Other Events of the Quarter    

Dr. Moreno Toldo visits CINI: On 14^th October 2025, Dr. Moreno Toldo and his associates from Kiran Society, Varanasi, along with Daktarbabu, visited urban field sites to observe the implementation of CINI’s “First 1000 Days” health and nutrition program at Urban slums of Kolkata. The visit focused on understanding how CINI monitors child nutrition and promotes home-based newborn care.

Staff Training on IEC materials & Community Mobilization games: A three-day Staff Capacity Building Programme was organised on IEC Materials and Community Mobilization Games from 29th to 31st October 2025 at the CINI Training Unit. The training aimed to strengthen in the effective use of IEC materials and community mobilization games as tools for behaviour change communication.

Community Engagement programme: Community engagement gained strong momentum during December with impactful events conducted in Village Mohan (9 December 2025) and Bhilwadiya, Madhya Pradesh (26 December 2025). These events successfully engaged adolescents, teachers, and community stakeholders through creative activities, drawing competitions, and awareness sessions on gender equality, education, and digital awareness. The integration of New Year celebrations with thematic messaging helped foster a positive, inclusive, and encouraging environment for adolescents, reinforcing community ownership of CINI-RISE program values.

From isolation to inclusion: Many firsts at Jilingsereng:

Jilingsereng, a remote tribal village in Baghmundi Block of Purulia, has long remained isolated due to its difficult terrain and lack of basic services. Malati Murmu, a local woman leader, took a bold step by starting a small school on her own land, which later became a focal point for community development.

Under the Rural Health & Nutrition Project supported by the Axis Bank Foundation, CINI initiated targeted interventions in the village with Malati as a key community champion. On 17 September 2025, the village witnessed its first-ever Malnutrition Screening and Nutrition Demonstration Camp, and on 16 December 2025, the first Medical Health Camp where children were assessed, mothers learned to prepare nutritious meals using local foods, services included NCD screening, ANC and PNC check-ups, and health counselling.

Mobile Van: Expanded Field Operations: A total of 69 mobile health camps were organized across diverse locations, scaling up monthly operations from 20 camps in October to 26 camps by December. Significant Patient Reach: The initiative successfully provided healthcare access to a total of 7,429 beneficiaries across the quarter, with patient coverage steadily increasing from 2,146 in October to 2,794 in December.

Exploring Science, Expanding Dreams: Educational Trip to Birla Industrial and Technological Museum: On the occasion of the Children’s Day and as part of Child Rights Week 2025, a one-day educational exposure visit was organised to the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum under the Badhte Kadam project supported by Khadim India Limited. A total of 27 children from Classes 6 to 9 participated in the trip.

Cancer Screening Camp at Kolkata : On National Cancer Screening Awareness Day, a Cancer Screening Camp focusing on breast and cervical cancer screening in collaboration with Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI). Early screening plays a vital role in reducing cancer-related morbidity and mortality, enabling timely diagnosis, treatment, and better health outcomes.  A total of 23 community members from 8 wards of Borough VI and VII, and 1 HHW from ward 65 and 59 staff, took part in this important initiative aimed at promoting early detection and prevention of cancer.

Bringing back ‘Jatra’ – The Folk Theatre of Bengal as tool for social and behaviour change: –  In rural Bengal, Jatra Pala has traditionally been a powerful medium of communication, blending music, drama, and emotion to reach communities in an engaging and familiar way. Recognizing its potential for Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), Child in Need Institute (CINI), with support from the Axis Bank Foundation, revived Jatra as a tool to address critical social issues in Pardi village of Bagmundi Block, Purulia a remote tribal area facing challenges such as early marriage, teenage pregnancy, malnutrition, and limited access to health services.

Instead of mythological stories, the Jatra performance focused on real-life issues including girls’ education, prevention of early marriage and teenage pregnancy, delaying pregnancy, and positive health-seeking behaviour. The performance, titled “Putuler Haate Sindur,” drew strong community participation, with women, children, men, Panchayat representatives, ASHA workers, and local administration attending under the open sky.

Global Handwashing Day: To mark “Global Handwashing Day 2025,” a series of awareness activities were successfully conducted at different High Madrasas and community locations in Uttar Dinajpur. The initiative aimed to highlight the importance of frequent & proper hand washing as a simple yet powerful practice to maintain personal hygiene and prevent the spread of diseases. The program commenced with a brief discussion on the significance of hand hygiene, emphasizing how regular hand washing with soap can save lives and contribute to healthier communities. Arogya Nodal Teachers and members of the Schools Health Club facilitated informative sessions highlighting this year’s theme, “Be a Handwashing Hero!,” and explained the critical role of handwashing in disease prevention.