Today we met with the founder as well
as the program directors of SNEAH (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action).
Their mission is to increase the amount of healthy women and children with the
goal of creating a healthy India. Key to this organization-beyond its immediate
ability to impact and improve communities- is its legitimate voice and expertise
on maternal child health, sexual and reproductive health, as well as domestic
violence issues within the government. SNEHA partners with the existing Govt
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) that runs Anganwadis which addresses
malnutrition in children under the
age of 6. I realized that this best practice
helps them avoid resistance in government and tapping into some of the funding reservoirs
affording them the ability to recruit more allies and stakeholders. They have a
sexual and reproductive health program that addresses and empowers adolescents
as well as women; they have a domestic violence prevention program; a maternal
and newborn health program; and a child health nutrition program.
SNEHA was the most
impressive organization simply because despite the fact that it had so many different
wheels churning, they are able to execute their plans in a manner that
resonates and benefits the communities that they set out to serve. Not only are
they able to meet their goals and maximize their impact, they also are open to
expanding and taking suggestions that broaden their reach. For example, they
have assessed that while they are successful in creating awareness about domestic
violence and getting the police and the community to realize that a woman being
abused by her husband is in fact a public health issue that needs to be
addressed, the accountability piece doesn’t quite stick unless men are involved
in the conversation as well. This to me was incredible because many
organizations that I have observed/worked with are unwilling to broaden their
scope, change their target demographics, or even express that things need to
change in order for them to become more successful- certainly not to a group of
imposing spectators.
After the
directors shared their presentations about what they did in their respective capacities,
I then opted to follow Ms. Garima Deveshwar Bahl to learn even more about how
the sexual and reproductive health program functions on a more practical level.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness. First of all, the
Dhavari slum, one of the world’s largest slums, was such a humbling experience
to consume. As I was walking on the tiny path hopping over different cracks in
the narrow blocks of cement, I tried to imagine if that were my daily reality
and how different my life/priorities would be. Then before I could even feel
sorry for the community that did live there, I was greeted by all these smiling
children and then invited into the home of one of the peer educators that works
with SNEHA to make sexual and reproductive health a reality for the women of
the slum. Her home was literally smaller than my bathroom yet she welcomed all
of us into her space and was a gracious host. You could tell that she was proud
of her space as she was among the few that was able to actually purchase it.
She even rented out the unit above her for revolving tenants. She was definitely
making smart business moves as she was also supporting her husband and family
for the first time so her involvement with SNEHA was definitely a badge of
honor. Three other women who also worked with SNEHA came inside to share their
experiences while the program director, Ms. Bahl, translated what they shared
from Hindi to English. It was so amazing learning that some of the same
challenges that I face in America as a sexual and reproductive health advocate
were quite similar to what these women face here in India. They were expressing
how they navigated the stigma that circulates a woman safeguarding her health
and negotiating condom use; how they had to convince other women to explore and
celebrate their bodies by looking at their vaginas with mirrors; how they found
their voices in the work; and how they support and learn from each other. It was
also interesting to learn that they also had difficulty practicing what they
preached in terms of translating what they knew about safe sex and demanding condoms
use within their personal relationships. It was refreshing to hear that they
have developed close relationships with each other as well as with the women
that work with in the communities. Also, they talked about having expanded their
reach to the transgendered community and how they have recently begun inviting
them to their workshops. I would imagine that that level of engagement has
certainly transformed how transgendered folks are viewed and valued in their
town. We talked for what seemed like an eternity and I still couldn’t get
enough. Just to hear that SNEHA had empowered these women financially,
emotionally, and physically and contribute their strengths and talents beyond
their expected roles.
After we learned
about the sexual and reproductive health program, we all went to see how the
child health and nutrition program functioned which was amazing! Again in
another slum, we saw how many children were in need of better nutrition. Interesting
about this program is how practical it is! To emphasize the importance of
nutrition, the mothers have access to SNEHA’s daycare center that uses the
space to assess who is malnourished and in need of other services that could
stimulate improved outcomes. This not only keeps the children and mothers in a
concentrated area for follow-up and observation but it also allows the mothers
to basically get free consultation and childcare without interrupting their
workday responsibilities. I loved that the doctors and lead social worker that
worked with these children and mothers were able to take their professional
hats off and perform songs and dance theater as a way to infuse the benefits of
healthy eating and breast feeding. Not only do the mothers learn about the
importance of nutrition but this daycare centers serves as a coordinating system
that provided what it is that they refer such as vaccinations and healthy
foods. I hope that someone from our program volunteers their evaluation skills
to program so that we can examine their needs and increase its impact!
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