The KeSV Foundation home-based palliative care team is welcomed with affection in Sugibai's home in Nala village, Akkalkuwa. A patient suffering from stroke, she blesses our nurse and exudes love and warmth.
Karuna Evam Shanti Vahini (KeSV) Foundation aims to support the design and implementation of interventions in public health that address inequities within communities, focusing on those who are at the intersects of multiple marginalization situations, including but not limited to gender, migrant status, disability, chronic illness, homelessness, tribal status, and others.
The Foundation has been set up to honour the legacy of Mr. Keshav Desiraju, former Secretary, Health, Govt. of India. Mr. Desiraju's leadership in public health was defined by his remarkable vision for a just and equitable health care system, and his deep compassion that brought hitherto neglected areas of health care into focus: mental health, palliative care, disability rights, geriatric care, and others.
Our approach is to identify and nurture leadership within the community to respond to distress arising from health suffering, and to facilitate robust referrals to next levels of care and follow up. At the core of this is a belief in the need to build resilient communities and strive towards accessible and compassionate health care as a human right. We draw on our organizational strengths in communications, capacity building, and generation of robust evidence to engage with multiple stakeholders in an effort to support affirmative action to bridge the gaps in health care equity.
Karuna Evam Shanti Vahini Foundation, set up in 2022, is a not- for- profit organization, registered under the Companies Act, 2013 and headquartered in Mumbai.
Karuna Evam Shanti Vahini Foundation works pan India, with partnerships, networks and resource personnel across the country. A special focus of our work is in geographic locations that are remote, and among communities that are marginalized.
Palliative care is a neglected component of health service delivery interventions. WHO has estimated that each year 40 million people need palliative care; and globally only 14% of those needing it, receive it. The Government of India launched its palliative care programme (NPPC) in 2012. We work with families requiring palliative care, including the geriatric population, and in addition to pain and symptom management for the patient, address the accompanying stressors that impact mental well-being (of the patient, family and other caregivers).
Our approach to addressing serious health suffering among tribal communities builds on key recommendations of the Report of the Expert Committee on Tribal Health:Download PDF
These included: the backbone of healthcare should be community-based care and outreach services. The centre of gravity for provision of healthcare thus needs to move closer to the community. Also, an expanded role for ASHAs, and building their capacity for home- based care and referral, is recommended.
In the course of our work on Palliative Care we have learnt to go beyond its traditional definition and embrace one that is more relevant for our resource limited setting making it more inclusive and responsive to emerging needs. Chronic health suffering without being limited to “end of life care” has both emerged as a need from the community as well as acknowledged by the government in the framework of palliative care.
Our work on palliative care has thus included service delivery (diagnosis, treatment, medication, physiotherapy), psycho-social support to patients and families, linking individuals to welfare schemes and entitlements, providing medical and non-medical aids, and responding to both immediate and long-term needs etc.
Our Work in Nandurbar has won the highest award for Excellence in humanity-centred design (the Don Norman Design Award). The project supported by a grant from the Mariwala Health Initiative is currently present in the three blocks of Nandurbar district- Akkalkuwa, Dhadgon and Taloda. This Adivasi dominated area ranks low on health and development indicators and is marked by a hilly remote terrain with poor connectivity and scattered habitations.
Our initiative works at multiple levels, going beyond the expansion and strengthening of the footprint of palliative care services to reach a greater proportion of the population than at present. Our technical support includes the development of prototype communications and advocacy materials, training modules, and monitoring indicators for the palliative care programme, that can be replicated and applied in other districts beyond Nandurbar.
The local KeSVF field team from the Bhil and Pawra communities comprises of social workers and nurses. In addition to their previous experience in the development sector and the field of health, they have undergone specific training in palliative care, under a partnership with the Chinchpada Christian Hospital in Nandurbar, that provides technical support to KeSVF in the medical component of the project.
Currently our reach is in 33 villages across the three blocks. Patients with chronic health suffering have been identified. Our consulting doctors make monthly visits to support diagnosis and medication and maintain ongoing contact through virtual communication. The Field Team follows up with the patients and their families to provide care and support.
KeSV Foundation has completed a baseline study on healthcare seeking behaviour among the Adivasi community in Akkalkuwa block in partnership with Jan Seva Mandal. Community-based volunteers were trained in using the research tool and in techniques of data collection.
We have also developed communication tools (in Marathi and English) to support caregivers of patients on Homebased Care.
The project works closely with partners including the local Government and has advocated Palliative Care with them from the very start of the intervention. In line with this, KeSVF conducted a workshop on “Introduction to Palliative Care” for Medical Officers of Nandurbar district. 39 participants attended, and the response received was very encouraging.
Successful implementation of health care services requires critical technical support inputs that can strengthen not just specific interventions but contribute to the development of the sector as a whole. These include:
Strategic Communications and Advocacy support through tool-kits [Resources from KeSVF], materials, and campaigns.
Capacity building of health care providers at all levels, supported by communication aids for clinic and outreach use.
Effective research-based inputs and feedback mechanisms that guide the interventions on the ground.
As KeSV Foundation expanded its wings, it engaged in a study for Hawkins Cookers Ltd. Hawkins is a well-known company, reputed for its kitchenware production. As part of its CSR, Hawkins hopes to encourage smoke-free cooking by promoting the use of LPG cylinders among those who are using smoky traditional chulhas. They also seek to encourage fuel-saving and time-saving methods of cooking such as pressure cooking options. The study in 4 states is an impact assessment of their communication campaign on the above.
Our Partnerships
KeSVF is partnering with key stakeholders working in Nandurbar on health and development issues.
The Chinchpada Christian Hospital (CCH) has been serving the community in the Navapur block of Nandurbar through its interventions in health care including both hospital-based and home-based palliative care. Our field team has received in-depth training on palliative care from CCH. In addition to referrals to the hospital, a medical team led by a doctor from the hospital provides oversight to care of our patients.
A holistic approach to care is not limited by definitions. Little Rana (name changed), born with a developmental disability, lives on the margins of extreme poverty. He is the youngest member enrolled with us. Our field team forms a circle of care around the family. Here, the doctor at CCH, helps with his motor disability challenges.
Jan Seva Mandal (JSM) is a community based and community led organization working on education in the Akkalkuwa Block. They have a large base of active volunteers from the community. Under the partnership the JSM volunteers have been trained in research skills by KeSVF and have engaged in conducting a baseline study on healthcare seeking behaviour in Akkalkuwa.
In addition our Foundation works closely with civil society organizations including village based functionaries and the District Health Team at the Civil Hospital.
KeSVF has been honored with the Don Norman Design Award for Excellence at the DNDA 2024 Summit in San Diego... Read More...
A podcast on our work in Nandurbar..a conversation with Sonalini Mirchandani on an evolving model in community-centred palliative care in a tribal region. Listen Podcast...
Our award announced on the Indian Association Of Palliative Care (IAPC) website Read More...
Nandurbar news features the amazing work done by 2 Medical Officers from the government... Read More...
]\PROJECTS EXCELLENCE: Palliative Care in a Tribal Settlement: Developing a Community-Centred Model Read More...
Meet Karuna Evam Shanti Vahini Foundation in Mariwala Health Initiative’s partner Read More...
Our work was recently featured as a good practice in the Pallium India website Read More...
The team at Karuna Evam Shanti Vahini Foundation brings collective experience in strategy design, communications, capacity building, documentation and research in public health across various areas. As a network of professionals working at The Communication Hub the team engaged with donor organizations, the government, and philanthropic foundations across several projects. These included, among others, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Alliance-India, CINI, UKAid, DKT-India, IDS/ University of Sussex, FHI360, NMP+, ICCO, IPPF, NACO, the NHM, IPE Global Limited, Population Foundation of India, PHFI, PIPPSE, Population Council, PSI, SAVE THE CHILDREN-SARO, The World Bank, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNODC, USAID, UN-WOMEN, Helpage India and others. Specific private sector clients worked with on CSR projects include Ambuja Cement, Godrej, Deepak Fertilizers, and PepsiCo.
We have extensive experience in design of strategic communication interventions, focusing on behaviour change communication, thereby helping organizations use their resources both efficiently and effectively to make for sustained change at the individual and community level. An example of the kind of work that our professionals have undertaken is the Design of a Comprehensive Social and Behaviour Change Communication Strategy and Action Plan for Maternal and Child Health in Jharkhand for UNICEF. The Strategy and Action Plan, based on rigorous research, were developed in a participatory and decentralized manner, working closely with district level communication teams.
Our team has experience in the design and development of 360-degree campaign products including innovative interactive materials, materials for digital and broadcast media, print and audio materials. We work with the finest in the creative and design fields; films produced by our members have used approaches ranging from documentary, drama, animation and case study formats. An example of the kind of work that our professionals have undertaken in this is the design and production of a comprehensive communication intervention for child rights and WASH in the state of Madhya Pradesh. We also build capacity and handhold the actual implementation stage of the campaign in order to ensure the most effective use of campaign products.
The team has extensive experience across research studies that aid in better intervention design, in rigorous monitoring and in impact evaluation. We have a network of field personnel located across India. A key value-addition we bring is our experience in developing indicators that are suitable for your programme and that effectively capture both the pace and direction of change that your intervention is making. We also have experience in peer-led research studies among marginalized and vulnerable communities. An example is an 18- state study that explored HIV- related stigma among key populations, providers, and the general population.
Our team has handled the design and roll out of capacity building programmes from the needs assessment stage, through design of curricula, development of training materials, tool-kits and aids, and facilitation of cascade training. The comprehensive training package developed for ASHAs under NHM’s Maternal and New-born Health Programme, was rolled out across several states and translated into multiple languages. These tools and materials continue to be used extensively across the country and are available on the website of the National Health Mission.
Members of our Foundation have worked closely with communities to develop communication and advocacy tools in a participatory manner. An example is the work done with HIV positive women in Maharashtra under a World Bank grant to develop their own radio programme addressing stigma; this was recognized as a best practice at the International AIDS Conference in Vienna.
Our team can help in documenting your efforts and in studying and presenting learnings and good practices evidenced through your work. As an example, our team members have in the past documented good practices in HIV prevention across the state of Maharashtra. We worked closely with the State as well as with the donor (BMGF) and the communities on the ground to develop SOPs that can be applied by partners working in HIV prevention in other geographies.
Sonalini Mirchandani, a former civil servant, has over three decades of experience in the social sector. Her work in research, strategic design, capacity building and implementation has spanned sectors including HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, child rights, gender-based violence, governance, and others. She has held leading positions including that of Country Director, Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programs, and Founder CEO, The Communication Hub. Her work has won international recognition, and she is a member of several advisory bodies including the Technical Resource Group- Department of AIDS Control, CDMC-MICA's Global Advisory Committee, and UNICEF's International Polio Communications Review Team. Sonalini serves on the Advisory Boards of Population Foundation of India, SNEHA, Pallium India’s Board Advisory Committee for Policy and Advocacy and CCDT. She is a founding member of the Mumbai Palliative Care Network and Director at KeSV Foundation.
Raghu Roy, a founding member and Director at KeSV Foundation, is an experienced social and market research professional. Raghu has held senior positions in research in his career spanning four decades, including that of CEO, Operations Research Group (ORG, presently A C Nielsen). He has been engaged on projects supported by UNDP, the World Bank, NACO, USAID, several government departments as well as other multilateral and bilateral donors. He has worked in WASH (for UNICEF, and the Indo-Dutch Project), Reproductive and Child Health (for UKAid, DKT India, Population Foundation of India and UNICEF), Gender-based Violence (for UNICEF) Baseline Studies, Formative Research, Communication Needs Assessments, and Impact Evaluations (for USAID, Heroes Project, UKAid, IDS/ University of Sussex, Ambuja Cement Foundation, Helpage India, and others). His work in peer-led research among marginalized communities has been noteworthy for the engagement of community members through all stages of research design and dissemination.
Shabana Patel has worked in sectors including RMNCHA+N, HIV/AIDS, Sanitation, and other public health issues in geographic regions across the country. Shabana is the Founder and President of the Network in Maharashtra of People Living with HIV (NMP+) and has conceptualized and led the development of intervention projects that address the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and young people. She is skilled in qualitative research and capacity building initiatives. Shabana has attended and spoken at a variety on forums on HIV and sexual health, in India and abroad, and has been a recipient of the prestigious Bhim Ratna Puraskar by the Hon. Home Minister, Government of Maharashtra for her contributions in the field of HIV / AIDS focusing on mainstreaming of the community of people living with HIV. Shabana is a founding member at KeSV Foundation.
Aparna Sah, with a Master’s Degree in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work, has experience across qualitative research, social communication, capacity building and programme development in India, Bangladesh and Nepal since 2003. She has worked with organizations such as MART, Johns Hopkins University, The Communication Hub and as Communication Officer for the region with ICCO-South and Central Asia. Aparna has worked on projects funded by Government of India, USAID, UNICEF, UNDP, BMGF, The World Bank, and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Kingdom of Netherlands.
Parag Pevekar, Associate, Psycho-Social Support, holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Management and is a trained psychotherapist. Motivated by his battle with thyroid cancer, he has dedicated himself to Psycho-Social Care, championing patient rights through advocacy and social mobilization. Parag has worked in DRTB, HIV, and Hepatitis C. He also serves as a Consultant for St. Jude for Life's Pediatric Cancer Survivorship program. His previous experience includes Médecins Sans Frontières, India, as well as YRG Care where he was a Verbal Autopsy Consultant.
With a postgraduate degree in Information technology, Manoj K Pandey is Lead, IT (Software) and Analytics with KeSVF. Manoj has rich experience in systems management, bringing over twenty-five years of experience across several organizations, including Operations Research Group (ORG, currently AC Nielsen), the largest research and consultancy agency in India. He has undertaken the design of the website and the dynamic patient database used by staff at all levels at KeSVF. Manoj handles the analytics for studies undertaken by the Foundation and provides systems and advisory support as required across our interventions.
Yateen Ramakant Sawant has worked as a researcher and led teams as field manager across India. Fluent in Marathi, Gujarati, English and Hindi, he has been active in running numerous medical camps over years in the capacity of a volunteer. Yateen, a talented sculptor, photographer and illustrator is the field-based Team Leader.
Vasant Fulji Vasave, is a MSW from Karve Institute of Social Sciences, Pune. He has been a District Magistrate Fellow-Nandurbar for the Dhadgaon Block under the government’s Aspirational District program and a Cluster Co-ordinator for CYDA. Proficient in the Adivasi dialects of the Satpura, Vasant brings local understanding and community insights to the team.
Saku Padvi, a qualified nurse, has a GNM degree from Nashik. She has worked with the Akkalkuwa Hospital and also under the government’s COVID-19 program. She exudes warmth and compassion towards her patients and their families as she delivers quality health care in her community.
Sameer Vasave, is a MSW from Jalgaon. He is based in Akkalkuwa tehsil and had worked closely with the Gram Panchayat on issues of rural development and livelihood. Familiar with the terrain and government policies for rural communities, Sameer is an asset for our team with his networking and advocacy skills.
Rahul Thakur, a nurse with a GNM degree from Bangalore, belongs to Nandurbar. He has over three years of work experience as a health care provider in a range of settings. Confident, compassionate, and skilled, Rahul is known for his ability to work hard and is used to working under challenging situations requiring medical interventions. He belongs to the Adivasi Bhil community and is based in Akkalkuwa under the project.
Dasharath Kalusing Shinde has a GNM degree from Nashik, Maharashtra and is based in the very remote Dhadgaon block of Nandurbar district. He has nearly 3 years of work experience as Staff Nurse in various hospitals across Maharashtra. Dasharath has hands-on experience of working with patients in villages across Nandurbar district and brings a range of specialized nursing skills to our field team.
Bhavana Ashok Valvi, the youngest member of our team, holds a GNM degree from Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. A Bhil Adivasi from Akkalkuwa, she has worked in the Rural Hospital in Akkalkuwa. Bright, enthusiastic and keen to contribute to her community, Bhavana brings positive energy to the team.
