Positive Change for Better Living

Rajalakshmi is a member in Sigappu Roja Kalanjiam in Poonathamalli Nagar cluster of Sellur Vattara Kalanjiam. She is a Tailor and has her unit at home. Her husband works in a foot mat production unit. They had one daughter and a son. Santhi the health associate approached her for promoting an Adolescent Girls Group (AGG) and enroll her daughter deepa in the group.

I enquired a lot on why the AGG is being promoted and what it envisaged to do with her daughter and other poor girls. As the health associate narrated various activities and intervention of the AGG. The associate told that information on girls health will be educated along with the need to take greens and vegetables. Though I know the importance of green and vegetable my daughter does not take any vegetables in food this kindled my interest in promoting the AGG. My daughter had eye problem and used to wear specs and I thought that this due to her poor vegetable intake.

This Nithiya Kalyani AGG was formed in the Poonthamalli cluster of SVK. To know more I also used to participate in the AGG meetings regularly. From the health orientation session in the AGG, I came to know the negative impacts of consuming tea and Coffee. Realizing that there cannot be acceptable practice and a good practice, we at home stopped drinking tea or coffee. Now we either take plain water or milk. Earlier my daughter used to take 4 teas a day now she cropped taking tea and advice other about its ill effects. The participation in AGG had brought lot of health seeking behavior change in her daughter like using chapels whenever moving out of home, cleaning with soap hands and toes after each natures call, consuming iron rich vegetables and avoiding iron inhibiting in takes like tea, coffee. Now she keen on her personal hygiene. The peer process in the AGG were girls used to talk about the vegetables and greens they had taken started having influence on her, now my daughter realized the need for green & vegetables intake and started taking vegetables especially vegetable like bitterguard and greens.