SaciWATERs conducted half a day training program to ICDS department officials, frontline workers (Anganwadi teachers, ASHA’s, ANM’s) on Water Sanitation and Hygiene on 17th May, 2019 under the project “Creation of Model Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Secure Slums, Schools And ICDS Centers In Hyderabad” which is supported by WaterAid and Bank of America. This is aimed to ensure and increase access to improved and sustainable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services and sustained behavior change among the most marginalised communities of urban slums, schools and ICDS in Hyderabad city.
It is already known that one of the world’s most urgent issues is lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Water-related improvements are crucial to meet the development goals, reduce child mortality, and improve health in a sustainable way.
In view of this, the training was delivered as part of one of the key components under the WASH program: to provide training to Front Line Workers as they play an important role to assist the communities in raising awareness and motivation.
The main objective of this training program was to
- To orient the Anganwadi teachers, ASHA workers and ANMs on importance and need for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in ICDS centres
- To create awareness and take up the behavioural change communication model pertaining to hygiene and cleanliness practices to all the ICDS children, pregnant and lactating mothers.
- To train the Anganwadi teachers, ASHA and ANMs on 6 key hygiene messages i.e Handwashing, Handling water safely, use of toilets, Food hygiene, Disposal of child faeces and menstrual hygiene management to inculcate these knowledge to children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- Interaction with the ICDS officials on WASH services to share and develop a sustainable and viable model of WASH infrastructure service delivery in communities and Anganwadi centres.
Mrs. Sunandha, Child Development Project Officer – ICDS Department, Musheerabad circle, Hyderabad, was the chief guest for the programme and spoke about the importance of role played by the AWC teachers on children’s health and personal hygiene in turn which would inculcate the good hygiene practices from the early ages of childhood. She also highlighted the India’s flagship programme Poshan Abhiyan which is aimed to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers by leveraging technology, a targeted approach and convergence.
A pre and post-test were organised for the AWC teachers, ASHA and ANMs on WASH subject to record the knowledge level of the trainees before the training sessions and acquired knowledge after completion of the training sessions. This would strengthen their capacities to integrate hygiene promotion as part of their work by targeting particularly children, pregnant and lactating mothers (to ensure infant health and survival) and adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene to also to bring the behavioural communication change in ICDS centres by inculcating good and safe practices at their early stages of life.
For details about this activity kindly Contact: SCaN (sreenita@saciwaters.org/scan@saciwaters.org)
