Vitamin Angels India

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐲? It is not funny how we build systems expecting that ‘common sense’ drives decisions. If that was the case, we would not lose insane number of lives to preventable accidents. Or to under-nutrition! Today, we let 1 million children die of malnutrition every year (World Health Organization). Countless children face life-long morbidities, resulting in severely shortened life or economic potential. But who would want their children to die or remain weak? So it is really common sense to not do anything that exposes us to risks. But if common-sense drove our actions, we would have every driver driving defensively. Every woman would have access and care she needs when pregnant. Every child would have breast-milk in the first half an hour of birth! Doesn’t quite happen. That is the reason why 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 exists as an important body of work and knowledge. Let’s unpack that a little. I have seen 'social and behaviour change’ programs entailing a bunch of 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, distributed in printed or on-screen format. The premise that people would see an instruction and follow it to a T - is flawed! It’s based on common-sense… Doesn’t work! Social and behaviour change is not = Do’s and Don’ts or Instructions. Instructions are mere 'compliance', and should not be mistaken for an intervention. To change behaviours, let's develop stuff that helps people develop their own 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤. This approach would mean getting 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 of undesirable behaviour. And not stop there, but get into the 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 - quite literally. Correct behaviour has to become one’s 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺. Hazard Perception is a simple and effective way to safe driving behaviour, for example. It develops one's muscle memory to take safe-driving decisions. Instructions, enforcement, incentives - these are 𝐧𝐨𝐭 sustainable approaches to social and behaviour change. They sub-consciously drive people to 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 and escape. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 - 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. So work on ‘what drives their decision making’ and not the decision itself. What are some ideas of behaviour-change that have blown you away? #SBC #Nutrition #POSHAN #India #Safety #Change #CSR Vitamin Angels | Catalyst 2030 India Nutrition Collaborative

While it’s important to continue breastfeeding your baby till even after they are 6 months old, it’s also vital to introduce them to complementary feeding, ensuring their proper growth and development. Complementary feeding refers to the process of introducing solid foods to a baby’s diet. At the six-month mark, your baby's nutritional needs start to exceed what can be provided by breastmilk alone. At this stage, your baby is usually ready to handle solid foods due to the development of their digestive system and motor skills. Start with this recipe from #Nagaland and #Mizoram that’s perfect as your baby’s first food: Rice Porridge With Carrot and Dal. It’s a rich source of vitamin A and other nutrients, affordable to make under Rs. 20, and easily digestible. This Poshan Maah 2024, we’re introducing you to nutritious, easy to make recipes with an aim to make your plate of food healthy, as part of our Poshan Power: #HealthyPlatesOfIndia campaign. DM us to get get the full knowledge bank. Join us in our mission of building #nutrition equity for mothers and children across India. Together, we can create a healthier, more equitable future for all. Get in touch to learn more. . . . . #PoshanMaah2024 #PoshanMaah #SwadAnusar #SahiPoshanDeshRoshan #campaign #recipe #RecipesOfIndia #PoshanAbhiyaan #Poshan #diet #food #India #IndigenousFoods #HealthForAll #malnutrition

We’re delighted to welcome The Breakfast Revolution into our Poshan Power: #HealthyPlatesOfIndia campaign, this Poshan Maah! Joining forces — TBR, which fights malnutrition among children through nutritious food, and Vitamin Angels, which provides evidence-based nutrition interventions to under-5 children – we are bringing #nutrition straight to your kitchen through easy-to-follow recipe videos that use affordable and use locally sourced ingredients. These recipes are designed to help prevent #anemia and build strong immunity in under-5 children, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. By empowering families with knowledge about nutrition and practical cooking tips, we want to create lasting change in the fight against #malnutrition. Stay tuned as we bring you these recipes all month long! . . . . #PoshanMaah2024 #PoshanMaah #NationalNutritionWeek #NutritionWeek #NationalNutritionWeek2024 #NutritionWeek2024 #SahiPoshanDeshRoshan #campaign #recipe #RecipesOfIndia #PoshanAbhiyaan #Poshan #diet #food #India #IndigenousFoods #HealthForAll

I could not have celebrated Teachers' Day better than participating in the Kanpur village mapping exercise under Project Anemia Mukt Mothers and Adolescent Girls (AMMA). So much learning from the community teachers, be it ASHA, ASHA Sangini, ANM, women members of the Self Help Groups, and our Panchayat's Sachiv ji. 😊 Everyone shared subtle nuances that cannot be understood without open interactions within their community settings. Community members are enthusiastic about making their village Anemia-free, especially for women and adolescent girls. We are learning and continue to do so until we make India Anemia Free. The Sarkar is trying to address the wicked problem of anemia (and malnutrition) through programs and initiatives Anemia Mukt Bharat, POSHAN Abhiyan, etc. Samaaj is engaged with these programs and initiatives, whereas Sahkar through community, development partners, community influencers, CSRs, and India Inc. are need of the hour. Project AMMA is one such initiative to support the Anemia Mukt Bharat program at the community level, where District Health System, Kanpur Nagar Kanpur Obstetrics and Gynecological Society (KOGS) Vitamin Angels India Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU), Kanpur EzeRx have collaborated to make mothers and adolescent girls anemia-free. Kudos to Prateek Tiwari for driving this with the community.

Ragi, or finger millet, is rich in calcium, iron, protein, and dietary fiber, providing a range of health benefits. This nutrient-dense grain is a champion for bone, digestive, and heart health, and its iron content is particularly effective in preventing anemia, making it an excellent addition to a balanced #diet. This #PoshanMaah2024, we’re bringing you a delicious way to enjoy this superfood — Ragi Malt, a tradition breakfast drink from the Telugu states. It is not only delicious but also especially beneficial for children and pregnant women. It’s so nutritious that it’s often used to treat deficiencies in calcium, iron, and multivitamins. As part of our Poshan Power: #HealthyPlatesOfIndia campaign for National Nutrition Month, we’re sharing a series of healthy, nutritious, and affordable recipes to help families across #India thrive. Join us in making healthier #food choices and support our mission to improve #nutrition across the country. Together, we can make a real impact. Vitamin Angels Swasti Community Action Collab The Breakfast Revolution AVPN . . . . #PoshanMaah #NationalNutritionWeek #NutritionWeek #NationalNutritionWeek2024 #NutritionWeek2024 #SahiPoshanDeshRoshan #campaign #recipe #RecipesOfIndia #PoshanAbhiyaan #Poshan #India #IndigenousFoods #HealthForAll #health #malnutrition

𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐡 पोषण माह ! Ensuring adequate #Nutrition for young children can get really complex, particularly in a country like India. There is diversity of wealth/poverty, culture and beliefs, education, access to state nutrition services, and markets. Here are four examples: 🥗 People don't eat diverse balanced diet because many days they don't eat at all! 🏥 Govt provides quality nutrition services but a significant number of people live in hard-to-reach communities. 📡 People choose taste over nutrition awareness about under-nutrition, or benefits of adequate nutrition, is very low! 💹 There are still households prioritising food for men and boys, over women and girls, since they attach 'livelihoods' to one gender. This makes young children vulnerable to various morbidities before they turn 5. We certainly need to deal with root causes of poverty, food security and gender parity. This may take years. Meanwhile, we need to deal with childhood now! Here's what we do. We... ...provide evidence-based interventions, like Vitamin A Supplementation, which 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 ...partner with the 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ...figure out 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 ...𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 the gaps in the 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 ...do more of the same, repeatedly till we reach the last nutritionally vulnerable child! We believe that if we provide evidence-based interventions, in the first 1000 days of life, repeatedly, diligently, honestly, and 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲, then nothing can stop us from significant impact. What do you think? Would you like to join our mission? PS: Here's to celebrate one of the most profound institutions for nutrition for women and children - Our 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬! Vitamin Angels #Nutrition #India #Children #Complex #CSR #SocialImpact https://lnkd.in/g8bbMk2X

Indigenous foods are nutrient-rich, easy to source, affordable, and improve access to food among the most vulnerable populations. On #PoshanMaah 2024, here’s a spotlight on one such food that is native and abundant in India — moringa, or drumstick leaves. The power of moringa: — It is rich in iron and vitamin A. — Moringa leaves have more beta-carotene than carrots, more protein than peas, more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more potassium than bananas, and more iron than spinach. — It protects the liver, supports brain health, improved digestion, and helps balance blood sugar. That’s why you need to try this Murungai Keerai Podi recipe, or #moringa powder, from Tamil Nadu, that perfect as an accompaniment with steamed rice, idly, or dosa. Coming with all the benefits of drumstick leaves, it is also incredibly affordable to make at Rs. 15. Keep watching as we release nutritious, easy to make and source recipes all month long as part of our Poshan Power: #HealthyPlatesOfIndia campaign. If you're interested in accessing this open source collection of recipes, reach out to us. By working together, we can ensure that every household, every child, and every mother has access to a healthy plate of food. . . . . #PoshanMaah2024 #PoshanMaah #SwadAnusar #SahiPoshanDeshRoshan #campaign #recipe #RecipesOfIndia #PoshanAbhiyaan #Poshan #India #IndigenousFoods #HealthForAll #health #malnutrition #nutrition

Food and nutrition form the very basic pillars of our lives. And yet, there are millions of children, women, and households strewn across pockets of the country who are deprived of this basic right. At Vitamin Angels, while we drive our nutrition initiatives across the communities we work with, building awareness around #food and the need for healthy diets forms an integral part of our work. It is with this in mind that we bring to you Poshan Power -#HealthyPlatesOfIndia, commemorating #PoshanMaah2024. Poshan Power addresses #nutrition needs for under-5 children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers across India through a repository of crowd-sourced recipes that address issues like #anemia and enhance immunity. The recipes are easy to make, affordable and focus on locally available ingredients, making them both accessible and effective. By empowering families with knowledge about nutrition and practical cooking tips, we aim to make a tangible difference and create lasting change in the fight against #malnutrition. If you are interested in accessing this open source #knowledgebank of recipes, drop us a line and we will be happy to share this with you and the communities and individuals you work with. It is only when we work together that we can hope that every household, every child, and every mother has access to a nutritious plate of food. We are also partnering with Community Action Collab for their #SwadAnusar campaign, and we'll be sharing not just recipes, but also inspiring stories and valuable insights on nutrition. Stay tuned! . . . . #PoshanMaah #RashtriyaPoshanMaah #NationalNutritionWeek #NutritionWeek #NationalNutritionWeek2024 #NutritionWeek2024 #SahiPoshanDeshRoshan #campaign #recipe #RecipesOfIndia #PoshanAbhiyaan #Poshan #diet #India #IndigenousFoods #HealthForAll #NutritionForAll

#MeetTheTeam: Meet Chhaya Gurav Raut, who joined Vitamin Angels in India as the State Program Officer for Maharashtra in September 2023. Chhaya has been working as a child rights protection promoter, trainer, and consultant in the nonprofit sector for over 19 years. She has been a part of numerous rescue operations of children in exploitative situations in Nagpur, #Maharashtra. As a result of her advocacy and networking, the Government of Maharashtra selected her as the Chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee of #Nagpur. She has also worked as a master trainer, training manager, and resource person for several training programs organized by the government and nonprofits. She has been a visiting faculty member at the Matruseva Sangh Institute of Social Work College, teaching the Psychology and Counselling certificate course. “I'm really passionate about making a positive impact in children's lives, and working with VA has allowed me to use my skills and strength to team up with grassroots project partners,” says Chhaya. We're happy to have her on board! . . . . #team #TeamMember #organization #childhealth #children #health #advocacy #India #leadership #SocialChange #Poshan #PoshanAbhiyaan #nutrition #malnutrition

𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐆𝐃𝐏 𝐛𝐲 $20 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) published the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey results for 2022-23 recently. The survey shares crucial insights about India’s poverty and nutrition landscape. There's also a subtle shift in the conversation, from Food Security to 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. Here’s why this is important: OVERALL HEALTH: As against food security, which means 𝘴𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, nutritional security means a balance between micro and macronutrients. Our overall health depends on a combination of the two. COGNITION AND LEARNING: micronutrients during the first 1000 days of life, from pregnancy to 2yrs of age affects the child’s brain development, and hence their ability to think, learn and make decisions. IMMUNITY FROM DISEASES: Nutritional security ensures protection against infections and builds immunity. It also affects a persons ability to recover in case of pre-existing health conditions. INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE PRODUCTIVITY: Just like other healthcare issues, nutritional 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 reduces an individual’s capacity to work, and increases burden of illness for the country. The overall economic burden may range from 0.8% to 2.5% of India’s GDP! To build the nation, we need to build nutritional security. How can India do this? 🥗 Start with Nutrition Literacy! September is #PoshanMaah - the Nutrition Month. We need to bring our forces together to make everyone aware of their nutritional needs and good practices. 🥗 Make Nutrition an essential part of education. Make schools and colleges ‘𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘶𝘣𝘴’ by integrating nutrition education into curriculum, conduct regular health checkups and assessments. 🥗 Leverage #StartupIndia. India has become a globally renowned success-story in producing startup unicorns. We should increase funding, mentorship, and support to young entrepreneurs in nutrition. 🥗 Support citizen-run campaigns. Folks like Revant Himatsingka (Food Pharmer) have taken remarkable effort on the practice of reading food labels and making corporations responsible and people-centric - let's support them. Transforming India’s nutritional landscape may take a while, but it is possible through a step-by-step process. How else could we build nutritional security? Do you know of any examples elsewhere that we could adapt in India? Vitamin Angels | Catalyst 2030 India Nutrition Collaborative #nutrition #india #food #health #economy Source: Drishtiias