Health & Well-being
Healthy children learn better and live better. YMWS health programs nurture good habits, physical and mental strength.
Hygiene for Growing Minds
Daily hand-washing and brushing routines teach children healthy habits. Schools have separate stations and toilets for boys and girls, with demonstrations and songs to reinforce hygiene.
Water – Essence of Life
YMWS, with the support of Irish Aid, Femi, Holland, and Exide Industries, installed 160 tube wells across 136 villages to provide access to clean drinking water. Availability of safe drinking water has significantly reduced water-borne illnesses and supported improved school attendance. Access to clean water has also contributed to better child health, promoted gender equality, and strengthened overall community wellbeing.
Health Check-ups
Village surveys revealed that many families lacked knowledge about proper nutrition. Children faced undernutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and, in some cases, obesity and dental issues due to poor diets. Annual health check-ups help identify and treat problems like coughs, iron deficiency, worm infestations, headaches, and dental caries, supporting children’s overall health and growth.
Fitness
Rural children improve focus, concentration, and social skills through annual physical training camps and meditation. In partnership with Flinders University, Australian trainers worked with students at Khelaghar and Young Horizons schools using the ‘Game Sense’ approach. Small games teach observation, concentration, and improvisation. The program combines exercise, mind-body balance, and cross-cultural learning.
Mobile Medical Vans
Between 1982 and 1996, YMWS partnered with Indian Oxygen to run two mobile health vans in rural South Bengal. Each van, staffed with a doctor, nurse, and compounder, brought care to mothers and children. Hundreds of thousands benefited over 16 years. The project was inaugurated by West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Sri Jyoti Basu.
Breakfast in School
YMWS runs a breakfast program at Khelaghar schools since 2015 and an evening snack program at Diksha since 2017. Each child receives a glass of milk and either an egg or a banana on alternate days, five days a week. This provides around 50% of the daily requirement of vitamins A and D, calcium, iron, and folic acid. The program improves health, supports learning, and helps keep children in school.
