Improving the health and nutrition of a community often comes down to one thing – communication. Village Square champions those with the most effective megaphones, but also showcases new or quirky trends in food and healthy living.
Health & Wellbeing
‘Padman of Kolhan’ goes the extra mile for menstrual health
Tarun Kumar has earned the epithet ‘Padman of Kolhan’ thanks to his initiative of distributing sanitary napkins to young girls in schools and spreading awareness about menstrual health and child marriage in Jharkhand.
When a healthy panchayat means a healthy village
In the Angara block of the Ranchi district of Jharkhand, the success of the ‘Healthy Panchayat’ initiative by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Transform Rural India (TRI) is evident, particularly for vulnerable women.
Woman fights hidden drug epidemic in Kashmir
The Grooming Kashmir (TGK) de-addiction centre, founded by psychologist Laila Qureshi, is battling the silent epidemic of drug abuse plaguing Kashmir, offering holistic treatment for addiction amid societal stigma and resistance.
How community-based primary mental healthcare can safeguard the aged
Lack of awareness and dearth of qualified professionals hinder mental health services for older people in rural areas. Primary mental healthcare, which involves the family and community, ensures that older people get the needed care.
In Gujarat village of elders, community kitchen helps fight loneliness
As younger generations migrate for work, a community kitchen at Chandanki village in Mehsana district of Gujarat offers fresh meals twice a day for a modest fee, providing nourishment and companionship to the elderly residents.
How this 29-yr-old cancer survivor is changing rural healthcare
DigiSwasthya, which provides accessible and affordable telemedicine services in rural areas, was inspired by the lack of healthcare resources in villages, and founder Sandeep Kumar’s own battle with cancer. It’s now having life-saving impacts in rural India.
Village battles cancer as Punjab’s environmental crisis deepens
The village of Sirsiwala in Punjab's Mansa district is grappling with an alarming rise in cancer cases linked to groundwater pollution and intensive pesticide use.
Yoga no uphill task for these mountain women
Several women hail the transformative power of yoga in a remote village of Uttarakhand where they don’t have a connection by roads, but feel a connection with themselves on account of the physical discipline.
Flood-prone Assam village sees hope with terra water filters
In the flood-prone Barak valley of southern Assam, where monsoon floods often leave villagers without clean drinking water, terra filters installed by a non-governmental organisation have become a lifeline.