T. Anasuya

ADILABAD: Because she takes care of every child's health and educational needs in her area from even before its birth, makes an anganwadi worker `the mother of all.' The importance of this grassroots level worker in the rural societies can be gauged from the fact that the Government invariably seeks her help while implementing community-oriented programmes.

T. Anasuya, anganwadi worker from Jhari in Talamadugu mandal under the Adilabad Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Project, is one of the five winners of the `Best anganwadi worker' at the State level for last year announced now. A brief interaction with this worker of 13 years' experience revealed the reasons for her bagging the award.

"Samvatsaram-samvatsaram badiki poye pillala sankhya taggutunnadani ma head master garu chepta untaru (our headmaster says every year the number of school-going children is decreasing)," said Anasuya. Propagation and aiding the health department in family planning operations is one of the prime duties of an anganwadi worker.

Rajeshwaramma, the Adilabad Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), says that Anasuya is one of the best motivators in the business. "She is popular with many departments who seek her help in nearby villages too," says Rajeshwaramma and adds that her fluency in Gondi is an added advantage.

The nature of duties of an Anganwadi require her to keep track of all the children between 0 and six years of age. The child leaves the tutelage of this `surrogate mother' only when he or she joins the school at the age of six.

Such a job essentially requires the humbleness of a mother. "Ma ooru ma pani. Maa pillala kosam chyanepadtadi (Our village, our work. We have to work for our children)," is Anasuya's rationale for this job.

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