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| Punjab -
Case
Studies |
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A
Positive Change
When we began working in the villages of
Ropar in Punjab, on the issues of HIV/AIDS,
no one was willing to admit the issues existed,
leave alone discuss it.
Much effort was put in by ACF to bring the
issue to the forefront. Much counselling,
one-to-one interaction and reassurance went
into changing the attitude of the people
about their illness. Over time, there was
a gradual but sure change in the attitude
of the people and they began coming ahead
to talk about the subject and their status.
A small group of three young widows, Rekha*,
Anita* and Seema* were the first to come
up to ACF. In their interactions with the
Foundation they revealed how they had got
infected. The Foundation encouraged them
to get themselves tested for HIV to confirm
their illness. Once confirmed, the women
were encouraged to build their confidence,
to form a group and to remould their lives.
They were helped to understand that though
they are ill, their lives have not come
to an end and that there is a lot they can
do in spite of their illness. These women
started contacting other women they knew
were suffering from the same disease and
encouraged them to join the group. Slowly
a network of 24 people was formed. This
network called itself ‘Roopnagar network
of HIV+ people’. They meet once a
month to share their experiences, discuss
issues affecting their lives and find solutions
to commonly faced problems.
This is a first of its kind group in the
region. The group has become a source of
strength for each of the members and has
made definite change in their lives.
*Names changed to maintain confidentiality. |
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A
New Direction to Life
In Punjab, Simranjeet Singh and Saleem Ahmed
joined Ambuja Manovikas Kendra at age 14.
While being physically fit, they both had
an IQ which was in the severe category if
their disability. With limited self-help
skills, difficulty in communicating clearly,
inability to read or write and related behavioural
problems, their families had written them
off.
After conducting a thorough assessment of
the children, the AMK staff members felt
their condition could be trained and placed
them in the secondary group. Other children
in this group had good communication skills.
These children had a positive impact on
Simranjeet and Saleem and their communication
skills began improving slowly. Simultaneously,
behaviour modification techniques were applied
and the children were helped in developing
daily life skills. The parents too were
involved in the development of their children
and were informed of the training methods
applied at the school so that they may repeat
the same at home.
After four and a half years of intensive
work with the children, there has been a
commendable improvement in them. They are
able to talk in complete sentences. They
are able to manage all their daily activities
independently. There has been a marked improvement
in their demeanour. They have been trained
as office assistants for six months in AMK
and were later shifted to local schools
as a part of their training. Both Simranjeet
and Saleem adapted very well to their new
environment and they built a rapport with
the teachers and students there and enjoyed
their work. Seeing this as an opportunity
for long-term gainful employment, ACF put
in a word for them to the school headmasters.
The headmasters were more than willing to
take them on as full-time workers.
Simranjeet and Saleem are now independent
young people who are making valuable contribution
to their family incomes. |
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AIDS
Can’t Get the Best of You
In the village of Bani, in Ropar, Punjab,
Ramandeep Kaur* was married for just one
year before her husband, a truck driver,
died of AIDS. With no financial support
or the support of her in-laws, 29 year
old Kaur was helpless and went to live
with her sister.
Since Ramandeep was at the risk of having
contracted the disease, an ACF member
counceled her and convinced her to take
the HIV test at the Integrated Counselling
and Testing Centre at Rupnaga. Kaur tested
positive for HIV. For her that was the
end of her world.
ACF organized many counseling sessions
to help her cope with her problem. The
first step towards getting back her will
to live was for her to get a job. Unfortunately
she had no training or education and so
getting employed was a problem. Luckily
ACF was looking for a person to run a
Drop-in Centre at Anandpur Sahib. Ramandeep
was offered the job. She was trained well
to become a peer educator before she was
allowed to take on full responsibilities
of the Centre.
Today Kaur isn’t the same woman
who had once given up on life. Confident
and independent, she manages the drop-in
centre on her own and earns Rs. 1,500
per month. She is also involved in educating
and motivating other women like her in
the area.
* Names changed to maintain confidentiality |
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Charting a new path
Ashish's parents were at their wits end. No matter how much they tried, he could not do any of the things other children did routinely. His speech wasn't clear, making it difficult to communicate. He often displayed stubbornness and lacked social skills. He did not recognise alphabets or numbers, couldn't count money or read the time. Tired of working with him and heartbroken at finding no significant improvement, they enrolled him in Ambuja Manovikas Kendra in 2000. Ashish was ten years old then.
AMK was what Ashish had been waiting for. The teachers at AMK applied scientifically sound techniques while working on Ashish's behaviour and simultaneously worked on imparting functional education. He was in an environment that allowed him to be comfortable and safe, and yet push his limits in terms of learning new skills. His parents cooperated with the school teachers and gradually Ashish was able to do many of the things his parents thought he would never master. He could take care of himself, contribute to household chores, read the time, write his name and address and even operate a calculator! His disposition improved as did his speech and social skills. Ashish blossomed into a star all-rounder. He won several sports, painting and dance competitions in the state. Being selected as a probable for the Indian basketball team for the World Special Olympic Games 2011 to be held at Athens, Ashish is practicing hard and keeping his fingers crossed.
Ashish's progress was heartwarming, but AMK knew only social skills and functional education was not sufficient. For any special child to be reintegrated into mainstream society, it is imperative that he find some form of employment to support himself. With the help of a community member, Ashish set up a juice bar.AMK trained him in operating the machine to make the juice, handling money, dealing with customers etc. and supervised him intensively till he was independent and confident. With his juice bar, Ashish earned about Rs.3,000 per month- a substantial amount for someone who was completely dependent on others till some time back.
Ashish is overjoyed at his independence. He enjoys the status of an earning member in his family- a fact his parents are very proud of. His wish list includes buying a mobile phone for himself with the money he earns- a simple wish that he might not have been able to fulfil had he not been rehabilitated.
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Confidence
Through Co-operation
In Punjab, along the banks of River Sutlej,
in a small village called Alampur, agriculture
along with related activities were the
main source of income for the villagers.
Until, the women from the Arjun self-help
group decided to try out an alternate
means of livelihood!
Dairy business seemed like a good idea
to them. The downside to this was the
poor quality of cattle, milk producers
being exploited by the middlemen, and
lack of awareness on good animal husbandry
practices.
In true Punjabi spirit, the women went
ahead full throttle! And ACF supported
them. So a dairy co-operative comprising
over 20 members was formed in October
of 2005. Some members purchased cattle
through their own savings, and some through
the loan of Rs. 1,00,000 that the group
took from the bank.
Initially The Punjab Milk Federation wasn’t
convinced enough to help market the venture
to sell 75 - 80 liters of milk. That’s
when ACF stepped in. Once the General Manager
of the Milk Federation agreed to assist
the group with their existing marketing
network, they also provided the women with
equipment worth Rs. 15,000. The tie-up benefited
both sides, and the dairy co-operative is
doing good business. This group of Punjabi
women have now inspired more self help groups
to start a similar initiative. |
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Didar makes a choice
Didar Singh, a small farmer from Alipur village, owned barely 5 acres of land. A graduate, Didar was quick to notice and understand the ill effects of inorganic farming. With ACF's help he made a small beginning by converting 1 acre of his land, organic. Didar began producing and using vermi-compost, vermi wash and Jiva Amrit. He also used the slurry from his bio gas plant as manure. To control plant diseases he sprayed neem based biopesticides, fermented lassi and vermin wash .Satisfied with the results from his first attempt at organic farming, Didar has recently extended organic farming to sugarcane cultivation.
Previously when Didar Singh cultivated sugarcane, he sold it at the sugar industry at Morinda. After turning to organic farming, he re-assessed the market and identified a vendor who was willing to buy his organic sugarcane. The vendor was in the business of sugarcane juice and the good quality sugarcane that Didar provided produced the sweetest sugarcane juice and was a big hit amongst his customers. The vendor was so happy with the quality of sugarcane Didar provided that he himself approached Didar to purchase sugarcane this year. He was so keen on buying the sugarcane that he willingly paid more than going marker rate. Didar was only to happy with his profit!
An enterprising farmer, Didar is using his sugarcane to dabble with jaggery- making these days. He wants to see how much difference jaggery would make to his income. He has set up a small unit for this purpose at home and now earns a double income- one by the sale of sugarcane and the other by the sale of jaggery.
Organic farming combined with processing the farm produce has worked wonders for Didar's family. Other farmers are beginning to look up to him as a role model. Didar is happy with the improvement in his income, but being the kind of innovative person he is, he is sure to think of ways to improve still further.
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Free
From Addiction
Substance abuse doesn’t just affect
the abuser, it impacts their family too.
Baghar Singh, a daily wage labourer in
Bhatinda in Punjab, had been using Pukhi
(a local form of opium) for 5 years.
Most of his meager earnings of Rs. 50
– Rs. 60 per day was spent to support
his drug habit, leaving barely enough
to feed his family. His family was in
dire straits, until a Drive Against Substance
Abuse by the ACF team showed them the
way.
Baghar Singh was persuaded to enroll
in the rehabilitation programme, which
began with counseling and motivating sessions,
progressed to detoxification accompanied
by medication to control the physical
effects of addiction, and continued with
regular follow-ups and counseling to ensure
he didn’t relapse.
Now free from active addiction, Baghar Singh
is once again a productive member of his
family. His wife, Charanjeet Kaur, couldn’t
possibly be more delighted to have the old
Baghar back. |
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Helping
others to think POSITIVE
16 year old Khushwinder Singh lost his parents
to AIDS at the tender age of 8. He was then
looked after by his 70 year old maternal
grandmother, along with his younger brother.
Khushwinder came in touch with ACF when
he visited the behavioural change communication
stall organized at Anandpur Sahib. Knowing
that Khushwinder may be at risk, the team
urged him to get tested at the drop-in
centre at Anandpur Sahib. He was counselled
and motivated till he was able to make
up his mind and muster courage to visit
the centre. The tests were a blow Khushwinder
hoped he would never have to face. They
indicated that Khushwinder was HIV positive.
Taking into consideration his age and
health status, he was advised to undertake
the CD4 test and was thereafter started
on ART.
Khushwinder responded well. His general
health improved and he felt more energetic.
His attendance at school improved. He
also joined the ACF initiated network
for HIV+, the first of its kind in the
region.
Khushwinder is now a source of inspiration
for others. He is a living example of
how, with emotional and medical support,
anyone can learn to THINK POSITIVE!
A cast-away strikes pure gold
Ramandeep Kaur, a mentally challenged
child, came to the Ambuja Manovikas Kendra
(AMK) a few years ago. Before joining
AMK, Ramandeep was an unruly girl who
didn’t respond to human contact.
She spent her time roaming the streets,
playing with stray dogs and sometimes
begging. As is the case with most mentally
challenged persons she was a virtual cast-away
in the village. Her parents tried to get
her admitted to many regular schools unsuccessfully,
till they found AMK who willingly accepted
her.
The four years spent at AMK transformed
Ramandeep. With patient and consistent
efforts Ramandeep learnt to look after
herself and communicate with others. She
picked up basic skills required for daily
life such as stitching and cooking and
became largely self reliant. With better
control on her life and the ability to
communicate with others, Ramandeep’s
behavioural problems eased, much to the
relief of her family and neighbours.
Showing a keen interest in sports, Ramadeep
was groomed by the AMK staff in her field
of interest and was given the opportunity
to participate in various sports competitions.
She participated in the Punjab State Olympics
in 2008 and won three gold medals. Some
years back no one would have ever imagined
Ramandeep could achieve such prowess.
Her parents are proud and AMK feels a
sense of deep fulfillment.
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Kicking
the Habit
Dev Singh, from Punjab, was addicted to
opium. His addiction had been taking the
toll on his health, finances and family
life. All the money he earned was spent
in feeding this habit leading to a severe
financial crisis for the family. His wife,
Sukhpal Kaur, was constantly worried about
her husband’s health and her family’s
dismal situation.
ACF identified Dev Sigh for his de-addiction
problem and seeing his own motivation to
kick the habit and his family’s support,
included him in the programme. He underwent
a number of counselling and motivational
sessions and subsequently underwent detoxification.
Medical assistance was provided to him as
per his requirements. When he was detoxified,
he was monitored by ACF to prevent a relapse.
Alongside, counselling sessions were organised
for him to support him in getting used to
his new lifestyle.
Today Dev is a free man and for once he
is free from his addiction. He is happier,
healthier and more productive. Naturally
with such a drastic change in him, his family
is happy as well. |
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Nobody’s
Children
It’s sad when children want something
they can’t have. Rani wanted to
go to school, but she couldn’t.
Although her parents also wanted to give
this bright six-year old an education,
there was no school in this area in Bathinda,
Punjab. The nearest was three
kilometers away, which was too far for
the child to travel on a daily basis.
It was found that many children faced
this problem, so ACF started non-formal
education centers called Ambuja Gyan Deep
Kendras. Children from marginalised groups,
especially Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other
Backward Classes (OBC) communities are
taken care of with this programme.
The children who are now studying at this
non-formal education center have been receiving
strong guidance from the dedicated teachers
and have been showing good academic progress. |
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Sita
Got Back Her Smile…
Panipuri is fun, isn’t
it? Something to look forward to? Sita and
her husband sold panipuri in a
daily market in Ropar, in a village called
Ghanauli, Punjab. And it wasn’t fun.
The couple lived on a tight string budget,
and only managed to make enough to cover
their daily expenses and restock for the
panipuri business. Years went
by like this. As if this wasn’t
enough trouble, the small business was
affected even more when their stall got
completely destroyed.
You would think Sita and her husband would
be completely distraught and loose all hope,
but Sita knew exactly how to pull herself
up. She had been part of an SHG for a while
now and had been depositing Rs. 50 with
them every month. She approached them and
was given Rs. 1,000 as a loan. With this
money she fixed her stall and the couple
is back in panipuri business! |
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Strength
in Numbers
In village Alampur in Ropar, Punjab, the
women were motivated by ACF to form themselves
into a self-help group. Led by a highly
motivated Surinder Kaur, a group of thirteen
women came forward to form one such group.
The group made a small beginning by collecting
Rs. 35 per month. After collecting money
for a few months, the group members opened
a bank account with the Punjab Gramin Bank
and began inter-loaning. The women soon
began realising how easily they could solve
some of the common financial problems through
the group.
The village had a large production of milk
but it wasn’t marketed in an orderly
fashion. Villagers would generally
have to sell their milk produce at minimal
rates to customers. With the guidance of
ACF, the SHG identified this gap in the
market. The group members contacted Punjab
MilkFed to establish a market linkage with
them. However, because of the small volume
of milk collected in the village their proposal
was rejected. ACF intervened at this point
and met with the authorities of MilkFed
and convinced them to associate with the
group, which we promised would expand its
operations in due course of time. With the
assistance of ACF, the group established
a dairy called Alampur Ladies’ Milk
Producer’s
Co-operative and took a loan of Rs. 1, 00,000
to purchase new buffaloes. Steadily the
membership of the group increased to 30.
With increasing numbers and better yields,
the co-operative was able to collect 1.35
quintal of milk per day. The co-operative
had better bargaining power as a group;
it was able too sell milk at Rs. 18 per
litre and the average monthly sale of the
dairy was pegged at Rs. 72, 900. Punjab
MilkFed was happy at seeing the progress
of the group and awarded it Rs. 11,000 as
a bonus.
The members of the co-operative have been
able to pay back two loans that they took
from the bank. They have recently taken
another loan worth Rs. 50,000 to invest
in agricultural activities and to construct
a bio-gas plant.
The Alampur Ladies’ Milk Producer’s
Co-operative has become a source of inspiration
to women in other villages. These women
have shown an inclination to form similar
co-operatives and ACF is extending all the
help it can to help them achieve their goal. |
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Woman
Power at its Best
In Punjab, village Jattandee in Majri,
Kuldeep Kaur, 14, was married to a man
18 years older. A few years after their
marriage, her husband took heavily to
alcohol, and later abandoned her and three
children. Kuldeep was depressed and had
no idea how she would pick her life up.
Then a freak meeting with an ACF member
gave her that ray of hope she was looking
for. She decided to turn her life around
for herself and her children. With some
money she had been saving she set up a
small shop in her house. She also joined
an SHG. She made a monthly saving of Rs.
25 to the SHG and earned a bank loan of
Rs. 10,000 which she used for her shop.
Kuldeep venture started doing increasingly
well and now the middle aged woman is
a role model for many. She was recently
nominated the ‘Aarogya Didi’
by her villagers and is now receiving
training to take on her new role as their
Village Health Functionary.
She actively encourages other women to
join an SHG because she strongly feels
that her association with the group has
changed her life completely.
“Where there’s a will there’s
a way.” |
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