Wednesday 30th April 2008, 21:56Three Women Improving Peoples LivesThree Women Improving Peoples Lives
A few weeks ago I had the honour of being able to travel to Rajgarh which is in the Rajasthan region of India. Sidharth Misra and I had been invited to visit the Mittal Community Centre and meet the team who have set up this centre to deliver services to the community of Rajgarh. Our host was Mr. Vishwanath the Secretary of the , Gita Mittal Foundation..
The Mittal Community Centre is committed to making an impact on the Millennium Development Goals. In particular I was shown a project that is reducing infant mortality rates and reducing maternal mortality rates. The Mittal Community Centre not only provides a wide range of community services but is also focused on making a difference on these strategic Millennium Development Goals.
The centre is amazing, a high quality specification with world class facilities. The centre provides community programmes, skills training, enterprise development, cultural programmes, gymnasium, IT and language training, residential facilities and is a much valued local asset.
As part of the tour I was taken to a local village with a population of approximately 800 people. We were shown the rain water harvesting project which supplies the village with year round water. We saw the school and met local people who were proud to show us their village. I was struck by the warmth and generosity of the villagers who made us drinks and offered us their food.
The highlight of this trip to the village was the opportunity to meet three women who have recently undergone an intensive two week medical training course at the Mittal Community Centre. This course focused on giving the women basic midwifery skills and knowledge. After two weeks training and education from medical professionals in the Mittal Community Centre they return to their village where they undertake to provide local midwifery service to women who are often too far from the local hospital to be able to make the journey, particularly at the time of delivery. The women make weekly visits to the pregnant villagers in their care, testing and reporting back to the hospital on all women in the programme. In the event of any concerns from the hospital the Local Midwives can be advised to dispense drugs and particular care. The midwife will usually deliver the baby in the village (one of the midwives was very proud to tell me she had delivered 10 beautiful babies since completing her course last year!) and then offer 42 days of daily visits to the mother and the baby.
I was overwhelmed with the care, pride and passion these women had when talking about their new skills and confidence, the role they play in their local village and the reduction they could see already in infant and maternal mortality rates. This is local daily care being offered by trained local people in the homes of the pregnant women supported and backed up health care professionals. I told them they had something to be very proud about as this style of care rivals what is on offer in some communities in the UK.
As we drove back down the dust track, past the vast scorched land which they try to farm I looked out of the back window of the car and marvelled at this story of Improving Peoples Lives.
We have much to look forward to as our work takes us to India and into new worlds and opportunities to make a difference and Improve Peoples Lives.
Thank you for all the support and amazing work you do every day that gives us the legitimacy to have a vision for our work in India.
Roy Newey
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