Respecting the elderly

“Orphan elders”are older people who have outlived all their family and are neglected by their kith and kin, therefore they don’t have any caregivers. They are a largely ignored population whose numbers are expected to burgeon with the medical explosion that has paved way for a longer life and smaller families. Neglect is the most common form of abuse towards orphan elders at 48.7 % followed by emotional, financial and physical abuse.

SCAD helps give the orphan elders a life of dignity through programmes including a monthly old age pension, medical assistance, elders’ self help groups and annual exposure visits for elders.

One such exposure visit was organized for the elders by SCAD’s Mr. Velmurugan, who is responsible for the Elders Programme and is loved by the elders just as he loves them. Around 50 elders excitedly took part in the exposure visit to Kanyakumari on Sunday, 22^nd April, 2012. The group left with a prayer in the early morning. Everyone enjoyed the travel time with the elders and the SCAD staff dancing and singing and cracking jokes. On the way to Kanyakumari, they visited Thiruparappu Falls and all the elders enjoyed taking a bath in the waterfalls. Shamsudheen, a differently abled elder, happily said,

“Being physically challenged, I have never had the chance of visiting any tourist spot or places of interest. This is the first time that I am taking bath in a waterfall and I am thankful to SCAD for having given me this wonderful opportunity.”  

From there they went to a place called Maathur to see the Hanging Bridge and visited a temple. Finally, on reaching Kanyakumari, the elders visited places of historical importance such as Vivekanandha Rock, Gandhi Memorial, Thiruvalluvar statue and most of all enjoyed seeing the sun-set at around six o’ clock. Then they went on a shopping spree and enjoyed buying themselves little things. With their shopping they started for home, but with heavy hearts as this memorable day had come to an end.

On Friday, 27^th April, 2012, around 25 elders enthusiastically took part in the exposure visit to the hilly area of Kaaraiyaar, where they viewed the dam, went on a stroll amongst the herbal garden, visited the Pabanasam falls and the temple nearby and played a few light games. Next they went to the river banks of Mookudal, where the elders enjoyed bathing for some time.

Mrs. Petchammal cheerfully said, “All my life it was my dream to go on a picnic to some nice place for a day, which was never fulfilled. This dream of mine has come true towards the end of my life; thanks to SCAD.”

Mrs Nagalakshmi’s Sapota Trees

Mrs Nagalakshmi set aside one acre of her five acre plot in 2007 to grow fruit trees and, with the help of SCAD’s tree planting staff, she planted trees for the next three years. Initially she planted 50 Sapota trees and has subsequently added a further 55 trees comprising of Jamun, Tamarind and Guava. The Sapota trees have just started to fruit and she has sold the crop for £200 (RS 15,000).

To supplement her income before the fruit trees started to bear fruit, SCAD staff convinced her to plant Sorghum as an inter crop and provided her with some subsidised seed. Sorghum is easy to grow and can survive the dry and hot conditions of the Vilatakulam area that she lives in with minimum attention. This has proved a great success as she uses the Sorghum for fodder for her cattle and has started to sell Sorghum seeds to other farmers in her locality This seed selling combined with the money she has saved by not having to buy as much fodder for her animals is providing her with a good return from her land.

Mrs Nagalakshmi is very happy with the outcome especially as, in addition to the extra income, she now finds she does not have to spend as much time ploughing, tilling, weeding and watering. As a result of her experiences she now plans to convert more of her land to tree planting and Sorghum production instead of the cotton and green chillies that she has traditionally grown.

The species of trees are carefully selected bearing in mind the soil conditions and SCAD insists on at least five varieties of trees to spread the risk of failure. Mostly grafted one or two year old fruit trees are recommended. These saplings are twice as expensive as non grafted varieties but they fruit much more quickly and can start to yield after three years. This is a crucial factor in persuading farmers to set aside land for trees.

If you would like to help us support farmers in Tamil Nadu you can donate here.

SCAD work with VITOL for the future of the differently-abled

The Indian charity ‘The Association of People with Disabilities’ claims 17 million people with disabilities in India do not receive support such as mobility aids. SCAD is working with VOTOL to help support young people with physical and mental disabilities. So far in the last six months we have been very busy with this mission and managed to organise

• 5 Orthopaedic and assessment camps attended by a total of 310children with physical and/or learning difficulties a total of 490 children with physical and/or learning difficulties received treatment.
• 56 parents received training and support in caring for their children with learning and physical difficulties
• 114 Government ID cards were successfully applied for in order that the children concerned will be eligible for state benefits for their condition
• 58 “at risk” pregnant mothers received training aimed at reducing the risk of birth defects and 15 of these mothers had follow up training once their babies were born
• 10 older young people received Income Generating Programme loans and support to start their own business.
• 5 older young people received vocational training in either tailoring, bicycle repair or petty shop work
• 55 school teachers received training on how to best support and inspire differently abled children in their classes and to encourage inclusive education
• CBR Training was given to 98 members of the Women’s Self Help Groups
• 3 Special Self Help Groups have been formed
• 12 children have been provided with aids and appliances

Case study

Chinnakarppagam, is 18 years old and she is from Vilathikulam. She has Cerbral Palsy and mental disabilities. Because of serious difficulties with coordination she never learnt to walk properly and has always crawled.

ChinnaKarppagam has been receiving CBR treatment and support from SCAD since 2009. SCAD arranged a Government ID card and monthly Stipend for her. She has been given progressive daily exercises to strengthen her legs and improve coordination and balance.

Field workers encouraged Chinnakarppagam to walk every day with the help of a support in the home and motivated her to help her mother with cleaning and general housework.

She has now learnt to support her mother in the home and is no longer considered a burden. After regular strengthening exercises and regular treatment she has been able to walk inside and outside since December 2011. Her mother is extremely happy. To help us to help another child like Chinnakarppagam please donate here.

Cancer Camp

Beneficiaries’ Medical History taken at the camp by a specialist from Krishna Hospital

75 women received free Cancer Screening in their remote rural village last Thursday, 22^nd March 2012, thanks to SCAD.

Screening and Awareness Cancer Camps are a new SCAD initiative, delivered in partnership with the Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai and Krishna Hospital, Tirunelveli. These community based camps aim to bring about an awareness of cancer and to screen for early detection. Women in rural villages do not have easy access to medical facilities and are extremely unlikely to go for screenings without symptoms. Through the Women’s Self Help Groups SCAD are able to educate women about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of cancer and to encourage regular screenings.

Two community based camps have been held so far and SCAD aim to deliver 4 camps every quarter in villages across the five SCAD area blocks. SCAD are ideal facilitators for this rural based enterprise because of the 5,000 strong Women’s groups and the 27 years of trust and experience within the villages. SCAD Volunteers and Animators coordinate the camps and provide a friendly face to all women that attend. Specialist administration staff, female doctors and female nurses from Krishna Hospital, Tirunelveli takes detailed medical histories and then deliver cervical and breast screening on site in a private and hygienic environment. There is also a separate area for men to receive oral screening. Women are made aware of the camps through the women’s self-help groups and through SCAD staff going from door to door prior to the camp day. Any abnormalities found during screenings will receive immediate further testing and diagnosis at the Krishna Hospital, Tirunelveli followed by referral to the Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai. Any treatment costs will be nominal, based on individuals’ ability to pay.

These camps are vital in educating rural communities on the importance of early diagnosis and in detecting cancer cases in rural villages thus saving lives.

 

A Life Free from Hunger

Last week Save the Children released a report entitled ‘A Life Free From Hunger’ and in it they declare that 48% of children in India are stunted in their growth due to malnutrition. Although this is an aggregated number and doesn’t account for regional differences in such a large and diverse country – with over 28 different states – it also reveals the dire condition many people in India are still living in. India is now the World’s 10th largest economy and has an obligation to look after the most vulnerable and destitute people.

Malnutrition is not only a problem for growth it also severely prevents individuals and families from being able to work. The report says

“The economic losses due to undernutrition are also pervasive – experimental evidence suggests that tackling malnutrition in early life can lead to as much as a 46% increase in earnings as an adult. Productivity loss due to foregone waged employment was estimated to be US$2.3 billion a year in India”

Save the Children – A life Free from Hunger Feb 2012

At SCAD we work tirelessly to make sure that the communities in the Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu do not suffer from severe malnutrition and therefore stress on their earning capacity. Global food prices are increasing, UNFAO says that a basket of food is nearly 37% higher now than it was in June 2010 and this is an added pressure to poor, remote rural communities.

What are SCAD doing?

SCAD are

- helping over 2,500 women to plant kitchen gardens and grow nutritious food for themselves saving up to RS 2,000 per month

- planting between 80,000 – 100,000 indigenous trees per year – many with nutritional qualities

- teaching children about growing food in their schools and training in nutritional supplements

- ensuring mothers and babies get the nutrients that they need to support healthy growth

To see more about the amazing work our women’s self help groups are doing with kitchen gardens please watch this video

Murray and Janet visit SCAD

Murray & Janet Frankland, founders of Salt of the Earth, visit the ‘model village’ Sevalkulam, in the Ottapidaram block to view the new fish culture initiative at the village ooranie (rainwater harvest tank). SCAD have been working with this village for around 20 years and have successfully established: Women’s Self Help Groups, supplementary education, energy management, sports youth groups, vetinary camps, income generating initiatives, health education, micro insurance, nutritional demonstrations, tree plantation, organic kitchen gardens, bio-char trial plots – as a result village life has changed dramatically for these 120 families.

The fish culture initiative alone brings in a significant annual income that is managed by the Village Water Committee (a voluntary group of dedicated village members). This income provides 1% interest loans for families for income generating purposes as well as ensuring the sustainability of the project through ooranie maintenance. The fish are also extremely important in supplementing the village diet. Tree saplings have been planted around the ooranie which will provide vital shade and will reduce water evaporation rates. With these successful trials SCAD aims to roll out the fish culture initiative in 25 more villages with access to ooranies in 2012.

Testimonials from the SOTE 2012 tour

Salt of the Earth have just returned from another ‘Incredible India’ trip this January. A wonderful time was had by all and here are some testimonials to wet your appetite for 2013. Get in touch if you are interested in joining in!

“It was an outstanding trip, very well organised and led. The individual SCAD projects were very good , and the caring and sensitive approach to disability just what one would hope for. What impressed me most though, was the wide scope of SCAD and the ambition to uplift the whole region, with many hundreds of women’s groups and now, some 250 women elected onto local councils. This is rural development with real oomph, and makes our little contributions go an incredibly long way. The holiday section was wonderful, the houseboat trip was pure bliss “

Jonathan Seagrave

“Really, what can I say!! It was a truly amazing trip, I can’t call it a “holiday”, it was analmost overwhelming experience! The organization and planning was very thorough, with very little left to chance, and one must always be prepared to cope with the vagaries of India and “life”!! The itinerary was very good and very interesting and I felt I had really “been to India”! Thursday I think of as my “Michael Pallin” day, meeting our maharaja … and then the train … all good stuff. There was always a feeling of being cared for, and no need to feel anxious as help would always be at hand. Our experience with the children and around the villages is almost beyond words.”

Caroline

Tirunelveli District Sports Day for Mentally Challenged Children

The Tirunelveli District Level Sports Day for mentally disabled children conducted by the District Sports Authority of Tirunelveli was held this year on the 19th November, 2011, at the Anna Stadium, Palayamkottai. 243 Mentally challenged children from 17 special schools in the District participated in the sports day with great enthusiasm. Five children per school were permitted to participate in the sports events and three boys and two girls representing SCAD Anbu Illam, Chereanmahadevi, were taken to the Anna Stadium, to participate in different events

SCAD has encouraged and motivated the mentally challenged by giving them the needed coaching in sports activities, due to which they were able to win three prizes. Esakkimuthu, aged 11, took part in the Cricket ball throw and won the 1st prize. Pandi, aged 13, took part in the jump competition, in the 13 to 17 category, and won the 2nd prize. Jefferson, aged 15, took part in shot put and won the 2nd prize.

Mr. Nainar Nagendran, was the Chief Guest, and distributed the prizes and certificates. He said, “ Only when sports days are held exclusively for mentally challenged children can the benefits and assistance reach them 100%. I have helped several sections of people, but I’d very much like to involve my time and resource to such mentally challenged children.”

The children enjoyed the day very much. The Sports’ Coordinator, Mr. Mallikaraj, who had trained the students of Anbu Illam by giving them practice twice a week, and guiding them properly, said, “We were able to identify and tap the potentiality of our students when they competed with the students of the other schools in the District. This was very good exposure for the students and the students enjoyed themselves.”