Women Catalysts of Change Reaching Health Care to the Last Mile Segments
स्वास्थ्य सहेली (woman catalyst of change), is what she is known as. Today, hundreds of them are part of “संकल्प-स्वस्थ्य नारी, स्वस्थ्य समुदाय, स्वस्थ्य प्रदेश” (PLEDGE-Healthy Women, Healthy Community, Healthy State), a flagship social-venture-led outreach program for behavior change education & awareness and products’ & services delivery at door-step at affordable prices in the states of Bihar & MP. It is Connect the Core Foundation (CCF) that provide health care solutions to last mile population, with special focus on women & adolescent girls’ holistic health in geographies that are remotely located, underserved and have got huge unmet needs for health care products & services. CCF defines health in its holistic sagacity: physical, mental, psychological, spiritual & environmental. Most health care provisions for such marginal segments of Indian population are made available under governmental programs on entitlements and come as free supply. Most often, either these supplies do not reach target beneficiaries or local population has to make various compromises with respect to the quality of these products & services offered to them. With such gaps in place, health care in such rural settings remain challenged.
To bridge gaps between demand and governmental supplies, Connect the Core Foundation, India is offering solutions that mostly relate to raising awareness on entitlements, converging with the government systems to sensitize and capacitate frontline workers to ensure quality of service & product delivery. However, system strengthening is a long drawn process. In order to effect change at much faster pace, CCF is embarking on a social enterprise that services local & tribal population with health care products & service delivery, resulting into behavior change and subsequently improving health & wellbeing of subject population. Along with counseling and behavior change communication campaigns, CCF would promote and make available at affordable price health, hygiene and sanitation products for community clients, so as to make these supplies available at their door-steps. We thrive by employing friendly and knowledgeable women community personnel, which, along with our great prices, will drive the repeat business that we will rely upon. With our unique concept of door-to-door service delivery, CCF’s services will appeal more and more to the customer's sense of value and convenience.
स्वास्थ्य सहेली (s) are rural housewives who want be part of social change and contribute in the vicinities they live in. They are also tied up with opportunities of earning through products & services distribution in their given number of villages. They are happy to educate & counsel women and adolescent girls and bring behavior change. Change, that begins at home.
Prabhakar Sinha (CEO, Connect the Core Foundation, www.ccf-india.org)
