By Sheetal Patel – District Co-ordinator, Adani Foundation
We started from scratch. But the challenges barely mattered because the entire team is driven by a larger purpose in life. The Narmada district is beautiful region tucked away in nature’s lap. That being said, life here is not connected to the advanced world and therefore awareness about women health and nutrition is limited. But the local community is warm and aspires to learn and be part of a social change.
Although we started from the drawing board, the conviction of the Adani Foundation coupled with proactive support from the government enabled us to set up strong team of Sanginis. Sanginis are healthy volunteers who help us break the ice with communities sceptical about change. The collective efforts paid off well. We could reach out to nearly 1.15 lakh homes in just about 30 days.
As part of the programme Sanginis are equipped with the knowledge and resources to fight malnutrition. Following the initial training every household in our databank was personally visited and the women of the house from young girls to mothers were educated about the importance of nutrition. The Sanginis also distributed and explain the benefits of Poornavita, an energy dense food created by the Adani Foundation. The difference was visible in no time. In just about a month, the condition of more than 150 children improved from severely acute malnourished state to moderately acute malnourished.
I often tell our Sanginis that women’s health is linked to the wellbeing of a country. It is important to look at nutrition from a holistic point of view. Every girl is a prospective mother and her health is detrimental to the health of the nation’s future generation. It is therefore imperative for everyone to realize that the fundamentals of building a strong nation lies in strengthening our womenfolk. It is an incredible feeling to be a part of this larger cause. This is how the Adani Foundation enables its people to contribute towards nation building and upliftment of the society.