The project “SAVE LIVES” is a CSR project implemented by BITAN with the financial support of GSK among the urban slum community, in the Nayabasti slums located at Ward-7 of  Maheshtala Municipality, South 24 Paraganas, West Bengal. It has been more than 8 years since BITAN implemented the project in these slums to bring about a change in the lives of the people aiming at improving the overall health, nutrition, and sanitation scenario focusing primarily at maternal and child health issues of that particular geographical area. The majority of the population living there have migrated from rural and sub urban areas in search of better livelihood options. The people are engaged mostly as daily laborers, rickshaw pullers and van drivers, ragpickers/waste collectors, domestic maids, beggars and are also engaged in menial jobs in the unorganized sector. Gradually after 8 years, the efforts started showing results and there was improvement in the overall scenario, particularly in the aspect of male involvement in new born care and also in assurance of institutional delivery instead of the home delivery birth procedure.

Jumman Sekh. is the husband of Najiya Sekh. They are the resident of the 10 number brick field of Nayabasti area, one of the significant zones of home delivery supportive area. In the month of May Najiya was identified as the pregnant woman by the Save Lives project team. After earlier identification, the team had a conversation with both of them, Jumman and Najiya regarding her proper ANC stages and also about her hospital delivery. From the very beginning Jumman was very supportive and was in support of the hospital delivery but the mother-in-law of Najiya was not agreeing to the hospital delivery and Najiya was also reluctant to process the home delivery.  Finally, on 4th December the traditional birth attendant came to their house to process the home delivery but after getting that news the Save Lives project team members reached on the spot and convinced the traditional birth attendant to refuse the call and Jumman also supported them. Team BITAN arranged a car quickly that night to admit Najia in the hospital and one of the MAS members also accompanied them to admit Najia properly to the Govt. hospital. On 5th December Najia became the mother of a girl child through the normal delivery.

This is a success for the Save Lives project team and Jumman Sekh, as a husband created the impact in his area by supporting the hospital delivery strongly.