- Mobile nurseries
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Mobile Crèches or Mobile Nurseries is an Indian NGO founded to address a widespread lack of access to education and health that children at construction sites face. The first "Mobile Crèche" was established in 1969 by its founder Meera Mahadevan when she witnessed the plight of “neglected children… on the site of the Gandhi Centenary Exhibition, in Delhi".[1] Mahadevan believes that with parents away at work, “young children suffer neglect” while “older ones bear the responsibility of adult chores”, resulting in a situation where the basic needs of migrant children are unmet.
With a mission of ensuring these needs are met, Mobile Crèches has since expanded its operation to 21 day care centres and currently serves over 6000 children a year at construction sites across Delhi, Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and Gurgaon (Haryana). It has also grown beyond its original mission of providing childcare services to include building "platforms for lobbying for all marginalized young children".[2] To date, Mobile Crèches has reached out to 650,000 children, trained 6000 childcare workers and run 600 daycare centres.[3]
Mobile Crèches’ Initiatives and Programs
In the area of nutrition and healthcare, because children exposed to malnourishment and poor hygiene are vulnerable to, among other everyday ailments, diseases such as diarrhoea, respiratory diseases, boils and worms, Mobile Crèches has implemented a healthcare programme consisting of prevention, cure and rehabilitation to improve the health of its charges.
For instance, because the first 2 years of the child’s admittance to Mobile Crèches is critical to keeping malnutrition at bay, nutrition is provided by its centres 3 times a day, with each meal consisting of 500 calories. Other initiatives include raising awareness of breastfeeding, directing families to immunization, monitoring children/mothers’ weekly doctor visits, and having referrals for eye care, dental treatment, and other ailments. To date, Mobile Crèches has conducted health checkups on 5705 children and immunized 3889 children for BCG, measles, DPT, DT and TT.[4]
In the area of education, Mobile Crèches believes that in order to equip the child for life, learning should start at birth and continue through pre-school and formal schooling. More importantly, it views formal education as the long term solution to escaping poverty by providing children with better earning opportunities and thus, it remains steadfast in helping children achieve that goal.[5]
As such, children at its childcare centres first undergo age appropriate learning where interactive play such as songs, games, puppets and stories to aid social, cognitive, and motor development. Later, rudimentary forms of readings and math are also taught to prepare for their transition into formal schooling.[6] And to support the child’s formal education, Mobile Crèches awards monetary aid to its students as well as provide them with emotional support.[7] of India.
References
- ^ "History". Mobile Crèches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/history.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Mobile Crèches". IndianNGOs.com. http://www.indianngos.com/recommendedngos/mobilecreches.asp. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Mobile Crèches Snapshot". Mobile Crèches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/about.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Children:Nutrition and Healthcare". Mobile Crèches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_health.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Children: School Admission and Support". Mobile Crèches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_admission.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Children: Age-appropriate Learning". Mobile Crèches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_age.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- ^ "Children: School Admission and Support". Mobile Crèches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_admission.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- Bibliography
- "History". Mobile Creches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/history.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Mobile Creches". IndianNGOs.com. http://www.indianngos.com/recommendedngos/mobilecreches.asp. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Mobile Creches Snapshot". Mobile Creches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/about.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Children:Nutrition and Healthcare". Mobile Creches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_health.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Children: School Admission and Support". Mobile Creches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_admission.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Children: Age-appropriate Learning". Mobile Creches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_age.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
- "Children: School Admission and Support". Mobile Creches. http://www.mobilecreches.org/children_admission.htm. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
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- Health care companies of India
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