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TRAINING OF RURAL & TRIBAL WOMEN IN PROMOTING PRACTICE OF
HEALTHY NUTRITION: CASE STUDY OF
BAHA’I VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RURAL WOMEN, INDORE
presented by: MRS JANAK PALTA McGILLIGAN
DIRECTOR
BAHA’I VOCATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR RURAL WOMEN
180, BHAMORI, NEW DEWAS ROAD,
INDORE - 452 008 (M.P.), INDIA
SEMINAR ORGANISED BY DR. BABA SAHEB AMBEDKAR NATIONAL INSTITUTE
OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, MHOW, (M.P.), INDIA, SEPTEMBER 7, 1994
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The Baha’i Vocational Institute for Rural Women, Indore, has been trained the
underprivileged, rural, mainly tribal women of south-west Madhya Pradesh i.e. districts Jhabua,
Dhar, Khargone, Shajapur, Dewas, Indore and Ujjain.
The Institute has been operating among 119 rural communities of Madhya Pradesh. On
the basis of the overall socio-economic indicators, the state of Madhya Pradesh is declared as
‘Bimaru’ (sick state), and the one with the highest infant mortality rate due to malnutrition and
frequent infections in the new born babies in the villages1. This state is called ‘low nutritional
state’2. One of the major killers is neo-natal tetanus due to lack of proper immunisation of
infants; and diarrhoea deaths count the next3. Diarrhoea can easily be avoided by giving oral
rehydration. There are studies which show that only 20% of the rural women are familiar with
oral rehydration4.
The state has at present 40.000 malnourished children who will fight through adulthood
just to survive the ravages of time5. Nearly 50 % of the rural children die in the very first month6.
The main reason for 100 crore people suffering all over the world is malnutrition7.
There are large scale irregularities in the supply of nutritious food to pregnant women and
children under the programme \Women and Child Welfare Department’8. This is happening
despite the fact that India produces enough to provide nutrition to all its citizens, provided there
is equitable distribution and no adulteration9.
Dr. M.S. Eimi Watanable of UNICEF “Free Press”, June 3, 1993
Ibid.
3 Free Press, Nutrition, Sept. 17, 1992
4 Report on SAARC Ministerial Conference in Colombo, Free Press, Bombay, Sept. 17, 1992
5 Mr. M.N. Kulkarni, UNICEF Regional Director, Free Press, Nov. 13, 1992
6 Mr. M.N. Kulkarni, UNICEF Regional Director, Free Press, Nov. 13, 1992
7 Dr. Ashok Laddha, Free Press, Aug. 5, 1993
8 ‘Poor quality Bread for beneficiaries Free Press, Nov. 15, 1990 and Nov. 28, 1990
9 Free Press, Dec. 16, 1992; Also refer to report of Mr. Premdasa Chairperson of SAARC Ministerial
conference in Colombo, Free Press, Sept. 17, 1992
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It is also very important to understand the socio-economic factors in tribal areas of M.P.
which caused the malnutrition. The primary and secondary base of this tribal economy was its
natural resource endowment, medicinal plants or their arts. They were totally dependent on forest
resources.
In the past three decades a sudden shift in government policies of taking control of the
forest, natural calamities like draughts and rapid deforestation have led to severe crises affecting
the people in following aspects of their life:
a)
Income and employment
b)
Food habits and nutritional status and health
c)
Housing
d)
Education
e)
Consumer patterns
f)
Value patterns and attitudes (making some areas known for high crime rates)
g)
Victims of exploitation by money lenders and government servants
h)
Migration of population
i)
j)
Addicted to subsidies (by Government) and dependent on all sorts of middlemen
which has practically killed their own initiatives
Psychological environment
Basically the majority of the people are below the poverty line. They live with scarcities
of food, clothing and shelter. Due to the changed environment and economy, being managers the
food, water, fuel and fodder problems, the women are the worst hit.
Like all other traditional tribal societies, the women in the South-West Madhya Pradesh
are treated as merely the breeders, feeders and caretakers of children, cattle and family members
inside and outside their homes. living in the heart of India, a country with abundance of resources
and raw-material, immense knowledge, infrastructure for research and development, ever advancing science and technology, having received global recognition for its achievements in
space, atomic and defence services, these women continue to suffer from poverty,
maledevelopment and misallocation of resources. They are practically deprived by any
advancements in science and technology and other developments taking place in the other parts
of the country.
Their routine starts from 3 a.m. with grinding of Chakki (stone grinder for making flour)
followed by looking after the livestock, then collecting water and fuel-wood. They come home
and cook, go out to work on the land, for unequal wages; return home and get back to cleaning
the house, clothes, dishes and cook, serve and go to bed around 10 p.m., sometimes beaten by a
drunken husband. They do not have electricity in their houses, normally they have one mudhouse
where people and cattle live together (usually in one room). They have no beds or bedding, no
toilets, no drinking water supply; most of them have no roads, no post office and practically no
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functioning health services. Most of the girls are not sent to school and there are no shops or
markets in the villages. Every week they walk 20 - 30 km on foot for marketing and shopping
whether they are pregnant, post-natal or not. Hardly 3 % of them are literate. Mostly they have
only rainfed crops. Major crops in this area are Jawar (Millet), Bajra (Sorgrom), Maize and a
little Wheat and Ground-nuts. Some of the lintels they grow are muns, black-eyed beans, blackbeans, chick-peas. They also grow garlic, chillies and some onions. During the rains they grow
vegetables like lady fingers, brinjals, some gourds and the local variety of cucumbers, and some
local leafy vegetables.
They rear chickens and goats for selling and to eat on special occasions. Whenever there
are opportunities, they go to the river side for fishing and eat fish. They have most no milk or
milk products due to droughts and lack of fodder, and have very weak animals. They love palm
trees and mango trees. They brew liquor out of palm juice. They also have some mango and
custard apple trees. Whatever fodder they have, they prefer to look after bullocks as the bullock
cart is used for marketing, wedding parties, ambulance or fun-riding. This is the main source of
transport. Normally when they are sick they go to faith-healers.
Most of the young tribal girls in the area, enter marriage and attain motherhood with no
training or education in mothercraft. They are in total ignorance of wholesome infant and child
rearing practices. The real key to successful infant rearing is improvement of the knowledge and
competence of mothers10. They will then no longer be prey to male advice and vested interests. In
terms of proper diet, the traditional role of rural women needs to change in the present age as
access to food is women’s basic human right.
It is a pity that the rural women in our state are not only denied equal rights, also they do
not have any access to information and education regarding nutrition, health and diet. let me
share with you all my experience of 9 years with this Institute which is trying to impart training
to this deprived section of society.
The basis for priority of the training of women in the Institute is the Baha’i principles,
Baha’u’llah, the Prophet Founder of the Baha’i faith, proclaimed the equality of sexes for the
first time in the history of revealed religion and laid down some basic principles regarding the
status of women which are quoted as under:
“The world of humanity is possessed of two wings - the male and the female. So long as
these two wings are not equal in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches
the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary
attainment for humanity will not be realised, humanity cannot wing its way to heights of
real attainment.”
“As long as women are prevented from attaining their highest possibilities, so long men
will be unable to achieve the greatness which might be theirs.”
“The world in the past has been ruled by force and man has dominated over women by
reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the
scales are already shifting, force is loosing its weight and mental alertness, intuition, and
the spiritual qualities of love and service in which women strong, are gaining
ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with
10
For details kindly refer to Nutrition Foundation of India’s Scientific Report, 4, New Delhi, 1984
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the feminine ideals, or, to speak exactly will be an age in which the masculine and
feminine elements of civilisation will be more properly balanced.”
“The women of the world to develop their potentialities fully and to make every effort to
attain greater perfection, to be man’s equal in every respect in which she has been
backward.”
“The education of woman is more necessary and important than of man, for woman is
the trainer of the child from its infancy.........She rears, nurtures and guides the growth of
the child and is the first educator of mankind, if she be imperfect, also for the condition
and future of the race.”
|The education of women will be a mighty step towards abolition of war for she will use
her whole influence against war.......... in truth she will be the greatest factor in
establishing universal Peace and international arbitration. Assuredly women will abolish
warfare among mankind.”
In 1985 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of India established this Institute
with an objective to empower the grass-root women to enable them improve their own
conditions. Also to enhance their self-esteem, so that they perceive their changed role as equal
members of human family with the ability to become change agents to improve the quality of life
of their families and their communities.
To date, this Institute has trained 635 women and conducted 53 training programmes. The
Institute conducts the following programmes every year:
1. Three months residential (free of charge) training programmes, 50 - 60 grass-root women who
return as social change agents in their own communities. (Two programmes per year with 25
- 30 women each programme).
2. One month advanced training to 20 selected women, those who feel the need to have
additional training in upgrading their skills. These women return as area co-ordinators,
(Volunteers) at Panchayat level and assist the above category one of grass-root women (one
programme every year).
All the trainees operate Mahila Mandals in their respective communities.
3. The Institute trains 4 co-ordinators, 2 master of social work students on placement for one year
and 2 other women, who want to learn how to establish women’s programmes in their own
states within India.
4. Once a year a ten days Family training programme is held for 10 couples (20 people) to learn
family life skills like sharing parenthood responsibilities in equal roles, importance of
children’s education, family health care with special care for the girls, running family life by
consultation and participatory methods.
5. Also incorporates family links by inviting 50 - 60 family members of the trainees for 3 days to
make them aware about the programme and become a part/support for the follow-up of the
grass root and area co-ordinators. Normally these women are between 15 - 35 years of age.
The majority are unmarried. The Institute also allows nursing mothers to bring their children
with them to the programme. This has proved to be of great importance for the families that
would otherwise be unwilling or unable to let the mother attend.
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TRAINING PROGRAMME DESIGN
The overall training programme is designed for foster positive attitude towards change,
local entrepreneurship, leadership, recovery of human rights by acquiring awareness of their own
innate worth and practical abilities through a flexible Hindi Literacy to develop basic life skills
like health nutrition and diet, and environmental education, income-generating skills, building
self-esteem and spiritual qualities.
NUTRITION HEALTH AND DIET
One of the major components of the Institutes training programme is Nutrition, Health
and Diet. This course is designed so that the trainee acquires a working knowledge of health in
relationship to mother and child, women and family, women and community. This course aims at
developing the skills and potential of the trainee to generate awareness in the family and
community regarding health problems and their solution, organising women in community health
activities and implementing primary health care programmes.
PROGRAMME INPUTS
Some of the important programme inputs in Nutrition, Health and Diet are mentioned
below:
1. The training content is based on the research carried out by the Institute on the various aspects
of the socio-economic11, geographical and physical12, cultural and environmental13 patterns of
the area.
2. Training on the importance of a balanced diet is combined with emphasis on habits like
cleanliness, simplicity, no use of habit-forming drugs14, a positive outlook, and values such as
contentment, happiness and joy and avoidance of extreme emotions which are detrimental to
overall health15.
3. The programme teaches the women that the sick should be taken to skilful physicians rather
than faith healers as they normally do when children or adults suffer from measles, typhoid or
jaundice. At the same time it encourages them to use tribal wisdom like the use of herbs,
Miss Jan Dulari, ‘Socio-economic Conditions of BHIL WOMEN in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh’,
for Third National Conference on Women’s studies, 1 - 4 Oct. 1986
12 Miss Janak Dulari Palta; Water pollution and Guinea worms in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, a
Research Paper presented at IV Indian Women Scientist association, Bombay, Oct. 10 -12, 1987
13 i) Mrs. Janak Palta McGilligan ‘Role of Tribal Women in Conservation of Environment in India: A case
study of Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh for National Seminar on Problems and Strategies for SocioEconomic Development of Rural and Tribal Women, Indore, March 22 - 23, 1990.
ii)Success story of the Institute, towards Environmental transformation: A Baha’i Experience in AsiaPacific Assembly in Bangkok, March 11 - 15, 1991 and Global Assembly in Miami in Nov. 1991
iii) Role of “Women Scientists in NGO’s in Promoting Scientific attitude Among Indian Masses, a
Research Paper to be pres. at 81st Indian Science Congress in Jan. 1994
14 Please refer to Health and Healing compiled by the Universal House of Justice, Bahai’i Publishing Trust,
New Delhi.
15 Ibid.
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taking appropriate diets16, massage of the infants etc. and use of different physical postures
which are now scientifically accepted.
4. One of the important inputs is the identification of locally available nutrients and suitable
supplements for food which are based on their own conditions an are inexpensive. For
example they learn making porridge from maize which they grow, rather then buying
expensive ready-made wheat porridge.
5. While the Institute endeavours to develop in its trainees rational and scientific methods of
enquiry, it also encourages them to preserve their culture. For instance tribal love dancing and
singing. The Institute explains to the trainees that it is very healthy to dance as it is really the
most enjoyable way to exercise the body and refresh the mind, it tones the muscles, benefits
the joints, glands respiratory system and digestive organs, moreover, dancing gives grace and
poise to the body and strengthens culture and values like love and unity. They are also
motivated to compose folk songs on different subjects, integrating what they learnt here with a
commitment to share these messages when they go back. During the training programme these
women produce many songs and dance with these songs on immunisation, reforestation,
growing, cooking and eating healthy food etc. In their communities these songs are becoming
very popular.
6. The training is a combination of theory and practical learning. All the trainees work in the
garden every morning for two hours and learn developing and maintaining small
environmentally-friendly kitchen gardens, including sowing, irrigation, growing and
harvesting the fruits and vegetables, preparing and raising tree nurseries and flower-gardens,
transplantation, composting, water and soil conservation.
Most of their meals are prepared from vegetables and ingredients grown at the Institute.
They also learn the cooking of nutritious food as the training programme has self-service life
style and they develop new recipes by sharing knowledge with women from different areas.
While they learn to cook various varieties of food, they also discover that it is inexpensive and
healthy which stops them eating the roadside junk food which is very unhygienic and
expensive.
7. The women are empowered to recognise their identity and importance of their own health and
become conscious of cutting down expenses of undesired things and spending more money on
nutrients, for example investing some more resources in buying suitable seeds, plants, fruits,
saplings and taking health care and treatment.
8. Everyday they have a one hour formal session on health education and undergo training on
having proper nutrients i.e. carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water,
stressing on i) energy giving foods, ii) growth and body building foods, iii) protective i.e.
preventive foods and iv) the ability to take healthy food and better nutrition at no extra cost.
They also become aware of the causes, symptoms and access to information about remedies of
common diseases. Specific focus is on mother and child care. Poor nutrition is a common
cause of health problems like anaemia, dehydration, blindness, stomach problems, skin, eye,
ear and chest problems. They also learn the nutrient needs of infants, babies, growing
Please refer to Health and Healing compiled by the Universal House of Justice, Baha’i Publishing Trust,
New Delhi
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children, growing youths, adults, elderly and inactive people. Also taught is the importance of
breast feeding at different stages of infancy, specially during the first two days (which they do
not because of superstitions), the diet of a mother in pre and post natal periods, the reduction
of stressful work during pregnancy, vaccinations, use of home remedies like rehydration
drinks, medicinal plants like garlic, ginger, tamarind, turmeric, bitter-gourd, tulsi, neem leaves
and many others which were used in the past, but not recently.
9. Most of the trainees, when they come to the Institute are illiterate. They return literate after
three months. Through Hindi literacy, all the subjects are taught holistically i.e. interwoven
into the total programme. For instance they learn to write the name of vegetables, fruits
common diseases, common medicines and to take body weight and height, immunisation, prenatal and post-natal calendars and how to write the date of birth and death. During the poster
discussions of literacy and health playing cards, health and service among others are very
prominent themes. They also learn how to read and write the healing prayer.
FOLLOW-UP
The |Institute is in regular contact with its graduates. They write hand-written postcards to
the Institute. The Institute publishes a monthly News bulletin (Kokila) to all its graduates which
shares information, follow-up messages, measures to deal with current health problems and their
success stories, suggestions and reports from the area.
There are also regular field visits and group meetings with the communities. There are
follow-up programmes for them to visit the Institute, or take advanced training.
RESULTS OF THE HEALTH EDUCATION
Out of 635 women trained in the Institute most of them have been accepted by
themselves, their family members, local government functionaries, educated youths of the area,
as social change agents. I will quote some extracts from reports:
1. They take a bath daily and keep themselves neat and clean whereas they used to bath once in 5
- 6 days, this has motivated their relatives and other village girls around them to do so.
2. They keep their homes clean and tidy. They have stopped eating junk food from road side
weekly markets, many family members have also stopped doing so. They also use new
cooking recipes which the people appreciate and some times are amazed at.
3. No more they eat stale and uncovered food. They wash the vegetables before cooking.
4. They have started using safe drinking water, their cooking equipment’s and kitchens are
cleaner and they are careful about hygiene which they never were before.
5. They have started growing vegetables and fruits in small plots around their wells, or wherever
possible.
6. They educate others specially the children and women about nutrition health and environment.
(The fact that other women and their family members have started approaching the Institute
proves this.)
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7. The government health workers and other local functionaries report our trainees are useful in
immunisation and other health programmes, they have started to record the date of birth of
their children which never happened before.
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