The quiet and deserving

R. Sundari, from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, has been part of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) for seven years. Involved with the initiatives of the State health department, she has spent her time hand-holding women, children and adolescent girls in the community, and solving their problems. Apart from that, the anganwadi worker is known in the vicinity for her exceptional commitment to promoting innovative projects, running a kitchen garden for the childcare centre and implementing solid waste management.

In a nutshell, Sundari goes far beyond the call of duty. And for that she recently received the honour of being named ‘high-performing community champion’ in the Anganwadi Worker category, across the States that development organisation Plan India works in.

It was three years ago that the Plan India Impact Awards were instituted to honour outreach workers for their dedication, self-motivation and for making the biggest difference in the hinterland.

This year, the scope of the awards was broadened to eight categories and extended to 21 States. The categories include anganwadi worker, accredited social health activist/auxiliary nurse midwife, outreach or frontline worker, community volunteer, youth champions for girls and boys and best child welfare committee.

Apart from Sundari, the ones who received the recognition in a ceremony in the Capital were outreach worker Mohammed Taher from Rangareddy, Telangana; community volunteer Alka Mallapa Gujnal from Pune, Maharashtra; field officer Yogendra Pathak from Agra, Uttar Pradesh; auxiliary nurse midwife Padmabati Naik from Mayurbhanj, Odisha and the Child Welfare Committees from Adilabad, Telangana and Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The Youth Champions were Prafull from Mumbai and Sarathi from East Singhbhum, Jharkhand.

“The idea is to acknowledge the work being done by front-line workers in the interventions we make across the country. Our project partners identify grassroots workers who have done exemplary work. Through independent regional and national jury members the winners are identified. Grant Thornton facilitates the process and ensures transparency,” explains Anuja Bansal, Executive Director of Plan India.

In the coming years Plan India hopes to extend this to other similar organisations and rope in a corporate partner.