It is also essential to ensure the well-being of both students and parents. Many families lack access to basic healthcare, making it crucial to raise awareness about health hygiene among them.
Community Learning Centers (CLCs) play a vital role in achieving this. CLCs organize medical camps and awareness lectures for both students and parents, promoting a healthier way of life.
Human Welfare Foundation recognizes the critical importance of the issue and focuses on the most-affected areas to tackle water poverty, by providing people with crucial amenities like Hand-pumps. We believe that everyone should be able to access clean water and that this access underpins all other aspects of development. These have gone a long way in improving the lives of many people across India.
Another crucial amenity that helps in providing water in the remote areas with water scarcity is the bore well with submersible pump. HWF has established submersible pumps in various places across India helping establishments like schools and communities to avail clean and healthy water.
Addressing the critical issue of the lack of piped water supply in villages and rural areas is a pressing challenge that affects the daily lives and well-being of countless people. In response to this challenge, HWF (Human Welfare Foundation) has undertaken a proactive approach, focusing on the establishment of open wells in these rural communities.
The impact of these open wells cannot be overstated. Specifically, in the Barmer region of Rajasthan, which is characterized by its arid and desert-like conditions, the construction of open wells has brought about a profound transformation in the lives of the desert settlers. The consequences of this initiative are vividly illustrated in a study conducted by us in the Barmer region.
Prior to the construction of these open wells, it was a daily ordeal for thousands of women in this region. These women, often the backbone of their households, were forced to spend an astonishing 4 to 6 hours every day just to fetch water from distant wells. This arduous and time-consuming task not only took a physical toll but also had a significant impact on the trajectory of their lives. Their childhood, youth, and adult years were consumed by the relentless struggle for access to water. This precious resource was so scarce that it had the power to shape the life experiences of an entire community, particularly its women.
HWF has implemented open well projects in 9 north Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam. These projects aim to alleviate the water scarcity issue and improve the quality of life for communities across these regions.
Under HWF’s Drinking Water Project, six Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Purification Plants have been set up to solve the drinking water crisis of the people in the most marginalized regions of the country. From the RO Plants, 4 villages, with an average of 500 households in each village, have been benefitted. The projects have made huge impact reducing the water crisis of the affected villages and localities in the states of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
HWF constructs cost effective and user-friendly toilets at household level to help rural communities get full access to the ‘Right to Sanitation’ and develop open defecation free villages. It also helps in significantly reducing diseases linked with poor sanitation and hygiene practices.
HWF’s concept of an ‘Open Defecation Free (ODF) village’ is a village where all residents have access to and regularly use sanitary toilets for their personal hygiene needs, eliminating the practice of open defecation. Open defecation is the practice of relieving oneself outdoors in fields, bushes, or other open areas, which can lead to numerous health and environmental problems.
Achieving ODF status typically involves a combination of infrastructure development, behavior change communication, and community mobilization efforts. HWF constructs cost-effective and user-friendly toilets at the household and community levels to develop open defecation-free villages.
Sanitation and cleanliness is the key to a healthy community. HWF through its associate partners conducts grassroot level awareness programmes among the public on the importance of clean and safe sanitation and to bring behavioural change among them.
HWF’s commitment to improving healthcare access extends to the grassroots level, where some of the most vulnerable populations reside. As part of this endeavor, we have initiated a remarkable program that involves the organization of mobile medical camps in slums and slum-like areas. This initiative brings essential medical services directly to communities that often have limited access to healthcare.
HWF operates three dedicated mobile medical vans—one in Delhi, which is a collaborative effort with Al Shifa Hospital and the Aster DM Foundation from Kerala; another in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand; and, last year, we launched another service in the Barmer region of Rajasthan, also operating in collaboration with the Aster DM Foundation. These mobile medical units are equipped with the necessary medical equipment and staffed by skilled healthcare professionals who are passionate about making a difference.
The impact of this program in 2021 is particularly noteworthy. Throughout the year, we organized a total of 469 medical camps, reaching out to and benefitting an impressive 24,107 people. This achievement underscores the program’s effectiveness in addressing the healthcare needs of these often underserved communities.
In sum, the mobile medical camp program is a testament to HWF’s commitment to reaching those who need medical care the most, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location. By taking healthcare to slum areas, we’re not only alleviating immediate health concerns but also contributing to the long-term well-being and resilience of these communities.
Human Welfare Foundation’s commitment to improving healthcare access extends to the northern states of India, where we organize a series of regular medical camps and workshops. These initiatives are vital for addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities, particularly in slum areas and regions with limited access to adequate healthcare facilities.
These medical camps serve as lifelines for communities that may not have the resources or proximity to access essential healthcare services. The services provided at these camps are fundamental, encompassing basic medical care, health check-ups, and consultations with healthcare professionals. These services can be the first line of defense in identifying and addressing various health issues.
One key area of focus in these camps is the prevention of communicable diseases. This is especially crucial in densely populated areas like slums, where the risk of disease transmission can be high.
In addition to providing medical services, HWF takes a proactive approach to raising awareness about health and hygiene. Health Awareness Talks are an integral part of these activities. These talks aim to educate community members about essential health practices, including proper sanitation, nutrition, and the importance of immunizations. This knowledge empowers individuals to take charge of their health and make informed decisions regarding their well-being and that of their families.
The impact of these medical camps and workshops extends far beyond the immediate medical care provided. They foster a sense of community engagement and support, showing the community that there are organizations and individuals who care about their health and well-being.