Sunday, April 02, 2006

Teaching illiterate women

Teaching illiterate women: "To gain people's trust, Suraksha demystifies the process of reproduction with simple charts and displays. 'We work with an illiterate or barely-literate population,' Kakkeri said. 'Their minds are filled with myths and superstitions. We educate them about the human body, the reproductive system, the menstrual cycle, safe sex, contraception, infertility, family planning, reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections, menopause, etc.' In her view, family planning should be an integral part of family welfare and cannot be dealt in isolation. 'A woman should feel the need to plan her family and realize that this is essential for her family's welfare.' While this remains the theory base and what Suraksha advocates, how do they go about implementing their ideologies? Along with a team of gynecologists and counselors, pilot Well Woman Clinics (WWC) have been set up, housed close to the slums in which Suraksha works, to cater comprehensively to women's reproductive health. The clinics operate in the afternoons when women find it convenient to attend without their absence being noticed in the family."
By putting the patients needs first, we can teach everyone - even the poor and the illiterate ! This is an excellent model which could be replicated through the country !

No comments:

Post a Comment