Urgent Appeal for Nepal

Case 1:

Rewati, 25, comes from Thulo Khairatawa VDC in Nawalparasi. Her husband is a farmer. She helps her husband in the field and does household works. Rewati is an active member of Green Tara Nepal’s health promotion groups. She delivered her second baby in newly established birthing center of Green Tara in Thulo Khairatawa VDC.

Rewati shares her second experience of child birth with Green Tara staff like this-“When I was pregnant with my first baby, I did not have knowledge about the importance of antenatal care. Me and family family did not feel it was necessary to go to hospitals for child birth. So I had my first baby delivered at home. Luckily I did not have complications back then. After joining GTN health promotion group, I have realized how important it is to have antenatal and postnatal care as well as delivery in institution with skilled birth attendants. I think I made wise decision to deliver my second baby in the birthing centre. Also, me and my husband are happy to receive the incentives ”.

Rewati’s second baby was healthy with no complications and weighed 3000gms. She also received Rs 400 as an incentive for 4 Antenatal care visits, a bag containing warm clothes for mother and baby as well as Rs 500 as travel expenses to come for institutional delivery.

Case 2:

Anita, 22 is from Somani VDC ward 4. She lives alone with her newly born baby because her husband has recently gone to Malaysia for work. Many men in Nawalparasi district go abroad for labour works leaving their families behind. Anita has just given birth to her second healthy baby in Green Tara’s birthing center in Thulokhairatawa. Her first delivery had happened at home in the absence of skilled birth attendant which could be the major reason why the child died in few hours of birth.

Anita had come into contact with Green Tara Nepal during home visits. In the beginning, she was counseled by GTN staffs about the advantages of delivery in a birthing centre. Her second delivery took place in Green Tara’s birthing center on August 26. Her baby weighed 3000gms. Delivery was normal but later swelling was identified following an internal tear in the mother. So, she was referred to Hyper center(Butwal) for complication management. Now Anita and her baby are back home, safe and healthy. Anita says-“I am glad to have birthing center in my community. Because of which I was able to come for delivery in a health institution. Also the complication could be identified earlier and I was referred. I couldn’t have been able to bear the loss of another baby”.

Anita also received Rs 400 as an incentive for 4 Antenatal care visits, a bag containing warm clothes for mother and baby as well as Rs 500 as travel expenses to come for institutional delivery. She is now one of the members of GTN’s newly formed health promotion groups in Somani VDC, Nawalparasi.

Thank you so much for supporting this essential work. Happy New Year!