Story of An Ordinary Women Becomes Health Advisor

 Life is a continuous process where you learn and (un)learn things together. Whatever the situation, just do it accordingly. Sometimes, it is very simple or complicated, but it never stops. Similarly, I am talking about a place where life is not easy. Yes, I am talking about a village named “BalidihBishanpur” in Jharkhand which is surrounded by forest from all sides, and it is not easy to reach here because of its transport system. Just think for once, think about the residents of that place, and think about the medical services. Without transportation, it is not easy to provide good services during a medical emergency, but the residents of that place work hard to support each other.

There is a good amount of working-class labor in this community followed by farmers. Apart from that, the heart-trenching experience of mine was the migration. Many families left this place for their living, they moved to big cities for their existence or living. But apart from this many people of this community work hard for the upliftment of their society and support them a lot and Meena Devi is a perfect example of this.

Meena is a 35-year-old energetic woman who works as a Sahiya. She spreads awareness related to health, hygiene, and nutrition. She always tries to meet each and every person in the community and establish good relations with them. Even though she monitors the health status of pregnant women and suggests methods of regular health check-ups and regular routines. She conducts health surveys and works on several health projects.

Interestingly, she has impeccable expertise of over 15 years as a Sahiya. I must say that she is a multi-talented person, why am I quoting it as she is an active member of “Women Self Help Groups (SHGs)”. Her story inspires me a lot as she comes from a family with a socio-economic background but her patience makes her a powerful woman. Because she works for the advancement of society apart from her socio-economic background. I remember a quote by Timothy Pina, “Philanthropy is not about money, it’s about feeling the pain of others and caring enough about their needs to help” and Mina for her positive enthusiasm and amazing work. Proving it through she is a perfect example of patience for that community.

We have all experienced the pandemic and try to support each other and save lives. Although we saw that many of us did not want to meet anyone. But, Meena was more active during the pandemic. She regularly visited the homes of pregnant women and supported them immensely. She talked about the good health of pregnant women and children. These regular activities make her more popular in the community and the residents of that community make her proud.

In March 2022, when the Mission Indradhanush Program was launched in the Dumri block of Giridih district of Jharkhand, to complete the process of vaccination of pregnant women and children who had not yet received it. For this process, she made her action plan to complete this process in a better way. She spreads awareness related to the vaccination process and Mission Indradhanush. Apart from this she actively participates in the meetings of VHSNC, Maitri, and PLA. She invites PRI members to attend the meetings in person. She always comes forward to discuss the importance of vaccination for pregnant women and children. Interestingly, she becomes a health counselor in her community with a positive attitude.

In the end, I must say that Meena is a perfect example of women's empowerment. She spreads awareness related to vaccination and the process of vaccination. She is popular in her community because of her work and supports each other in a positive way.