Foundation for Mother and Child Health - FMCH

Foundation for Mother and Child Health (FMCH) was founded in 2006 as a grassroots organization with the idea of bringing good health and nutrition intervention for women and children in vulnerable communities of Mumbai. The organization launched its very first initiative in a slum-redevelopment building in South Mumbai in 2007.

By 2011, FMCH remained small with little scope for expansion. A pro bono Managing Committee and a non-profit organization specializing in capacity building teamed to analyze community needs, revise the mission and vision of the organization and develop a program model to best deliver services to women and children in the vulnerable communities FMCH was engaged with. This model was based on FMCH’s community-based innovative First 1000 Days Program for children from conception to two years of her age.Between 2010 and 2013, FMCH expanded into other communities in Mumbai. It also maintained a strong and dynamic strategic plan that allowed for focused growth and funding.

Following the strategic plan goal of sustainability and community empowerment, in 2015, FMCH engaged with Rajmata Jijau Nutrition Mission of Maharashtra to introduce the First 1000 Days Program into existing government programs in the areas with the high burden of under-nutrition of urban Maharashtra as well as to bring recommendations for long-term policy change.

Also in 2015, FMCH developed a new vertical: Training. Based on the success of the training of a rural NGO as well as partnerships with other urban non-profits, FMCH was funded to start a training center where NGOs, education institutions, medical professionals and Government agencies could be trained to incorporate direct or indirect interventions focusing on nutrition. This vertical is a vehicle for scale at minimum cost.

Along with steady expansion at the program level, FMCH also focused on growth and sustainability with Governance. Accordingly, in 2014, the CEO position was created and the Managing Committee was disbanded, to be replaced by a Board of Directors composed of Trustees and an Advisory Group.Today, still governed by a dynamic strategic plan, strong management and Board of Directors, FMCH continues to be the leader in Mother and Child Health and Nutrition in Mumbai and is positioned to make a real paradigm change in the health and nutrition of women and children in India.