Snow… AYZH… EG… UI… More Snow…

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By: Zubaida Bai, Young Champion of Maternal Health

This blog post was contributed by Zubaida Bai, one of the fifteen Young Champions of Maternal Health chosen by Ashoka and the Maternal Health Task Force at EngenderHealth. She will be blogging about her experience every month, and you can learn more about her, the other Young Champions, and the program here.

18 inches – 24 inches – 14 inches… SNOW & MORE SNOW – Is this a sign of things to come?

One month has passed in 2011 and, in the midst of all the snow Boston’s been struck with, we at AYZH have been busy like never before:

  • 24 JANMA kits have been sent to Rural and Tribal Karnataka, India, thanks to support from Rotary and its members. JANMA is the clean birth kit developed by my organization, AYZH. The vision behind JANMA is that every woman should have a safe, clean, and hygienic delivery whether she delivers at home, at a primary health care center, or in a government hospital. The JANMA kit is intended to give women the right to a clean delivery at a low cost. The kit focuses on “six cleans” recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO): clean hands, clean perineum, clean delivery surface, clean cord cutting and tying instruments, and clean cutting surface. JANMA is sourced and assembled in India by rural women, creating an economic opportunity in the communities we serve. JANMA is distributed through an established network of local pharmacies, clinics, and women-focused nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations.
  • AYZH was short listed for Echoing Green (EG). Of 2,854 applications received only 7% were selected for the semi-final round. Seth Cochran, another Maternal Health Champion, has also been selected for the next round.
  • AYZH has also been selected as a finalist at Unreasonable Institute (UI). Of 300 businesses from over 60 countries, 45 have been selected through an intensive evaluation process. We have an arduous task ahead to raise $8000 at the Unreasonable Marketplace to attend the six week intensive mentoring workshop. The first 25 organizations to raise this money will get to attend the Institute. If we are successful, not only will it help us steer our venture in the right direction, but it will also give us access to investors and mentors in the field. Please help us raise these funds by spreading the word among your networks and contributing anything over 5 dollars.

Many great opportunities, like the snow in Boston, have been falling into AYZH’s hands. They will make for a very busy, but exciting year!