About the Project
The project consisted of providing mobile nurses to offer prenatal care and other health services to women and children in rural villages.
Location
Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India
Quick Project Stats
| Funding Date | 2024 |
| Luena Investment | $5,000 |
| CBO Partner | Global Pearls |
| Village | 200 rural villages on the outskirts of Karaikudi |
| Country | India |
| # of Children Impacted | 1,575 pregnant women and their children |
| Community Contribution | During workshops, women who are already mothers mentor the young women who are pregnant for the first time. Members of the Women’s Self-Help groups go door-to-door to encourage pregnant women and new mothers to take part in all aspects of the program. |
Rural Villages Lack Access to Health Care
Women in rural villages struggle to access government health care due to lack of transportation. Initially, many women died during pregnancy and childbirth, and even more children died from the lack of prenatal care, proper nutrition, and immunizations. Furthermore, 80% of the women struggled from anemia and other nutritional deficiencies, while 63% of the villagers suffered diarrhea and cramps from intestinal worms.
Mobile Clinic Greatly Improves Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes
The donation from Luena Foundation was used to provide a mobile health clinic that facilitated 8,942 home visits, administered 5,492 vaccines, and identified 17 women for referral to the government health clinic for pregnancy issues such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and low weight gain. Among the women who participated in workshops and mobile maternal health services, there were zero maternal deaths and zero child deaths in 2024.
Activities funded by Luena’s grant:
- Workshops to train pregnant women on important health topics related to pregnancy and birth. Each woman also receives a manual to take home that references everything they learned in the workshop with both words and diagrams (since the women are not always literate).
- Monthly home visits by our mobile nursing team to every pregnant woman in the program to monitor her health and identify any developing issues.
- Regular home monitoring of the babies for two years after birth.
- Immunization clinics organized in the villages for the children. The government supplies the vaccines, but our nurses organize the program.
Meet our Partner Community-Based Organization
Our goal is to tackle the root causes of poverty in some of the most marginalized communities in the world. We believe impactful, cost-effective, and lasting change requires empowering locals to help themselves rather than imposing a project from the outside.
To learn more about our partner organization, click here.
