Rural Initiative for Health and Nutrition

Transforming health and nutrition for 30,000+ people more than 24 villages and hamlets around Ranjangaon.

Introduction & Background

For more than ten years, RIHAN (Rural Initiative for Health and Nutrition) has worked closely with rural families around Ranjangaon to bridge daily gaps in health and nutrition. What started as a few health camps has expanded into an integrated programme that now serves over 30,000 people across more than 24 villages and wadi/wasti settlements.

Our emphasis is on practicality and a people-centered approach: conducting early screenings, providing counsel, ensuring consistent follow-up, and connecting every household to exemplary services, whether public or private. Currently, RIHAN supports children, pregnant women, new mothers, and elders through a network of village representatives, government partners, and trained volunteers.

Under this umbrella, YUVAAN is our adolescent health and nutrition initiative, which equips 10–19-year-olds with nutrition knowledge, life skills, and confidence to make informed choices.

What We Do

Children’s Health & Nutrition  

• Annual school and community screenings identify health and nutrition gaps early.
• Continuous growth monitoring enables the tracking of progress and allows for intervention when necessary.
• Interactive  sessions build life-long habits around:              

• Personal hygiene
• Balanced nutrition
• WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene)
• Menstrual hygiene
• Adolescent sex education 

Maternal & Neonatal Care

• Pregnant women receive regular screenings and one-on-one counseling on nutrition, healthy weight gain, and safe delivery practices.
• Postnatal follow-ups ensure that mothers and newborns receive support throughout the critical early months.
• Even during COVID-19, RIHAN maintained uninterrupted antenatal and delivery support, so no expectant mother was left behind.

 Elderly Health

• Focused services for non-communicable diseases, bone health, and vision care.
• Tailored consultations and nutrition guidance empower older adults to live healthier, more independent lives.

 COVID-19 Response & Beyond

• Our frontline team conducted door-to-door surveys, screenings, and awareness drives on vaccination, hygiene, and prevention.
• In the post-pandemic phase, vulnerable families received personalized care while community trainings strengthened knowledge on infection control and preparedness.

 Community Health & Approach to Care

Since April 2016, RIHAN has been active across more than 24 villages and wadi/wasti settlements, reaching a population of about 30,000+ people. Our model blends doorstep services, referral linkages, and sustained follow‑ups to ensure no household is missed.

Key interventions include:

• Health Camps: Comprehensive check-ups, eye examinations, and blood tests for thousands of residents.
• Community Dialogues: Meetings and group discussions engaging hundreds of villagers on nutrition, immunisation, and disease prevention.
• Targeted Screenings & Drives: Focused programs that reach deep into households to promote preventive care.
• Continuum of Care: Home visits, tele-support, and coordination with primary and secondary facilities to close the loop from screening to treatment.

 Flagship Community Initiatives

• Doctor Tumchya Dari (Doctor at Your Doorstep): Mobile medical outreach bringing primary care, medicines, and referrals directly to households, especially in remote wadi/wasti clusters.

• YUVAAN – Adolescent Health & Empowerment: A focused program for 10–19 year-olds that builds nutrition literacy, life skills, mental wellbeing, and gender equity awareness through clubs, workshops, and peer mentoring.

• RIHAN Arogya Mitra Drives: Nutrition screening and counselling camps for children and pregnant women with follow-up supplementation plans.

• Drishti Eye-Checkup Camps: Community-based vision screening, refraction tests, and on-the-spot spectacle distribution.

• Adharwad – Elderly Care Program: Comprehensive geriatric services focusing on NCDs, bone health, mobility, and social support to help the elderly live independently with dignity.

• WASH Sessions: Interactive modules on water, sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health conducted with schoolchildren, caregivers, and community groups.

• HCJMRI–RIHAN Library Initiative: Mini-libraries in every village, curating child-friendly books and health-nutrition learning aids to spark reading habits and informed life choices.

• Educational Support & English Classes: Contextual English-language classes and educational support for village representatives/health workers and children, building communication skills and confidence to access health information and opportunities.

Collaboration & Capacity Building

RIHAN works hand-in-hand with 25 dedicated village representatives and multiple government health officers, ensuring close coordination with Health, Education, ICDS, and Immunization departments. Using Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) strategies, the team fosters sustainable habits in hygiene, infection prevention, and healthy living—always with the necessary permissions and support from local governance.

Social Impact & Awareness

Beyond clinical care, RIHAN champions:

• Adolescent health and well-being
• Prevention of early marriage and  pregnancy
• Safety and empowerment of the girl child

By nurturing awareness around hygiene, nutrition, and preventive practices, RIHAN is helping shape a healthier generation—children, caregivers, and families alike.