CSR Initiative in Barmer, Rajasthan brings back the smiles

Pawni Devi, a 30-year old mother from Barmer district in Rajasthan, was convinced that she was cursed. The elders in the family blamed Pawni’s status for the numerous calamities in the family, the most predominant being the cases of infant mortality. She was anxious and overwrought with her latest pregnancy.

Pawni belongs to a socially backward and remote area, devoid of elementary education of health care and completely void of basic facilities and amenities. The situation is exacerbated by age old traditions, limited access and exposure to the outside world, early marriages and consequentially immediate and frequent pregnancy which are predominant in this economically weak section of society.

The volunteer of the Child Maternal Health programme, a CSR initiative by Cairn India, Bhavar Singh interacted with Pawani and her husband and educated them on the perils and dangers of poor health and hygiene and stressed on the importance of regular pre and post natal checks. Simple health interventions, including vaccinations to reduce infant mortality, convinced the uneducated couple to pay heed to the advice given. The results of these initiatives were tangible and sustainable.

Today, Pawni Devi is a confident villager is firm in her belief, that her third child is healthy, consequent to her regular visits to the maternal health clinic.

She is just one example of of the tangible and sustainable changes on the increasing health awareness which has led to healthier outcomes for families under the Cairn India initiative.

The Cairn CSR team worked with Panchayat leaders (local governing bodies), community organizations and health workers to improve the reproductive health of adults, adolescents and transient workers and truckers in 32 villages throughout Barmer state.

Numerous capacity building workshops were held to strengthen reproductive health service delivery in the Balmer district.

The Child Maternal and Health Awareness Initiative deployed several strategies in order to educate the masses. Health volunteers traversed through 32 villages and reached out to more than 7,500 adults with familiarization on reproductive health, including maternal and child health, and provided referrals to clinics that provided care. An additional 17,500 people were reached through health fairs.

To reach transient workers and truckers, who have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region due to high-risk sexual behaviour, the program trained peer educators who counselled more than 7,400 individuals at truck stops. The project resulted in a decrease in incidences of sexually transmitted infections.

The programme also trained auxiliary nurse midwives on best practices to ensure safe deliveries, and worked with Panchayat leaders on the importance of the services provided and mandated by Indian law.

One of the many positive results of the initiative was the increase in awareness among community members reached with health information, and improved access to health services.

As one village male elder said, “Earlier, it was considered very shameful if a man took his wife to the hospital. Now, times are changing and husbands are now taking their wives to the hospital,” he said. Today, “if they don’t take their wives to the hospital it is considered shameful,” he said.