Taking care of babies of fishermen

• Baby care centres in coastal villages excel in educating children of fishermen
• 70 such hubs spring up in 11 mandals in East Godavari district
• Volunteers strive to make them a model project to be emulated by others

Kakinada: Baby care centres thrive in cities and even small towns. But the culture has not yet spread to rural areas. However, the fishermen community in coastal villages of East Godavari district replicated the trend in their villages.

The fishermen community have established the baby care centres under the name “Bala Badi” for the sake of their children. As the fishermen venture out into sea everyday to eke out living, the women go out to sell fish. The children are left alone in their homes.

Hitting upon the idea of baby care centres, the fishermen community established as many 70 baby care centres in the 11 mandals. Godavari Mahila Samakhya, formed by the women from the fishermen community, is administrating the affairs of the baby centres. The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) is partly funding the operation of the centres. The funds being provided by the SERP are utilised to pay salaries to teachers in these centres. A visit to some of the baby care centres shows that the children have become adept in learning Telugu and English.

They are reciting English rhymes and Telugu poems effortlessly. The teachers, most of them volunteers, are making all efforts to make the project “Bala Badulu” (schools for children) a success and ensure that the model is emulated by the fishermen communities elsewhere in the State. Children in these centres are provided with breakfast and mid-day meal also.