This six-month initiative will be implemented in Mumbai, targeting Balwadis and primary-grade students aged between 3 and 14 years

 In a remarkable initiative aimed at fighting malnutrition among children, Akshaya Chaitanya, is proud to announce the launch of the “Bowl of Growth Program”. This program is designed to nourish and support the health of 1,000 children from balwadis (pre-schools) and 3000 from primary schools across Mumbai for a period of 6 months. The mission focuses on three key pillars which are Nutrition, Awareness, and Education to combat child malnutrition and foster healthier urban communities in Mumbai.

The program entitled “Fortified Multigrain & Millet-Based Supplementation to Address Malnutrition in 3- 14year-Old Children from Urban Slums Communities of Mumbai” is supported by the PepsiCo Foundation under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. This intervention, designed based on the evidence, will be implemented in selected Balwadis and municipal schools of Mumbai.

The launch event, held in Mumbai was attended by several prominent figures, including Prachi Jambhekar, Deputy Mumbai Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Kankal, Primary Education Officer, Mrs Chaya Salve Superintendent Education, Mukhtar Shah, Deputy Education Officer (PP CELL), ward administration officers, school principals, and Balwadi coordinators.

Dr. Bhushan Gagrani (IAS), Municipal Commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in his video message about the program, praised Akshaya-Chaitanya and PepsiCo Foundation for its dedication and commitment to launching the impactful program in Mumbai, which aligns seamlessly with the state government’s efforts to eradicate malnutrition. He emphasized that the success of this initiative underscores the strength of public-private partnerships and stressed the importance of scaling this program to reach more children across Maharashtra.

Mrs. Prachi Jambhekar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Education & planning spoke at the event and wholeheartedly welcomed and supported the program to address malnourishment in the 3 to 14-year age group. She emphasized that this beautifully aligns with state objectives and applauded the clinical approach to validate the improvement in children. She expressed hope to scale up the program to cover more children subsequently. She said that the program will not only support their health but also enable their studies in the longer run leading to more productivity for society & nation.

Representatives from Akshaya Chaitanya also emphasized the importance of this collaboration. “Malnutrition is not just a challenge but a pressing public health crisis in India, contributing to a staggering 45% of global under-five child deaths. In Maharashtra, the situation is dire, with 35% of children stunted, 36% underweight, and 26% wasted. The urban slums of Mumbai face an even more alarming scenario, where 40% of children are stunted, and 14% are underweight due to poverty, food insecurity, and limited healthcare access. Through this program, we are not just providing meals; we are nourishing the minds and bodies of the next generation. We are committed to the fight against malnutrition, ensuring that every child we reach out to is ready to grow, learn, and succeed. In addition to nutritional supplementation, the intervention will incorporate structured nutrition education sessions for caregivers to improve their understanding of child health, nutrition, and hygiene practices. Follow-up evaluation will be conducted at three months for the 3-5-year-old Balwadi children to assess growth and health parameters, ensuring they do not progress to more severe forms of malnutrition. For the 6-14-year-old schoolchildren, anthropometric and anemia screenings will be conducted using non-invasive AI tools at the start and again at the 2-month and 4-month post-intervention,” said Vikas Parchhanda, CEO, of Akshaya Chaitanya.