Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - April 2009 - Index

to affect more than 6.5 million
people in Pakistan.
It is a project close to Mannar’s
heart – he designed the
iodized salt testing kit that is
used around the world today.
His family was in the salt
production business in Tuticorin
in Tamil Nadu, India, and
after his Master’s in Chemical
Engineering in the US, Mannar
returned to the family business.
During the off season, during
the rains, Mannar undertook
short assignments for UNICEF.
It was for UNICEF that he designed
the salt testing kit. Then
WHO began sending him on
assignments to Africa and Latin
America.
Mannar has helped develop
iodization programs in more
than 40 countries, including the
highly effective Iodine Deficiency
Disorder program in
China with UNICEF and the
World Bank, and was a driving
force in the development of
salt fortified with both iron and
iodine to help prevent anaemia.
In 1990, when Mannar moved
to Canada, he became a
full-time consultant for UNICEF,
travelling to distant corners of
the globe at short notice.
“There was lot of ‘Go to
Ethiopia tomorrow’,” he says.
“The next week, I’d be needed
in Malaysia.”
In 1992, Mannar moved to
Micronutrient Initiative. Working
at the then fledgling organization
gave him the opportunity to
expand into broader initiatives.
Today, the organization has
several intervention programs
India show that women who
were given iron pick 10 to 20
around the world. In India, it per cent more tea than those
works with the Integrated Child who were iron deficient. They,
Development Scheme in villa- therefore, also earn more. Ecoges
and city slums.
nomists have shown that im-
“In day care centres called proving the health of a popu-
aanganwadis, children learn nurlace can improve the GDP of a
sery rhymes, basic hygiene, etc., country by five per cent.”
and are given a snack. Our
attempt is to make
that snack as nutritious
as possible,”
says Mannar.
Vitamins A and
C, zinc, folic acid,
etc., are provided in
a powdered form
that the aanganwadi
worker mixes with
the snack the children
are given.
The period bet-
Fifty-nine year old Mannar is
ween six to 24 months
• • Venkatesh Mannar at the salt fields
is a critical window
in Nawa in Rajasthan, India
in which to build up resistance married. His wife, Vijaya, is a
and aid mental development. financial analyst, working for an
Seeing that few children that NGO. The Mannars have two
young were being brought to sons. Bhaskara, a PhD in Com-
aanganwadis, Micronutrient puter Science, works in robotics
Initiative reached out to young and artificial intelligence in the US.
mothers, providing powdered Srivatsa, an Economics graduate
nutrients in sachets that they from the UofT, is in Kolkata, org-
can give their children at home. anizing micro health insurance
Micronutrient Initiative is for slum dwellers in Howrah.
also involved in projects around The need to work closely
the globe to fortify staple food, with partners such as UNICEF,
adding nutrients to wheat flour World Bank, WHO, World Food
and cooking oil.
Prog ram, etc., has Mannar
“The flour we get in Canada visiting the US, Rome and Gen-
is fortified with iron, niacin, eva frequently.
thiamin, etc. We want to see, “There is increasing talk of
based on special situations in corporate social responsibility
different countries, that every- and definitely the trend towards
one gets the benefit of an doing more, but our primary
enriched diet,” says Mannar. supporter and donor is CIDA.
“Micronutrients make a They are currently supporting
huge difference at every level. our efforts to revamp the salt
Studies done in tea estates in industry in Pakistan and Afgha-
MICRONUTRIENT INITIATIVE/LUC LAVIOLETTE
nistan.”
Mannar is committed to
seeking solutions to the hidden
hunger in the world.
“I know this problem can be
eliminated in a short time. It’s
doable. In five years, we will see
most countries protected. The
results are visible and tangible.
That’s what drives all of us.
That and the fact that we have
a lot of fun doing what we do.
“For this is a team effort. We
have highly accomplished people
working with us in Delhi,
Islamabad and Dhaka...people
who would otherwise have been
super successful in organizations
such as the United Nations. It
feels good to work with such
motivated people.”
Under Venkatesh Mannar’s
leadership, this international
not-for-profit organization
based in Ottawa has grown to
provide services throughout
Africa, Asia, Latin America and
the Middle East.
Last year alone, MI programs
reached around 500 million
people. – SHAGORIKA E ASWAR