Community Health Motivator
1. About the Organization-
The Community Health Motivational Concept Paper is a registered social organization dedicated to human service, which is currently providing its services in the direction of social progress in Unnao, Balrampur, Azamgarh, Ghazipur and Chandauli districts of Uttar Pradesh for the last 21 years. The organization is working on the issues of health and nutrition, quality basic education, pre-school education and nutrition, adolescent girl and women empowerment, protection of migrant laborers and child protection in rural areas. The organization has been conducting institutional activities with the support, dialogue and cooperation with the concerned government departments at the local level. The organization is contributing daily towards nation building with its 121 dedicated social workers at its head office, Varanasi and 6 project offices.
2. About Sanjivani Project-
Sanjivani Project is a project working on health and nutrition which receives financial assistance from Child Right and You which we know as CRY. This project is in 26 forest villages of Chakia development block of Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh. The organization provides assistance to the poor, most of whose families are from Scheduled Caste, Backward Caste and Vanvasi community.
3. Background of Community Health Motivator-
The organization started operating Sanjivani Project in April 2017. It was decided at the policy level of the project that a female worker would be appointed. Applications were invited for this. Even after a lot of efforts, no female worker could be found to work in the project. In such a situation, it was not possible to implement the project in a quality manner. For quality implementation, it was decided that a female volunteer should be prepared for the issue of health and nutrition in the project area who is knowledgeable about the issue, has understanding of the issue and has the passion to work for her society and can provide free services in her village. We will call such a volunteer a community health motivator.
4. About the community health motivator-
The community health motivator is a woman who lives permanently in the villages of Sanjivani project area and lives in her in-laws' house. She is a married woman. She has donated some of her daily time for the children and women of her village. She provides information, explains her services and helps children and women in getting the benefits of government health services.
5. Standards for selection of community health motivator-
In the initial phase, the following standards were fixed for the selection of community health motivator-
1. She should be a permanent resident of that village and daughter-in-law of that village.
2. The age of the woman should be between 21 and 45 years.
3. She should have studied at least upto 8th standard.
4. The woman should have good communication skills.
5. The head of the family etc. should agree for this work.
6. She should be able to participate in the training program of the organization.
7. She should have a sense of idealism for contributing to the society.
6. Community health motivator training-
The organization should make the standards of training for community health motivators in the project in the following manner:
1. The first training will be of three days. In which the participants will come in the morning and go to their homes in the evening.
2. After the first training, when the workers of the project visit the village of the motivator, they will take the motivator along with them so that they can see and understand what the work is. That is, the workers will provide handhold support to the motivator for three months.
3. The second training will be of two days after three months of the first training. In which on the first day we will understand the experiences and challenges of the last three months and on the second day we will again develop information and understanding on the gap.
4. After the second training, for the next three months, the concerned worker will provide handhold support to the motivator.
5. Three months after the second training, a one-day third training will be provided. In which understanding the gap and developing information and understanding will be done.
6. For three months during the third training, the project worker will again provide handhold support to the motivator. During this period, he will motivate them to do some work on their own.
7. Three months after the third training, a one-day follow-up training will be provided. In which information will be provided on playing one's own role on public interest issues on one's own initiative and without help and being aware of children's rights and they will be motivated to continue their own initiative in the coming years.
8. For three months during the fourth training, the project worker monitors them by giving them some work. Being present in some and not being present in some, by providing advice and suggestions through follow up, they motivate the motivator to work without the support of any worker.
In this way, the process of preparing a woman as a motivator for the community is run by the organization through a total of four trainings and 265 days of handhold support, monitoring and follow up. After one year, the training process is started again with a new batch. During this time, the worker provides follow up and guidance to the motivator of the old batch.
7. Work responsibilities of community health motivator-
Work responsibilities of community health motivator are not fixed. Motivator is a volunteer but without work responsibilities, he cannot establish his identity in the community as a motivator. Therefore, some responsibilities have been fixed-
1. Visiting homes once a month in your village/tola/hamlet etc. to collect and provide information. Sharing the information with the worker of Sanjivani Project of your area.
2. Giving message and making seating arrangements for the meeting of Bal Samuh/Balika Samuh/Kishori Samuh.
3. Presenting and discussing in group meetings on the subject matter given by the worker of Sanjivani Project.
4. Arranging the meeting of Sanjivani Mata Group and presenting and discussing in group meetings on the subject matter given by the worker.
5. Identifying pregnant women in the village, collecting information about deliveries, collecting information about malnourished children and deaths and giving this information to the worker of Sanjivani Project.
6. Cooperating with the male worker of Sanjivani Project in collecting information about pregnant women, women and adolescent girls.
7. Distributing wall writings, posters, banners, educational material to make the community of your village aware.
8. Participating in institutional activities and training.
8. Coordination and cooperation of the community health motivator with the service provider at the village level-
An important responsibility of the Sanjivani Project worker is to establish a purposeful identity with ASHA worker, Anganwadi worker, Gram Pradhan, ANM, Panchayat Sahayak etc. at the village level. By taking them along with you to the service providers in the initial phase, their identity is established and they get the skill of talking as well as understanding of the way of getting the work done. Due to which they can advocate the work of the beneficiary on their own in the future without any help.
9. Coordination of Sanjeevani Project with Community Health Motivator-
To maintain the coordination of Community Health Motivator with Sanjeevani Project team, a code is kept in the work plan of the project every year. While working on this, a report has to be given at quarterly level. Along with this, to keep the motivator active, the workers coordinate with them through village level work like identification, giving information, getting the form filled etc.
10. Role of Project Team in the Development of Community Health Motivator-
The project team acts as an important link in the development of Community Health Motivator from Ghunghat to Motivator. By making people participate in the activities of Sanjeevani Project, by conducting home visits, by coordinating with the communicators and by providing support and guidance on various occasions at the village level, the motivator provides information, understanding and initiative to the motivator at the level of a worker.
11. Contribution of community health in its community-
The contribution of the community health motivator in its community has been established in such a way that as a daughter-in-law, the expectations of the family were limited to the responsibilities of the house. In such a situation, the motivator has established herself as a model for the villagers by going beyond the limits of expectations not only in her village society but also in the nearby villages and by communicating with the service providers of the health and development departments and by getting the development schemes to the needy of the village and working for the benefit of the village. She is an example in herself and in the community and is a source of inspiration for others.
12. Expectations of the community health motivator for the sustainability of the project-
With the help of Sanjeevani Project, the organization expects to create a society in which every child and woman of the village is not deprived of health services. They get health services on time and there should be an active group of volunteers in that village who are linked to the schemes and services established and run by the central and state government and are playing their role in providing services to the needy in their village. For the sustainability of this process, the Sanjeevani Project team connects the active motivator with local resources such as group Sakhi, bank Sakhi, Pashu Sakhi, Panchayat assistant, worker, ASHA and other options etc.
13. Limitations of the development of the community health motivator-
We expect limited services from the community health motivator. Especially on the issue of health and nutrition, we see the role of a motivator in providing care and services to malnourished children, anaemic adolescents, pregnant women, lactating women etc. There may be some motivators who provide their services beyond this limit. Still, our expectation is not like this. We only want them to spread awareness in their village/tola/hamlet and link them with the services.
14. Current status of Community Health Motivators-
At present, there are a total of 61 active Community Health Motivators in 26 villages of Sanjivani Project who are providing their services to the community. For their social contribution, on the occasion of International Women's Day 2025, Honorable Mrs. Neelam Prabhat, member of Uttar Pradesh State Women's Commission, honored them by giving a certificate during a grand program.
15. Future Plan:-
Planning has also been done for the coming years in Sanjivani Project regarding Community Health Motivators. We will identify a new batch every year and provide them training and will be there for one year.