Hollywood actor Ashley Judd pleased with Odisha’s rich tribal culture

Bhubaneswar: Hollywood actor and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Global Goodwill Ambassador, Ashley Judd on Friday met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and discussed about women empowerment.

She expressed her gratitude to the warm welcome she received from the people of Odisha and at the same time was happy to witness the rich tribal culture and tradition of Odisha and measures taken to protect it.

She appreciated the efforts of the state government for education, health and wellbeing of nearly half the million tribal students studying in residential schools run by the government across the state.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) partners with state government to build life skills amongst young people for informed and safer growing up process, increasing access to information and services for quality sexual and reproductive health services and in promoting value of girl child.

Later, the Hollywood star went around the city and visited adolescent girls, ASHAs and ANMs living in slums of Bhubaneswar.

Girls shared their dreams, aspiration as well as challenges of living in urban slums. They explained how city provides them an opportunity for education, connect them to the urban living and provide exposure to outside world.

Judd spent her time in slums listening to the stories of girls and women and shared her experiences from across the world.

She was particularly interested to understand the work of urban ASHAs who reaches out with information and services for better reproductive and child health services for the urban poor.

The ASHAs explained her about the services they offer and their own experiences of working with the community. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is partnering with Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited for social interventions under Smart City mission where the aim is to reach engage youth in social development process and to be a part of making Bhubaneswar a socially smart city.

The programme reaches to young people in educational and institutions as well as those out of it.