Anganwadis spawn a different kind of revolution
Can tittering toddlers spawn a 'revolution'? Step into the anganwadis (daycare centres for kids) in and around Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district and see it for yourself. At an anganwadi at Moolabhagam village, a group of children sing English and Malayalam nursery rhymes much to the amusement of young tourists from England, A level students at the Lincoln School of Science and Technology in London accompanied by their two teachers. As the kids stop, it is the turn of the visitors to entertain them with some rhymes of their own. It is followed by an interaction with 'the guests and the hosts', aided by the anganwadi teacher. The tourists go back impressed, after showering the kids with gifts.
Such interactions have become com-mon thanks to the initiative of an innovative tourism project called Lullaby, conceived by Kerala Travels Interserve Ltd, a Thiruvananthapuram-based travel agency. "The project is based on the premise that the local people determine the ambiance of a place and the experience it provides," said K.C. Chandrahasan, managing director of KTIL. "It is a merger of community development and socially-relevant tourism. The local people matter the most and it should be around them that tourism initiatives be developed."
The children, and the women who look after them, are at the centre of this revolution. The involvement of the anganwadi teachers in a health survey conducted by the NGO Health Action by People led to the novel enterprise. With the NGO unable to pay honorarium to the teacher-volunteers, its director Dr C.R. Soman requested Chandrahasan to help him out. During his visits to the anganwadis and based on his interaction with the local people, Chandrahasan, who has promoted several tourism initiatives like the Periyar Tiger Trail, conceived the project. He realised that the 141 anganwadis in Varkala, which cater to 3,000 children, lacked proper facilities.
Chandrahasan formed an NGO, Pro-Child, and gave 150ml of milk to each child three times a week. Unemployed youth in the locality were assigned the task of supplying milk and vegetables to the anganwadis. The panchayats soon pitched in and the children started getting milk on six days. All children in the Varkala Integrated Child Development Scheme (under which the anganwadis come) were given uniforms as well. "Wearing uniform boosted the self-esteem of the children and the attendance in the anganwadis has gone up," said Shailaja Kumari, child development officer at ICDS.
Software giant Infosys has started arming the anganwadis with computers. There is also good news for those anganwadis without proper buildings. Varkala municipality and surrounding villages have prospered as well. Local people are being trained in tailoring and embroidery work and organic farming so that they could also reap the benefits of the booming tourism sector. "The people have realised that they could benefit from tourism without their lives and culture suffering," said Suresh Kumar, project coordinator of Lullaby. Tourists have been asked to avoid alcohol and skimpy clothes while visiting anganwadis. If you can get drunk on culture, who needs alcohol?