In August 2013, our Community Correspondent Reena Devi, from the Katihar district of Bihar, reported on the fate of a community in Bihar, which had been poorly attended to by its Anganwadi worker. This caused a disruption in the lives of the villagers who depend upon the Anganwadi for the provision of essential rations and, more importantly, for the care and education of their children.
Armed with the documented report, Reena Devi — along with her husband and a member of the ward, Uma Devi — went to the Block office and met the concerned authority to demand a solution for their problems. Exactly 3 months after this incident, on the 22nd of November 2013, Anganwadi supervisors distributed nutritious food packets enriched with vitamins amongst the women of the Mushahari area. In addition to this, the Anganwadi is close to completing the construction of a new school building. This will ensure that the children have a safe place to learn. The villagers are overjoyed that their issues have now been addressed and are glad to know that the new-found efficiency of the Anganwadi will remain a continuous effort.
While it is common to accept the Administration's failings as something we must learn to live with, Reena Devi has shown us the power that a lone woman wielding recording camera can hold.
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