A Mother's Love

Last week in Mumbai we had the opportunity to meet with an amazing organization called SNEHA, the Society for Nutrition Education and Health Action. They work in Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia made famous by the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. Their programs center around women and include early childhood education, maternal and child nutrition, family planning services and support for intimate partner violence. SNEHA, which in Hindi, means "mothers love" was started by a pediatrician working in a large hospital near Dharvi who recognized through her patients that there was a lack of adequate services to address the major issues faced by  women and children in the slums. Our group was split up into three, and I had the opportunity to visit one of their programs focused on violence against women. One of the most surprising aspects of this program was the involvement of men in the community. A few were actively involved in the counseling and support groups SNEHA runs which was nice to see considering that violence against women is not seen as a serious issue here and more of just a way or life or cultural norm. The women in the support group were all very passionate and spoke confidently about their work in the community. It was a bit of a challenge to get all of our questions across through a translator, but I could tell by their body language that they were very engaged and excited. These women were so brave to have even come forward and spoken up about the violence going on in their homes, especially given the male dominated society that exists in India.

Another great program that SNEHA operates is a quilt making business that provides women from poorer areas of Mumbai with jobs making blankets, bags, rugs, pillow cases and other home good from donated fabric scraps. These women are trained to sew and provided with a steady source of income that allows them the ability to help provide for their families and seek work outside of the home. We had an opportunity to visit the warehouse, and the products they make are unbelievable, so beautiful and unique! We all scooped up some goodies to take home with us. Overall, I was very impressed with the work that SNEHA does in the community to empower women in the slums and help address vital women's health issues.