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Shelter and Health
by Ashima Sood
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| Shelter:
The first month of the
tsunami brought in a swarm of NGOs. Given the competition to construct
housing, AID decided to stay out of permanent house construction in
affected communities, a decision that has allowed us to focus our
resources on more urgent needs. Not the least of these was saving the
fishing community's land! In the immediate aftermath of the tsunami,
certain sections of the government, acting at the behest of powerful
hotel and tourism industry interests, began a concerted attempt to
evict coastal communities in violation of its own Coastal Regulation
Zones (CRZs). Through accessible
cartoon booklets, poster exhibitions, and Kala
Jathas, we worked hard to raise awareness among
fishing communities in Chennai and elsewhere, already reeling from the
shock and trauma of the sea's duplicity, and helped rebuild their
confidence in their coastal home and resist the government's urging to
move away. |
The
temporary shelters constructed by AID in four villages near Koovathur
using indigenous materials and construction proved highly popular and
hardy. (Hardier in fact than temporary shelters constructed by other
groups in Palaverkadu, and which AID had to help rebuild!) Following on
the success of the semi-permanent Children’s Activity Centers
(Balwadis) AID began planning construction of multi-purpose
community learning centers in the villages where
it works.
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Balwadi
Construction |
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Health
Camps being held
Health Van touring villages
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Health:
In the early days of relief work, AID focused on preventing the
outbreak of opportunistic infections like cholera and typhoid by
disseminating pamphlets and working to create and sustain sanitary
living conditions. While more than 80 mobile health camps organized by
AID in places ranging from Nagai, Cuddalore and Chennai to
Koovathur and Kelambakkam met with overwhelming demand, particularly
among women and dalit groups, the efforts of Minoo Shroff and friends
helped start a Mobile Health Van program.
The van is fitted with an examination bed,
medicine cabinet and seats for doctors and paramedics and focuses on
women's health and epidemic situations. The Health Van and Medical Camp
Program also proved useful in Chidambaram district during the recent
floods.
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| Yet
communicable diseases were not the least of the health hazards facing
coastal communities the psychological injury also needed
addressing. In addition to group and individual counseling sessions for
adults, trust-building games and art therapy for children, AID also
helped dispel fear and confusion about the tsunami by bringing out a
clear and accessible cartoon book and video CD that explained the
science behind the tsunami. An innovative cultural counseling activity
AID organized were the Kala Jathas or counseling street theatre
programs, led in some cases by child psychologists and in others by
local troupes. |
Kala
Jatha being performed |
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| The
long-term rehabilitation/development
work of AID continues through its Health Education Program and
the Nalavazhvu
Iyakkam or the Child and
Women's Community Health Program. This program trains a female village
health volunteer to facilitate door-to-door counseling on child heath
and pregnancy care. This program is running in 153 villages -
83 villages in 3 AID blocks and 70 villages in 2 NGO blocks (Social
Welfare Center and Sense). The immensely popular Health Education
Program develops materials like flipcharts, posters and pamphlets and
runs classes on adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause. The flip charts
developed by AID-Tamil Nadu on Child Nutrition and Adolescent Girls
Health are being translated into Hindi, Kannada and Telugu for use in
other states. |
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