COMMUNITY LED INITIATIVES FOR CHILD SURVIVAL

Working Together to Improve Health: intentions, there is no way I can cover all the
ANMs Redefine their Role in the Community houses in our areas on a regular basis,” says
Bobde.

The CLICS program has been a boon for ANMs

like her as it provides the forum of Bal Suraksha
Diwas (BSD), held once monthly in a village, to
deliver comprehensive services to mothers and
their children. Till the program was initiated in
the area, she struggled with the sole burden of
caring for the community’s women and children.
Today the Anganwadi worker, and the CLICS

MJ Bobde loves helping people doot work together with her on the occasion of
BSD, and the delivery of services is more

Her shy smile and reticent manner are effective. “I feel so supported by the CLICS

misleading, for M.J Bobde is at the forefront of project. Before it started I had to do everything

efforts to improve the health status of her alone,” says Bobde gratefully. ANMs like her

community. Every single person in the village of also participate in other campaigns that fall under

Kamthi knows her! Her keenness to help her the CLICS umbrella in the form of village

clients and to provide social service has made celebrations such as Suraksha Aaichi aani

her a popular and sought after Auxiliary Nurse Balachi Mohim (Safe Mother and Child

Midwife (ANM) in the Anji PHC area. This has Campaign); Mulgi Wachawa Mohim (Save the

much to do with her love for her profession, girl child campaign); Kishori Melawa

which began when she was a little girl. “I would (Adolescent Girls Fair), Parenting Workshops;

watch nurses dispensing medicine and want to and Sasu Aani Sunn Melawa (In Laws Mela).

do the same,” she says.

ANMs have been part of the public health

system for several years now, and have a huge
load to bear: At the ratio of one ANM per 5000
people, it is difficult for Bobde or any of her
colleagues to perform their jobs effectively.
Under the mandate of RCH-II, ANMs are to
follow a fixed day schedule to cater to the health
needs of mothers and children. But the sheer
effort of traveling from house to house stands in
the way of service delivery. “Despite my best
Nilima Tatekar displays her latest award

1
Another ANM in Anji PHC who feels grateful to
the CLICS project for transforming her role from
that of overburdened health worker to being an
effective part of a health system is Nilima
Tatekar. She is also the winner of several awards
for her contributions to family planning, Pulse
Polio and leprosy campaigns, and healthy baby
contests. Apart from her job as an ANM, she is
the secretary of the Lions Club and also
publishes regular articles on women and
children’s health for the newspapers. Despite her
boundless energy, Nilima admits to feeling
skeptical when she first heard about the CLICS
personal benefits from the project: the CLICS
program has improved their status in the
community as well as their own feelings of self-
esteem. While Nilima feels that the project has
fuelled “a desire and passion to improve things,”
Tatekar says her mission is finally being
accomplished. “Today I feel I am doing a proper
service to the community.”
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Community Led Initiatives for Child Survival

program. “ I got worried when people from (CLICS)

Sewagram came here and started the program as

I already had too much to do and thought CLICS
would make it worse.” She thinks the CLICS
programme has been effective in mobilizing the
community to work together because Dr. Sushila Nayar School of Public Health
Incorporating Department of Community Medicine
“everyone’s mission is the same - improving Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
health.” Sewagram - 442 102 Wardha District
Maharashtra (India)

Undoubtedly the CLICS project has been E-mail: bsgarg_ngp@bsnl.in

successful in creating a synergy between its own

Our Website
resources and those of the government, and thus
http://clics.org.in
realizing common objectives. Pooling together
of the skills of different health workers in the
village along with the community has resulted in
better health systems and delivery. Both ANMs
feel that the CLICS project has brought about
MGIMS Aga Khan Foundation
several positive changes in the lives of women
and children in the community. Early registration Development Partner

of pregnancies, improved breast feeding

practices and an increase in immunization are
some of the indictors of this change.

Aside from the health benefits, Nilima and

Bobde also feel they have derived numerous