Empowering women to respond to their reality: through knowledge, prevention, and community-based primary health care..
Community Health Camps
Our Satya believes that through Community Health Camps, we can overcome barriers created by the caste system, poverty, inadequate transportation, lack of education and poor medical care.
While government medical facilities in India are generally geographically inaccessible to rural women, they are also socially and culturally alienating. Most rural women are automatically discriminated against, treated with hostility and aggression, due to their economic status, caste and gender. The facilities themselves are generally over capacity, medical personnel are unapproachable, and sanitation is far below code. As a result, rural women become passive recipients of care and are relieved to be discharged from the hospital. So discouraged are these women, that often they do not make the effort to return for follow up care. Additionally, as a result of miscommunications caused by language barriers and illiteracy, they often do not continue any treatment outside of the hospital.
During Community Health Camps, pregnant women will be given the necessary time to raise questions, have medical professionals address their concerns, and to create pro-active plans for risk prevention during pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, medical professionals will have the time and resources to examine and identify high-risk pregnancies, which in and of itself will reduce cases of maternal and infant mortality. Women will also receive supplements, guidance on nutrition, and immunization guidelines for their newborns.
Training Dai Maas
Our Satya, believes that the role of a well trained Dai Maa will reduce the rates of maternal and infant mortality. A Dai Maa will be critical in overcoming barriers resulting from a lack of education, girl child, the caste system, and poverty.
Dai Maa was the traditional name of a mid wife in both rural and urban India. As medical facilities came into existence, the role of the Dai Maa also evolved. Now primarily providing pre and post pregnancy care, the present role of a Dai Maa closely resembles the role of a Doula. A Doula, also known as a birth companion and post-birth supporter, is a nonmedical person who assists a woman before, during, and/or after childbirth, as well as her spouse and/or family, by providing physical assistance and emotional support. Today in India most Dai Maas’ provide care and support as knowledge keepers, assist women in coping with labour pains, accompany women to and from medical facilities, and care for both the mother and baby post delivery. Based on the communities or families involved, the role of the Dai Maa may be more restricted or may evolve beyond these parameters.
A trained Dai Maa can use both her experiential knowledge and medical skills training to plan for complications. She can act as a guide for families seeking emergency medical attention in the event of an abnormal pregnancy or complications arising during childbirth. By educating and raising awareness, A Dai Maa can help women navigate the medical world, which can be overwhelming for almost anyone, and unwelcoming for those of a lower caste. As a knowledge keeper, a Dai Maa can also share the risks of teenage pregnancies while also assisting a new mother with the right techniques for breastfeeding, self-care, good nutrition and immunization for infants
