Former Government Nursing College Principal Alka Jog found her life’s mission in an unexpected place—a heartbreaking passage from ‘Prakashvata’, the autobiographical work of Padma Shri Dr Prakash Amte. In the book, Dr Amte narrates the tragic story of a child who crawled towards a burning firewood stack in search of warmth and suffered severe burn injuries. The account deeply moved Jog. “Many people would read such a story, feel saddened and move on,” says a colleague associated with her work.

 

“But Alka Tai asked a simple question—how can we ensure that no child has to seek warmth from a fire again?” That question eventually gave birth to ‘Balantvida’, an initiative launched under the Newborn and Mother’s Shield (NAMS) programme of AROHA. Traditionally, ‘Balantvida’ refers to nutritious items gifted to a woman after childbirth. Jog and her team gave the concept a new meaning.

 

They began preparing specially designed bags containing warm and hygienic clothing for newborns and their mothers. AROHA designed ‘Balantvida’ with multiple objectives. Today, Balantvida bags are reaching families across rural and tribal regions, offering much more than clothing. They provide warmth, dignity, protection and hope. For Alka Jog, the initiative represents a simple but powerful belief—that no newborn should suffer from cold, injury or neglect because of circumstances beyond their control. The organisation needs donations and those interested can connect to Alka Jog: 9766969725 and Lata Thakre: 9561787006. 

 

The initiative is managed by a dedicated team of eight women: Alka Jog, Lata Thakre, Kalpana Dhamnekar, Kirti Saptarshi, Lalita Nazar, Archana Kulkarni, Sunita Lakhe and Manjusha Marodkar. The kits are supplied to organisations working in remote and underserved areas, What started with one child’s painful search for warmth has today become a movement that is touching thousands of lives—one kit, one mother and one newborn at a time.