Forty-six-year-old Kalavathi resides in GD Mara slum with her two sons, one daughter and ailing husband. She is an informal waste picker and the breadwinner in her family. With no other means of livelihood and family support, she is forced to go and collect waste in the morning hours. Kalavathi... Read More
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
24-year-old Malti visited the antenatal ward for the routine HIV test and the results showed up as likely positive. The lab technician at this facility was oriented on the association between HIV and potential intimate partner violence, and so contacted the Sajha counsellor about Malti. The counsellor learnt that this was Malti’s 4th pregnancy, and she had lo... Read More
Dilkhush was born on January 9, 2018, weighing 2.5 kilograms. His mother, Fori and father, Durgalal were happy with the birth of their first child, making it a family of three. The family draws its income from cattle farming and agriculture, with no external assistance. As a result, the infant’s parents began to spend less time with him, being occupied with farmi... Read More
Twenty-one-year old Rajni has been a female facilitator trained on the subject of family planning, as part of the Zero and Low Parity Pilot (ZLPP) programme implemented by CARE India from 2018-2020, in Gaya and East Champaran districts of Bihar. It is indeed marvelous that despite the numerous hardships, Rajni has managed to preserve her childlike curiosity and zes... Read More
“Think about it, I have one child and I spent Rs.40 – Rs 50 on his needs daily. If I have five children, I will still have Rs 40-50 to spend on them. The children will have to snatch and fight over food. How does it make sense?” says Aakash, a participant of ZLPP pilot. The health, social and economic benefits of family planning have dawned on him... Read More
Born into adversity Troubled times are no stranger to young Dilip Sahani, aged12 years, and his family. His father Tapan and relatives migrated to Baishai village in Manjha Block of Goplaganj district after their native village Majhariya was irrevocably affected by floods. Without a fixed source of livelihood in Baisahi village, his father and brother of... Read More
