BHUBANESWAR: The Women and Child Development department on Tuesday launched the ‘Ama Kuni Pilaa’ campaign on the occasion of Children’s Day to promote parent-led home-based learning among children below the age of three.
Through this campaign, the department aims to institutionalise home-based learning among children through parent-led stimulation programmes for their brain development.
In his video message during the launch of the programme, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said children are the source of strength and progress of the country. “If they are provided the right education, healthcare and growth environment from infancy, they can become great citizens,” he said.
WCD department officials said the ‘Nurturing Care Framework’ of WHO lays stress on five factors as far as children are concerned - good health, adequate nutrition, safety and security, responsive parenting and opportunities for early learning through brain stimulation.
While the department has been primarily focusing on the health and nutrition of children so far, it has now decided to look into responsive parenting and brain development of children in the zero to three years age group through the ‘Ama Kuni Pilaa’ programme. It will be implemented through 75,000 Anganwadi workers in the state and the focus will be on men caregivers of a family.
According to the government’s POSHAN Tracker, there are 17.64 lakh children in the zero to three years age bracket in Odisha. “In the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, his or her brain develops by 80 to 85 per cent. So, they must be provided a stimulating learning environment at home where they spend the maximum time with their parents,” said an official associated with the programme.
Through this campaign, there will be capacity building of Anganwadi workers who will reach out to parents in their areas and train them to engage children in learning and creative activities through books, toys, stories, folktales and songs.
For this purpose, the department has developed IEC materials like ‘Mo Bikash Patra’, Kuni Calendar’, Ama Kuni Pila’ toy kit and a flip book and ‘Sukhada Lalana Palana’ handbook.In its Child Budget 2023-24, the state government has allocated Rs 49.96 crore for the ‘Ama Kuni Pilaa’ programme for five years.