In the remote village of Doondabar, Rajasthan lies a close-knit community of the Shahariya tribe, heavily reliant on the forest, agriculture, and daily labor for their sustenance. Amongst them, 10-month-old Mayawati’s (name changed) family struggled to make ends meet, with her parents working as daily wage laborers, earning a meager income of INR 25000/- per year.

During a routine screening, Mayawati was identified as severely acute malnourished (SAM), weighing only 5kg with a Z-Score of <-3SD. Our dedicated team, determined to help Mayawati, engaged in extensive counseling efforts to convince her mother to admit her to the nearest malnutrition treatment center. Although Mayawati’s mother agreed initially, the celebration of festivals led her parents to reconsider, and they brought Mayawati back home after two days of admission.

Undeterred by the setback, we enrolled Mayawati into the ‘Naya Savera Programme,’ a government initiative to combat malnutrition at the community level through energy-dense nutrition supplements. Despite facing challenges of inaccessibility due to heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions, our team ensured that Mayawati received regular EDNS supplies through the Anganwadi Worker and ANM.

Monitoring her health and growth was not easy, but our team persevered. We provided the family with extensive orientation on health practices, nutrition, WASH practices, and even cooking demonstrations, ensuring they were equipped to care for Mayawati effectively.

Her health condition had left her unable to walk and visibly irritated, but with constant efforts and regular support, Mayawati began to show signs of recovery. A few moths later, her measurements were truly heartening, with her weight at 8.1kg, height at 74.5 cm, MUAC at 125 mm, and Z-Score at 1SD

Mayawati’s transformation was astounding. From a SAM child to a normal, happy, and active little one, she even began walking, much to the joy of her family and the entire community. This inspiring journey of recovery exemplifies the power of dedicated efforts, timely interventions, and community support in combating malnutrition, even in the most challenging environments. Mayawati’s story is a testament to the impact that proactive and caring organizations like ours can make in the lives of vulnerable children and their families.