Eighteen-year old Gudiya Devi loved going to school but had to discontinue studies to get married at the age of 15. Although she did not have to join her husband immediately in Paimar village of Wazirganj block in Gaya district, she was told to learn household chores so she could transition into the role of homemaker with ease. She helped her mother with housework, ca... Read More
Twenty eight-year old Kumkum Sinha joined as an ASHA at the Dhobi primary health care centre (PHC) in Gaya, Bihar in December 2008. She was a diligent worker who had learnt the ropes of interpersonal communication, community dialogue and social networking in order to be an effective communicator. She took pride in her acquired knowledge of government programmes and th... Read More
Sixteen year-old Suman and 15-year old Baiju from Piprakothi block of East Champaran district in Bihar had resigned to leading their lives as per a script written by autocratic family elders. They neither had the courage to challenge that, nor any other option. Both depended on the larger family who treated them as children who had to be guided on what to wear and eat... Read More
This series explores the progression from ignorance to information and becoming Key Informants (KI) for two community leaders, who made helping Kala Azar patients their life missions. Key informants play a crucial role in tracing suspect cases in the chain of elimination efforts in the community. This is often true in the case of state like Bihar where disease reporti... Read More
Globally, handwashing, especially with soap, is rarely practised as often as it needs to be, which is quite ironic, as doing so can help prevent numerous health-related issues, some even life-threatening. Given the state of affairs and growing health concerns all over the world, it is essential that governments, the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholder... Read More
CARE India turning stories of suffering, discrimination, and neglect into narratives of hope under the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis program. लगैय गोर फुलल हई (seems the feet have swollen) is a regular statement of the village women. Most of them complain of swollen feet some time or the other in their lifetim... Read More
Healthy living along with sustainable livelihoods is key to changing the destiny of many poor and marginalised women in the remotest parts of our country. This builds their resilience to meet life’s challenges head on and provides a strong foundation to take care of themselves, their family and the community. In the Gosaiganj cluster of Lucknow district in Uttar ... Read More
Life had not treated Neetu kindly. Born in abject poverty in the village of Mridhan Purwa of Fatehpur cluster in Barabanki District of Uttar Pradesh, she had struggled all her life to keep her and her family’s body and soul together. But when circumstances couldn’t get worse, it did. Staying in a temporary plastic sheet shelter with her husband and her two c... Read More
The ability to read and write provides an opportunity to escape generational poverty and live a more enriched life. Quality education also plays a vital role in the growth of the social-economical standards of the country. According to the Census of India 2011 data, the average literacy rate in India is approximately 73 percent.The Indian government h... Read More
Gender inequality is a pressing issue in Indian society. Despite a constitution that guarantees equal rights for men and women and decades of legislation, some deep-rooted gender discrimination in India takes a brutal toll on women's lives. Even after rapid economic growth, gender disparities remain all too familiar: 1,000 girls die each day before reaching the age of... Read More
Deep within the district of Gosaiganj cluster of Lucknow district in Uttar Pradesh famous for its Manjha Fort and Gopal Temple lies the village of Karorwa where a gritty band of women are stepping out beyond their traditional roles as homemakers into the brave and unpredictable world of business- without leaving their home! The innovative business model is... Read More
Meena Kumari from the village of Bastiya in Gosaiganj cluster of Lucknow district in Uttar Pradesh got her elder daughter married a couple of years ago. Though struggling to make ends meet, they somehow put together the money required by taking help from family and friends. What she did not know was that the Shadi Anudan Scheme floated by the government for extremely ... Read More
