Khusiyo Wala Ration Kit- खुशियो वाला राशन किट

 

While India is struggling to contain the spread of COVID-19, many of the other issues that the country is facing have largely gone unnoticed. The most frightening of these issues being the problem of malnutrition. The lack of an effective policy to feed its ever-increasing population has seen India rank a lowly 94 among 107 nations on the Global Hunger Index. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, an agency of the United Nations, about 14% of India’s total population, a figure that estimates to be 189.2 million, is currently undernourished. This is a haunting figuring considering that the primary victims of this problem have been children and women. It has been noted by experts that in India, 20% of children under the age of 5 are underweight due to a lack of a nutritious and adequate diet.  Also, 51.4% of women of reproductive age between 15 to 49 years are anaemic. Further according to the report by FAO, 34.7% of the children aged under five in India are stunted (too short for their age) meaning their weight is too low for their height. This has put malnourished children and women at higher risk of death from common illnesses such as diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria. This situation, coupled with unemployment, has only worsened the livelihood of the citizens, especially those who reside in the rural parts of the country.

However, premier NGOs like Ma Foundation and Mijwan Welfare Society have been working actively to counter these threats. Through their various welfare programs, these organizations have helped the victims of unemployment and malnutrition with all the necessary tools to pick themselves pick from the bottom.

Sukhmata is one of them. A resident of village Kalyan Bhadarsa in Ayodhya, Sukhmata was left devasted after the sudden death of her husband in an accident. As her husband was the sole earner of the family and used to work as a daily wage labourer, Sukhmata did not have the financial capacity to run the household on her own. She was left alone to take care of her two girls, both under the age of 10. Her situation got so dire that Sukhmata did not even have enough grains to feed her children, who were on verge of falling prey to malnutrition. Fortunately, Sukhmata was found by Maa Foundation and after the organization was made aware of her difficulties, they worked tirelessly to help her. Ma Foundation through its implimeting organisation Mijwan Welfare Society acquainted Sukhmata with widow pension, ration card and MNREGA job card, and all the other opportunities and schemes that would help Sukhmata to make herself financially secure and independent. Furthermore, the Foundation then provided her with ration kits, which included food grains that were enough to feed her and her children.

It is through humanitarian work like this that Ma Foundation and Mijwan Welfare Society have managed to effectively change the livelihood of hundreds of poor and unfortunate individuals. Maa Foundation is determined to promote and develop more mothers like Sukhmata, who are struggling in the current economic and social climate.