What will we see?

Posted on by andyhalli

Last week I went to the Save the Children office to meet the other donors who will be travelling with me to India – Elizabeth, Richard, Sheila and Terry .  It was the first time that we had met, and also an opportunity to meet the Save the Children team.  We had a full day learning more about Save the Children’s work, starting to get to know each other and hearing about the details of the trip. At the end of the day I was excited at the prospect and at the same time a little apprehensive about what we’re going to see.

So to give a taster…. there is a visit to a school, we will see something of the “WASH” programme (which is about access to hygienic sanitation services, in partnership with the government of Delhi) and we will visit the Delhi slums. In Rajasthan there are Aganwadi centres (Aganwadi means “courtyard shelter” and the centres were started by the Indian government to combat child hunger and malnutrition), a Mothers Milk Bank, a home for abandoned babies, and will have the chance to meet with Health Workers and children. Over the week this is going to give us a very quick look at Save the Children’s ongoing projects in India. I feel very privileged to get the chance to do this.

I can’t write today without acknowledging the horrific news from Paris. To see the pictures and imagine the fear of those caught up in this unleashes so many emotions. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who have been killed or injured. It makes me want to strengthen our barriers to protect the way of life I know and love, but I know too that to defeat this kind of evil we need to work with children all around the world in order to give them hope for a better future.  It makes me even more grateful for this chance to be going to India.

Rima, a Save the Children community health volunteer, on a check-up visit with Chotti, who recently gave birth to baby Naveen. Rima, 39, is a Save the Children community health volunteer living in Delhi. She works in a slum area in South Delhi called VP Singh Camp. Her role is to mobilise the community around health care issues, spreading awareness about good sanitation and best practices relating to maternal health care and childbirth. Rima enjoys her job, meeting and helping people in the local community and says she has seen many changes and improvements with the introduction of community health volunteers. One mother she recently helped was Chotti who lives in the VP Singh camp. Chotti had previously lost three babies, but after meeting Rima finally gave birth to a healthy baby boy called Naveen. Rima was able to help Chotti gain access to government health care, advise her to attend regular check-ups throughout her pregnancy, at the Save the Children mobile health unit (MHU), and finally give birth at a hospital in South Delhi. Rima has been able to visit Chotti at home since she gave birth and offer her advise on breast feeding, health and on general cleanliness with a new born baby.
Rima, a Save the Children community health volunteer, on a check-up visit with Chotti, who recently gave birth to baby Naveen.

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