On International Women’s Day, 2024, BNWF announced the launch of ‘Mission Lakshmi’, a flagship program designed to address adolescent girls, women and infants. The program kicked off in April in two villages, Mirzapur and Niloni, located within the Dankaur Block of Gautam Buddh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh.
Mission Lakshmi covers following major components:
Turning Aanganwadi into Model Aanganwadi
Under ‘Mission Lakshmi’, we have adopted two Anganwadis in Mirzapur and Niloni Village where we are providing advanced infrastructure facilities – construction/renovation of Aanganwadi Kendra, Drinking water station, Toilets and Kitchen. The Aanganwadi is being equipped with quality furniture, Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) to provide children below 5 years with the best learning experience. Additionally, children enrolled in the Aanganwadi are getting uniforms to ensure the cohesive environment and homogeneousness amongst them. By turning these Aanganwadis into Model Aanganwadis, we are ensuring the access of quality education to these underprivileged children.
Early childhood care and education
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), covering the period from birth to 6 years old, is crucial because it leverages a time of significant brain development in children. Quality ECCE can set the foundation for good health and habits, nutrition, learning success, social-emotional development, and economic productivity throughout life. Despite these benefits, it often receives low priority and may exclude underprivileged communities.
Therefore, Mission Lakshmi in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, aiming to ‘ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education’ have been bridging this gap for children below 5 years and ensure that quality ECCE, early primary school years, and family education are available for all children.
Under Mission Lakshmi, we believe in the idea of ‘Learning begins at birth,’. Young children have the right to thrive and develop to their fullest potential. TLMs, BALA Paintings are being prepared for children below 6 years to provide better early childhood care and education.
Nutritional support and awareness
Children can have deficiency of proteins, vitamins, Carbohydrates etc. leading to malnourishment. So, It is crucial for pregnant and lactating mothers to be aware of their nutritional requirements for a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their unborn babies or infants. Under Mission Lakshmi, we understand this and cover this aspect by spreading awareness among women of these villages. We also ensure that children enrolled in Anganwadi are not malnourished and their BMIs are being measured to understand their nutritional requirements. Furthermore, they are given a proper diet chart to follow to meet their nutritional requirements.
Menstrual Health and Hygiene
One of the most important components of Mission Lakshmi is promoting menstrual health and hygiene awareness among women and adolescent girls residing in rural and semi-urban areas across India with the knowledge and resources necessary to manage their menstrual cycles hygienically.
Under this initiative, sanitary napkins are being provided every month to women from both the villages. Regular awareness sessions and nukkad-natak on the importance of menstrual health and hygiene are also being conducted in these villages. It signifies BNWF’s long-term dedication to empowering women and adolescent girls residing in rural and semi-urban areas across India with the knowledge and resources necessary to manage their menstrual cycles hygienically.
