Ahmedabad, March 2022: HDB Financial Services (HDBFS), in collaboration with CHETNA, has initiated Project SNEHA, to address and prevent the causes of malnutrition in eleven slum areas of Vasna ward, in Ahmedabad.
Commenting on the initiative Ms. Shirley Thomas, National Head – Human Resources, HDBFS said, “Healthy nutritional programming is critical to the holistic development of newborn babies. Poor intake of nutrition by mother and her child in the first 1000 days can cause irreversible damage to a child’s early development. Project SNEHA has touched the lives of over 6500 families through its continuum of care approach that focuses on reproductive health, maternal care, and early child development.”
Ms. Pallavi Patel, Director CHETNA, said, –“Rapid urbanization demands urgent action to address the health and nutrition need of the vulnerable communities. Project SNEHA, with the financial support from HDBFS, has provided us an opportunity to be one of the pioneers to address these needs. The project systematically involves the community as a whole by creating mass awareness about maternal, child, and adolescent health and nutrition, and has brought a significant change in the health and nutrition indicators. We are thankful to the HDBFS to make our vision and dream to improve the urban health scenario come true.”
Project SNEHA facilitates pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under five years of age to adopt a healthy diet that is affordable, locally available, and easy to prepare. Project SNEHA has so far positively impacted the lives of nearly 6500women and children.
Through a series of group-based awareness sessions and one-on-one counseling, mothers of undernourished children are encouraged to prepare dietary charts. To ensure that desirable health and nutrition indicators are achieved, mothers and ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers track a child’s consumption pattern, height, weight, and hemoglobin level on a monthly basis.
Project SNEHA also focuses extensively on improving maternal healthcare. Sessions on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, immunization, and post-natal care are conducted regularly. Additionally, family planning/birth spacing methods are promoted among adolescents, newly-weds, and those in the reproductive age group.
Project SNEHA has resulted in a substantial increase in intake of iron-folic acid (IFA) supplements by pregnant women, preference of institutional deliveries over child-birth at home, and adopting breastfeeding practices. With consistent efforts and monitoring of dietary intake, the nutritional level of acutely and moderately malnourished children in the slums has shown a positive improvement.
About HDB Financial Services
Incorporated in 2007, HDB Financial Services (HDBFS) is a leading Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) that caters to the growing needs of “Aspirational India”. As a one-stop financial services provider, HDBFS offers a comprehensive suite of products and service offerings that are tailor-made to suit its customers’ requirements, including first-time borrowers and underserved segments.
HDBFS has demonstrated a strong growth record over the years. The Company is accredited with CARE AAA and CRISIL AAA ratings for its long-term debt & Bank facilities and an A1+ rating for its short-term debt & commercial papers, making it a strong and reliable financial institution. HDB has a widespread distribution network comprising 1319 branches in 959 cities and towns, as of March 31, 2021.
To know more, please visit: https://www.hdbfs.com/corporate-social-responsibility/
