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English: ‪A contagious joy transmitting health to children : a Development Cooperation Story for

the Wikibook ‪Development Cooperation Handbook

The Ramakrishna Mission is an Indian organisation, founded in 1897 by Vivekananda, a former rationalist, who then became a disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, an important Hindu mystic from Bengal. The Mission headquarters are located near Kolkata in eastern India, but associated centres exist across the world.

One of the fundamental principles of the Organization is that selfless service to others is a means for self realization; and that awareness is the primary health determinant for the individual and for the community.

The health care and education programme of the Mission in Varanasi extends beyond the city to serve a population of more than 60,000 persons living in more than 30 villages across the districts of Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Azamgadh. Its activities include promoting good health, hygiene, sanitation and nutrition education amongst women and children in schools and villages.

There are Community Health Workers that live in the villages, advise the population where, when and how they can get medical and social assistance and report about emergencies in their villages. Mobile health clinics regularly visit these villages, conducting basic medical diagnosis, giving medical advice and distributing free medicines.

They build awareness among women on their rights and duties and how they can advocate for it, as individuals, as groups and as a community. They also train teachers for improving learning processes in schools and for making schools more child-friendly.