Author: Rakhi Ghosh
Poshan sakhis transform reproductive health in Odisha
Women trained as poshan sakhis, or nutrition friends, advice and help rural women, particularly expectant and lactating mothers, to eat nutritious food and overcome anemia and underweight deliveries
Mobile labs in rural Odisha promote science-based solutions
With a science-based approach learnt from mobile science labs through the audiovisual medium, tribes in Odisha have adapted simple measures that have helped in reducing their health problems
Kapdaganda shawls of Dongria Kondhs in need of revival
Efforts are required to preserve kapdaganda shawls that embody the rich heritage of Dongria Kondh tribes of Niyamgiri. The weaving of kapdaganda could also provide a livelihood for the disadvantaged community
Odisha’s seasonal hostels help curb child migration and child labor
Poor villagers in Odisha’s migration-prone districts, who toil at brick kilns in the southern states for most part of the year, have found some succor in seasonal hostels that educate and nourish their children in a safe haven
Watermelons stem distress migration in Odisha’s hunger belt
Forced to migrate due to poverty and recurrent droughts, and with no better life in faraway brick kilns, farmers in western Odisha have turned to watermelon cultivation, reaping rich benefits
Declining catch forces Chilika fishers to become migrant laborers
A significant fall in fish stock due to environmental and human made reasons, combined with stringent laws aimed at restoration of the Chilika Lake, has forced local fishermen to migrate seasonally in search of work
Kanas villagers make water safe through simple interventions
Water from ponds and tube wells made safe for consumption through simple and easy to maintain solutions have reduced water-borne diseases in coastal Odisha and has enabled village women to utilize the saved time more productively
Widowed by silicosis, women of Odisha village await justice
Young men, who joined a pyrophillite grinding factory dreaming of a better future, succumbed to silicosis, leaving families struggling for survival and justice