This programme takes the initiative to work intensively with health workers, mothers and newborns to lessen the gap between policy and practice on the ground in some of the poorest and marginalized rural communities of Jharkhand.

Based upon proven evidence strengthening home and community based newborn care, directly leads to improved maternity and newborn survival. Our aim is to replicate a home and community based care that specifically meets the needs of the under privileged tribal communities in Jharkhand. To ensure the project durability, we would aim to work within existing government structures and aim to strengthen the health system. The successful project outcomes would give us evidence to advocate that the government scale up interventions that target community practices and home based newborn care.

Our main motive would be to build the capacity of front line workers with the package of training, supervision and on-the-job support. Primarily, our work would focus on village level community health workers, eg: Sahiyyas, Anganwadi workers, the Auxiliary Nurse Midwives. Simultaneously, new community groups would be developed and also build up referral system to link these health workers to the block level health care and upwards.

The project emphasizes directly upon newborn health and nutrition. By improving these the most significant aspect would be decreasing the death rate of children under the age of 5. Our activities would target both mothers and their newborns. The sustainability of the project will depend upon the building capacity of front line health and nutrition workers, their supervisors, community groups,Village health, nutrition and sanitation committees and other community members on maternal and newborn health and nutrition issues. The community health workers, namely Sahiyyas, will be trained in home based newborn care and mobilizing communities to achieve behavior change. Similarly, raising awareness and understanding amongst the community groups will lead to improved utilization and monitoring of health services through government schemes.

The healthy behaviors adopted by the community members, young mothers & care takers will be delivered on to coming generations which would reduce the deaths among mothers, newborns and children. The existing referral systems will be used for health emergencies and will help in increasing the utilization of health services at all levels. The availability and utilization of health services for mothers, newborns and children will increase its demand which will pressurize the government to use its budget appropriately. To further ensure its durability, local Panchayat bodies and governance structures shall be strengthened. We will work closely with the Departments of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development.