As part of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) has launched an awareness campaign titled #JungAgainstJunk. As part of this campaign, the NGO will be conducting several awareness drives and partnering with local Ganesh pandals across Mumbai. Focusing on the importance of a nutritious diet and ill effects of junk food in order to promote healthy dietary habits among adolescents. The NGO is planning to reach around 7,500 families throughout the festivities in various communities across Mumbai and Thane.
The NGO has currently partnered with more than 12 Ganesh Mandals in Dharavi, Kandivali and Kalwa to maximize its outreach, along with community-based neighborhood schools in M East ward of Mumbai and in Wadala. SNEHA volunteers will be conducting street plays and presenting several nutrition facts in the vicinity for visiting devotees. The NGO will also be focusing on highlighting the ill effects of eating junk food during these festivities as part of its drive. Speaking on the campaign, Dr. Rama Shyam, Programme Director, SNEHA said, “In a recent survey that we had conducted, we found that 59% of adolescents had inadequate dietary diversity. We found that while consumption of food grains and pulses were high, consumption of leafy green vegetables was low comparatively. Thus, this festival is an opportune time for us to reach out to the community and highlight upon the importance of a healthy diet. Through our partnership with the Ganesh Mandals, public-primary health posts for iron and folic acid supplementation, coupled with health and nutrition education and our on-ground activities with parents and community stakeholders, we are confident to reach several community members of different age groups. We strongly encourage celebrating our vibrant festivals in a happy and healthy manner.”
Aside from its partnerships with the Ganesh festivity organizers, SNEHA NGO is also planning to conduct street plays in local markets, activities and games to talk about nutritious food and door-to-door campaigns to reach community members.In a survey titled EHSAS (Empowerment, Health & Sexuality of Adolescents) Endline Report (2021-23) released by the NGO recently, it found that the number of underweight adolescents reduced from 34% to 31%. The report also highlighted that knowledge about anaemia improved from 20% to 79%. The NGO is aiming to ramp up its efforts in bringing down malnutrition and further improving knowledge with regards to healthy dietary practices among adolescents.
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