According to the American India Foundation, “2 children die in India every minute and over 1.3 million women have died in India due to maternal causes over the last two decades. All because of a lack of access to proper healthcare, nutrition, and information regarding prenatal, post-natal, and neonatal care.” MANSI, or the Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative, works to combat this growing problem by providing maternal care for underprivileged mothers and their newborns in India.
To make this impact, MANSI works with the government to further develop Indian public health services while increasing outreach and engagement with vulnerable and difficult-to-reach communities so they are more educated on their options and resources in healthcare. These populations are reached by government frontline workers who educate young women and girls on the healthcare available to them, empowering them on reproductive and sexual health services and information. MANSI works to change social norms and taboos in India that inhibit these young women from making informed decisions about their own reproductive health.
So far, MANSI has touched the lives of over 791,229 individuals, including 349,505 pregnant women, 249,835 newborns, 76,218 adolescent girls, and 168,852 children in a total of 8,453 villages throughout India through the help of donations from all around the world that allow MANSI to have such an extensive reach. Youth Ambassador for the American India Foundation and former HHS student Demira Parekh, a sophomore, is one of the Youth Ambassadors for the American India Foundation who raises money for MANSI’s amazing cause.
When asked why she believes that it is important to contribute to MANSI and the American India Foundation’s cause, she responded by saying “MANSI saves generations. From newborns, to mothers, to adolescent girls, this organization works tirelessly to uplift women and bring progress to rural areas of India. It is up to us, those who are privileged enough to have easy access to all amenities, to give back to the world. I think it’s important to think beyond just your community and do whatever little we can to change the world around us. One donation could provide a girl with sexual education that could save her life in the future. One donation could allow a new mother to live to see her child or a newborn to be able to breathe another day. Join me and MANSI in not only allowing women to rise up but also to save their lives.”
HHS sophomore who assists Demira in fundraising for MANSI responded to the question similarly as she said, “I think donating is important because many mothers and infants in India need help and making a small donation could help another person tremendously.” Demira, Gabby, and others have already raised over $600 for MANSI, and hope to hit their goal of $5,000 with your help.
Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, Demira is selling MANSI pops, chocolate-covered fruit treats for a delicious way to send aid to mothers and newborns in India. These pops will be available to order until February 14 and are a perfect gift for a friend, family member, or significant other, not to mention that 100 percent of the proceeds go to help mothers and infants in need! To purchase these delicious treats, all you need to do is submit your order to Demira with the contact information in the poster below.
If you are curious and would like to learn more about MANSI and the issue of maternal care in India, you can find more at https://aif.org/mansi/
You can also donate to this cause directly, please click this link or simply scan the QR code in the poster below!
