The Jiyo Parsi team comprising Programme Coordinator Dr. Katy Gandevia, and Counsellor Pearl Mistry, visited Navsari on 17th July, 2016 to conduct Jiyo Parsi awareness event for recently married couples. The support and effort put in by the WZO Trust Funds team at Navsari under the constant guidance of Mr. Dinshaw Tamboly is highly appreciated. Last year in June, a parenting workshop was held at Jamshed Baug, Navsari encouraging parents with one child to have a second. This year the Jiyo Parsi event held at the Asundaria Farmhouse in Navsari focused on spreading awareness amongst couples about the need for starting a family at an earlier age.

The aim was to inform couples, who had not yet started a family. About fertility treatments available and the need to have more than one child, in order to stabilize the decline in the Parsi population. A renowned IVF specialist and gynaecologist couple provided valuable insights into IVF, relationship between success ratio and age of couple and also cleared doubts about fertility treatments.

A presentation about the Jiyo Parsi programme helped the couples gain more information about the scheme. Tasty snacks and warm tea were followed by Housie and a quiz. The participants had a fun evening, urging organisers to regularise such events with Jiyo Parsi in the future. The news that more than 60 babies are born till date through financial assistance, counselling and advocacy was well received.

It is delightful to note that with the assistance of the WZO Trust Funds and the DN Mehta Sarvajanik Hospital, a couple from the interiors of South Gujrat who couldn’t afford the expensive fertility treatments now held their own baby in their hands, thanks to the cashless treatment initiative at Navsari.