Health and development education in India

NEED is an organization of over 215 social entrepreneurs with the vision of being; ‘A responsive and responsible human development initiative that keeps people at the nucleus of organization, towards empowering the deprived section of community’. We focus on promoting youth, women and children, enabling livelihoods through a number of strategies, particularly child health, forming a holistic approach to poverty eradication. Currently, our grass-roots network reaches 4850 villages and 450,000 people in the rural districts in Uttar Pradesh & Bihar, India. Our potential is limitless and we need your help to continue to grow…

India's population has recently surpassed the one billion mark, out of which the enormous bulk are considered to be very poor. Uttar Pradesh is India’s most populated state, with a population of 166 Million, whilst Bihar has a population of 83 Million (Yojana, 2009), in combination they form the most poverty-stricken geographical region of the country. It is these two regions that NEED, with the help of Global Giving donors, has been implementing its project to, ‘Improve Children’s Health and Development’.

This project comprises of the following strategies in order to improve the health and development of these children, particularly with a focus on girl children, who are often victims of gender discrimination:

•   A vaccination programme against Polio, BGC, DPT and Khasra

•   Sanitation Campaigns
•   Health Camps

•   Construction of Toilets and Bathrooms

•   Subsidized distribution of safe drinking water kits

•   Sensitizing campaign on nutrition and balanced diets

•   Distribution of health manuals, including information about HIV/AIDS prevention and consequences of child marriage

The following statistics illustrate the work we have been able to complete to date in this area:

•   Number of Children Vaccinated against, Polio, BCG, DPT and Khasra: 18,603

•   Number of adolescent girls vaccinated: 6,987

•   Number of children to benefit from our nutrition campaign: 11,152

•   Number of adolescent girls to benefit from out nutrition campaign: 9,455

•   Number of toilets constructed: 245

•   Number of bathrooms constructed: 83

•   Number of sanitation campaigns: 172

•   Number of Health Camps Organized: 150

•   Number of safe drinking kits installed: 3,000

•   Total number of beneficiaries benefited by health provisions: 62,800

These statistics illustrate the success of the project so far, nonetheless there are still many children within Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who desperately need health services and provisions; NEED endeavors to serve these children through our work but we need your help too! A relatively little amount will go a very long way to improve the health services available to these poor children, which will consequently improve their lives in an incalculable manner.

Pictures:

• A line of school children being vaccinated against Polio (JPG)
• Children with their guardians collecting health manuals (JPG)
• Children being weighed at a health camp (JPG)