Tulsi Devi

Tulsi Devi is a 28 year old farmer from Talai Supi. She has a 5 year old son who was very weak when he was born. In 2014, she and her family were allocated to PHE Champa Devi. Tulsi learned about balanced diet and nutrition from her, and also realized that her son was weak in the early years because she didn’t consume proper food during her pregnancy. Tulsi Devi says, “If one has good health, one would not feel drowsy, can take care of family in a much better manner and the medical expenditure would come down. I was taught about eating on time, breakfast, cleanliness, water purification tablets and menstrual hygiene.” She mentions specifically that her son falls sick less frequently after her family started drinking clean purified water. She is very confident now that her son’s health would improve by consuming a balanced diet. She also uses sanitary pad during her menstrual cycle about which she was taught in the training. Tulsi wants to learn stitching through VWCT skills program, and contribute economically towards her family income.

Champa Devi

Champa Devi, a 35 year old farmer, home maker and VWCT’s Peer Health Educator comes across as a calm and intelligent woman. She understands the social and economic benefits of staying healthy. Her daily routine involves walking up to the forest to pick wood and grass, farming and cooking for her family. Earlier she never ate breakfast in the morning or carried anything along with her to eat while working. In the Nutrition training, she learnt that eating breakfast leads to more concentration at work, and high energy levels all day. Now she has made a routine of never leaving home without eating breakfast in the morning, and even carries a packet of eatables along with her to work. She has spread her training messages to all the 10 families allotted to her. She shares her experience about water purification tablets, “Families were reluctant about using water purification tablets in the beginning by saying that water didn’t smell good after adding the tablets. But after 3-4 trainings they understood that these tablets help in avoiding jaundice and typhoid, and started using it. Families are falling sick lesser now.”

Saraswati Devi

Saraswati Devi lives alone in Supi. Her 13 year old son lives with his father in the plains. She got associated with the Village Ways Charitable Trust in 2009. As a PHE she has made a major impact in the lives of 10 families she was allocated by teaching them about the importance of eating breakfast, balanced diet, washing hands with soap, usage of toilets, menstrual hygiene and exercise. Before the start of the training one and a half years back, 2 out of the 10 families had toilets in their homes, rest 8 families were defecating in the open. But today after multiple trainings on the illnesses caused due to open defecation conducted by Saraswati in each household, all the 10 families have toilets and are using them. Saraswati, although shy, is now a confident and aware woman. She wants to spread her knowledge to others in the surrounding villages.