1000 days - Education & Support for Mother & Child

The Dalit Freedom Network is thrilled to see the progress of its Community Health Workers across India who bring hope to women and children in at-risk situations.

Women in marginalised communities in India often know very little about pregnancy or the methods available to control spacing between pregnancies. A woman may not be aware that she is pregnant for many months resulting in delays in accessing appropriate antenatal care. During village visits Commuity Health Workers (CHWs) meet many young women who report tiredness and dizziness. A pregnancy test is one of the first actions the CHW will recommend. As a result, we receive many stories of newly diagnosed pregnancies because of a CHW visit.

Mala, a CHW working in South India, visited Mary, a young mother with a 12-month-old son. Mary mentioned that she was feeling sick and dizzy all the time and was struggling to manage with household work as well as provide care for her son. Mala suggested a pregnancy test, but Mary was shy to do this as she felt that she could not be pregnant so soon after the birth of her son. However, the test was positive and Mala was able to counsel Mary about the importance of attending for antenatal check ups at the local Primary Health Centrer She was also able to calculate the expected date of delivery of the baby using the pregnancy calculator she had been trained to use on her most recent CHW update training. Mary was thrilled to learn so much about pregnancy, how to stay healthy, the importance of regular antenatal check ups and even the expected date of delivery of her baby. She commented ‘No one would spend time with me at the Health Centre explaining all these things to me. Thank you for visiting me and caring for me’.

The community health worker Amutha, while visiting a village which is 7 kilometres away from one of the Dalit Freedom Network's school, met a 25 year old woman who has a year old boy. The woman expressed to the CHW that “I am feeling dizziness and vomiting and I do not know why.”  She was unaware that she is pregnant again.  So the CHW asked her to go for pregnancy test. 

The woman felt very shy because of less spacing from the first baby. However she did the test with the help of the CHW and came to know she was three months pregnant.

The CHW continued her talk about good nutrition and iron contained food with the flash cards. The CHW explained about go food, grow food and Glow food and why she needs to eat all these healthy food.

Meanwhile the woman wants to know about the due date calculation. The CHW explained and taught her how to do with help of the flash cards. She felt so happy about learning pregnancy calculator.

This woman said “I did not know how to find out the due date now I learned it. Even if I go to the hospital for check-up, I will not get this teaching. You visited me and taught me very patiently. I will never ever forget this help.”

Then CHW smiled and checked her blood pressure immediately which was normal.  

The CHW asked her to eat healthy food till she delivers her baby and even after delivery. “I will come and visit you again” said the CHW.

Then left the village with great joy in her heart.