Ecosystem

Gender

Agriculture and Livelihood

Health, Nutrition & Sanitation

Mental Health

Youth

9

Districts

15+

Blocks

210000+

Households(HH)

1000

Events

Health, Nutrition & Sanitation

In the field of Health, Nutrition & Sanitation we are working with YUVODAYA in tribal areas of Bastar Chhattisgarh. The main concern of YUVODAYA is to protect and improve the environment, livelihood, education, culture, health, and nutrition level of each village in the district. Aside from working for children, Yuvodaya has also been organizing COVID-19 vaccination drives for the rural population of Bastar.

Yuvodaya volunteers helping in setting up of ‘POSHAN VATIKA’

Words of Milku Kashyap a ‘YUVODAYA’ volunteer “I grew up in a poor house surrounded with nothing but difficulties. When I grew up and had my own children, I realized that there are so many small children in and around my village that are growing up the same way I did when I was little, and it wasn’t how any child should live. With extreme poverty and no access to good food, these children were vulnerable to severe malnourishment and other diseases. That’s when I knew I had to do something about it and so, I joined Yuvodaya. With some of my friends, I started visiting house to house in nearby villages, explained malnourishment to the people, and asked them to send their children to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Center (NRC) to ensure that they receive proper nutrition and healthcare. Although the people were hesitant at first, I managed to convince them. Till now, I, along with my fellow colleagues from Yuvodaya, have managed to successfully send 21 children of the Bastar block to the NRC. I have never felt more content!”

These are the words of Milku Kashyap, a man from the small village of KAWADGAON located in the depths of Bastar, who is currently working as a volunteer for the Yuvodaya programme. Established in September 2020, the Yuvodaya programme was established with the vision to build a movement of passionate changemakers who believe in making a difference. It was started in collaboration with the UNICEF, Amcho Bastar and the district administration for the development of the Bastar region, which is still struggling with the basic problems of poverty, hunger, gender disparity, and illiteracy.

Bastar ready to fight back against covid

Bastar District is in Chhattisgarh in the central parts of India. Of the total population more than 70 percent are tribal people like Gond Tribe, Maria, Muria, Dhruva, Bhatra, Halba Tribe, etc. It was difficult to work here because there were rumours spread to “ward off villagers” from vaccination centres. It was difficult to convince people for vaccination due to these rumours. Whether it is about the vaccination campaign in the district or the fight against malnutrition, Yuvodaya’s team has done an excellent job every time. At such a situation when the entire state, including Bastar, is toiling with Corona, the Yuvodaya Volunteers are enthusiastically helping and supporting the people. In Bastar Yuvodaya Volunteers have been motivating people for vaccination for the last several months. Some People were not at all getting convinced despite that yuvodaya volunteers did not give up, they tried again and again, and finally succeeded in explaining to villagers that nothing will happen to them after getting vaccinated, they were successful in eliminating the rumors spread in the district. So, the role of Yuvodaya in vaccination campaigns was significant. From Gangadhar Baghel- Gangadhar Baghel, a resident of Bakel village panchayat of Bastar district. He said, I work at a welding shop. Corona vaccination was to be carried out in my village. When I left home for my work, I noticed that the village people are not serious about vaccination, and they are not leaving their houses to get vaccinated. Then I decided to go door-to-door to make people aware about vaccination. I did this work along with Hari Ram Maurya, one of my companions from Yuvodaya, Baghel further said, “I took eight people to the vaccination centre on my cycle. Not only that, but I also dropped them back to their home as well after being vaccinated.”