Project Aakar

Project Aakar is about shaping the family size for stabilizing the population in the State of Uttar Pradesh. The task of implementing the ground activities was allocated to Delhi based agency named IMPACT Communication Pvt. Ltd.

The first phase of the project was initiated in 2018, covering 200 villages in 2 districts of Uttar Pradesh, with the highest total fertility rate – Bahraich (total Fertility Rate of 4.9) and Barabanki (total Fertility Rate 3.8). The focus was on building awareness and influencing attitudes toward family planning, use of various contraceptive measures, sterilization & delaying the early marriage. Aligning with the Government of India’s commitment to promote population stabilization, the groundwork plan and activities of this project were planned as per the National Health Mission (NHM) guidelines. The couples were also made aware of their reproductive health rights, services available and how to access quality family planning services and methods. This was achieved through the distribution of 106510+ information material.

Along with ground reach, we incorporated technology as a medium to interact with the audience in focus, and it proved to be a powerful tool to communicate with the couples, as Birth control and family planning are still considered taboo in rural areas. It enabled them to share and access information in privacy according to their day and time. It was implemented through a toll free number where vital information related to reproductive choices and contraceptives was provided.

The communication asset “Dampatti No. 1”, endorsed by Sakshi Tanwar, became a known and aspirational cause among ASHAS and married couples. A mobile led campaign was carried out around the villages which created 13282+ mobile engagements.

In total, approximately 1 million people (25% of the total population of both districts) were reached out to through influencers such as ASHAS, Anganwadis, local NGOs, outdoor media, tin plating and van campaigns. 11000+ counselling sessions were conducted on ground and 10,000+ Outbound calls were made to reach out to the Target Group, which resulted in 10392+ families seeking better alternatives to contraceptives. Counselling, Contraceptive distribution, Celebration of Khushal Parivar Diwas, and World Population days are the major activities that have been conducted for the last three years. One of the major impacts of the project was that many couples realized the need to opt for operation during the activity period.

The 2nd phase of the project, targeting 300+ villages, was launched on 25 June 2019 in the presence of Mr. Siddharth Nath Singh (then Health Minister, U.P). The project focused majorly on counselling and reaching eligible couples at all relevant touch points and targeting lactating mothers seeking health services at government hospitals CHC, PHC centres, by putting up a dedicated counselling desk. 11960+ such counselling sessions were conducted at the Anganwadi level.

Project Aakar used communication, a mix of traditional connect and Modern Technology, to trigger a conversation with target communities. The approach combined mass media (Celebrity Endorsement Sakshi Tanwar), Outdoor, Print, Mobile Technology and counselling influencers-led programs. Target Group was also reached through Mobile Counselling Units and Counselling Sessions at the village level, which was a suggested intervention during Phase I. The mobile clinic visited 200 villages of Barabanki and Bahraich with a trained Counsellor and a Health Activist, providing diagnostic health checkups, counselling sessions and distributing contraceptives. Engagement at the school level was also conducted to support reduction of early marriages and prolonged stay of girls in the education system and educate them about right to marriage.

Mobius Foundation has bagged a Bronze Medal for its campaign ‘Dampatti no 1’ under ‘Project Aakar’ in the prestigious category of ‘Integrated & Social Development Campaign of the Year’ by Flame Awards Asia 2020.

Through this project approximately 12751 eligible candidates were counselled regarding shaping the family size. 16500+Contraceptives were distributed among couples, including 1386 packets of Mala D and 297 packets of Condoms were also distributed during three years of project.

The phase III, focused on enhancing awareness and bringing about a behaviour change in communities and directing them for the uptake of family planning like sterilization, contraceptives delaying the early marriage. Communication and information dissemination were progressed via influencers in rural arena. These influencers were Ashas and Angawandis.

Project Aakar Continued its commitment to Dept. of Health in Uttar Pradesh in the face of Covid 19. The foundation distributed 500 PPE kits and 3000 masks to LUCKNOW COVID CARE COMMAND OFFICE and 200 PPE KITS and 2000 MASKS to CMO OFFICE in District Bahraich and Barabanki. Marginalized communities in our focused districts were also provided with monthly ration in coordination with ASHAS.

Keeping Covid guidelines in mind, information related to Family Planning was disseminated through interactive digital campaign where we engaged with the audience through SMS/WhatsApp and calls. The campaign was a mix of information related to Covid Safety and reminder about Family Planning aspects. This was carried out through dedicated counsellors and callers.

Post-lockdown, a Contraceptive distribution drive was carried out at the village level with the help of Male volunteers and ASHAS.

In Nov, 2021 Mobius Foundation participated in No Scalpel Vasectomy campaign. This time no implementing partner was involved and this whole campaign was coordinated solely by Mobius Team.

In this 22-day campaign, Foundation through its project Aakar participated in 13 villages each from District Bahraich and Barabanki with a set of activities like Awareness through Nukkad Natak, display of short films through LED vans, Male/Female Counselling, Contraceptive distribution, and facilitation to motivated males during all stages starting from registration, consent form documentation, pre-clinical investigation, pre-cleaning before NSV procedures to post-procedure follow-ups.

Motivated with our awareness campaign 19 males (8 from Bahraich and 11 from Barabanki) opted for NSV and underwent this procedure as permanent family planning. This achievement set new goals for both the districts as it was for the first time that both districts can see these numbers of successful NSV cases in the fortnight program. Our participation got good appreciation from print, electronic media, and the district administration.

Mission sustainability campaign was launched in sync with the theme of project Aakar, and has been successful in broadening the outreach of the project Aakar through its special episodes. Under this campaign, topics on how overpopulation is responsible for exerting pressure in these areas or developing these issues like Climate Change, Bio-Diversity and Natural Resources, Energy Crisis, Air Pollution, Jobs and Housing, Water Pollution, Depletion of Non-Renewable Resources, Education and Empowerment, Waste Generation, Education, Over Consumption Patterns etc. were covered.

Mobius Foundation, with this campaign, worked to put the spotlight back on human population growth. The programme was titled “MISSION SUSTAINABILITY- POPULATION VS. PLANET” for English audience on WION Channel and संभलना ज़रूरी है – जनसंख्या बनाम प्रकृति for Hindi and regional audience on Zee News and its regional network.