India

On 25 April 2014 the Village Girja Tola was declared the first Open Defecation Free Village.

The Shakti Varta has led to some tangible results for women and children in villages. For Arati and her husband Darasingh Pradhan, it meant the birth and survival of a healthy baby girl.

A community based initiative in Bihar, India is educating and empowering women to take ownership of the health and hygiene of themselves and their families, leading to healthier communities.

New evidence highlights urgent need for multi-sectorial approach to address child malnutrition in Odisha. The prevalence of undernutrition in children under five in India has declined significantly in the last 10-15 years, but in several states, including Odisha, it remains unacceptably high.

A recent survey (2015-2016) of 57,841 women, conducted in Bihar state, India, revealed that 35% of married women aged between 15-49 years old had experienced violence from their spouse in the last 12 months, but only 3.2% had sought help.

We worked with the Government of Odisha, India to improve sanitation and support villages to become open defecation free.