PATNA: SABLA, a scheme for empowerment of adolescent girls, launched on International Women’s Day this year, includes a complete nutrition programme for adolescent girls in the age group of 11 to 18 years.Â
The scheme launched by state welfare minister Parveen Amanullah will be run using the Integrated Child Development Scheme ( ICDS) platform in 12 districts of Bihar. These districts are Patna, Buxar, Gaya, Aurangabad, Sitamarhi, West Champaran, Vaishali, Saharsa, Kishanganj, Banka, Katihar and Munger.
“As many as 21,66,269 adolescent girls have been identified so far for the scheme,” the minister told TOI.
There are two major components under the scheme: one, a nutrition component for ‘out-of-school girls’ in the age group of 11 to 14 years and for ‘all the girls’ in the age group of 14 to 18 years, and second, non-nutrition component for ‘out-of-school’ adolescent girls in the age group of 11 to 18 years and a vocational training under National Skill Development Programme for girls in the age group of 16 to 18 years.
The basic objectives of the scheme are to enable self-development and empowerment of adolescent girls, improvement in their health and nutrition status, spread awareness about health, hygiene, nutrition, adolescent reproductive and sexual health, family and child care. The programme also aims at upgrading their home-based skills, life skills and vocational skills. The project will also include bringing back the out-of-school adolescent girls under the ambit of formal and non-formal education. The adolescent girls will also be guided about the existing public services, such as primary health centres, post offices, banks, police stations and others.
A ‘Kishori card’ will be given to each adolescent girl, wherein details about her weight, height, body mass index, iron and folic acid supplementation, referrals and services received under SABLA will be written. The card will also contain information about important milestones in the girl’s life, like joining school, leaving school, marriage etc.
‘Kishori Diwas’ will also be celebrated as a special health day once in three months, where their general health check-up will be done. ‘Kishori Samooh’, a group of 15 to 25 girls, will be formed at the anganwadi centre level. One girl from amongst them will be selected as ‘sakhi’, the peer monitor, who will provide guidance and motivation to peers.
A training kit will be provided to adolescent girls which will have a number of games and activities, making the learning process an interesting one. Anganwadi sevikas, who will oversee the running of the project, have already been given a preliminary training for the same.
Expenditure on the scheme will be equally shared by the Centre and the state.