Community Power and Global Learning: A Case Study of the Four Pillar Model of CORD from India to Michigan

A bidirectional, community‑based intervention in Washtenaw County, Michigan for women aged 12+, experiencing personal and systemic barriers, was developed based on learning from Himachal Pradesh, India. The partners, a global NGO, a local adolescent healthcare organization, and a community development network, leveraged community resources to help women achieve discrete goals in three arenas (access to healthcare, education for their children, and employment) by adapting and applying four “pillars” of the global NGO (participation, integration, sustainability, and networking) in maternal‑infant health care delivery and community engagement. The result was women reporting increased hopefulness, better health, and greater sense of agency in their lives, with implications for future work in improving health indicators and maternal‑infant health outcomes.