Gandhi Fellow Payal Saha, originally from West Bengal and a graduate in Mathematics, is currently working in Bihar to strengthen last-mile health delivery. During a district review at the Command & Control Centre, she identified a critical gap: 500+ ASHAs across the district were not regularly active on the m-ASHA application. This insight became the foundation of her digital capacity-building initiative.
Payal began her intervention in Singheshwar Block, where 67 of 127 ASHAs were irregular in updating the app. She brought together ASHA Facilitators, district officials, and block leadership to conduct a focused, confidence-building training for 60+ ASHAs.
Her strategy combined practical learning with sustained support:
- Hands-on app demonstrations to simplify key features
- Small-group mentoring to address individual challenges
- Real-time case entry to build comfort and accuracy
- Continuous follow-ups through field visits and phone support
- Collaboration with block officials to ensure sustained adoption
The result: the district has already acknowledged improved m-ASHA updates from Singheshwar, reflecting stronger digital participation at the grassroots.
Payal now plans to replicate this model across other blocks, contributing to a district-wide shift toward data-driven public health delivery.
Through initiatives like this, Fellows like Payal apply analytical thinking, community engagement, and leadership skills to solve real problems—strengthening public systems while growing as changemakers on the ground.
