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| Punjab - Activities
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Ropar
Farmers in Punjab rely to a high degree on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. This poses a health hazard both to the farmers and the consumers. ACF introduced organic farming in the region in 2007, to encourage farmers to revert to traditional, safe means of cultivation. Efforts in this direction continued. During the initial stages of the project, 50 farmers took up organic farming, now there are 312 farmers. Crops like wheat, paddy, maize, green fodder and potato are now grown organically and are giving good yields. The farmers produce their own compost, vermi-compost and Jiva Amrit and also use neem based bio-pesticides and fermented buttermilk as disease prevention agents. ACF has now approached Control Union Certification Agency to get them certified as organic farmers.
Vegetable cultivation is carried out in net houses, for which farmers are provided with quality saplings and organic seeds, and given live demonstrations. These demonstrations are even attended by farmers from far away villages. ACF set up a 33 acre demonstration farm to show and motivate farmers about crop diversification, organic farming and other good agricultural practices like nursery development and horticulture. Farmers visit the plot in batches. In the year, 12 farmers became adept at growing poplar trees in a nursery after attending ACF’s demonstration farm.
Two farm schools on vegetable cultivation and dairy farming were established in the fields of progressive farmers under the ATMA scheme. They serve as a cost effective extension system for farmers to learn from their peers. The students come from different villages and take back their learnings to support other farmers. The farm schools held demonstrations on crops, six subject-specific training sessions, skills-upgrading programmes and exposure visits through district and state level inputs.
Regular cattle health camps were organised in the dairy cooperative societies and 450 cattle were vaccinated for foot and mouth and black quarter diseases. Awareness and training programmes on dairy farming were also held. Dairy farming being popular in the Punjab, training sessions were held to promote the formation of dairy cooperative societies. Artificial inseminations were carried out to improve the breed of m cattle.
An ITI is being supported by ACF at Anandpur Sahib as a public-private partnership. The ITI will train people for alternative vocations. The courses that will be held include cutting and tailoring, embroidery, needle work and teacher training. In addition two courses will be run on Fashion Technology and Computer Operator and Programming Assistance. In all 149 people are undergoing a training at the moment.
Village Health Functionaries continued to provide the villagers primary health care and referral services during the year. ACF became a part of the Block Health Monitoring and Planning Committee of the National Rural Health Mission and with this the linkages with the block level helath providers was strengthened.
ACF started campaigns to create awareness about hygiene and sanitation and bring about a behavioural change amongst the people. Technical and financial support was offered to construct low cost toilets. Dakala village is now open-defecation free and has been selected for the Nirmal Grameen Puruskar Yojana.
Our interventions in HIV/AIDS prevention were carried out in collaboration with Punjab State AIDS Control Society (PSACS) and Chandigarh State AIDS Control Society (CSACS). Targeted Intervention Projects for high risk individuals are ongoing in Ropar, Morinda and Chandigarh. All these programmes are effective because of the high degree of community participation in them.
In addition to awareness programmes, ACF organised regular meetings with HIV/AIDS affected persons. A network of HIV positive persons has been formed in Ropar district. The network started with 12 members and now has a strength of 37. two Self Help Groupshave been started by 22 HIV positive women. ACF has set up a paper recycling unit for the rehabilitation of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Raw material from the ACL and other nearby factories is collected and recycled to make attractive stationery, which is then supplied back to the factories.
Condom promotion was an important aspect of our HIV/AIDS prevention programme. Condoms were distributed through social marketing channels and also free of cost. More than 12,000 people form part of the target population for the intervention project. The major activities of the project include site mapping, identification of high risk populations, one-on-one and group meetings and counselling services. The project also includes awareness and health camps, an STD clinic at Ropar, sentinel surveillance, needle syringe exchange programme and detoxification cum substitution for drug users. A drop-in centre for IDUs and sex workers was set up at Morinda and Anandpur Sahib respectively.
In Ropar, we now have 66 Self Help Groups(SHGs). They are involved in inter-loaning and are linked with banks. Recently 13 SHGs got linked with banks and obtained loans worth Rs 6 lakh, mainly to purchase cattle. ACF is promoting the concept of dairy cooperatives amongst the SHGs. Members were taken on exposure visits to progressive dairy farms and observed advanced cattle rearing practices. These visits motivated them to take up dairy farming as a business.
Ambuja Manovikas Kendra (AMK) was established with the objective of improving the quality of life of mentally challenged children and helping them grow into independent, productive individuals. There are 71 students enrolled at AMK and they are overseen by a team of trained special educators, therapists ad caretakers. A therapeutic centre has been recently established at the school. Speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy are being offered at the therapeutic centre.
AMK continued excelling at sports. For the 4th time, the children walked away with the Overall Championship at the Punjab State Special Olympics for Special Children. Best athlete awards in both male and female categories were bagged by AMK students. At the national level, AMK students won gold medals in badminton, basket ball, cycling, roller skating and athletics. Four students were selected as probables for the World Special Olympic Games to be held in Greece in 2011. An AMK student was the runner up at the state level painting competition. Master Ashish John bagged the 1st prize at the state level dance competition.
Bathinda
In the year 2007, ACF and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) initiated a 3-year programme to renovate the pond and construct a boundary wall at Sivian village. The pond is in the centre of the village and stores rain water which is used for agricultural and domestic purposes. The renovation of the pond has resulted in an increase in residual moisture and recharge of ground water, leading to a higher water table in the surrounding areas.
ACF has initiated several activities on disseminating knowledge and building capacity through training sessions, technology transfer and sustainable agricultural practices. Prime importance has been accorded to the promotion of organic farming. Farmers are encouraged to use organic manures like Jiva Amrit and technical inputs and support to shift to organic farming are being provided by ACF. To augment the farmers’ incomes, they are being encouraged to adopt crop diversification by cultivating fruits in addition to their regular crops. Over 2,700 saplings of horticulture plants like kinoo and guava were provided by ACF.
Biogas plants provide farmers with organic manure and an alternative fuel that is clean, green and easily generated. ACF offered subsidies to the farmers to obtain expertise and support to promote the use of biogas plants. During the year 40 plants were set up.
ACF is running anganwadis at Oriya Basti and Lal Quarter Basti and 100 children between the ages of 2 and 6 attend these anganwadis. They serve as a safe environment in which children can learn and play, and develop their physical, mental and social milestones. The children are also provided with daily nutrition. Regular health camps are held to provide healthcare. Mothers are also trained in providing health and hygiene to their children.
ACF has set up Ambuja Gyandeep Kendras or non-formal education (NFE) centres for children with no access to education or schools. About 200 children benefited from the 4 NFE centres. The centres are supervised by a Basti Education Committee (BEC) and a token fees is charged. 23 children from the centres took their Class V Punjab Board exams and 19 students appeared for the entrance test of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya.ACF organised 19 school health camps at the Ambuja Gyandeep Kendras at Oriya Basti, Lal Quarter, Hardev Nagar and Jogi Nagar. Besides curative treatment, they were supplied with calcium and vitamins. Efforts were also made to sensitise their mothers about their nutrition and personal hygiene.
Eight Village Health Functionaries were provided with intensive training on preventive, curative and referral healthcare. They organise khelwadis for children, conducted village level meetings on health issues, supported Government-run immunisation schemes, motivated the community to use toilets and offer support to strengthen the Village Health and Sanitation Committee. In collaboration with the District Health Department, Bathinda 13 health camps were organised where 725 people were treated and provided with free medicines as required.
Drug addiction is a rampant problem in Bathinda. In 2009-10, ACF successfully de-toxified 150 persons. Seventeen awareness programmes were also been conducted in different villages. ACF organised an “International Day Against Illicit Trafficking” on 26 June at Deon village with the help of the youth club and the Panchayat members. ACF supports a 15-bed de-addiction centre run by the Red Cross by renovating the existing infrastructure and extending financial help. The centre had enrolled 133 addicts.
ACF is implementing a Composite Targeted Intervention Programme in Bathinda, which is funded by the Punjab State AIDS Control Society (PSACS). The programme targets female sex workers (FSWs) and men having sex with men (MSMs). These groups are made aware of the dangers of HIV/AIDS and given access to condoms and STI treatment. The programme includes information-education-communication (IEC) methodologies, personal counselling, meetings, management of RTI/STI cases and promotion of condoms. Referral services are provided when required.
The Self Help Groups(SHGs) at Bathinda are in intra-group lending, and are also able to access loans from banks. The older groups put their loan money into productive uses rather than spend it on immediate needs. A large group of economically backward women are able to make their day-to-day purchases using these loans. The women are being trained in record keeping, a skill that they are seen to lack. Several training sessions were held for them.
ACF began an earnest campaign against female foeticide. We networked with Government schools, village Panchayats and other like minded groups to spread the message. Jaago rallies (awareness rallies) were organised in the villages to sensitise the people and create mass awareness about the ills of female foeticide. A survey of the villages showed an improvement in the sex ratio in the area across our villages. In some of the villages the ratio has gone to as much as 1000:1000 from 571:1000.
A low cost housing project that was initiated in Gaggar village in Mukatsar district in December 2012 was completed in 2009-10. Under the project, ACF constructed 129 houses for economically disadvantaged families in collaboration with the State Government, at a cost of Rs 2.23 crore. The Chief Minister of Punjab, Shri Prakash Singh Badal inaugurated the project on 14 September 2009, when letters of possession and house keys were handed over to the families.
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