Wanaparthy women trained in japa care; 36 land jobs looking after mothers and newborns

Thirty-six women from villages in Wanaparthy district have found jobs caring for new mothers and their babies after training in japa care, The Hindu reported on 7 November.

The women were trained under a ‘Japa Maid’ (mother and baby caretaker) course at the Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (RSETI) in Wanaparthy, launched by District Collector Adarsh Surabhi. The 20-day course is free and covers the daily care of mothers and infants, hygiene, nutrition and safety, along with guidance on finding work.

Japa care is the traditional care of a mother and baby in the weeks after childbirth. With more nuclear families in cities, trained japa maids are in growing demand in places like Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and some find work with Indian families abroad.

The background

RSETIs are run by banks with the Union Ministry of Rural Development and give rural young people free, short courses that lead to jobs or self-employment. The Wanaparthy institute works from the working women’s hostel building opposite the Government Medical College at Marrikunta. Women interested in later batches can apply there.