Bhopal, Jan 7 PM POSHAN, a central government scheme running under the Ministry of Education, was launched with an objective to provide hot cooked meals to the children studying in government as well as government-aided schools across the country, aiming to cover all eligible children pertaining to the lower strata.
The program sought to address hunger and education and improve the nutritional index of all these children, mandating that the children be provided with at least one portion of hot cooked meals in primary schools, from classes 1 to 8.
The scheme is reaping benefits not just in improving children’s health but also leading to women's empowerment by providing them with employment.
In Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, the story of women empowerment is hogging attention because of the scale of employment opportunities being generated for the local women residents – eventually paving the way for their self-reliance.
More than 1500 women self-help groups (SHGs) are working in the district, which in turn have employed approximately 3,800 women who are now engaged as cooks in various govt-run and government-aided schools.
In one such govt school of Sahajpur under Tendukheda development block, women from the Lakshmi Self-Help Group (SHG) have been preparing clean, nutritious, and timely meals for the children for many years.
A couple of women cooks shared their transformational story with IANS.
Premrani Gond said, “I have been cooking and serving food to children in this school for the past 35 years. Earlier, we used to get Rs 400 per month, but now we get Rs 4000 per month. This has improved our financial situation. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Another cook named Shobha Rani Tehanguria said, “Since the SHGs got the contract, we no longer have to go outside the village for work. We are getting employment within the village itself.”
Sunita Gond told IANS that she and fellow villagers are benefiting from PM POSHAN.
“People left for other cities in search of work. But now, women are finding employment within the village itself, which has empowered us and brought happiness to our homes,” she said.
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