A few days ago, Hemlata, a Nurse Mentor at The Antara Foundation (TAF), met Manoj, 25, and his wife Divya, 23, at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district. The young couple had welcomed their baby girl less than 24 hours earlier. Manoj, as elated as he was, stood at a distance while the nurse mentor helped his wife properly nurse the child. Manoj’s inquisitive eyes peered at his little family, hoping to understand his participation as a father. On observing this, Hemlata invited the husband in and gently guided him on how he could help and support his wife. As part of TAF’s nurse mentoring intervention, we enhance ill-equipped labour rooms and improve the knowledge and skills of delivery nurses. Apart from this, TAF nurse mentors, along with frontline health workers, also help in counselling families on antenatal care. Hemlata advised the husband on how to hold the baby and the importance of creating a calm environment for his wife. She explained to him the potential health r
Time and again, guests who visit The Antara Foundation’s (TAF) programs in the field have said: “You are doing God’s work!” Kabir, a 15th-century Indian saint, and philosopher whose poetry touched the hearts of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs alike, had this to say about why humility is the true test of God’s work: " जब मैं था तब हरी नहीं , अब हरी है , मैं नाही। " (When my ego was present, there was no room for God; now that God is here, there is no sign of me) It is moments like this that feed my soul every day during my time at TAF in rural Madhya Pradesh. March 1, 2022 In a village in rural Madhya Pradesh This is the story of a baby pronounced ‘malformed’ and asked by the local Parihar (holy man, also known as baba ) to be kept hidden from the world. The baby needed special care, and guidance on nourishment for a cleft lip and palate condition; the family needed support and sound medical advice. Priya Lodhi is a Program officer from TAF who looks a