Vitamin Angels: Making Sure Nutrition Stays A Priority in Indian Villages

India

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Santoshini Arukh, an expectant mother in the Kandhamal district in Odisha, India, was excited to give birth to her second child. But with a household income of just $58 USD a month, Santoshini was already struggling to ensure her toddler, husband, and mother each had enough to eat, let alone purchase prenatal supplements.

Reaching women like Santoshini and alleviating the challenges they face is what drives Kirk Humanitarian to partner with Vitamin Angels, donating United Nations International Multiple Micronutrient Antenatal Preparation Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (UNIMMAP MMS) that they then distribute through their networks to reach women in need.

Through Vitamin Angel’s networks, Kirk Humanitarian’s UNIMMAP MMS produced in partnership with CPC reaches Kandhamal Zila Sabuja Vaidya Sanghthan (KZSVS), which operates in 136 villages in the tribal region of Odisha. KZSVS conducts regular camps in the villages every two months, where they distribute MMS and counsel the community on nutrition. In 2020 they supported 1,170 pregnant women with MMS.

Santoshini received counsel and MMS free-of-charge through KZSVS early in her pregnancy, helping ensure her own and her child’s health. During her last sonogram, she received a positive report. The future looks bright for Santoshini and her baby.

 

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