Since the past couple of months, one-year-old Vaishali from Devalikhurd village of Khandwa Madhya Pradesh was not keeping well. The Anganwadi worker and ANM visited the house and found that the child is severely underweight and not able to take breastfeed due to illness.

The Grassroot workers counselled the family to take the child to NRC (Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre) for immediate treatment but the father was reluctant as he believed it as a curse of their ancestor and took the child for treatment by the tribal healer.

The tribal healer, who is happened to be the volunteer of Caritas India Sabal program investigated the child and asked the parents to take the child to the health centre. The unconvinced father did not take the directions from the healer seriously and started self-treatment of the child.

The Grassroot workers regularly visited Vaishali and counselled her mother to convince her husband to take the child to the NRC for the treatment but all in vain. When the supervisor realised the challenges faced by the worker, she immediately approached Sabal team and informed about the situation.

Sabal team along with the supervisor and the Anganwadi worker went to the child’s house and counselled the parent. Ms. Laxmi, Sabal NHW counselled the father and shared that if the child is not given immediate medical support then the child will die. Jamuna’s father who often participated in Sabal farmers meeting and had regards for the programme initiatives realized the severity of the situation, took the mother and child to the NRC (Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre) in Khalwa block.

Ms. Laxmi also went along with the parents to support them for completing the necessary paperwork in the centre. “Laxmi didi thi warna ye log bachhe ko NRC lekar hi nhi jate humare kehne par,” (Laxmi sister was there to support us else the parents would not have taken the child to NRC on our convincing) said Anganwadi worker.

Laxmi regularly visited NRC to ensure that the mother and child complete the 14 days in the centre without any lapses. After completing 14 days treatment the child rebounded with 2.9KG weight gain. Jamuna, the mother of the child was very happy to see the improvement in Vaishali after discharge. Laxmi also provided her with a food basket for feeding the child and ensuring that Vaishali does not slip back to malnutrition.

“I thank Sabal team who convinced my husband and got my child’s life saved. Sabal has given a new life to Vaishali and we will always remember Laxmi didi’s support,” Jamuna says.