As many as 1,628 Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers of Ganjam district have enrolled for six-month courses in food nutrition and socio-emotional development of children. IGNOU had signed an agreement with National Health Mission (NHM), Odisha to offer Certificate in Food Nutrition (CFN) and Certificate in Guidance (CIG)  courses to ASHA workers for improving their skills. The ASHA workers are required to opt for one course the fee for which is Rs 1,600. 

NHM has invested around Rs 1 crore to sponsor the admission fee. The CFN programme is a holistic package which provides opportunities to learners to gain knowledge about nutrition and public health. It also enables them to develop skills in communicating nutrition and health-related information to the community.

The ASHA workers will be taught about nutrient content in different food items, needs of the human body in terms of various nutrients at different stages of life and consequences of taking more or wrong types of food. It will also discuss ways of selecting food articles, techniques for processing, cooking and preserving them.

On the other hand, the CIG course caters to the needs of teachers, parents and social workers interested in guiding children aged between five and 11 years for their better learning and socio-emotional development. It is an awareness level programme that focuses on their overall development.  Since some ASHA workers have no formal education, IGNOU has not taken educational qualification as criteria for the course.

Odia will be the medium of teaching and course materials. ASHA workers of Ganjam would attend their weekly classes in two IGNOU centres at Khallikote Autonomous College, Berhampur and  Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja College at Bhanjanagar.  The weekly classes would start from January next year, said Coordinator, IGNOU Centre, Khallikote Autonomous College, Berhampur Dr SN Kundu.