Annual Report
(Year:-2010-11)
Note from the Chairman
We are happy to be united for a social cause and for the development of society. We are committed to have more development oriented chapters in our region and organization. We hope that we will achieve our goals in the course of time. I thank our members and staff by whom we are able to achieve our goal in this year 2011&2012. “Integrated community health project” has supported to the hopeless to hope, lifeless to life. The area people are very happy to have the rural health center in their midst. Though there were a lot of problems which we under gone to start the health center but it did not go in vain. We have achieved the goal for which we worked heard. I hope in future we will develop more for a greater socio economic development of our region.
READ’s Approach to Development
READ does not believe in imposing pressure on people to undertake certain activities, nor do we believe in making people dependent on the services of development. We believe in generating awareness regarding social issues and motivating people to take action. At present READ is busy in our field areas promoting responsible and active grassroots leadership within the community in both scheduled and non-scheduled areas. We assemble groups of people at one place and then we inform, we train, we facilitate, we provide access, and we inspire. We help build consensus, and we help lay the framework for action. We often provide practical knowledge and mobilizing human resources, saving and investing, monitoring and evaluating, documenting and reporting. We built leaders regarding uplifting their communities in education, livelihood, health care, governance and human rights. We deal Issues relating to women and children which are the main areas in imparting knowledge to people in need. Gender equality and child rights are among the core values of READ. All the development activities at present in the target villages of READ are specially worked out to improve the general understanding of people towards development work, and to create a sense of hopefulness in the minds of people to continue on the path of progress and to fulfill their goals and rights. Integrated health project has brought people together act united and has create the sense of responsibility. Development is a gradual process it needs lot of commitment and hard work. READ is tirelessly working to bring these people into the mainstream. Our great efforts and hard work will not go in vain.
Adivasi at a glance:
READ's target group includes the Adivasi referred to as ‘tribals’ people of India in the inaccessible, mountainous terrain where they have been living in small, often semi-nomadic hamlets for centuries without much government support. Many Adivasi are unorganized, illiterate and exploited by other interests people. READ’s operational area cover 60 villages and 21250 Adivasi and Dalit people. The tribal population of Odisha is approximately 8 million, or 22% of the total population. Sixty-two tribes have been scheduled in the state under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. These tribal communities mostly reside in the Scheduled Areas, which account for 44.21% of the total land of Odisha. The Adivasi have a distinct identity and culture, relationship with the environment, strong values of community, and a distinct knowledge system. Traditionally they live close to nature and are separated from the mainstream of society.
However, illiteracy, poverty and continuous exploitation by vested interest groups have led to the breakdown of their resource and community identity. They also vary from each other in terms of the language, social structure, territorial affiliation, socio-cultural identity, livelihood sources, and degree of modernization. Considering the low literacy, small population size and adherence to basic modes of economy, it is observed that the tribal economy is still in a primitive stage from the point of view of resource utilization, technology, and adoption of diverse livelihoods. The government of India has enacted various laws to safeguard the interests of the Adivasi with respect to land alienation, indebtedness, exploitation, protection of their civil rights, reservation of vacancies in public sector posts and services, abolition of the bonded labour system, protection of tribal rights over forest produces, free education, and promotion of health services. The State has commenced the process of democratic decentralization by extending the Panchayati Raj Extension Act (1996) to scheduled (tribal) areas, and by passing the Forest Rights Act (2006). In spite of this it is observed that, by and large, the benefits of constitutional privileges for the Scheduled Tribes of Odisha have not been realized to the desired level. Mothers and children, especially girls, in the tribal areas suffer the most. Odisha’s Adivasi continue to lag behind on socio-economic indexes. Half of the population is illiterate. Female literacy in particular is extremely low, ranging between 15 to 30%. School attendance rates and dropout rates among tribals in Odisha remain among the worst in the country. Teacher absenteeism and government neglect and ignorance of tribal culture are partially to blame, lack of awareness among Adivasi of their rights and lack of empowerment are among the root causes of these problems. It is in this context that READ have come together to foster real and sustainable development for the Adivasi of the area.
1. General health camps: The project area is isolated from the mainstream. People very rarely get health support and under go health check up. The main objective of this program is to provide medical support and to give basic knowledge on health aspect. During the year we invited Government health workers from block of Daringbadi hospital. The chief Medical Doctor Mr. Bidyadhar Patro, Dr. Ajay Kumar Sahu, Medicine specialist Dr. Achary and including ANM, Lab technician, their team provided health services to the people in our health center. During the camp women, men, youth and children about 300 participated from the project area. This program became highlighted in the block and district level.
2. Rural health center: Establishment and running the health center is a great blessing to this tribal and dalit people of remote area. This center is regularly providing medical treatment, blood check up, injecting saline to the sick. The center provides medicines, injection and required treatment with its capacity. More serious patients have been referred to the medical collage or near by hospital where people could be treated.
In the past the area people use to go to hospital for some small injury or fever to get treatment. For little thing they use to spent lot of money in terms of travel, food and treatment but know it has been reduced to 80%. Most of the sick cases are treated in the health center. People are getting medicine in 50% reduction. People’s traveling, food and other unnecessary cost have been minimized. People are very happy. They could save some money which they were spending unnecessarily. In the health center this year (July-2010 – June-2011) 2080 patient have got treatment, blood check up 648, urine test 102, we take weight monitoring of the under 5 years children in the health center. So far 645 children have been registered out of these 212 children have found malnourished. So far one girl has identified as sickle sell, she gets regular treatment from the health center.
3. Immunization camps: Immunization camps are organized in every month in different places for the convenience of the mother and children. The main goal of this program is to achieve 100% immunization in this remote area and prevent children from six killer diseases. We have tie up with the Government hospital Bammunigam. Government has appointed two ANM to this area but due to communication problem and inaccessibility they do not reach. After READ interventions and linkages with them we provide vehicle to come over here regularly. Now immunization is done in regular basic. We have arranged four camps where Mother from different villages brings their children to the center for Immunization. In each camp 30 to 40 children are immunized. In this year with our intervention 1928 children have been immunized. The percentage of malnourished children below 5 years of age has come down; the weight monitoring is done in the health center of 645 children under the age of 5 has revealed that only 212 are identified as malnourished. So far one sickle sell case has been found out in the area who is treated regularly in the health center.
4. ANC camps: ANC camp is also done in every month. Most effective way of ensuring good health of the child is to ensure good health of the mother. The major causes of infant, child, and maternal mortality are due to inadequate maternal care and nutrition during pregnancy. The goal of the program is to safe guard the expectant mothers and reduce infant and maternal mortality rate by providing care and support. This camp also conducted on the same date of immunization. In each camp 10 to 15 mothers under go health check up. So far in this year 549 pregnant women have got health check up and vitamin tablets and iron tablets. With our interventions and regular care and check up maternal mortality rate have been reduced.
In READ operational area the maternal or infant mortalities rate has been reduce to 10% reported during the year. Birth registration is at nearly 90% through the ICDS and Asha workers, and the coverage under two TT vaccines is almost 80%. Institutional delivery has gone up to 89% of mothers who are obtaining benefits under the (JSY) Janani Suraksya Yojana this is a Safe Maternity Scheme Government has introduced. 86% of expectant mothers leveraged nutrition from ICDS. Institutional delivery: we encourage mothers to go for institutional delivery in the PHC. Which is safe and no risk. The tribal mothers are encouraged to go for it. 90% of the delivery is conducted in the PHC by the trained nurse.
5. TBA training: TBA training is organized in each quarter in the health center. The goal of the training is to strengthen the capacity of the attendance and to educate them in modern methods and give some input with regard to the first aid treatment at their respective villages. 30 numbers of attendance under go regular training. They help the people in their won village and bring the patient to the health center in difficult situations.
6. Special eye camp: By the demand and request of the people over the area special eye camps are organized in the health center. It was decided in the regional committee meeting to organize an eye camps for this area. These camps are held twice in this year on 27/04/2011 and 18/06/2011. In the both camps 172 people under gone eye check up free of cost. They were given medicines, 32 people got specs with 50% concession. 7 old ladies and gents are under gone cataract operation. We have tie up with ECOS eye medical hospital at the city Berhampur. This program has helped the poor people.
Key success of health programs.
1. In the health center this year (July-2010 – June-2011) 2080 patient have got treatment, blood check up has been done 648, urine test is done 102, we take weight monitoring of the under 5 years children in the health center. So far 645 children have been registered out of these 212 children have found malnourished. All most all the sick cases have been taken care in the health center. Serious patients are referred to medical collage or PHC. As far our record 70% of the sick cases have been successfully dealt.
2. At present 1928 of under 5 years children have immunized, received polio, TT. Vaccination, diphtheria and polio dozes. 80% of the under 5 years children have regularly immunized through this program.
3. Infant and maternal mortality rate has been reduced to 10%.
4. Institutional delivery has promoted up to 90% under Janani surakya scheme. By which they get Rs.1400 support from the Government.
5. People are contributing 50% medicine and investigating cost. So far Rs. 23,000/- have collected, this money is kept in a separate account.
6. Health center is tie up with Government PHC by which in every month health personnel’s such as ANM and medical staff come to the health center. We get 100% cooperation from the Government health department.
7. Government has sanctioned one community building which is under construction. It will be used for meetings, trainings and organizing camps as well as for resting of the patients.
8. One open well also is sanctioned to dig on the health center campus for water facilities for the patients. This work will start this year.
9. Government has given provisions for the BPL (below poverty line) families to construct toilets, for which Govt. is giving Rs. 2200/ per toilet for good sanitation in the villages. During rainy season the village yard became muddy and moisture by which children are infected by skin diseases, diarrhea, worms etc. To prevent this problem cemented road has been constructed by the Government in each village to keep the village surrounding and environment clean. And in each village tube well has been dug to provide clean drinking water.
10. We too have approach the Government and to the gram panchayat to build a cemented link road to health center and dig tube well near the health center for public use. The concern authority has given assurance by words to start the work under NREGS (national rural employment guaranty scheme) in this financial year 2011 & 12.
11. To create discipline at the health center we have introduced membership card for each members of the family Rs. 10/- which is annual subscription. Whenever they come to the health center they come with the card and provide 50% of the medicine and investigation (blood check up, urine test etc.) cost which is mandatory for everybody.
Socio economic conditions: As we have mentioned in the project proposal that the socio economic condition is not sound in this remote area. They have been exploited and deprived of their basic human rights like food shelter, education, medicine etc. The main goal of this project is to bring the people in to the mainstream and show the right path for their over all development. We have been conducting regular meetings in every village to give awareness and provide information about Govt. schemes and projects. All the awareness training, meetings have been brought a good result. Beside the health activities we organize above programs. socio economic and education of children awareness meetings and trainings.
NREGA is a scheme passed by the government in 2005 which promises job cards guaranteeing minimum 100 days’ work for all adults in semi-skilled manual labour, and further guarantees that work is made available within 5km of the worker’s village or else he or she should receive extra wages. This program is to provide job to the BPL families to improve socio economic conditions. In our project area 3000 people have been registered and have got job card. We have developed a survey format for each family to study the all status of the families by which we have come to know the Social and Economical situation of the Village and the Family Specific.
FRA (forest right act), which was passed in 2006 by the Government of India, extends ownership rights to tribal communities over lands on which they have lived and worked. These rights include access to collect and use forest produce for livelihood, graze animals, build villages, manage conservation of resources, maintain and preserve traditional knowledge as part of intellectual property; under this scheme tribal people will get entitlement over land which is livelihood for them. 70% of the land which is occupied and holding by tribal for years will be registered in their name. The survey and land mapping has been over in the area, final entitlement will be issued soon.
In the project area most of the families are below poverty line. The Government provides rice to all BPL families 25 kgs in every month which is great support for the poor people for their livelihood. Even though most of the young boys and girls are migrate to cities and other states for work to earn more money.
In average we have found out that the socio economic conditions have been improved to 25% in the project area.
Education: Under SSA (Sarbasikya abhijan) there is free and compulsory education for children and there must be establishment of schools in each village. In the project area in all villages there are schools but sad thing is that only 20% of the schools are running regularly. Teachers are appointed but they are not regular. Even the schools are running but there is no quality education. With the interest and effort of some of the parents children about 20% study in different hostels, Rest of the children dropout. In Education level the area is extremely backward.
In the project area women have formed SHG which are not active, some groups have linked with Government, running dealership but there is also manipulation among the members. They need more trainings and systematic approach. 85% of the women are illiterate they easily trap by the officers and the co-members and lose money. In this way most of the SHG are not functioning well. We are planning to strengthen the women group more effectively. There are lots of natural forest products in the area other business men get profit out of this. The village women have to be trained on vocational skills or entrepreneurship so that they could collectively start the business.
Case study-
In Minjaponka village in Kattingia GP of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, situated in a remote area before two years ago no expectant mother were attending health camps and having institutional delivery, this was happening due to lack of awareness in the community, lack of health workers and health center in the area. After establishing the health center and conducting health camps many people realized the importance of it. Our regular health awareness trainings and meetings and IEC (information, Education, communication) material which we have displayed in our health center has helped the women to realize the importance of maternal care during and after.
Liza Majhi a tribal woman from the same village was pregnant, She was regularly under going health check up taking iron tablet, folic acid etc. When the time was approaching her for delivery she was insisting our health workers to take to the hospital where she could have safe delivery. With the labour pain around 7 pm she was taken to hospital, as soon as she reached at the hospital with in 10 minutes she gave birth. She expressed that there was no difficulties or any problem she faced. In the same night she returned home. She said to all the mothers who are pregnant that all should go for institutional delivery. No boy could take risk at home. Before, many pregnant mothers have lost their lives at the village during delivery. It happened due to ignorance, lack of awareness and support. Liza Majhi received Rs. 1400/ - from janani surakhya yojana lunched by Govt. of India for institutional delivery.
With the support of Manos Unidas, Spain READ established a rural health center in the remote area and conducting various health related activities and sensitization meetings, gradually men, women, youth understood and participate in the programs. All the expectant women came to the center in a fixed date for health check up and interested to go for institutional delivery. Rural health center is a great blessing for the remote tribal people. People are thankful to the donor agency Manos Unidas for their great support.
Malaria
Malaria is the foremost public health problem of Orissa contributing 23% of malaria cases, 40% of Plasmodium falciparum cases and 50% of malaria deaths in the country. It was observed that the kandhamal district is endemic for malaria and is hyper endemic in top hills where kandha primitive tribes are residing. Our project area comes under this category. It is found out in our patient register that 50 to 60% registration is malaria patient. All the cases have been treated successfully. No malaria or cerebral malaria patients are referred to PHC. It is a great achievement in our health center.
Future plan: We have planned to implement some other programs beside the on going activities such as:
(Year:-2010-11)
Note from the Chairman
We are happy to be united for a social cause and for the development of society. We are committed to have more development oriented chapters in our region and organization. We hope that we will achieve our goals in the course of time. I thank our members and staff by whom we are able to achieve our goal in this year 2011&2012. “Integrated community health project” has supported to the hopeless to hope, lifeless to life. The area people are very happy to have the rural health center in their midst. Though there were a lot of problems which we under gone to start the health center but it did not go in vain. We have achieved the goal for which we worked heard. I hope in future we will develop more for a greater socio economic development of our region.
READ’s Approach to Development
READ does not believe in imposing pressure on people to undertake certain activities, nor do we believe in making people dependent on the services of development. We believe in generating awareness regarding social issues and motivating people to take action. At present READ is busy in our field areas promoting responsible and active grassroots leadership within the community in both scheduled and non-scheduled areas. We assemble groups of people at one place and then we inform, we train, we facilitate, we provide access, and we inspire. We help build consensus, and we help lay the framework for action. We often provide practical knowledge and mobilizing human resources, saving and investing, monitoring and evaluating, documenting and reporting. We built leaders regarding uplifting their communities in education, livelihood, health care, governance and human rights. We deal Issues relating to women and children which are the main areas in imparting knowledge to people in need. Gender equality and child rights are among the core values of READ. All the development activities at present in the target villages of READ are specially worked out to improve the general understanding of people towards development work, and to create a sense of hopefulness in the minds of people to continue on the path of progress and to fulfill their goals and rights. Integrated health project has brought people together act united and has create the sense of responsibility. Development is a gradual process it needs lot of commitment and hard work. READ is tirelessly working to bring these people into the mainstream. Our great efforts and hard work will not go in vain.
Adivasi at a glance:
READ's target group includes the Adivasi referred to as ‘tribals’ people of India in the inaccessible, mountainous terrain where they have been living in small, often semi-nomadic hamlets for centuries without much government support. Many Adivasi are unorganized, illiterate and exploited by other interests people. READ’s operational area cover 60 villages and 21250 Adivasi and Dalit people. The tribal population of Odisha is approximately 8 million, or 22% of the total population. Sixty-two tribes have been scheduled in the state under Article 342 of the Constitution of India. These tribal communities mostly reside in the Scheduled Areas, which account for 44.21% of the total land of Odisha. The Adivasi have a distinct identity and culture, relationship with the environment, strong values of community, and a distinct knowledge system. Traditionally they live close to nature and are separated from the mainstream of society.
However, illiteracy, poverty and continuous exploitation by vested interest groups have led to the breakdown of their resource and community identity. They also vary from each other in terms of the language, social structure, territorial affiliation, socio-cultural identity, livelihood sources, and degree of modernization. Considering the low literacy, small population size and adherence to basic modes of economy, it is observed that the tribal economy is still in a primitive stage from the point of view of resource utilization, technology, and adoption of diverse livelihoods. The government of India has enacted various laws to safeguard the interests of the Adivasi with respect to land alienation, indebtedness, exploitation, protection of their civil rights, reservation of vacancies in public sector posts and services, abolition of the bonded labour system, protection of tribal rights over forest produces, free education, and promotion of health services. The State has commenced the process of democratic decentralization by extending the Panchayati Raj Extension Act (1996) to scheduled (tribal) areas, and by passing the Forest Rights Act (2006). In spite of this it is observed that, by and large, the benefits of constitutional privileges for the Scheduled Tribes of Odisha have not been realized to the desired level. Mothers and children, especially girls, in the tribal areas suffer the most. Odisha’s Adivasi continue to lag behind on socio-economic indexes. Half of the population is illiterate. Female literacy in particular is extremely low, ranging between 15 to 30%. School attendance rates and dropout rates among tribals in Odisha remain among the worst in the country. Teacher absenteeism and government neglect and ignorance of tribal culture are partially to blame, lack of awareness among Adivasi of their rights and lack of empowerment are among the root causes of these problems. It is in this context that READ have come together to foster real and sustainable development for the Adivasi of the area.
1. General health camps: The project area is isolated from the mainstream. People very rarely get health support and under go health check up. The main objective of this program is to provide medical support and to give basic knowledge on health aspect. During the year we invited Government health workers from block of Daringbadi hospital. The chief Medical Doctor Mr. Bidyadhar Patro, Dr. Ajay Kumar Sahu, Medicine specialist Dr. Achary and including ANM, Lab technician, their team provided health services to the people in our health center. During the camp women, men, youth and children about 300 participated from the project area. This program became highlighted in the block and district level.
2. Rural health center: Establishment and running the health center is a great blessing to this tribal and dalit people of remote area. This center is regularly providing medical treatment, blood check up, injecting saline to the sick. The center provides medicines, injection and required treatment with its capacity. More serious patients have been referred to the medical collage or near by hospital where people could be treated.
In the past the area people use to go to hospital for some small injury or fever to get treatment. For little thing they use to spent lot of money in terms of travel, food and treatment but know it has been reduced to 80%. Most of the sick cases are treated in the health center. People are getting medicine in 50% reduction. People’s traveling, food and other unnecessary cost have been minimized. People are very happy. They could save some money which they were spending unnecessarily. In the health center this year (July-2010 – June-2011) 2080 patient have got treatment, blood check up 648, urine test 102, we take weight monitoring of the under 5 years children in the health center. So far 645 children have been registered out of these 212 children have found malnourished. So far one girl has identified as sickle sell, she gets regular treatment from the health center.
3. Immunization camps: Immunization camps are organized in every month in different places for the convenience of the mother and children. The main goal of this program is to achieve 100% immunization in this remote area and prevent children from six killer diseases. We have tie up with the Government hospital Bammunigam. Government has appointed two ANM to this area but due to communication problem and inaccessibility they do not reach. After READ interventions and linkages with them we provide vehicle to come over here regularly. Now immunization is done in regular basic. We have arranged four camps where Mother from different villages brings their children to the center for Immunization. In each camp 30 to 40 children are immunized. In this year with our intervention 1928 children have been immunized. The percentage of malnourished children below 5 years of age has come down; the weight monitoring is done in the health center of 645 children under the age of 5 has revealed that only 212 are identified as malnourished. So far one sickle sell case has been found out in the area who is treated regularly in the health center.
4. ANC camps: ANC camp is also done in every month. Most effective way of ensuring good health of the child is to ensure good health of the mother. The major causes of infant, child, and maternal mortality are due to inadequate maternal care and nutrition during pregnancy. The goal of the program is to safe guard the expectant mothers and reduce infant and maternal mortality rate by providing care and support. This camp also conducted on the same date of immunization. In each camp 10 to 15 mothers under go health check up. So far in this year 549 pregnant women have got health check up and vitamin tablets and iron tablets. With our interventions and regular care and check up maternal mortality rate have been reduced.
In READ operational area the maternal or infant mortalities rate has been reduce to 10% reported during the year. Birth registration is at nearly 90% through the ICDS and Asha workers, and the coverage under two TT vaccines is almost 80%. Institutional delivery has gone up to 89% of mothers who are obtaining benefits under the (JSY) Janani Suraksya Yojana this is a Safe Maternity Scheme Government has introduced. 86% of expectant mothers leveraged nutrition from ICDS. Institutional delivery: we encourage mothers to go for institutional delivery in the PHC. Which is safe and no risk. The tribal mothers are encouraged to go for it. 90% of the delivery is conducted in the PHC by the trained nurse.
5. TBA training: TBA training is organized in each quarter in the health center. The goal of the training is to strengthen the capacity of the attendance and to educate them in modern methods and give some input with regard to the first aid treatment at their respective villages. 30 numbers of attendance under go regular training. They help the people in their won village and bring the patient to the health center in difficult situations.
6. Special eye camp: By the demand and request of the people over the area special eye camps are organized in the health center. It was decided in the regional committee meeting to organize an eye camps for this area. These camps are held twice in this year on 27/04/2011 and 18/06/2011. In the both camps 172 people under gone eye check up free of cost. They were given medicines, 32 people got specs with 50% concession. 7 old ladies and gents are under gone cataract operation. We have tie up with ECOS eye medical hospital at the city Berhampur. This program has helped the poor people.
Key success of health programs.
1. In the health center this year (July-2010 – June-2011) 2080 patient have got treatment, blood check up has been done 648, urine test is done 102, we take weight monitoring of the under 5 years children in the health center. So far 645 children have been registered out of these 212 children have found malnourished. All most all the sick cases have been taken care in the health center. Serious patients are referred to medical collage or PHC. As far our record 70% of the sick cases have been successfully dealt.
2. At present 1928 of under 5 years children have immunized, received polio, TT. Vaccination, diphtheria and polio dozes. 80% of the under 5 years children have regularly immunized through this program.
3. Infant and maternal mortality rate has been reduced to 10%.
4. Institutional delivery has promoted up to 90% under Janani surakya scheme. By which they get Rs.1400 support from the Government.
5. People are contributing 50% medicine and investigating cost. So far Rs. 23,000/- have collected, this money is kept in a separate account.
6. Health center is tie up with Government PHC by which in every month health personnel’s such as ANM and medical staff come to the health center. We get 100% cooperation from the Government health department.
7. Government has sanctioned one community building which is under construction. It will be used for meetings, trainings and organizing camps as well as for resting of the patients.
8. One open well also is sanctioned to dig on the health center campus for water facilities for the patients. This work will start this year.
9. Government has given provisions for the BPL (below poverty line) families to construct toilets, for which Govt. is giving Rs. 2200/ per toilet for good sanitation in the villages. During rainy season the village yard became muddy and moisture by which children are infected by skin diseases, diarrhea, worms etc. To prevent this problem cemented road has been constructed by the Government in each village to keep the village surrounding and environment clean. And in each village tube well has been dug to provide clean drinking water.
10. We too have approach the Government and to the gram panchayat to build a cemented link road to health center and dig tube well near the health center for public use. The concern authority has given assurance by words to start the work under NREGS (national rural employment guaranty scheme) in this financial year 2011 & 12.
11. To create discipline at the health center we have introduced membership card for each members of the family Rs. 10/- which is annual subscription. Whenever they come to the health center they come with the card and provide 50% of the medicine and investigation (blood check up, urine test etc.) cost which is mandatory for everybody.
Socio economic conditions: As we have mentioned in the project proposal that the socio economic condition is not sound in this remote area. They have been exploited and deprived of their basic human rights like food shelter, education, medicine etc. The main goal of this project is to bring the people in to the mainstream and show the right path for their over all development. We have been conducting regular meetings in every village to give awareness and provide information about Govt. schemes and projects. All the awareness training, meetings have been brought a good result. Beside the health activities we organize above programs. socio economic and education of children awareness meetings and trainings.
NREGA is a scheme passed by the government in 2005 which promises job cards guaranteeing minimum 100 days’ work for all adults in semi-skilled manual labour, and further guarantees that work is made available within 5km of the worker’s village or else he or she should receive extra wages. This program is to provide job to the BPL families to improve socio economic conditions. In our project area 3000 people have been registered and have got job card. We have developed a survey format for each family to study the all status of the families by which we have come to know the Social and Economical situation of the Village and the Family Specific.
FRA (forest right act), which was passed in 2006 by the Government of India, extends ownership rights to tribal communities over lands on which they have lived and worked. These rights include access to collect and use forest produce for livelihood, graze animals, build villages, manage conservation of resources, maintain and preserve traditional knowledge as part of intellectual property; under this scheme tribal people will get entitlement over land which is livelihood for them. 70% of the land which is occupied and holding by tribal for years will be registered in their name. The survey and land mapping has been over in the area, final entitlement will be issued soon.
In the project area most of the families are below poverty line. The Government provides rice to all BPL families 25 kgs in every month which is great support for the poor people for their livelihood. Even though most of the young boys and girls are migrate to cities and other states for work to earn more money.
In average we have found out that the socio economic conditions have been improved to 25% in the project area.
Education: Under SSA (Sarbasikya abhijan) there is free and compulsory education for children and there must be establishment of schools in each village. In the project area in all villages there are schools but sad thing is that only 20% of the schools are running regularly. Teachers are appointed but they are not regular. Even the schools are running but there is no quality education. With the interest and effort of some of the parents children about 20% study in different hostels, Rest of the children dropout. In Education level the area is extremely backward.
In the project area women have formed SHG which are not active, some groups have linked with Government, running dealership but there is also manipulation among the members. They need more trainings and systematic approach. 85% of the women are illiterate they easily trap by the officers and the co-members and lose money. In this way most of the SHG are not functioning well. We are planning to strengthen the women group more effectively. There are lots of natural forest products in the area other business men get profit out of this. The village women have to be trained on vocational skills or entrepreneurship so that they could collectively start the business.
Case study-
In Minjaponka village in Kattingia GP of Daringbadi block of Kandhamal district, situated in a remote area before two years ago no expectant mother were attending health camps and having institutional delivery, this was happening due to lack of awareness in the community, lack of health workers and health center in the area. After establishing the health center and conducting health camps many people realized the importance of it. Our regular health awareness trainings and meetings and IEC (information, Education, communication) material which we have displayed in our health center has helped the women to realize the importance of maternal care during and after.
Liza Majhi a tribal woman from the same village was pregnant, She was regularly under going health check up taking iron tablet, folic acid etc. When the time was approaching her for delivery she was insisting our health workers to take to the hospital where she could have safe delivery. With the labour pain around 7 pm she was taken to hospital, as soon as she reached at the hospital with in 10 minutes she gave birth. She expressed that there was no difficulties or any problem she faced. In the same night she returned home. She said to all the mothers who are pregnant that all should go for institutional delivery. No boy could take risk at home. Before, many pregnant mothers have lost their lives at the village during delivery. It happened due to ignorance, lack of awareness and support. Liza Majhi received Rs. 1400/ - from janani surakhya yojana lunched by Govt. of India for institutional delivery.
With the support of Manos Unidas, Spain READ established a rural health center in the remote area and conducting various health related activities and sensitization meetings, gradually men, women, youth understood and participate in the programs. All the expectant women came to the center in a fixed date for health check up and interested to go for institutional delivery. Rural health center is a great blessing for the remote tribal people. People are thankful to the donor agency Manos Unidas for their great support.
Malaria
Malaria is the foremost public health problem of Orissa contributing 23% of malaria cases, 40% of Plasmodium falciparum cases and 50% of malaria deaths in the country. It was observed that the kandhamal district is endemic for malaria and is hyper endemic in top hills where kandha primitive tribes are residing. Our project area comes under this category. It is found out in our patient register that 50 to 60% registration is malaria patient. All the cases have been treated successfully. No malaria or cerebral malaria patients are referred to PHC. It is a great achievement in our health center.
Future plan: We have planned to implement some other programs beside the on going activities such as:
- We are planning to Linkage with AROGYA health programs run by Government for the sustainable of the program.
- Lobbying for medicine support, ANM, Doctor and other medical support from Government.
- Globalgiving has approved the health project. We are training to get donations from the like minded people from different countries for this project.
- We have planned to start income generation program for women to empower them and develop economical status of the families.
- In the near future, READ in partnership with other NGOs will continue to develop health and livelihood of the tribal people. READ will also look to expand the opportunities for Adivasi and Dalit youth with an emphasis on young women to earn a secure and sustainable livelihood from their education by facilitating vocational training in a range of practical and employable skills. We will also work with housewives in remote areas to build their capacity to contribute to family income and community prosperity through SHGs, micro-finance initiatives and home-based livelihood projects.