Projects

---

Swasth apke dwar is a program organized by Maitri Manthan. Maitri Manthan believes there is an urgent call for revitalizing primary health care based on the principles outlined at Alma-Ata in 1978: Universal access and coverage, equity, community participation in defining and implementing health agendas and intersectoral approaches to health. Effective addressing of public health challenges necessitates new forms of cooperation with private sectors (public-private partnership), civil societies, national health leaders, health workers, communities, other relevant sectors and international health agencies. Therefore, Maitri Manthan organized a program by the name of Swasth Apke Dwar. It addresses the issue of inaccessibility of underprivileged people to adequate health-care facilities. Around 10,000 people have received free registration, consultations, and treatment/medication, under this program.

The principal guiding Maitri Manthan’s agenda of women’s empowerment is that “Equality of access to and attainment of educational qualifications is necessary if more women are to become agents of change. Literacy of women is an important key to improving health, nutrition and education in the family and to empowering women to participate in decision-making in society”. Maitri Manthan has worked for promoting the fulfillment of women's potential through skill development and advocating against all practices that discriminate against women; assisting women to establish and realize their rights, including those that relate to reproductive and sexual health. We envision a world where all women and girls have power and rights over their bodies and sexualities, and the resources they need to exercise those rights. A major learning from our experiments in this domain is that “Empowerment” consists of greater access to knowledge and resources, greater autonomy in decision making to enable them to have greater ability to plan their lives, or to have greater control over the circumstances that influence their lives.