The Srisailam region in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, is home to the Chenchu ethnic group, the so-called forest people.
The decline in forest areas in recent years has led to increased displacement and migration of the Chenchu.
Today, this ethnic group is one of the most disadvantaged social communities in Andhra Pradesh.
Many Chenchu suffer from malnutrition, lack of health care and access to education as well as social rejection and discrimination.
Poor families have little access to nutritious food and many families lack knowledge about healthy eating and the link between malnutrition and chronic diseases.
About every third child in the age group of one to five years in Andrha Pradesh is malnourished.
The children often suffer from a lack of protein and calories.
This increases the risk of these children developing life-threatening illnesses.
Many parents work as wage laborers or migrant workers on the plantations of large landowners.
Their meagre wages are often only enough to buy filling rice and spices.
The rice satisfies hunger, but does not provide the necessary nutrients.
In order to stop malnutrition and undernourishment in young children aged 1 to 5 years and to reduce child mortality, health advisors from the Vicente Ferrer Foundation in India buy locally in coordination with the Director of the Health Sector.
As part of the project, the health advisors distribute a boiled egg and bean paste twice a week and a nutritious drink made from ragi powder with jaggery, a type of sugar, to the children six times a week.
The project has a direct impact on the health of the children concerned.
The state of health is improved and the child mortality rate is reduced.
The Karl Bröcker Foundation supports the project financially.
Image source: all photos by Vicente Ferrer Foundation
