Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana: Kishori Mela

The “Kishori Mela” is an initiative under the "Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana (MSPY)" scheme, introduced by the Department of Women & Child Development, Government of Odisha. The initiative aims to make Kishori Diwas more engaging and eventful. Any Saturday in the month of January may be celebrated as “Kishori Mela”, with increased participation and a range of activities for all adolescent girls aged 15 - 19 years.
The key objective of observing Kishori Mela is:

• To reach out to the adolescent girls with varied health & nutrition services.
• Create community level nutrition champions who with proper stimulus and motivation, may be effectively used as protagonists.
• Act as a platform for showcasing the talent of the girls. Their potential needs to be tapped and leveraged for propagating and taking ahead the messages to their own peer groups as well as to key stakeholders.

The following activities may be undertaken during the event:

• Administration of weekly IFA tablet and egg.
• Screening of nutritionally at-risk adolescent girls (BMI checkup).
• Screening for anaemia status (haemoglobin testing).
• Counselling and referrals. The One Stop Centre Counsellors & State Social Welfare Board Counsellors maybe roped in for the purpose alongwith Health Counsellors.
• IEC/SBCC activities through Tiki mausi and Kishori resources.
• Identification of girls & boys for linkage with skill development programmes.
• Cultural Programmes/ Speaking events/ Exhibitions by both adolescent girls & boys.
• Boys & men to be encouraged to come forward, support & participate in the event. This is highly desirable under the Departments initiative of roping in men & boys to come forward to fight against malnutrition (# menstreaming).
• The event shall also be utilized for generation of Aadhaar numbers/ opening of bank accounts/ generation of birth certificates.

1. The beneficiary must be a resident of Odisha.
2. The beneficiary must be an adolescent girl aged between 15 and 19 years.

Offline

Kishori Mela is to be organized at the Gram Panchayat level with participation of all adolescents girl aged between 15 and 19 years, in consultation with the CDPOs and with the participation of all members of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and local representatives.
Kishori Mela is celebrated on any Saturday in the month of January.