The group also surveyed the shops in the area and concluded that, in fact, no healthy options were available there
A few years ago, in a survey conducted by NGO Aga Khan Foundation, a surprising fact came to the fore — more than 50 per cent of the children living in the 700-year-old culturally rich Nizamuddin Basti were malnourished. And it was not because of the lack of food.
"The reason for malnourishment in the area was not hunger as there are many options available. Children get free food from the nearby dargah as well. The problem is the quality of food. Children frequently eat packaged products from outside and skip meals," says Swati Batra, 28, the Foundation's Women Livelihood Coordinator.
The survey was conducted by the Director of the Socio-Economic unit of the Foundation, Jyotsna Lal, along with some students of the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) in Anand, in 2010. The group also surveyed the shops in the area and concluded that, in fact, no healthy options were available there.
Following that, the NGO members organised meetings with local women to find a way to provide healthier options to their kids, and Zaika-e-Nizamuddin was born. A part of Aga Khan Foundation's urban renewal initiative, the kitchen provides low-cost, healthier snacking options to children.
All products at the kitchen are handmade, using age-old recipes from local households. The products are made in small batches of 5kg each to maintain the quality. The group specialises in snacks such as atta-besan laddoo, til-gud laddoo, and nutri-mathri, costing Rs 3-5 each, and Mughlai dishes, such as mutton/chicken kebabs, haleem, korma, etc for bigger events, such as for Iftar during Ramadan.
In 2014, Lal got more students from IRMA to join her in multiple projects catering to the needs of the people in Nizamuddin Basti. There are currently three components under the Women Livelihood Programme — Zaika-e-Nizamuddin, Insha-e-Noor for crafts, and a binding and packaging unit.
"The members have participated in several fairs. Recently, they exhibited their products at the Christmas party organised by the Australian High Commission, and another one at Asia Bazaar. They received a very good response and had good sales," says Harshita Sahni, 29, Early Childhood and Care Development (ECCD) Coordinator with the Aga Khan Foundation. At present, the Zaika-e-Nizamuddin group has nine women members.
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