Safe Kids Foundation implements a program ‘Healthy Habits Healthy Kids’ in collaboration with the Integrated Child Development Schemes (ICDS) and provides fortified nutrition supplement and hygiene education to children from the Anganwadies in the Saphale Village, Palghar. The fortified supplementary nutritious food is a packed tasty snack for children which provides for daily nourishment and has a long shelf life. The snack is FDA approved and has been well tested before use. Undernourished children often have bouts of diarrhea and other infections. The program also provides hygiene education through the Anganwadies to children and families and provides hygiene kits to children every month. The program Healthy Habits Healthy Kids also provides information and education about general and menstrual hygiene, hygiene during puberty and nutrition to school children from 1st to 9th grades. The hygiene during breastfeeding and post partum is equally important, information is provided to women in the health posts every week, during the OPD days when they visit for follow-ups.

Due to the covid-19 pandemic the program has been highlighted a lot by the local authorities as the oral hygiene, hand washing and information to families on prevention of Covid-19 has gained importance. The pandemic has provided an opportunity to look at health systems differently and also for non-government organizations to work very closely with the village as an integrated whole to react to and act on issues pertaining to women and child health and to look at issues related to the child health and development holistically. Safe Kids Foundation proposes the program as given below to eradicate undernourishment among children in Palghar district with an emphasis on girls, mothers and families.

Mission:- No child dies of malnutrition and poor hygiene

• Hygiene and Nutirition programs are conducted with women, families, communities and children.
• Supplementary nutritious food is provided which gives children their daily nourishment
• The program is implemented in collaboration with the ICDS.
• Low cost intervention.
• Hygiene kits are distributed to children every month, which contains, mask, oil, shampoo, soap, napkin, nail trimmers, comb, etc.to reinforce hygiene habits.
• The program covers information on personal hygiene, handwashing, and corona prevention and care, which is the most needed during this corona pandemic.
• Program can be conducted virtually with teachers and helpers, they are smart and pick up new topics very well.
• A comprehensive network of teachers and anganwadis make it easy to implement the programs in this region.
• The program is cost effective and has a very good impact on children, women and adolescent.