The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, in the year 2000, came up with a scheme called Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY), which was implemented using the infrastructure of the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS). The objective of this scheme was to improve the nutrition and health status of girls in the agegroup of 11 to 18 years, to equip them to improve and upgrade their homebased and vocational skills, and to promote their overall development, including awareness about their health, personal hygiene, nutrition and family welfare and management. Thereafter, the Nutrition Programme for Adolescent Girls (NPAG) was initiated as a pilot project in the year 2002-03 in 51 identified districts across the country to address the problem of under nutrition among AGs(Adolescent Girls).
Under this programme, 6 kg of free food grain per beneficiary per month was given to undernourished AGs. Though both these schemes have influenced the lives of AGs to an extent, but have not shown the desired impact. Moreover, the extent of financial assistance and coverage under them has been limited and they both had similar interventions and catered to more or less similar target groups. Therefore, a new comprehensive scheme, called Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls or SABLA, merging the erstwhile KSY and NPAG schemes has been formulated to address the multi dimensional problems of AGs. SABLA will be implemented initially in 200 districts selected across the country, using the platform of ICDS. In these districts, RGSEAG will replace KSY and NPAG. In rest of the districts, KSY would continue as before.
OBJECTIVES OF THIS SCHEME:
The objectives of the scheme are to:
- enable self development and empowerment of AGs(Adolescent Girls);
- improve their nutrition and health status;
- spread awareness among them about health, hygiene, nutrition, Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH), and family and child care;
- upgrade their home based skills, life skills and vocational skills;
- mainstream out of school AGs into formal/non formal education; and
- inform and guide them about existing public services, such as PHC, CHC, Post Office, Bank, Police Station, etc.
FOR WHOM THIS SCHEME IS FOR?
The scheme aims at covering AGs in the age group of 11 to 18 years under all ICDS projects in selected 200 districts across India on pilot. Keeping in view the need of different ages and in order to give age‐appropriate attention for certain components of ARSH and family matters, the target group may be subdivided into two categories, viz., 11-14 and 15-18 years. Interventions on health and personal hygiene, etc. would have to be planned accordingly.
The scheme focuses on all out-of-school AGs, who would assemble at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) as per timetable and frequency to be decided by the State Governments /UTs concerned. The others, i.e., school-going girls, would meet at the AWC at least twice a month, and more frequently (once a week) during
vacations/holidays. Here they will receive life skills education, nutrition and health education, awareness about socio-legal issues, etc. This will provide an opportunity for mixed group interaction between school-going and out-of-school girls, motivating the latter to also join school and help the school going to receive the life skills.
MODALITIES OF THE SCHEME
Formation of Kishori Samooh
‘Kishori Samooh’ (KS) will be a group of average 15 to 25 AGs from the village/area of the AWC and will be formed at the AWC level. In case there are less than 15 AGs, Kishori Samooh can still be formed. Kishori Samooh will not be formed if there are less than 7 AGs in the area of the AWC in which case, the benefits of the Scheme may be given to these AGs without nominating sakhi and saheli. The AGs will select three leaders of their choice for a year from within the KS. In this selection, they may be guided by the AWW and, wherever possible, a school teacher from the village. Selection may be based on age, education level, maturity, willingness of the girl and her acceptability within the group.
These girls will be called ‘Sakhi’ (one girl) and ‘Saheli’(two girls), which in English mean ‘friend’. As far as possible, the Sakhi and Sahelis may be selected from among the out of school girls. One of these girls will be Sakhi, i.e., peer monitor. Each of the three selected girl will have a term of four months as Sakhi, on rotation basis, while the remaining two will function as Sahelis assisting Sakhi. Thus, each Kishori Samooh will be headed by Sakhi, assisted by two Sahelis. Sakhi and Sahelis will serve the group for a period of one year, after which a fresh selection would be made. Names of Sakhi and Sahelis may be displayed on the wall of AWC and, if possible, on the school wall.
The concept of Sakhi and Saheli is meant to serve several purposes: development of leadership abilities, team spirit, motivation to be the next Sakhi and Saheli, understanding democracy at a very fundamental level, and providing information and guidance to peers.
The identified girls, i.e., Sakhi and Sahelis, will be imparted training as per prescribed module at the project or sector level to serve as peer monitors for KS. Sakhi and Sahelis are to participate in regular activities of AWC, like providing pre school education and supplementary nutrition, growth monitoring, etc. They may also accompany the AWW for home visits, which will serve as training ground for future.
State Governments /UTs may decide to give a certificate to Sakhi and Sahelis upon completion of their term of work. This will motivate the AGs to take on a leadership role.
Kishori Diwas
Kishori Diwas will be a special health day, celebrated once in three months on a fixed day, as decided by the State Governments /UTs. On this day, the AWWs with the help of health functionaries, including Medical Officer, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), will mobilize AGs and their families, especially mothers, to assemble at the AWC. For better coordination, the State Governments /UTs may choose to combine Kishori Diwas with the corresponding month’s Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND). However, care should be taken that .the overall aim of the Kishori Diwas is not lost and that it is not overshadowed by the VHND.
State Governments / UTs must ensure coordination and convergence with respective Health Departments so that Health personnel specially the Medical Officers are present on Kishori Diwas. On Kishori Diwas, AGs and their families will be able to interact freely with ICDS and health personnel to obtain basic services and information.
The ICDS and health functionaries will be responsible for educating AGs and their families about the preventive and promotive aspects of nutrition and healthcare, for encouraging them to adopt healthy behaviour as well as seeking healthcare from proper healthcare facilities. Village Health and Sanitation Committees (VHSCs), comprising ASHA, AWW, ANM and PRI representatives, should be involved in organizing the event. Adequate publicity of Kishori Diwas should be ensured to maximise participation.
On Kishori Diwas, the following services are to be provided:
- General health check up, including recording of height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) for all AGs, by the Medical Officer / ANM
- Filling up of Kishori Cards for every AG, marking major milestones
- Referral to specialized healthcare facilities, as required specially for conditions like malnutrition (BMI < 18.5), menstrual problems, frequent headaches, prolonged acne, worm infestation, etc.
- Organising of special health camps
- Providing nutrition and health education
- Demonstration of preparing nutritious recipes(FNB may be involved for these)
- Holding counselling / behaviour change communication (BCC) sessions with AGs and their families for promoting good practices
- Imparting information, education and communication (IEC) to community, parents, siblings etc.
- Mobile Health Units (where existing) may be utilised.
Kishori Card
A card for each AG to be called “Kishori Card”, will be maintained at the AWC. This will contain information regarding the weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI) , Iron Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, referrals and services received under Sabla. The card will also contain important milestones in the girl’s life like joining school, leaving school, marriage, etc. which will be marked as and when they are achieved. AWW will help the girls in maintenance of Kishori Cards. Sakhi and Sahelis will assist the AGs in filling up the Kishori Cards, after which the AWW will countersign it.
Timetable for Implementation
Activities may be planned for AGs for two hours per day for three days in a week at the AWC, or at any other place where alternative arrangements may be made. AGs must be provided non nutrition services for a minimum of 5-6 hours per week.
The timings and days would be decided by the State Government /UT concerned, keeping the following in view:
(a) The timings for providing services under ICDS Scheme, so that its implementation is not adversely impacted. Time coordination may be done between the ICDS and Sabla Scheme in such a manner that the timings for activities for AGs may not overlap with or impinge upon ICDS timings.
(b) Availability of AWW/AWH and resource persons on these days
(c) Convenience of AGs for coming to the sessions
(d) Suitability of the location where the sessions are to be held, if other than AWC
For conducting sessions on different issues, a day-wise timetable must be drawn for AWCs by the CDPO in consultation with Supervisor and AWW. The venue, days and themes for sessions as fixed must be made known to the AGs so that they are made aware about it. The interventions may be divided into two groups of 11‐14 and 15‐18, with age‐specific inputs. These sessions will be conducted by resource persons, who could be drawn from among NGOs, CBOs, SHGs, field trainers, local artisans, etc. The sessions would be facilitated by the CDPO and the Supervisor and aided by AWW/ASHA/ANM. Field units of Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) may also be involved. Sakhi and Saheli would assist in organization of groups for these sessions.
Mixed group interactions for school-going and out-of-school AGs would be held twice a month when schools are working, and more frequently during school vacations (once a week, i.e 4 times a month). Timings and days for these interactions may be decided by the State Governments /UTs concerned taking into consideration various factors relating to the availability of school-going AGs, like school timings, examinations, etc.
Stories, games, group discussions, etc. could be carried out as activities during the sessions. School teachers may be called to address AGs on these days to inspire and motivate out-of-school girls so that they willingly enrol in school. This, along with the activities and interactions with school-going AGs, would provide plentiful motivation to the out-of-school AGs to join mainstream education, like their peers. It would help school-going AGs understand about public services, life skills, etc.
Location
ICDS infrastructure will be used for implementation of SABLA. AWC will be the focal point for delivery of services under the scheme. Where infrastructure and facilities like appropriate space, toilet, drinking water, etc at the AWC are not adequate, the scheme may be implemented using alternate arrangements like at the school building, panchayat building, community building, etc., with space earmarked for the purpose. In case of non-availability or non-suitability of the AWC, a mapping exercise to identify a suitable location for holding sessions for AGs may be carried out by the ICDS Supervisor.
For this, the DPO / CDPO may take support from panchayat members. The infrastructure and facilities must include adequate space for conducting activities of the group, functional toilets, drinking water, etc.
Services under the Scheme
There are two major components under the Scheme - Nutrition Component and Non Nutrition Component as under:
i) Nutrition Component:
11‐14 years AGs : Out of school girls
14 ‐18 years AGs : All girls
ii) Non Nutrition Component
For Out of school AGs :
a)11‐18 years
‐ Nutrition provision,
‐ IFA supplementation,
‐ Health check‐up and Referral services,
‐ Nutrition & Health Education (NHE),
‐ Counseling/Guidance on family welfare, ARSH, child care practices,
‐ Life Skill Education and accessing public services
b)16‐18Years
‐ Vocational training under National Skill Development Program (NSDP)
For school going AGs of 11‐18 years, the services at ii) a) will be provided twice a
month in school days and four times a month in vacations.
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