AGAHE

Ayesha: “When people praise me, I can’t stop myself praying for AGAHE. May this organization progress leaps and bounds, and keep raising awareness of people like us, with useful information for betterment of humanity.” "

Chak # 575/EB of UC # 10 is situated in east about 23 KM away from Vehari. Total Population of this village is 3357. With low literacy rate and lack of health education, living standard of people of this village is very simple. Even living place for both the human and cattle are at same place. Traditional norms, rigid behaviour, inflexibility to behavioural change and paying inadequate attention towards maternal and neonatal healthcare are common practices of people of this village. Unaware about importance of cleanliness and danger of dirtiness, believes child birth a natural process and feels that there is no need of any clinical check up, extra diet and medical care of pregnant women. Ayesha Mai W/O Muhammad Nawaz, resident of this village, working for welfare of people but unaware of maternal and newborn healthcare, need of diet, medical check ups, cleanliness and dangerous signs during pregnancy & delivery, belongs to a low-income family.

On June 08, 2009 AGAHE team under PAIMAN project conducted a puppet show regarding mothers, newborn child health care in Govt. Girls Primary School, Chak # 575/EB. Males and females of this village participated in puppet show. Ayesha Mai also watched keenly the puppet show. Women were feeling shy hearing messages regarding maternal health care and safe delivery. On objection of male participants, religious leader of the village convinced them that these informations are for your betterment. You would be able to save your lives as well as your beloved ones if you have enough preventive knowledge about maternal & newborn health care. Ayesha Mai also convinced people to calm down and listen to the messages attentively. There was an obvious behavioural change in community about maternal health care after the puppet show.

Ayesha: "Bringing pregnant women to the vaccination point. "

After the show, Ayesha Mai asked AGAHE staff members about maternal & newborn healthcare. AGAHE team members briefed her about antenatal & postnatal check ups, need, importance and protocol of T.T vaccination and delivery preparedness plan. Ayesha Mai was briefed that newborn should be raped in dry and clean cloth just after birth so that newborn remain warm. Birth Cord should be clamped and cared properly. There is no need to bath Newborn just after birth rather it should be after 6 hours minimum. After birth first feeding of newborn should be Colostrums. With in one hour newborn should be fed with exclusive breastfeeding till six months of age and mother should take extra diet and proper rest. Some of the problems and critical signs during birth and after birth and their measures were briefed to her. AGAHE team member also guided her about antenatal & postnatal check up procedure and safe delivery from public health facilities. Ayesha Mai was told that these services are available free of cost at all Govt. health facilities. She was told that Tetnus is a dangerous infectious disease and it can be fatal. To prevent tetnus, pregnant women should be vaccinated at least twice during pregnancy with the gap of one month. She was also briefed about vaccination of newborns.

Ayesha Mai was very happy. Today, due to information got from AGAHE team, Ayesha Mai is working voluntarily for immunization of pregnant women as well as newborns. Taking the burden of responsibilities, she fetches the pregnant women to vaccination point as well as conveys messages about maternal health going door-to-door in whole village. She goes with pregnant women to health facility for antenatal & postnatal check ups and performing well for sympathy.

Ayesha Mai says:-

“When people praise me, I can’t stop myself praying for AGAHE organization and its staff on giving me such beneficial information that lady doctors admire me. I won this admiration due to health education given by AGAHE team. May this organization progress leaps and bounds, and keep raising awareness of people like us, with useful information for betterment of humanity.”

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