What does it take to empower women? Fancy words? Social media posts? Jobs? Badges? Photo opportunities? Well, all it takes to empower anyone is the right knowledge and guidance. The right knowledge is especially important when it comes to healthcare. Women can often be seen neglecting themselves and their health under the pretext of taking care of everyone else. Not only does this make them susceptible to diseases but also instils a belief that they don’t deserve the care and attention.
Nidarshana Gowani of Kamala Ankibai Ghamandiram Gowani Trust is now hell-bent on giving women the care they deserve. She has been doing a lot for their empowerment already but now healthcare is her primary agenda. The trust recently organized a breast cancer awareness drive and check-up camp where women received free health checkups and counselling.
We talked to Nidarshana regarding this initiative and she said that many women shy away from breast examinations because of the associated taboo. She thus took it upon herself and the trust to make superior care more accessible for them. The camp was organized well and there were volunteers and healthcare workers assisting women at each step.
The first step was registration, followed by a blood pressure test, blood test, ENT check-up and general discussions about well-being. There was also a dedicated room with a qualified gynaecologist and nurse where physical breast examinations were done for the women. These women also received guidance on self-examination and steps to take if they found an unusual lump in the breasts.
All the attendees at the camp were elated to experience this level of care and concern from a non-profit organization. The men were also appreciated for taking care of their wives and bringing them to the camp. Others were counselled to be proactive in taking care of the health of women in the family.
This is a great Diwali gift for women and the trust plans to take up many such initiatives to support women and communities.
Some other efforts of the organization include welfare efforts for the transgender community, initiatives to encourage and support self-employment among women, special efforts and felicitation ceremonies for military widows, vaccination drives, development of community centres and temples, support and felicitation initiatives for healthcare workers, sanitization drives, periodic health camps for communities, feeding drives for stray animals, food distribution etc.
Kamala Trust is taking steps in the right direction and touching many lives each day. We hope more people of privilege follow suit and conduct similar programs and events for various sections of society.
