of elderly people

 

Bring awareness of the importance of digital inclusion of older persons, while tackling stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination associated with digitalization, taking into account sociocultural norms and the right to autonomy.

Highlight policies to leverage digital technologies for full achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Address public and private interests, in the areas of availability, connectivity, design, affordability, capacity building, infrastructure, and innovation.

Explore the role of policies and legal frameworks to ensure privacy and safety of older persons in the digital world.

Highlight the need for a legally binding instrument on the rights of older persons and an intersectional person-centered human rights approach for a society for all ages.

 

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In The Spotlight

PepsiCo and Smile Foundation Join Hands for ‘Waste No More’ campaign

PepsiCo and Smile Foundation Join Hands for ‘Waste No More’ campaign

Smile Foundation and PepsiCo India are working towards contributing to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan through their ‘Waste No More’ initiative. The aim of the campaign is to make the student community across the country be more sensitized towards the environment. It will also encourage them to participate in the drive to ensure communities understand the concept of ‘Jo swachh hai, wo swasth hai’ through the various competitions we have organised.

 

Why ‘Waste No More’

 

Finding new ways to adapt to the pandemic has become a way of life for all of us. Among the affected groups, students are among the most vulnerable. With constant disruptions in their education, holistic development of students is getting hampered. With the primary focus being on theoretical education, online as well as offline, students do not have much opportunity to get their creative thoughts flowing.

 

However, it is now more important than ever that children engage in creative and awareness activities. After all, they are the leaders of the future! Thus, we have started our initiative to create awareness around  plastic waste management.

 

Our reach and the participants

 

Counting on our large network of private, aided, and government schools, our outreach includes 2 lakh children from 200 schools across 50 cities. More than 3000 entries are expected for the various competitions. Our initiative will mark the importance of Rashtriya Swachhata Diwas.

 

There will be multiple activities that children can participate in. All children will apply by entering one of the following three categories. Private schools, government schools, as well as Mission Education centres will participate in the initiative. The states covered include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

 

‘Waste No More’ Activities

 

Competitions that are part of the ‘Waste No More’ campaign
Competitions that are part of the ‘Waste No More’ campaign

 

The campaign will see students, teachers, and partner NGOs participating in a number of awareness-building activities around the importance of waste management. The competitions range across a number of formats.

Best Out of Waste

Students will use old waste materials to create something new and make a timelapse video of the same.

My Canvas

Students can paint on one of the following themes:

  1. Protect our ocean
  2. Reusing plastic products
  3. Swachhta aur Swasthya–ek mazbut kadi

Essay Writing

Participants can choose one of the following topics to write a 500-1000 word essay:

  1. How can I be a Swachh Bharat Sevak and ensure plastic waste management in India;
  2. Ways of recycling and reusing plastic products
  3. Swachhta aur Swasthya–ek mazbut kadi

Meri Kahaani

Children can make short videos on importance of plastic waste management.

Kahaani Plastic Ki

This is a competition is specially for NGO-run schools. They can make a video about a ‘swachhta’ or plastic waste management activity they have carried out in the past one year.

Apart from this, there will also be a plantation drive by NGOs where they will recycle and reuse plastic waste.

Entries can be submitted till 30 September 2021. All the entries have to be submitted digitally.

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In The Spotlight

This World Heart Day Pledge to Take Care of Your Heart

This World Heart Day Pledge to Take Care of Your Heart

September 29 is marked as World Heart Day every year. Cardiovascular diseases are among the biggest health risks that the young as well as elderly face these days. Nearly half of the world’s non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular in nature. Thus, there is a need for awareness around this health issue. Through World Heart Day, the World Heart Federation is attempting to make people aware and sensitive towards this health risk. And thus, a day has been earmarked for the same.  

 

How World Heart Day came about

 

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), cardiovascular diseases take 17.9 million lives every year. This constitutes 31% of all the global deaths due to non-communicable diseases. To curb this threat, world leaders met in May 2012 and committed to reduce deaths caused by non-communicable diseases by 25% by the year 2025.

 

As a step towards this goal, 29 September was designated as World Heart Day. This is a global campaign for the world to actively start taking charge of their cardiovascular health. Individuals, families, communities, and governments all participate in this day. Heart-healthy living is an important aspect of good cardiovascular health. Thus, this day is a reminder for everyone to take good care of their hearts and avoid preventable heart-related ailments.

 

A patient getting a check-up at a Smile on Wheels van
A patient getting a check-up at a Smile on Wheels van

 

What are the main causes behind heart diseases?

 

Till a few years back, heart diseases were believed to have affected elderly people more. However, with changing lifestyles and the advent of new kinds of diseases, such as COVID-19, the young and seemingly healthy people are also at risk.

 

Sitting for hours in front of the computer, eating unhealthy and junk food, pulling all nighters, and eating adulterated food are some of the reasons behind an unhealthy heart. Add to this the lack of physical activity, use of tobacco products (like cigarettes and bidis), and consumption of alcohol. All these factors together contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease.

 

Why is heart health more important than ever?

 

The coronavirus, directly as well as indirectly, has contributed to the increasing heart-related problems. Being stuck at home once can develop issues like high blood pressure, high blood sugar, gaining excess weight, all due to the lifestyle we are now leading. Ordering in junk food and not getting much exercise has become a way of life almost. All of this is contributing towards increased risk of heart attacks.

 

Additionally, increased risk of blood clotting and heart attack is also possible if one contracts COVID-19, or it could be a post-recovery complication. Thus, the coronavirus has had a direct impact on heart health as well.

 

Against this backdrop, the World Health Federation, through the World Health Day, aims to educate people about the risk of heart disease. This can be done by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. If everyone adopts these heart-healthy ways of living, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke can be avoided.

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In The Spotlight

Celebrate Daan Utsav 2022 with Smile Foundation

Celebrate Daan Utsav 2022 with Smile Foundation

Daan Utsav is held every year from October 2 to 8. It is a special week of giving in India where people from all walks of life come together to celebrate the joy of giving. This year, Smile Foundation is celebrating Daan Utsav 2022 through the ‘Give A Smile’ festival.

 

Impact of ‘Give a Smile’ during Daan Utsav

 

A cluster learning session at Smile Foundation’s centre. Photo by ARIJIT SEN

 

All funds raised by Smile Foundation from the festival this year will go towards the Shiksha Na Ruke campaign. The goal is to raise awareness and support the education of over 50,000 children who are currently enrolled at our centres. The campaign also aims to reach out to another 50,000 children living in difficult circumstances across the country and bring them under the fold of education through the blended learning approach.

 

How does it work

 

Students during a cluster learning session amid COVID pandemic. Photo by ARIJIT SEN

 

In today’s time, employer branding is a vital aspect of conducting an efficient business. Employees too want to be part of something bigger and a socially aware and sensitive organization provides that.

 

The ‘Give a Smile’ Festival is an opportunity to show your social commitment. And institutions can do this while engaging their employees in constructive and enjoyable ways. Instead of being passive onlookers, this is a chance for employees to become active participants. As organizations spearhead the campaign, their employees become agents of change in the lives of underprivileged children.

 

Each entry can make a difference

Organizations and employees can contribute to bringing about a positive change in the life of an underprivileged child. The ‘Give a Smile’ Festival takes place over a month and culminates in a finale celebration on 7­‑8 October 2021. We have organized over 25 different engagement activities and competitions for employees and their families.

For each activity, an employee can make a voluntary contribution in the form of the participation fee. All donations to Smile Foundation are 50% tax exempted under Section 80G of the IT Act.

There are also special award categories for corporate.

Smile-a-thon Championship – The corporate with the maximum number of awards

‘Give a Smile’ Festival Championship – The corporate with the highest number of participants.

Companies such as Birlasoft, R1RCM, Mastek Foundation, SBI Card, and Cosmos Maya Animations have already partnered with Smile Foundation for this initiative.

 

Thought behind Daan Utsav

 

Like any other festival in India, Daan Utsav is also celebrated with much fanfare. But this is one of the few festivals which do not have any religious or mythological context. Rather, it is all about sharing what you have with those who are less privileged.

 

The inception of Daan Utsav can be traced back to 2009. Since then, it begins every year on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October, and culminates a week later. The participants of this grand festival are not restricted in any way. Entrepreneurs and CEOs, companies and employees, parents and children, schools and colleges, all participate in the festival of giving.

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In The Spotlight

National Education Policy 2020: A way to turn around Indian education?

National Education Policy 2020: A way to turn around Indian education?

The Union Cabinet of India approved the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) on 29 July 2020. It defines the goal for India’s new education system. The new policy has replaced the 1986 National Policy on Education. In both rural and urban India, the program provides a comprehensive framework for education. This includes basic through higher education as well as vocational training. The initiative seeks to completely restructure India’s educational system by 2040.

 

When the policy was announced, there was some confusion as to the medium of instruction. The administration confirmed shortly that no one will be forced to study any particular language. Moreover, it will not be necessary to change the medium of teaching from English to any regional language. Rather than strict rules, the NEP suggests guidelines that are advisory in nature. States, organizations, and schools can decide how to implement it.

 

Origins of the policy

 

A group led by former Cabinet Secretary T. S. R. Subramanian began the consultation process for the New Education Policy in January 2015. Former ISRO chief, Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, released a draft NEP in 2019 based on the committee report from June 2017. The Ministry of Human Resource Development later announced the Draft New Education Policy (DNEP) 2019, which was followed by a series of public discussions. The NEP Draft was 484 pages in length. “Over two lakh proposals were received from 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, 6,600 blocks, 6,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and 676 districts,” according to the Ministry.

 

Vision of National Education Policy

 

National Education Policy 2020 envisions an India-centric education system. By delivering high-quality education to all, it contributes directly to our nation’s long-term transformation towards an equal and thriving knowledge society.

 

The NEP 2020 includes numerous reforms to India’s education policy. It aspires to increase public education spending from around 3% to 6% of GDP as soon as possible.

 

The policy amplifies the use of native or local languages as a language of instruction until Class 5, with the recommendation that it be maintained until Class 8 and beyond. Sanskrit and foreign languages will be given priority as well. Under the guidelines of the policy, all pupils should learn three languages at school. At least two of the three languages must be Indian native languages. It also stipulates that the pupils will not be forced to learn a language.

 

When it comes to teachers and teacher education, NEP 2020 proposes a number of policy adjustments. By 2030, a 4-year Bachelor of Education will be the minimum prerequisite for becoming a teacher. In addition, there will be improvements and transparency in the teacher-recruiting process. By 2021, the National Council for Teacher Education will draft a National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education. And by 2022, the National Council for Teacher Education will draft a National Professional Standards for Teachers. The policy aspires to ensure that all teachers are passionate, motivated, highly qualified, professionally educated, and well-equipped teachers at all levels of schooling.

 

Latest developments in National Education Policy 2020

 

On 21 September 2021, the Union Education Ministry formed a 12-member national steering group. This group seeks to establish a new national curriculum framework (NCF) in accordance with NEP 2020. K Kasturirangan, who previously led the NEP 2020 drafting group, is chairing this committee.

 

Latest reports suggest that a tech platform will also be set up to accept inputs from states at the district and block levels. The suggestions gathered through the platform will be taken into account by the committee for drafting the framework.

 

The committee will finalise the framework only after the committee takes into account comments from numerous stakeholders. These include states and union territories, the NCERT’s Executive Committee (EC) and General Body (GB), and the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE). The NCERT Director will work with the committee to finish its module.

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Insights

Why prenatal care is important for all women

Why prenatal care is important for all women

Prenatal (or antenatal) care is the first step towards the good health of the mother and child. It refers to the regular medical care recommended for women during pregnancy.  Prenatal care is important during pregnancy to ensure that doctors or midwives can treat any potential health problems and mitigate any avoidable health issues. It benefits both the mother as well as the baby. All women need access to prenatal care during pregnancy.  Skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth also play vital roles for the good health of the baby and mother.

 

What does prenatal care include?

 

It includes a range of measures including, but not limited to:

 

Monthly doctor visit during the first two trimesters (from week 1–28)

Fortnightly doctor visit from 28th week to 36th week of pregnancy

Weekly visits after week 36

 

Physical examinations as part of prenatal care consist of medical examination of the expecting mother as well her primary caregiver.

 

Ultrasounds are an important diagnostic test that must be conducted during pregnancy.  As they are consideredquite safe, they are widely used to monitor the health of both mother and fetus.  The ultrasound test is used to check a number of things.

 

Multiple fetuses

Possible risks to the mother and child

Fetal malformation (such as club foot, cleft palate, clenched fists)

To monitor the development of the fetus

Determine due date

 

Government interventions for prenatal care

 

The Government of India recommends that every pregnant woman must make at least four visits for prenatal care over the course of her pregnancy. Initiatives to improve maternal health have also been started by the government. As a result, the rate of preventable maternal death rates has gone down considerably.

 

As per UNICEF, the number of women and girls who die each year due to issues related to pregnancy and childbirth has dropped considerably on the global scale. There has been a 38 per cent decrease, from 451,000 in 2000 to 295,000 in 2017.

 

However, there still remain considerable gaps in terms of knowledge, availability of resources, and policies. There are also gaps between the urban and rural, and the rich and poor.  Economic circumstances play a huge role in the access to healthcare services.

 

Smile Foundation’s impact through Swabhiman

 

The Swabhiman programme works with women of various ages and circumstances, including pregnant and lactating women. As part of this programme, we also conduct workshops, awareness campaigns, and IEC activities with small groups of women as per community requirements.

 

The workshop at Alwar
The workshop at Alwar

 

As per data collected from the intervention areas in Alwar and Greater Noida, women have very poor health indicators and cannot access government health institutes easily. The main issue for women in these communities is that they don’t understand the importance of a balanced diet for their own and their child’s health. Some of the discussions with pregnant woman revealed that they were not taking adequate diet.  Based on this data, we organised a low-cost recipe demo workshop in marginalised communities of Banbeerpur and Karoli of Alwar district. Women were trained on how to make meals that are tasty as well as healthy using easily available household items.

 

Interventions like these help women understand why prenatal care is important for both mother and child.

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In The Spotlight

Working on NIPUN Bharat through Mission Education Initiative

Working on NIPUN Bharat through Mission Education Initiative

Children are the backbone of our country.” We have heard these words on several occasions in different forums and conversations.  However, how can children be the backbone of our nation if we are not able to engage them in the learning and systematic growth of mental and physical well-being? The government’s National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy Bharat scheme is aiming to do just that. And Smile Foundation is actively working on NIPUN Bharat through the Mission Education programme.

 

Data on foundational learning

 

A beneficiary of Mission Education programme.

Research shows that 90% of brain growth occurs by the age of 5. This means that the quality of early childhood education has a crucial impact on development. The ongoing pandemic has widened the learning gaps for not having digital devices among children especially in the underserved community.

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019 revealed that only 16% of children in Class 1 can read the prescribed text. Almost 40% cannot even recognize letters. This report shocked us about the learning progress of children at the primary level. Foundational learning support at the primary level is the key to all future learning for a child. Not being able to achieve these basic foundational skills of reading with basic comprehension, writing, and doing basic mathematics operations leaves the child unprepared for the complexities of the curriculum in the future. This may decrease the interest of the students in the school curriculum and lead to increased drop out rate.

 

The NIPUN Bharat Scheme

 

The “National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy” (NIPUN Bharat) is being set up by the education department of Government of India. The purpose is to secure school retention and ensure learning of the children. Additionally, the scheme also seeks universal acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy skills for every child by the end of grade 3. The target year for achieving this goal is 2026-27. 

 

COVID-enforced school closure for almost two years has greatly affected learning and cognitive development of children. We all need to address this at the earliest. We need to work on this mission on a war footing and leave no stone unturned.

 

NIPUN Bharat through Mission Education

 

Smile Foundation is dedicated to the education of children. Thus, we have taken all possible steps to connect with students through various means. Community-based cluster classes, apps-based learning support, visiting homes, and sharing worksheets through offline and online modes are some of the methods we have employed. We have been working with 49,000 children, largely first-generation learners in the underserved communities, through 240 Mission Education centres across 22 States and Union Territories. The children need regular follow-ups, motivation to continue their education, guidance to pursue their dreams, and empathy in communication. Disconnection from education would mean a learning loss for thousands of children.

 

Mission Education cluster classes towards NIPUN Bharat goals.

 

We have been working and promoting activity-based teaching support in curricular and co-curricular activities. Community-based trained teachers are helping us to implement this. This will help children improve their communication skills and also become well-versed in the subjects taught. These centres are located in the interior places of tribal and rural communities across the country. In these areas children have less exposure and guidance for holistic development. The Mission Education centres also feel proud to support the NIPUN Bharat scheme to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy.

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