NRLM to focus on self-help groups in Attapadi

Palakkad: The national rural livelihood mission (NRLM) aims to focus on building self-sustaining institutions, as part of its plan to address poverty and malnutrition among the tribals in the Attapadi region. The seven-year-long project, which is in its third year, would continue with the mission of mobilization of families belonging to different tribes in the region to set up community kitchens in order to curb malnutrition and infant mortality.
"The kitchens serve food three times a day to pregnant women, children and the elderly. They have also started using the vegetables grown by the community members," said special officer of NRLM Seema Bhaskar. The project plans to mobilize up to 10,000 families of Irula, Muduga and Kurumba tribal communities in Attapadi block this year, said Bhaskar, adding that so far, community kitchens were set up in 192 villages and that they benefitted 9, 287 people.
According to the data released by the health department, the birth weight of children has increased from 1-1.5kg in 2013 to 2-2.5kg in 2016, she added. Children are being taken to the PHCs and nutritional rehabilitation centres. As a result, Infant Mortality Rate, which was 30 in 2013 came down to 14 in 2015, she added.