The Ranchi Low birth weight project is the result of a partnership between two NGOs - Krishi Gram Vikas Kendra (KGVK) and the Child in Need Institute (CINI) working with the Government of Jharkhand. Covering a population of around 200,000 across two blocks of Ranchi district - Angara and Sili, the interventions in the project include community level initiatives with a hamlet level female community health volunteer or Sahiyya who along with the Village Health Committees acts as an agent of community mobilisation by facilitating behaviour change for better maternal and child health practices. The project also ensures provision of mandated public health services. Since its inception, the project has informed state policies and programmes, especially the Sahiyya Programme with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

25 year old Biro Devi from Sirka village explains the transformation brought about by the Sahiyya in her village.

"Earlier the incidence of illness in our village was very high. People were perpetually falling ill all year round and at least 2 or 3 pregnant women would lose their lives too. But since the village health committee has selected the Sahiyya we have been informed and made aware of health issues. Only then did we realise how backward we were in our approach to health. Now thanks to the efforts of the Sahiyya and the village health committee, people have come to know about health and also about such things as proper nutrition. People have stopped believing in superstitions and now prefer to approach doctors at the health centres and the anganwadi workers instead".