Bhubaneswar, Nov 14 (FN Bureau) The first thousand days of a child are a time of tremendous potential and enormous vulnerability as this time has a profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn and thrive.This is because the first 1,000 days are when a child’s brain begins to grow and develop and when the foundations for their lifelong health are built. On this auspicious Children’s Day, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha Mr. Naveen Patnaik in his message wished the children and said that children are the source of strength and progress of the country. If children are provided with the right education, health care and environment from infancy, they can become great citizens. Following the direction of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, the Women and Child Development Department has officially launched the “AamKunipila” program today itself on this Children’s Day.
“AamaKuniPilaa” is a campaign to institutionalize home based care and stimulation of children less than three years of age through concrete intervention on home based parent led early stimulation program for their brain development through men-streaming care givers capacity building, low cost toy making by parents. The major components of this programme are sensitizing the parents and care givers on importance of early years, involvement of father & male care givers through men-streaming, engage young children with low cost contextual and child friendly toys by the parents & care givers , facilitate love, talk, touch & play through toys, stories and interactive talk and activity with children less than three by the Anganwadi worker and campaign grounding and effective implementation facilitate through appropriate parent & care giver friendly social behavior communication programme (SBCC). The “AamaKuniPilaa” activity is envisaged to promote parent led home based joyful child friendly learning by creating early stimulating environment. Various IEC materials include Mo Bikash Patra, KuniCalendarAamaKuniPilaa Flip Book,SukhadaLalanaPalana hand book & Aama Kuni Pilaa Toy kit are developed to support & strengthen the AamaKuniPilaaprogramme activities.