Anemia Free Vidarbha : Nutrition Garden
In the agriculture field Women labor is especially employed for weeding. With the availability of cheap Chemical Weed Controller, the farmers stopped employing women labor. Consequently, a large number of women labour lost their livelihood and also access to the green vegetables, herbs, and grasses they collected while weeding the farm. This led to rampant malnutrition and anaemia amongst women. To overcome this problem, MSS introduced household Nutrition Gardens.
At present, in 20 villages 582 households are growing different varieties of vegetables, herbs, spices, and fruits in their backyards. Barring the four summer months, these households annually grow and consume vegetables worth Rs. 25 lakh. The blood analysis of women of these households shows a rise in haemoglobin count and a reduction in anemia.
Health Insurance
Every year MSS assists around 4000 rural households (More than 20,000 members) to get registered under the health insurance scheme of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (Sewagram, Wardha). This insurance scheme facilitates rural households to get subsidized medicines and medical services.
Rural Sanitation Program
MSS trained 20 masons in construction of hygienic dry pit toilets and constructed 500 sanitation units (Toilet and Bathroom) in 50 villages. In all these villages the families along with the financial assistance of the Gram Panchayat invested in the construction of the sanitation units. MSS had to stop the rural sanitation program after The government started the Swachhata Abhiyan with the assistance of local government departments.
Health Workshops for Rural Women
In rural areas women working in Forests, farms, or factories are constantly exposed to life-risking hazards. At the same time due to lack of hygiene the majority of the girls and women suffer from gynaecological problems Women’s health problems are further aggravated due to malnutrition and anemia. To address the rural women health issue MSS holds health workshops where they can interact with women doctors, gynaecologist, homeopaths, yoga expert, psychoanalyst, professional from firework department to get answers to their questions and problems.