In the year 1995, Vatsalya was set up as the ‘Resource centre on Health’ by medical professionals to ensure the availability and awareness about health and hygiene, especially to the poor and marginalised sections of the society. The prime focus has been curbing female foeticide by advocating the issue around it. The organisation is based out of Uttar Pradesh and working towards spreading awareness about health, nutrition, and child rights. 

The Project ADARSH, initiated by Vatsalya in collaboration with Bank of America is focused on empowering girl children to be the leaders of tomorrow. They are working towards the same by creating awareness regarding their rights, health, hygiene, nutrition and much more amongst the female students around Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. They are actively working with 80 schools across 300 villages incorporating  60    functional adolescent girls groups comprising of  1300  girls.

Under the project ADARSH, the associated female students are formed as an adolescent resource group or saheli samooh into small workable groups of 15-20 each. They are connected with the organisation through meetings and discussions. They are taught about child marriage, health and sanitation, gender issues and family life education, and much more that would come in handy in their personal lives down the road. They are encouraged to take up the role of change-makers in this journey towards a better tomorrow. 

The focus is mainly on strengthening and empowering people working at the grass-roots level for the common objective of resolving issues surrounding health, child right, child health, and gender equality. The organisation provides the girls’  group with institutional material audios and videos to spread awareness about the things that they are taught and made aware of. This in turn makes them the leading ones in the movement and also multiplies the effect of change throughout the society, especially in the areas where they needed the most by the people who are one of them. 

ADARSH project has been going on for a few years now and has been started with 4-5 years old, recruiting more girls with every step. These girls take an active part in serving the community. They go door to door spreading awareness about the subjects in question and also trying to convince the members of the society around them to do the right thing for them and their loved ones. For instance, constructing toilets in their houses, getting vaccinated and making them aware of their rights, government policies, and schemes that can benefit them. Moreover, these girls are aware enough to take their stand and make a decision for their own welfare in terms of their education, health, career and successfully refraining from child marriages. 

The organisation celebrates various health days with the girls, turning the celebrations into high-reach awareness campaigns via rallies and community events. The girls also actively become volunteers for helping frontline health workers with the patients and making the people around their villages aware of those lifestyle modifications for prevention of noncommunicable diseases like Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, encouraging them to get checked up and taking up the role of caregivers for such patients. 

Vatsalya makes it a point to stay in regular contact with the girls with the help of technology. The girls’ group that has been created, is each provided with android phones to keep them connected with the organisation at all times via WhatsApp. They share updates on WhatsApp groups that are maintained for each group and the materials are shared with them for awareness and campaigns as well. They are now using digital platforms to hone their skills and avail important information.

The organisation keeps the groups in check with their activities and makes a point to discuss their reports via meetings and discussions with the groups. They play the role of the guiding light to help these girls take a new path towards a better life, a path different than the one their earlier generations had taken. Vatsalya is seeking leaders emerging amongst their girls that are bringing changes in masses and themselves. In this light, the girls have attained various milestones and have been showing progress with their work with the villagers.

They have made many families aware of the importance of hygiene and sanitation as well as convinced them to build toilets in their homes. Also, they have made them aware of the laws against child marriages and the one about child rights and child health, aiding in the growth of the more aware and healthier next generation. 

Moving forward, they plan on continuing their education and spreading the reach to wider regions, and covering more bases with the already existing groups. Empowering the girls from the start and helping them be their own independent people. As of now, they are working in these villages and we want to replicate the same model in other villages of Lucknow as well for the greater well-being of the society.