Communities
Bishnu Bhandari: Working as a Female Social Facilitator in villages of Kapilvastu
GoN/UNFPA Community Based Programme in Kapilvastu District
Kapilvastu, November 2008
A Social Facilitator during a mothers'
group meeting in Manpur
Manpur was the first Village Development Committee (VDC) I visited after I had been trained as a Female Social Facilitator in the Community Based Programme implemented by the District Development Committee (DDC) with the support of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund).
In Bishanpur village (part of Manpur VDC) the men alone came to the meeting called by us. I could talk to a woman only after having permission from a male member of the family. That time to form a women's group in the village seemed to be as difficult as climbing Mount Everest. Nevertheless, I didn't lose my hope, I strongly believed that everyone is born free and has the right to obtain all sort of information without restraint, especially if it is relevant to one's own health and life.
After several meetings with the men of the community and awareness programmes on reproductive health, one day I was allowed to talk to a woman. Her name was Bindawati. I explained her the purpose of our programme, and what does reproductive health issues mean. Assisted by her, I spoke with four women in her household. I was still uncertain whether I would be able to continue my work in this village. However Bindawati and the four women from her house started a women's group and I was present in every meeting. Gradually I got the encouragement I needed to continue my work in this community.
Eventually, together with the women of the village we were able to form a Neighborhood Health Committee. The role of this group was to obtain information and hold regular meetings to discuss between each other about, for example, where to go for delivery, for pregnancy check-ups, treatment of uterine prolapse and of other ailments of reproductive organs, where to get contraceptives and what to do about gender based violence in the village. To this day the members meet frequently and proudly admit that not only they know how to take better care of their health but they became more confident to talk about their needs and problems.
There are currently 23 Female Social Facilitators working with the GoN/UNFPA Community Based Programme in Kapilvastu district. They help the Female Community Health Volunteers to organize various community groups (eg. mothers groups, family planning users, uterine prolapse patients, etc.). Through such groups Community Based Programme ensures participation of community members in health related decisions and access to services.
By Bishnu Bhandari and Manju Shrestha-Rai
Translated by Sudarshan Neupane and Shweta Rijal
People we work with - Sakina
GoN/UNFPA Community Based Programme in Kapilbastu District
Kapilbastu, December 2008
A mothers' group meeting in
Manpur VDC
Sakina has three sons and four daughters. Like her own mother and her mother's mother before, she had never planned the number of her children neither had she ever given a thought about when to have them. She never knew that she could do so.
Sakina lives in Manpur VDC (Village Development Committee), Kapilbastu, and belongs to the Muslim community. She lives an average life like her relatives and most of her neighbors. Sakina runs the household and looks after everyone in the family. She has been following the religious and social rules of her community.
In the year 2007 Manpur VDC was included into Government of Nepal/UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Population and Reproductive Health Integrated Community Based Programme (PARHI CBP) as one of the focal VDCs. The programme was specifically designed to support the government in improving the access to reproductive health services. Those services include for example, sexual and reproductive health education, access to contraceptives, counseling on planning the number and time for children and availability of the skilled birth attendants. At the heart of the programme is the belief that everyone in any circumstances has a right to decent health services and especially mothers' health should not be put at risk while they give new life or are the guardians of their children.
After the programme had begun in the VDC, Sakina joined the Neighborhood Health Committee and had a chance to attend several meetings and discussions on the reproductive health issues such as: family planning, safe pregnancy and delivery, prevention and treatment of uterine prolapse. Above all, Sakina has learnt about various modern contraceptives and this added a whole new dimension to the way she takes care of her health. 'I love my children; however had I known before what I do now I would plan how many of them we would like to have. I have learnt the hard way what does it mean to raise seven kids and I understand very well what being able to use contraceptives can mean for a woman. I go and talk about it with my neighbors and relatives, with women in my village.' In Kapilbastu many women like Sakina have learnt about using contraceptives to the benefit of their families and their health.
In villages similar to Manpur it is not a rarity to meet people who are not aware about the use of contraceptives and for whom the whole idea of family planning is still a taboo as there is no one to talk to freely about misconceptions, like for example, alleged negative side effects of IUD (intrauterine devise) or hormonal pills. Yet, the understanding about one's own reproductive system and how to take care of own reproductive health has been improving. Meetings and discussions within groups like pregnant or lactating mothers' groups, reproductive health education and advocacy in the villages of the district are slowly bringing a positive change to the lives of women of Kapilbastu and their families.
By Manju Shrestha-Rai
Translated by Sudarshan Neupane and Shweta Rijal
