Sunday, July 31, I am again with Bala in the Sundarbans . We had many interviews. First with a female member of the Panchayats Council in Kankandighi and then with the Panchayat of Nagendrapur. We talked about health infrastructure, access to water, education, waste treatment and their role as local authority when women are missing. In fact, families do not absolutely trust the police and will only report a disappearance on insistence of the Panchayat.
Then we met the manager of aPrimary Health Center, who receives between 15 and 20 patients each day. She told us what medical and moral support she brought to women when delivering, what were the most prevalent diseases and for what she needed more medicine: fever, diarrhea, allergies and problems skin.
The day ended at the local office of Mukti where we discussed with women belonging to a "Self-Help Group". This is a very interesting initiative that allows a small group of women to have empowerment by developing other activities, such as the breeding of exotic birds and coconut plantation. The programhas just begun, however, they explained me they already have more money and therefore better food, which is a big improvement for them.