A new service in the basket, Umri Panchyat, Madhya Pradesh
Gram Panchayat Laharcha, located close to the Beengaon National Highway in Madhya Pradesh, is home to about 130 households and a total population of 1,010. The area is mostly inhabited by tribes like Lodha, Meena, Harijan and Shivhare, among others.
Fifty-five-year-old Mukhia Dojiram Ahirvaan lives in a harijan locality with his wife, two sons , three daughters — and three grandchildren. Only two of the 11 family members contribute to the household income as manual labourers and agriculture labourers.
One of Dojiram’s sons, Sunil, lost his wife, Rajanti, last year when she died nine days after giving birth to their first son. When Soochna Sevak Nawal Kushwaha visited Dijoram’s house a few months later, on September 9, 2015, Nawal heard of Sunil’s story from his mother Geeta Bai. He was also informed that Rajanti’s parents had filed a case against suit, alleging foul play in the death of their daughter. So the family was really worried about losing out on one of the two earning members in a family of 10.
Nawal also noticed that one of the boys and two of the girls looked malnourished in the house. Nawal immediately contacted Aanganwadi worker Julie Mer and Asha worker Mamta Meena, who referred the three malnourished children to the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre (NRC). About two weeks after Sunil’s next court hearing on September 14, the three children were sent to the NRC where they stayed for 15 days. When the children were discharged, their body weight had increased and the family received an entitlement of Rs. 1,400.
Earlier this year, in March, when the Soochna Sevaks visited Dojiram’s house, the three children were referred to Sneh Shivir (Love and Care Camp). The team used to frequently visit their house henceforth. However, after a few months, they again noticed depreciating body weight among the children. They immediately pulled up the aanganwadi workers, and got more deeply involved in the well-being of the children.
During one of these visits, the Soochna Sevak learn that the wife of Sunil’s brother Santosh’s Ahirvaan’s was pregnant. When the team took Gayatri for a check-up, it was found that she was caryying twins and had anaemia, following which the ASHA worker in the region ensured that Gayatri’s health and nutrition standards were met on a daily basis. Gayatri was also referred to the NRC, along with the three malnourished children in the family to improve their health.
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