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Makhiyaro is a remote village about 30 kms away from Umerkot. Many children and women were deprived of necessary vaccinations and other basic health facilities due to non accessibility and remoteness. HANDS team found out during the survey that the community is a scheduled caste “Bheel” and all of them earn their living by working on the fields. Men and women left for work early in the morning and do not have enough time to look after their children even if they were ill. They hardly pay attention only when the matter runs up to the stage of life and death. Women did not get antenatal checkups and immunization and at the time of delivery newborns die more often. That was the major health problem in this village.
HANDS decided to select a local community person to work as a MARVI worker to help people of the village by creating awareness about family planning and reproductive health. Through the standard procedure Kaveeta was selected as a MARVI Worker with the consultation of the local community.
She was provided with a six days training on Maternal Health, Essential New Born Care, Family Planning and Reproductive Health, to build her. She worked hard and convinced people that the way of life they are living is not right. They must take good care of their health in order to lead a good life. She passed her knowledge to them which she gained from the training. As a result villagers are now aware of the signs and symptoms of major children illnesses as well as early treatment of maternal and newborn illnesses. She referred few serious cases to basic health units and other health facilities outside the village in time. She worked very hard and visited door to door to pass on the knowledge and she organized groups of women to spread the health awareness. Male groups were also formed with the help of her father. She convinced the villagers about vaccinations that they are essential to prevent diseases in children and arranged door to door vaccination with the help of union council’s vaccinators. Many women had a perception that fever caught the children after vaccination that would stop them from going to work. Kaveeta worked hard to erase these misperceptions. Quarterly gatherings are also arranged in order to discuss more health issues and make people aware about how to use basic health facilities like immunization of mothers and newborns to prevent dangerous diseases and economic burdens caused by it. Diseases rate is decreasing and a remarkable positive change have been seen after the efforts by MARVI worker Kaveeta.Advocacy Immunization