Project Banaskantha – Direct Intervention

Campaign Story

About the project

The Amirgarh block of Banaskantha district in Gujarat has a tribal population of 9.11%. Malnutrition is widespread among children and adolescents in this community, with 79% of children aged 6–59 months suffering from anemia. The district faces inadequate facilities and infrastructure in Anganwadi centres and government health centres, which hinders the effective delivery of health and nutrition services. The community also lacks awareness about child care, nutritious food practices, and the importance of nutrition for pregnant and lactating women. These gaps contribute to significant health and malnutrition challenges among children, while adolescents and women frequently suffer from undernutrition and anemia. Child marriage is another major concern, often resulting in girls dropping out of school.

Making a difference

CRY America’s project in Banaskantha works towards improving access to healthcare and enhancing nutrition for children and women across 15 villages in the Amirgarh block. Key activities include identifying pregnant and lactating women and ensuring they receive adequate antenatal and postnatal care. The project also focuses on monitoring children’s immunisation and addressing malnutrition and anemia among infants, pregnant women, and adolescents through health camp check-ups and regular growth monitoring. It encourages families to adopt nutritious diets and facilitates referrals for severely underweight children requiring advanced treatment.

In addition, the project collaborates with government health departments to strengthen service delivery and infrastructure. It also supports the formation of adolescent collectives, girls’ collectives, and women’s groups to raise awareness on anemia, child care, nutrition, and child marriage.

The way forward

● Conduct regular sessions with 15 Mothers’ Groups on the importance of Anganwadi registration and institutional delivery, and conduct 4 food demonstration programs with them to encourage nutritious dietary practices
● Ensure 138 pregnant women access Ante Natal Care
● Ensure complete immunization of 34 children aged 9–12 months
● Coordinate with 15 Anganwadi centres to ensure regular growth monitoring of 1,055 children
● Monitor the functioning of 2 grain banks and ensure communities have regular access to nutritious food
● Conduct growth monitoring of 996 children aged 0–5 years and refer Moderately Underweight and Severely Underweight children to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres

Project Impact

637

Children aged 6–36 months registered with Anganwadi Centres

110

Pregnant women registered in the first trimester to access Ante-Natal Care

129

Adolescent girls accessed haemoglobin testing

221

Adolescent girls from collectives were sensitized on child rights and anemia prevention

299

Children aged 9–12 months received immunisation

478

Mothers of malnourished children attended Village Health and Nutrition Day sessions

139

Pregnant women received Iron and Folic Acid tablets

246

Institutional deliveries were ensured

55

Severely Underweight and Moderately Underweight children were referred to the Community Malnutrition Treatment Centre

2025 grant approved: $20,530

2026 budget approved: $23,091

From home deliveries to safer beginnings

In the remote village of Banaskantha, access to healthcare had been absent for years. The only nearby facility had remained non-functional for nearly five years, leaving pregnant and new mothers with little choice but to rely on home deliveries. With limited awareness and weak healthcare infrastructure, these deliveries often exposed women and newborns to serious health risks.

When CRY America’s project team learned of the situation, they stepped in with urgency. Working closely with frontline health workers, they identified high-risk pregnancies and ensured that expectant mothers were registered at Anganwadis to access antenatal care. At the same time, they engaged with public healthcare authorities to restore the local facility, reviving institutional delivery services, improving hygiene in labour rooms, ensuring functional equipment, and the presence of trained staff.

However, rebuilding infrastructure was only part of the challenge. Years of neglect had led to deep mistrust within the community. Through consistent door-to-door visits, the team counselled families on the importance of safe institutional deliveries and the risks associated with home births. They also highlighted the value of birth registration, linking it to essential entitlements like nutrition and maternity benefits.

Gradually, trust began to grow. The first institutional delivery marked a turning point. Soon after, 17 more followed. Today, the community is steadily reclaiming its confidence in public healthcare, moving towards safer pregnancies and healthier beginnings.

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