ASHWINI

Andhra Pradesh

The primary objective of ASHWINI is to establish a health system that is accessible, acceptable, effective and sustainable. It should be owned and managed by the people themselves. The most important aspect of this health intervention is the strong emphasis on involving the adivasi community and in training adivasi youth to deliver the services.

ASHWINI believe that communities can be empowered by a participatory development process of capacity building and decentralization that culminates in community owned and managed programs and institutions. Ownership of institutions that cater to the mainstream population is a powerful tool in bringing about a change in social equations.

20,000 tribals who are members are the primary beneficiaries of the project. A majority of the tribals live below the poverty line and literacy rates are still very low. Illnesses that are directly related to poverty like malnutrition, tuberculosis, anemia and water borne diseases continue to be a major problem for these communities.