ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zubaida Bai - Women's health advocate
Zubaida Bai innovates health and livelihood solutions for underserved women and girls around the world.

Why you should listen

Building on her expertise as a mechanical engineer, a social worker and her public speaking skills, Zubaida Bai put her unique passion to work. In the process, she built a brand and a product line, and she set in motion a movement that addresses market failures, breaks taboos and gives voice to the oft-ignored matter that is women’s health.

Bai is the founder and CEO of ayzh (pronounced "eyes"), a social enterprise based in India that designs vital healthcare products to improve the health and happiness of women and girls across their reproductive lives. Bai launched her company with janma, a $3 clean birth kit in a purse, but her story goes further back to when she stood by her mother to face head-on the challenge of survival facing her family when she had just entered her teens.

janma was conceived after traveling to one of the poorest communities in India and confronting the reality that more than one million mothers and babies lose their lives in the developing world each year due to uncleanliness at the time of childbirth. Packaged in a pink biodegradable jute bag, a design that mothers can reuse as a purse, the kit provides both cleanliness and dignity. Since beginning sales in 2012, Bai's company has sold more than 250,000 kits to more than 300 health institutions in 20 countries, touching the lives of more than 500,000 women and newborns. Bai is now expanding her product line to include kits for newborn, postpartum and menstrual health, while scaling her proven model across India and into Africa.

Bai was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, a Maternal Health Champion by Ashoka, a TED speaker (Fellow and Resident) and the United Nations SDG Pioneer by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). ayzh's strategic partners from around the world who have written about Zubaida's work: TOMS shared her safe birth story; USAID blogged about how she's empowering women through a simple purse; and Grand Challenges Canada recognizes her lead role in scaling life-changing kits for mothers and newborns.

Bai believes that building a sustainable company takes a great team, stamina and a sturdy suitcase. She is fluent in eight languages and travels the world forging new partnerships and advocating for women's health. She has spoken at events for Women in the World, Pfizer Foundation and Women Deliver. She holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering specializing in development of modular products, and an MBA in social and sustainable enterprises.

More profile about the speaker
Zubaida Bai | Speaker | TED.com
TED Residency

Zubaida Bai: A simple birth kit for mothers in the developing world

झुबैदा बाई: विकसनशील देशासाठी बाळंत साहित्य

Filmed:
975,456 views

TED Fellow झुबैदा बाईनी विकसनशील देशात बाळंत पणात होणाऱ्या मृत्यू टाळण्यासाठी निर्जंतुक साहित्य त्यार्ल केले असून त्याचा वापर करून महिलाच्या आरोग्याची जपणूक केली आहे.
- Women's health advocate
Zubaida Bai innovates health and livelihood solutions for underserved women and girls around the world. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
In the next six minutes
that you will listen to me,
0
995
3949
माझे व्याख्यान ऐकत असताना
पुढील सहा मिनिटात
00:16
the world will have lost three mothers
1
4968
2537
तीन आया हे जग सोडून जातील.
00:19
while delivering their babies:
2
7529
1841
त्यांचा बाळंत पणात मृत्यू होईल .
00:22
one, because of a severe complication;
3
10591
3886
याचे पहिले कारण गुंतागुंतीची अवस्था.
00:26
second, because she will be a teenager
4
14501
2518
दुसरे अपरिपक्व वयातील बाळंतपण.
00:29
and her body will not
be prepared for birth;
5
17043
3785
ज्या अवस्थेत ती बाळास
जन्म देण्यास असमर्थ असते .
00:32
but the third, only because of lack
of access to basic clean tools
6
20852
6006
तसेच बाळाच्या जन्मासाठी
00:38
at the time of childbirth.
7
26882
1730
प्राथमिक बाळंतपणाची साधने न मिळणे .
00:41
She will not be alone.
8
29676
2283
पण ती काही एकमेव नाही .
00:43
Over one million mothers and babies
die every single year
9
31983
3675
दरवर्षी दहा लाख आई व बाळ मृत्युमुखी पडतात.
00:47
in the developing world,
10
35682
1529
विकसनशील देशात,
00:49
only because of lack of access
to basic cleanliness
11
37235
3744
याचे प्रमुख कारण आहे स्वच्छतेचा अभाव .
00:53
while giving birth to their babies.
12
41003
2207
जो पाळला जात नाही बाळंतपणात .
00:56
My journey began on a hot summer afternoon
13
44781
2478
माझा प्रवास सुरु झाला कडक उन्हाळ्यात
00:59
in India in 2008,
14
47283
2168
भारतात २००८ मध्ये .
01:01
when after a day of meeting women
and listening to their needs,
15
49475
3673
त्यासाठी मी दिवसभर मिटिंग घेऊन
महिलांच्या समस्या व गरजा जाणून घेतल्या .
01:05
I landed in a thatched hut with a midwife.
16
53172
2927
मी एका पर्णकुटीत पारीचारीके सोबत गेली .
01:09
As a mother, I was very curious
on how she delivered babies in her house.
17
57035
4750
आई म्हणून मला जाणून घ्यायचे होते
घरीच बाळंतपण कसे केले जाते .
01:13
After a deep and engaging
conversation with her
18
61809
2703
तिच्याशी बरच बोलून झाल्यावर
01:16
on how she considered it a profound
calling to do what she was doing,
19
64536
4346
मी तिला तिच्या त्या व्यवसायिक कौशल्याबाबत
तिला काय वाटते ते विचारले.
01:20
I asked her a parting question:
20
68906
2040
जाता जाता मी तिला विचारले
01:23
Do you have the tools that you need
to deliver the babies?
21
71581
3241
बाळंतपण पार पाडण्यासाठी
आवश्यक साधने आहेत तुझ्याजवळ ?
01:27
I got to see her tool.
22
75941
1687
मला ती साधने पहायची होती .
01:30
"This is what I use to separate
the mother and the baby," she said.
23
78599
4137
आईची नाळ तोडण्यासाठी मी
हे साधन वापरते ती म्हणाली
01:35
Unsure of how to react, I held this
agricultural tool in my hand in shock.
24
83800
5820
मला धक्का बसला ते शेतीचे अवजार पाहून
मला कळेना काय म्हणावे तिला
01:41
I took a picture of this,
hugged her and walked away.
25
89644
3066
मी त्याचे छायाचित्र घेतले.
तिला मिठी मारली आणि बाहेर पडले.
01:45
My mind was flooded with reflections
of my own infection
26
93640
2969
माझ्या मनात मला झालेला
जंतू संसर्ग घर करू लागला .
01:48
that I had to struggle with
for a year past childbirth
27
96633
3032
ज्यामुळे मी मागच्या बाळंत पानाच्या वेळी
वर्षभर झगडत होते .
01:51
despite having access
to the best medical care,
28
99689
3550
जरी मला उत्तम वैद्यकीय सेवा मिळत होती.
01:55
and memories of my conversation
with my father,
29
103263
2382
मला माझे वडिलान बरोबरचे बोलणे आठवले.
01:57
who had lost his mom to childbirth,
30
105669
2165
ज्यांनी आपली आई बाळंत पणात गमावली होती.
01:59
on how he thought his life
would be so different
31
107858
2442
त्यांना वाटे आपले आयुष्य
किती चांगले झाले असते
02:02
if she would have been
just next to him growing up.
32
110324
2595
जर ती जिवंत असती
व तिच्या कुशीत मी वाढली असती.
02:05
As a product developer,
I started my process of research.
33
113812
3757
एक उत्पादक म्हणून मी विचार करू लागली
02:09
I was very excited to find
that there was a product out there
34
117593
3175
मला असे एक उत्पादन शोधण्याची
उत्सुकता वाटत होती.
02:12
called the Clean Birth Kit.
35
120792
1401
मला ते बेबी कीट
02:14
But I just couldn't buy one for months.
36
122830
2454
अनेक महिने घेता आले नाही.
02:18
They were only assembled
based on availability of funding.
37
126211
3326
कारण ते आर्थिक सहाय्य मिळाल्यानंतरच
निर्माण केली जात.
02:22
Finally, when I got my hands on one,
I was in shock again.
38
130998
3418
मला जेव्हा एक कीट मिळाले मला धक्का बसला.
02:26
I would never use these tools
to deliver my baby, I thought.
39
134963
3666
मी असे साहित्य कधीही वापरणार नाही.
02:30
But to confirm my instincts,
I went back to the women,
40
138653
2911
मी पुन्हा त्या महिलेकडे गेली.
02:33
some of whom had the experience
of using this product.
41
141588
3138
ज्यांना हे वापरण्याचा अनुभव होता.
02:37
Lo and behold, they had
the same reaction and more.
42
145496
2998
ध्यानात घ्या त्यांची हि
अशीच प्रतिक्रिया होती.
02:41
The women said they would rather
deliver on a floor
43
149022
2510
महिला म्हणाल्या त्यांना पलंगावर
बाळंत होण्यापेक्षा
02:43
than on a plastic sheet
that smeared blood all over.
44
151556
2598
जमिनीवर प्लास्टिक अंथरून
बाळंत होणे पसंद आहे.
02:46
They were absolutely right --
it would cause more infection.
45
154178
3415
जे रक्नाने माखले जाईल.
02:49
The thread provided was a highway
to bacterial infection
46
157617
3009
या साहित्यात जीवाणू सपर्क
होण्याचा मोठा धोका असतो.
02:52
through the baby's umbilical cord,
47
160650
1699
बाळाच्या नाळेतून.
02:54
and the blade used was the kind
that men used for shaving,
48
162373
2844
जे ब्लेड वापरले जाई ते दाढी करण्यासाठी
वापरायचे असे.
02:57
and they did not want it
anywhere close to them.
49
165241
2557
ते जवळ असावे असे कोणालाही वाटेना.
03:00
There was no incentive for anybody
to redesign this product,
50
168629
2954
असे साहित्य बनवावे यासाठी कोणतेही
उत्तेजन मिळत नव्हते.
03:03
because it was based on charity.
51
171607
1911
कारण ते आर्थिक आश्रयावर चाले.
03:05
The women were never
consulted in this process.
52
173542
2740
हे वापरण्यापूर्वी महिलांची परवानगी
घेण्यात येत नसे.
03:08
And to my surprise, the need
was not only in homes
53
176884
2499
पण या साहित्याची गरज केवळ घरासाठी नव्हे
03:11
but also in institutional settings
with high-volume births.
54
179407
3329
तर मोठ्या प्रमाणात अनेक संस्था वापरत.
03:14
Situations in remote areas
were even more daunting.
55
182760
3210
ग्रामीण भागात तर भीषण समस्या होती.
03:18
This had to change.
56
186629
1576
आता यात बदल झाला आहे.
03:20
I made this my area of focus.
57
188229
2262
मी या समस्येकडे लक्ष्य वेधून घेतले.
03:22
I started the design process
by collecting feedback,
58
190515
3131
मी अनेकांशी चर्चा करून
याची रचना तयार केली.
03:26
developing prototypes
59
194591
1415
एक प्राथमिक उपकरण तयार केले.
03:28
and engaging with various stakeholders
researching global protocols.
60
196030
3808
मी संपर्क साधून आहे जगातील यावर सशोधन
करणाऱ्या सस्थांशी.
03:32
With every single prototype,
we went back to the women
61
200306
2642
प्रत्येक प्राथमिक साहित्य घेऊन
आम्ही महिलांकडे गेलो.
03:34
to ensure that we had a product for them.
62
202972
2466
जाणीव करून देण्यास असे उत्पादन
तयार करीत आहोत.
03:38
What I learned through this process
was that these women,
63
206049
2726
या प्रक्रियेतून मी त्या महिलांकडून शिकले,
03:40
despite their extreme poverty,
64
208799
1439
त्या गरीब असूनही
03:42
placed great value
on their health and well-being.
65
210262
2377
त्यांच्चे आरोग्य जपणारे
हे मोलाचे साहित्य होते.
03:44
They were absolutely not poor in mind.
66
212663
2450
खरेतर त्या मानसिक बाबतीत गरीब नव्हत्या.
03:47
As with all of us, they would appreciate
a well-designed product
67
215137
3001
त्यांना आपल्यासाठी असेच आरोग्य जपणारे
साहित्य पाहिजे होते.
03:50
developed for their needs.
68
218162
1432
त्यांच्या गरजेनुसार.
03:52
After many iterations
working with experts,
69
220250
2497
अनेकदा तज्ञासोबत याचा वापर करून
03:54
medical health professionals
70
222771
1481
तसेच आरोग्य व्यवसायी
03:56
and the women themselves,
71
224276
1835
आणि महिला यांनी याचा वापर केला.
03:58
I should say it was not
an easy process at all,
72
226135
3368
हे सर्व करणे सोपे नव्हते.
04:01
but we had a simple and beautiful design.
73
229527
2906
आमचे साहित्य साधे व आकर्षक रचनेचे होते.
04:05
For a dollar more than what
the existing product was offered for,
74
233687
4770
आणि केवळ आम्ही यासाहीत्याची किमत
04:10
at three dollars, we were able
to deliver "janma,"
75
238481
2751
तीन डोल्लर ठेवून "जन्म" दिले.
04:13
a clean birth kit in a purse.
76
241256
1877
एक निर्जंतुक साहित्याची पिशवी देऊन.
04:16
Janma, meaning "birth," contained
a blood-absorbing sheet
77
244058
2820
जन्म व्हायचा रक्त शोषक अंथरूण वापरून.
04:18
for the woman to give birth on,
78
246902
1727
जे बाळंत पाणी वापरले जाई.
04:20
a surgical scalpel, a cord clamp,
a bar of soap, a pair of gloves
79
248653
4005
हातमोजे .सर्ज्र्यचे हत्यार ,साबण ,दोर
04:24
and the first cloth
to wipe the baby clean.
80
252682
2663
यात जन्म झाल्यावर बाळाचे पाघरून होते.
04:27
All this came packaged
in a beautiful purse
81
255369
2188
हे सर्व साहित्य एका मोहक पिशवीत असे.
04:29
that was given to the mother
as a gift after all her hard work,
82
257581
3215
हे सर्व आईला दिले जाई जी
खडतर काळ भोगत होती,
04:32
that she carried home with pride
as a symbol of prosperity.
83
260820
3283
ती सर्व घर चालवे उन्नतीसाठी.
04:37
One woman reacted to this gift.
84
265865
2458
एकीने यावर प्रतिक्रिया दिली.
04:40
She said, "Is this really mine?
Can I keep it?"
85
268347
2820
"खरेच हे मला मिळेल?"
04:44
The other one said,
"Will you give me a different color
86
272095
2609
दुसरी म्हणाली "मला दुसऱ्या रंगाचे मिळेल?'
04:46
when I have my next baby?"
87
274728
1479
माल जेव्हा दुसरे बाळ होईल
04:48
(Laughter)
88
276231
1754
(हशा)
04:50
Better yet, a woman expressed
that this was the first purse
89
278009
2917
विशेष हे कि एकीने सांगितले
04:52
that she had ever owned in her life.
90
280950
2077
मला आयुष्यात प्रथमच काही मिळत आहे.
04:55
The kit, aside from its symbolism
and its simplicity,
91
283051
2784
सकेत व साधेपणा असलेले हे साहित्य
04:57
is designed to follow
globally recommended medical protocol
92
285859
3312
जागतिक वैद्यकीय सुचनानुसार आहेत.
05:01
and serves as a behavior-change tool
to follow steps one after the other.
93
289195
4879
त्यातील सूचना परिवर्तन आणतील.
05:06
It can not only be used in homes,
but also in institutional settings.
94
294098
3643
घरी. मोठमोठ्या आरोग्यकेंद्रात.
05:10
To date, our kit has impacted
over 600,000 mothers and babies
95
298656
3949
आतापर्यंत आम्ही हे ६००.०००
आई व बाळांसाठी वापरले
05:14
around the world.
96
302629
1208
जगभरातील
05:16
It's a humbling experience
to watch these numbers grow,
97
304401
3243
या संख्येची वाढ जागरण मोहीम दाखवीत आहे.
05:19
and I cannot wait until
we reach a hundred million.
98
307668
3671
मी याचा वापर दहा करोडवर जाईपर्यंत
स्वस्थ बसणार नाही.
05:24
But women's health issues do not end here.
99
312879
2874
पण याने महिलांच्या समसया संपणार नाहीत.
05:27
There are thousands of simple issues
that require low-cost interventions.
100
315777
4010
अश्या लाखो समस्या कमी खर्चात
दूर करता येतील.
05:31
We have facts to prove
that if we invest in women and girls
101
319811
2916
आमच्याजवळ पुरावा आहे महिला व मुलीसाठी
गुंतवणूक केल्यास
05:34
and provide them with better
health and well-being,
102
322751
2409
त्यांचे चांगले आरोग्य व हित जपल्यास
05:37
they will deliver healthier and wealthier
and prosperous communities.
103
325184
5011
त्या आरोग्यपूर्ण यशस्वी
पिढी निर्माण करतील.
05:42
We have to start by bringing simplicity
and dignity to women's health issues:
104
330219
3984
आपण साधेपणाने आणि त्यांची अस्मिता जपून
त्यांच्या आरोग्याच्या समस्या सोडवाव्यात
05:46
from reducing maternal mortality,
to breaking taboos,
105
334227
3072
जेणेकरून मृत्यू कमी होतील.
05:49
to empowering women
to take control of their own lives.
106
337323
3510
व स्त्रिया अधिक सक्षम होतील
05:52
This is my dream.
107
340857
1754
हे माझे स्वप्न आहे.
05:55
But it is not possible to achieve it
without engaging men and women alike
108
343317
4456
यासठी स्त्री व पुरुषांना काम करावे लागेल
05:59
from around the world --
109
347797
1441
जगभरातील.
06:01
yes, all of you.
110
349262
1726
तुम्हा सर्वाना.
06:04
I recently heard this lyric
by Leonard Cohen:
111
352773
3062
लिओनार्ड कोहेन चे गीत मी नुकतेच ऐकले.
06:08
"Ring the bells that still can ring.
112
356962
3223
""Ring the bells that still can ring.
06:12
Forget your perfect offering.
113
360209
3140
Forget your perfect offering.
06:15
There is a crack in everything.
114
363373
2901
There is a crack in everything.
06:18
That's how the light gets in."
115
366298
2748
That's how the light gets in."
06:21
This is my bit of light.
116
369070
2447
हा एक आशेचा किरण मला दिसतो.
06:23
But we need more light.
117
371541
1644
पण आणखी प्रकाश पाहिजे
06:25
In fact, we need huge spotlights
placed in the world of women's health
118
373209
3444
खरेतर मोठ्या प्रकाश झोत महिलांच्या
आरोग्याच्या समस्येवर पडला आहे.
06:28
if we need a better tomorrow.
119
376677
2298
जर भविष्यकाळ उज्ज्वल करावयाचे असेल.
06:30
We should never forget that women
are at the center of a sustainable world,
120
378999
4493
आपल्याला विसरता येणार नाही महिला
जगाच्या अस्तित्वासाठी केंद्रस्थानी आहे .
06:35
and we do not exist without them.
121
383516
2527
याशिवाय आपल्याला अस्तित्व नाही.
06:38
Thank you.
122
386067
1159
आभारी.
06:39
(Applause)
123
387250
4075
(टाळ्या)
Translated by arvind patil
Reviewed by Abhinav Garule

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Zubaida Bai - Women's health advocate
Zubaida Bai innovates health and livelihood solutions for underserved women and girls around the world.

Why you should listen

Building on her expertise as a mechanical engineer, a social worker and her public speaking skills, Zubaida Bai put her unique passion to work. In the process, she built a brand and a product line, and she set in motion a movement that addresses market failures, breaks taboos and gives voice to the oft-ignored matter that is women’s health.

Bai is the founder and CEO of ayzh (pronounced "eyes"), a social enterprise based in India that designs vital healthcare products to improve the health and happiness of women and girls across their reproductive lives. Bai launched her company with janma, a $3 clean birth kit in a purse, but her story goes further back to when she stood by her mother to face head-on the challenge of survival facing her family when she had just entered her teens.

janma was conceived after traveling to one of the poorest communities in India and confronting the reality that more than one million mothers and babies lose their lives in the developing world each year due to uncleanliness at the time of childbirth. Packaged in a pink biodegradable jute bag, a design that mothers can reuse as a purse, the kit provides both cleanliness and dignity. Since beginning sales in 2012, Bai's company has sold more than 250,000 kits to more than 300 health institutions in 20 countries, touching the lives of more than 500,000 women and newborns. Bai is now expanding her product line to include kits for newborn, postpartum and menstrual health, while scaling her proven model across India and into Africa.

Bai was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, a Maternal Health Champion by Ashoka, a TED speaker (Fellow and Resident) and the United Nations SDG Pioneer by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). ayzh's strategic partners from around the world who have written about Zubaida's work: TOMS shared her safe birth story; USAID blogged about how she's empowering women through a simple purse; and Grand Challenges Canada recognizes her lead role in scaling life-changing kits for mothers and newborns.

Bai believes that building a sustainable company takes a great team, stamina and a sturdy suitcase. She is fluent in eight languages and travels the world forging new partnerships and advocating for women's health. She has spoken at events for Women in the World, Pfizer Foundation and Women Deliver. She holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering specializing in development of modular products, and an MBA in social and sustainable enterprises.

More profile about the speaker
Zubaida Bai | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee