Healthcare

Aneesha Menon, an India Water Portal Fellow, travels with The Nirmal Bharat Yatra (Great WASH Yatra) to understand the mindset in rural India on health and sanitation issues and to educate young girls on menstrual cycle and hygienic practices. While the lack of awareness is shocking, Aneesha finds an eagerness to learn and adapt which is encouraging. On visiting two schools to take a survey, she is happy to note that their visit seems to have left a positive impact on the young minds.

An accredited social health activist (ASHA) in her remote, often flood-ravaged village in Odisha, Pankajani not only saves lives on a daily basis but goes way beyond her call of duty to be available to her wards at all times spreading awareness, dispensing advice and curing ills. Her dedication is plainly visible as she recalls painful memories of last year's floods in Odisha and the steps she took to ensure that the situation in her village remained under control.

Dr. Mapuskar has been working relentlessly in the field of rural sanitation for over 50 years now, and helped develop many innovative methods and technologies to create a sanitation revolution even before it was the rising concern that it is today. His principles of community ownership and his search for appropriate technology that suits the Indian conditions have left a legacy that can be adopted all over the nation for maximum impact. He is truly a TBI Hero.

Laughter Heaven is a silent laughing club in Bandra suburb of Membai which has given hope, joy and smiles to a lot of elders who meet every morning to share, celebrate, laugh together and improve mental, physical and spiritual fitness.

Dr. Rani Bang narrates how she was drawn to healing India's poorest. Narrated by the doctor herself, here is an account of what got her started.