Projects

Women’s Self Help Groups to Provide Public Health, Social, & Economic Interventions

Thematic Area: Health & Hygiene

Project Guide(s) : Ms. Snigdha Sasidharan, Center for International Programs

International Partners : Kavitha Bhatnagar, Johns Hopkins University, U.S.

Amrita Partners : Rajesh Nair and Varunan Velu, Department of Social Work

Village: Alappad, Kerala

Project Duration: 1 month

Identified Challenge & Aim: 

Introducing public health interventions into an existing social system or community requires a deep understanding of the social and cultural norms and the social communication network within the community. This project seeks to leverage the voice of a women’s Self Help Group (SHG) to learn about common health and economic challenges faced in the community and subsequently brainstorm about potential viable interventions. 

The Study/Innovation:

The team went around the community and made observations about the village’s social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and technological factors. This is to help the team have a better understanding of the village. They also made a resource map to give them a clear picture of the sustainable resources available in the village and helped the team understand the quantity of the resources available. They then designed and conducted a household survey to gain a better understanding of challenges in the areas of women’s public health, access to health care services and facilities, and ability to pay for services. The team finally conducted semi structured interviews with several members a women’s Self Help Group to investigate viable community-driven interventions to address identified challenges. The interviews were followed by a collective and collaborative brain storming session to narrow down and finalize the interventions.

Addresses Sustainable Development Goals: