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Maternity Benefits Disbursed to 12,000 Mothers

    Opportunity

    Maharashtra

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Summary

Chetan Salve's advocacy in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district culminated in a policy correction, granting 12,000 women maternal health benefits under Manav Vikas Yojana. After revealing administrative oversights relating to the date cut off for eligibility, Salve's advocacy resulted in financial support for economically marginalized mothers, highlighting community journalism's role in effecting systemic change

Report illustration

The report encapsulates the tireless advocacy by Community Correspondent Chetan Salve, which led to the disbursement of maternity benefits worth approximately $625,000 to 12,000 women under the Manav Vikas Yojana in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district. Salve's year-long struggle against administrative oversights rectified a crucial policy error, ensuring equitable access to financial support for pregnant women in economically marginalized communities.

Assumptions

  • This impact is 80% attributable to the efforts of Video Volunteers Correspondent Chetan Salve

  • $1 in benefit per beneficiary in terms of improved maternal and infant health

Benefits

  • Direct Financial Support: Each beneficiary received financial aid to support maternal health needs worth $625,000

  • Improved Maternal and Infant Health: The financial aid contributed to better nutrition and allowed women to rest, positively impacting maternal and infant health, worth $1 per beneficiary.
    12,000 * $1 = $12,000

  • Total = $625,000 + $12,000 = $637,000

Counterfactual Analysis

The administrative oversight only including women who gave birth from September onwards could easily have been overlooked were it not for the efforts of Chetan Salve. His nimbleness in presenting the issue immediately after a new collector was appointed and the 2 year delay in providing these benefits lead us to attribute 80% of the positive outcome to Video Volunteers. 

Benefit is 80% of $637,000 = $509,600

Cost of Story is $1870 , obtained by dividing the annual budget for video volunteers from 2017-2019 ($883,658)  with the total number of impact reports they produced in those 2 years (472). 

Benefit Cost Ratio is $509,600 divided by $1870 = 272.51

Conclusion

The high benefit/cost ratio of 272.51 highlights the substantial impact of Chetan Salve's advocacy, marking a significant return on investment in terms of societal benefits. The successful campaign not only provided direct financial relief to 12,000 women but also improved maternal health outcomes and family welfare in the Nandurbar district. Salve's work serves as a testament to the power of community journalism and advocacy in bridging gaps between policy intent and execution, ensuring that government schemes reach and benefit the intended populations.