The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that babies should be exclusively breastfed at least for 6 months, and then gradually introduced to other necessary foods while continuing to breastfeed for 2 years or more.

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed, have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers, says WHO.

The WHO defines breastmilk is the ‘ideal food for infants’. ‘It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life,’ it says.

Breastfeeding benefits on children

Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for first six months of life, which means the baby should survive only on breast milk and no other milk, food, drink or even water. Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a child’s health and survival. Breastfeeding works as the first vaccination to the child. Globally, infants below six months are mostly breast-fed. Illness like ear infections, allergies, pneumonia, cancer, diabetes and other issues to the mother and children can be avoided with regular breastfeeding to the child, according to doctors.

In a joint statement issued by UNICEF Executive Director and WHO Director-General on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week 2023, it has been said, “From the earliest moments of a child’s life, breastfeeding is the ultimate child survival and development intervention. Breastfeeding protects babies from common infectious diseases and boosts children’s immune systems, providing the key nutrients children need to grow and develop to their full potential. Babies who are not breastfed are 14 times more likely to die before they reach their first birthday than babies who are exclusively breastfed.”

Breastfeeding benefits on mother

Breast cancer is the commonest form of cancer affecting women not only in India but also across the world. Breast feeding is known to decrease the risk of mothers developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Breastfeeding makes certain changes in breast tissues which reduce its risk of falling prey to breast cancer. Excess exposure to estrogen hormone increases the risk of breast cancer. Estrogen level in a woman’s body decreases prior to giving birth and throughout the period when she breastfeeds her child.

Breastfeeding also positively impacts the mother’s mental health by enhancing the emotional attachment she has with her child. Breastfeeding is also known to control, anxiety, mood swings and stress. Studies have also linked breastfeeding with reduced postpartum depression.

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Studies reveal that 73% of Indian women leave their jobs after giving birth, and only 27.8% of women are in full-time work or self-employed three years after childbirth. Apna’s initiative stands out for its comprehensive approach to break the barriers for Mothers, helping them to make a comeback this Mother’s Day.

The opportunities provided by Apna will be tailored to the needs of women who are looking to restart their careers and may include opportunities for flexible working hours, part-time or remote work, as well as training or upskilling programs to help them get up to speed with new technologies or industry developments. This initiative is committed to supporting and nurturing the aspirations of women who have taken time off to care for their families and want to return to the professional world with confidence and purpose.

In addition to job opportunities, the campaign also aims to raise awareness about the challenges faced by working mothers, such as a lack of confidence, limited opportunities, non-inclusive work culture, fear of acceptance, non-supportive family, and disparity in pay and structure. Apna collaborates with more than 1000 creators to share the stories and make a compelling case for the need to support women in their career journeys, especially after a break. This multi-pronged strategy will help create a more inclusive work environment where mothers can pursue their career aspirations with confidence and support.

Apna’s Founder & CEO, Nirmit Parikh, said, “At Apna, we deeply value the remarkable skills and potential that mothers bring to the table, and we believe that they should not have to choose between their family and career. Through this initiative, we aim to provide a supportive and inclusive work environment that caters to the unique needs and aspirations of mothers. We are committed to enabling them to re-enter the workforce on their terms, with job opportunities that are tailored to their individual preferences. At Apna, we strive to build a more equitable and diverse work culture, where everyone has the chance to thrive and grow, regardless of their background or circumstances.”

Apna’s initiative offers curated job listings across all levels, from junior to senior positions, ensuring that no one is left behind. The impact of Apna’s #MakeYourBreak campaign will not be limited to helping mothers re-enter the workforce. By promoting gender equality and diversity in the workplace, this initiative will have far-reaching effects on society as a whole.. Through this initiative, Apna hopes to inspire other organizations to take similar steps towards building a more inclusive and supportive work culture.

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Not only combating malnutrition, the company is also providing quality healthcare services to rural communities through their Village Healthcare Program and working on empowering underserved women through their Women Livelihood Program ‘Project Nari Shakti’. In an exclusive interaction with The CSR Journal, Ms Simrat Bishnoi, Vice President, Communications, Amway India opens up on their CSR projects aimed at battling malnutrition, empowering women and providing healthcare in rural areas. Following are excerpts from the conversation.

1. Please tell us about Amway India’s Power of 5 – Fight against Malnutrition programme.

In line with our vision of helping people live better, healthier lives, and building on our decades-long expertise in the nutrition space, we at Amway India introduced our globally acclaimed program, Power of 5, a nutrition programme aimed at fighting malnutrition in young children. This is aligned with our belief of combining the best of our business expertise and passion to positively impact the communities we operate in.

As one of the leaders in the health and wellness domain and in line with the Government of India’s National Nutrition Mission aimed at combating childhood malnutrition in India, we, are using our rich and deep experience of decades in nutrition to favourably impact the lives of young children through our Power of 5 program, which is a true example of an impact-oriented nutrition programme. The programme focuses on improving the nutritional status of children below six years through nutrition education to the mothers and caregivers, and intervention through Little Bits – a micronutrient supplement providing daily essential vitamins and minerals to help manage micronutrient deficiency such as anaemia.

2. How old is this project? How many children have been benefited under this program in 2022 and in which parts of India?

Amway India’s Power of 5 programme was launched in India in 2018 in Delhi. Encouraged by the success of the project we further expanded it to Haryana. As of 2022, we have scaled this ongoing program to reach over 3.50 lakh beneficiaries including more than 80,000 children. The programme that started with comprehensive nutrition education intervention to the mothers and caregivers of children in the urban slums of Delhi in 2018, today has spread across regions including Nuh in Haryana, Kolkata in West Bengal, Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Mumbai in Maharashtra.

3. Why did you choose to carry out this programme in these places?

Our programme intervention is primarily dependent on two parameters. Firstly, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data released by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, highlighting the nutritional status of children in the intervention district and secondly, our on-ground survey (family survey as well as children’s nutrition status through anthropometric measurements) underlining the need of our interventions to address childhood malnutrition on nutrition indicators like wasting, underweight, stunting and iron deficiency issues such as anaemia.

The initiatives are undertaken at the chosen locations based on the results of these surveys. In addition to the rural areas of Haryana, our nutrition efforts through Power of 5 program are focused on the urban slums of metropolitan cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai.

4. Malnutrition during pregnancy enhances the risk of disease and disabilities in future among children. In that case, do you also include expecting mothers as beneficiaries?

Completely agree. Expecting mothers are already part of our programme. They form nearly 20% of our overall beneficiaries.

5. What is Amway India’s Village Healthcare Programme?

The Village Healthcare programme, initiated by Amway India, aims to provide quality healthcare services to rural communities residing in the vicinity of Amway Manufacturing Facility. In collaboration with Meenakshi Mission Hospital & Development Centre, the programme offers free consultations with qualified physicians, pathological tests, and medication. These healthcare services are made accessible to rural communities through telemedicine centers equipped with cutting-edge telecommunication and information technology, thereby overcoming geographic barriers. The programme has brought about a marked improvement in access to medical services in remote rural areas, serving as a sustainable healthcare solution that obviates the need for villagers to wait for specific health camps or travel long distances to access medical facilities.

6. How many villages and villagers in which parts of India have been benefited through this programme in 2021-22?

Currently, with five telemedicine centres we are able to provide free medical services to more than 35,000 villagers every year. The program started in 2016 and has so far benefited over 1.40 lakh villagers across 30 villages in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu.

7. While implementing this programme, what kind of health problems have you observed among villagers especially in the last couple of years?

Majority of the villagers in Dindigul district are daily wagers from the farming community who are primarily involved in physical activities and hence, face health challenges due to physical exertion. As per the findings by our partner Meenakshi Mission Hospital & Research Centre, one of the most common ailments is the Upper respiratory tract infection (sore throat, cough, cold) which villagers were diagnosed with.

However, one of the key reasons behind this might be the lingering effect of COVID-19 as well as the quality of water which is not as good in these communities compared to nearest towns. In addition, villagers also have diabetes, blood pressure, fever, anaemia, hypertension, respiratory infection, skin etc. Our telemedicine centres are equipped to handle these and more.

8. Please tell us about Amway India’s Women Livelihood Program ‘Project Nari Shakti’. What specialized courses are being taught to women under this programme?

Amway’s global vision of ‘championing diversity and inclusiveness, empowering women, and increasing economic opportunities for everyone’, inspired us to introduce the Project ‘Nari Shakti’, a unique women livelihood programme in India.

The program, essentially, equips underprivileged girls and women in the age group of 18 to 35 years with skills in specialized fields such as beauty & wellness and fashion design to help them start their own business or get employment. These women are also trained through specially curated workshops on nutrition and entrepreneurship. We have developed a dedicated 1200-hour training module to support these women with the required skill sets and provide sustainable livelihood options.

To further equip these women, Amway employees and Amway Direct Selling Partners also periodically conduct training sessions which help them with the necessary knowledge on marketing, finance, social media-related domains etc., thus empowering them to run their enterprise more professionally.

9. How many women have benefitted under this program in 2022 and in which parts of India? Where else does Amway India intend to take this programme to?

Our Nari Shakti programme has made a significant impact by so far benefiting over 25,000 individuals, with 1,700 women being direct beneficiaries. It is so overwhelming to see that so many of the beneficiaries have started their own ventures post completing the courses. While some have opened their own boutique or salons, some of them have landed jobs in relevant fields. Following the success of our pilot program in Delhi in 2019, we have expanded our outreach to include locations such as Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh), Sohna (Haryana), Kolkata, and Chennai. As we continue to strengthen our existing projects, we also aim to explore new geographies with the target to empower more than 5,000 girls and women in the next couple of years.

To achieve this, in addition to the skilling programme, we intend to introduce new training methods such as a ‘Mentorship programme’. Through this initiative, trained women will be empowered to share their skills with girls from their communities who may not be able to visit the centre, thereby enhancing their development. Additionally, we also are exploring livelihood support through Self-Help Group (SHG) models.

10. Why is financial independence extremely important for Indian women in the present day, especially those coming from rural and/or underprivileged backgrounds?

I firmly believe that achieving financial independence is critical for all women, especially those in underserved communities as it empowers them to control their lives and make their own decisions. At its most fundamental level, financial independence engenders a greater sense of security and respect, regardless of the socio-economic status. This, I believe, relays into stronger and less vulnerable families, societies and ultimately, countries.

Unfortunately, women from rural and underprivileged backgrounds are often vulnerable to financial exploitation. However, gaining financial independence can certainly help reduce this vulnerability by providing them with the resources and the control that they need to make their own decisions. I feel that the sense of empowerment, stability, and improved status can promote progressive societal development.

At Amway, we believe that empowering women and providing the right platforms is crucial to open equal opportunities for all. Towards this, we are proud of being able to support women from the marginalized section of society. Also, we are equally proud of the fact that 60% of our Amway Direct Selling Partners are women who are empowered to contribute towards the economic growth of the country.

Ahana Bhattacharya can be reached at ahana@thecsrjournal.in

The post CSR Leaders: Simrat Bishnoi from Amway India talks about their CSR projects for battling malnutrition, women empowerment and healthcare in rural areas appeared first on The CSR Journal.