Odisha’s ASHA Matilda Kullu In Forbes India W-Power 2021 List

Bhubaneswar: Matilda Kullu from Odisha’s Sundargarh district rubs shoulders with actors Sanya Malhotra and Rasika Duggal, besides a host of other women achievers from the country who have featured in the Forbes India W-Power 2021 list.

Matilda, an accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) is a COVID Warrior. She has been working in Gargadbahal village in Baragaon tehsil of Sundargarh district for the last 15 years and has been instrumental in bringing the healthcare system closer to the people.

Matilda starts her day at 5 am, finishing household chores, preparing lunch for the family of four, and feeding the cattle before hopping on to her cycle to start her day with door-to-door visits, Forbes reported.

It has not been an easy journey for the 45-year-old who has faced many challenges such as superstition, casteism, and untouchability. She had to educate the villagers to stop relying on black magic and to treat themselves and take appropriate medical routes.

The onset of COVID-19 has made Matilda busier, in fact overworked. She single-handedly takes care of around 964 people in the village at a meagre remuneration of Rs 4,500 per month.

Apart from home visits, providing medicines, and helping expecting mothers with deliveries, Kullu’s other regular tasks include antenatal/postnatal check-ups, immunisation, sanitisation, promoting hygiene, administering polio and other vaccines, conducting surveys, and so on.