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 Meena Pal
Animator, Shakti Mahila Gram Sangathan, Village Bela Gusisi, Block Rahi
There were many children dying in
this village and in two other villages nearby. So we all
decided to do a survey to find out why. We went to all three
villages, gathered the women together and had meetings.
We asked the women what the population of the village
was and how many men, women and children. In Bela Gusisi,
the population is 474 of which 249 are men and 215
women. In the last five years, 14 children have died in
this village. After we got these figures, we had a
meeting of the Gram Sangathan and chose a Swasthya Sakhi
who now gives us information on health and hygiene.
Whatever has happened earlier has happened, it should
not happen again.
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 Bachna
President, Bhagirathi Swayam Sahayata Samooh and member, Shakti Mahila Gram Sangathan; Swasthya Sakhi, Semara Village
I got training to become a Swasthya
Sakhi a year ago from RGMVP. I tell all the women about
how to keep the house and children clean. I sing songs
and tell them how pregnant women must be looked after –
about diet and inoculation. I tell them how to look
after infants, breast feeding for six months and their
diet. I also tell them that it is important to go to
hospital for delivery – at least 14 to 15 women from our
village have had deliveries in hospital ad got benefit
under the Janani Suraksha scheme.
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 Maimoona
Khatoon
Member, Ali Mahila Swayam Sahayata Samooh, Village
Parsadepur
I have learnt a lot from the samooh.
At first my children used to sick all the time now they
don’t fall sick so often. I practice cleanliness; I get
them to wash their hands after going to the fields, cut
their nails. |
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 Champa
Singh
Member, Jai Ma Durga Swayam Sahayata Samooh, Om Shanti
Gam Sangathan, Bhartiya Mahila Block Sangathan, Swasthya
Sakhi
I have been a Swasthya Sakhi for
two years. I learn about health related information and
go and tell women in my Block and convince them to
follow my advice. One of things that I tell women about
is the use of liquid soap. In the beginning it was
difficult to explain about washing hands with liquid
soap because we use mud or ash to wash our hands with.
But then a few women started using liquid soap because
it is quite cheap. Now all the women in my Block use
liquid soap because they have realised that by using it
their children/family members are no longer getting
diarrhoea or cholera. |
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 Vandana
Dubey
Member,
Laxmi Swayam Sahayata Samooh, Pragati Mahila
Gram Sangathan, Pragati Mahila Block Sangathan, Swasthya
Sakhi
I have been a Swasthya Sakhi for the
last two-and-a-half years. After my training I started
going to villages to tell women about the importance of
cutting nails, cleanliness and washing hands with soap.
They would ask me where they would get money to buy soap
with. I explained that it was far better to spend a
small amount of money for soap than to spend all their
savings when the children fell sick because of lack of
hygiene or cleanliness. This argument worked and now
they have faith in me, they listen to what I say.
The ASHA and the ANM would come to our village
irregularly and when they came they would just vaccinate
the pregnant women and leave. Since I have become
Swasthya Sakhi, I have helped 54-55 women have safe
deliveries in the healthcare centre, and eight families
have gone in for family planning because of my advice.
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