Aakar

Shaping Population, Strengthening Communities, Sustaining the Future.

Community-driven initiative promoting family planning and reproductive health to achieve population stabilization and sustainable development

Our Footprint

Districts

Villages

ASHAs & ANMs Trained

Impacted Population

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Blocks

Family Planning Counselling Centres

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Clients Counselled

Overview

Project Aakar promotes population stabilisation in India by encouraging informed family planning and responsible reproductive behaviour. Launched in 2018, the project operates across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with focused interventions in seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and one district in Bihar.

The project works at the community level to improve awareness and access to family planning services. Its approach includes community outreach and awareness campaigns, capacity building of frontline health workers such as ASHAs and ANMs, and partnerships with local NGOs to strengthen the delivery of quality reproductive health services.

Recognising the close link between population stabilisation, reproductive health, and sustainable development Aakar supports informed decision-making addressing social norms around family planning. The project contributes to improved health outcomes for women, adolescent girls, and communities. It also complements and strengthens existing government programmes by increasing awareness and uptake of institutional schemes and services.

Implemented in collaboration with the Population Foundation of India (PFI) and Janani, organisations with extensive experience in population stabilisation and reproductive health.

How We Do It

Community Engagement and Counselling

Community Champions mobilised to promote dialogue and service uptake.
Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHSND) sessions used for awareness on family planning, maternal health, child nutrition, and immunisation.
Counselling Corners established in public health facilities to provide family planning guidance and address myths.

Capacity Building

Database of frontline workers created for focused engagement.
Cluster meetings organised for structured training.
Training modules designed for district trainers and frontline workers.
ASHA Sanginis supported to lead conversations on sensitive family planning issues.

Health Camps and Awareness

Health melas organised to deliver check-ups, family planning counselling, and contraceptive distribution.
Schools and colleges reached with awareness on menstrual health, gender equality, and prevention of child marriage.
Public events, counselling kiosks, and FP canopies set up at health service points.
Male participation encouraged through No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) Pakhwada’s to promote shared responsibility.
Collaboration with local leaders and government officials strengthened outreach and credibility.

Interventions

Umeed 2.0: The Hope for Population Stabilisation

Umeed 2.0, launched in February 2024 under Aakar in partnership with the Population Foundation of India (PFI), expands family planning (FP) and reproductive health services across seven districts: Bahraich, Balrampur, Barabanki, Gonda, Unnao, Shrawasti, and Sitapur. The project builds the capacity of 13,000+ ASHAs and ANMs, establishes Umeed Counselling Corners in 332 public health facilities for FP guidance and contraceptive support, and conducts health camps and Swasthya Melas, reaching thousands of community members and sensitizing students on menstrual health, gender equality, family planning, and child marriage prevention.

Janani - Strengthening Family Planning Services in Siddharth Nagar, Uttar Pradesh

In Siddharth Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, Janani is expanding access to family planning and reproductive health services through a Clinical Outreach Team (COT) operating across 14 blocks, with a mobile van covering all blocks. Key initiatives include Fixed Day Services ensuring regular FP access, training of 738 ASHAs through cluster meetings, community mobilization during Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) to raise FP awareness, and Family Planning Counselling Centres (FPCCs) offering personalized guidance on contraceptive options.

Participation in ICSE 2024

At ICSE 2024, a dedicated session on population stabilization in Uttar Pradesh brought together health professionals, government officials, and community representatives, including Ms. Shilpa Nair (PFI), Dr. Sanjay Kumar (CMO, Bahraich), Dr. Kunwar Ritesh (Medical Superintendent, Mustafabad CHC), Ms. Manju Devi (ASHA Facilitator), Mr. Nishant Maurya (Gram Pradhan), and Dr. Kriti Chaurasiya (Teacher). The discussion showcased Umeed interventions—including counselling kiosks, Community Champions, and community engagement strategies—highlighting effective government–community collaboration for grassroots population stabilization.

Wall Paintings

In Uttar Pradesh, 300 wall paintings have been created as a cost-effective rural communication tool to raise awareness on key reproductive health issues. These paintings convey important messages about contraceptive methods, male involvement in family planning, and the importance of delaying early marriage and childbirth, reaching communities in an engaging and accessible way.

NSV Pakhwada (Annual Campaign)

Every November, Project Aakar leads an intensive No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) Pakhwada to promote male participation in family planning. The campaign uses Nukkad Nataks, LED van screenings, and on-ground counselling to dispel myths and raise awareness about NSV as a safe, permanent contraceptive. Through community engagement, the project provides counselling, distributes contraceptives, and facilitates the complete NSV process—from registration and consent to the procedure and post-operative follow-ups—helping shift public perception and boost male involvement in reproductive health.

Champion Maa Baap Campaign

Running from September 2022 to March 2024 in Shravasti and Bahraich, the Champion Maa Baap Campaign focused on promoting responsible family planning among couples. Through storytelling, community dialogues, and grassroots mobilization, the campaign educated couples on contraceptive options, the benefits of birth spacing, and shared decision-making in reproductive health. Local influencers and Community Champions actively engaged with families, helping build awareness, dispel myths, and encourage informed choices for healthier families and communities.

Kushal Parivar Diwas Participation

Under Project Aakar, Mobius Foundation actively participates in Kushal Parivar Diwas, a monthly family welfare initiative led by the state health mission. These outreach days provide a platform to engage eligible couples, promote informed family planning choices, and encourage responsible reproductive health practices. Project teams set up FP counselling booths, distribute IEC materials, and conduct follow-up interactions to support continuity of care and ensure uptake of appropriate contraceptive methods.

Stories of Change

Preeti’s Journey: From Awareness to Empowerment

In Karnai village, 28-year-old Preeti faced the physical and emotional toll of multiple closely spaced pregnancies, without access to family planning information. Through the Umeed project, she connected with an ASHA worker who provided clear guidance on contraceptive options. Preeti chose to use an IUCD. One year later, she reports improved health, greater confidence, and a renewed ability to plan for her future.

Radha’s Ripple Effect

At 27, Radha from Parsohar village was struggling with side effects from an unsuitable family planning method. Through the Umeed project, she learned about safer options and switched to Chhaya pills in 2024. Since then, she has felt healthier and more confident. Inspired by her experience, Radha encouraged four other women in her village to make informed choices—turning her personal decision into a small movement for change.

Bindu’s Brave Voice

Bindu, a 45-year-old ASHA Sangini from Barabanki, once found it difficult to talk about family planning—especially around men. But after receiving training from the Umeed project, she gained the skills and confidence to lead open conversations. Today, Bindu is breaking taboos and helping both women and men understand and support family planning, proving that real change begins with one courageous voice.

Latest Updates

Project Aakar continues to strengthen family planning and adolescent health initiatives across Uttar Pradesh through awareness, accessibility, and collaboration. A Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) meeting in Khairabad brought together officials from Health, Education, and ICDS departments to promote family planning and adolescent well-being. The “Itni Bhi Kya Jaldi Hai” SBCC van engaged youth and community members on reproductive health and early marriage prevention. In Bahraich, a large health camp provided medical consultations, Ayushman cards, and sanitary pads. Additionally, Hope Counselling Corners were launched in partnership with the Population Foundation of India, expanding reproductive health services to ten health units.