ERADICATION OF MALNUTRITION AMONG ADOLESCENT GIRLS: To eradicate the malnutrition and mitigate anemia among the adolescent girls, we have been promoting awareness among the community and particularly among the school going adolescent girls. Repeated programs have been organized for 4000 adolescent girls, who are coming from rural areas at 60 schools. They are provided with the knowledge on the causes of malnutrition, food pattern they have follow in their daily use, how to avoid malnutrition, the future health complications related to malnutrition, demonstrating the preparation of nutritious food, maintenance of their personal and menstrual hygiene and the ways to stay away from reproductive tract infection etc. The program is a successful process completed with the cooperation of the school authorities. During the repeated sensitization program we
have seen lot of improvement in their health. While testing their blood and
comparing the results with last years, the anemia ratio has been reduced to a
considerable level which reflected the responsibilities of the teachers and
parents. Their close monitoring regularized the girls’ attitude of in taking
iron frolic tablets and nutritious food which automatically controlled the
anemia among the adolescent girls. We found that the problem related to
reproductive organs has been reduced to a great extend because the girls have
been following improved personal hygiene practices.
HOME CARE CUM VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER AND DISPENSARY FOR AIDS PATIENTS During our community based care and support activities to the HIV/AIDS infected and affected people in Madurai, we witnessed many people are neglected from the family and many children are orphaned because of the early death of their parents and are drawn to the street. On seeing their pathetic conditions, we approached Japan Consulate to establish a Home Care Cum Vocational Training Center and Dispensary for AIDS patients. We have been providing home care to the neglected PLHAs along with skill training and personality development to face any kind of situation and stand on their own without depending others. Cutting and tailoring, embroidering and needle work, fur toys making, simple chemicals, food processing, coconut leaf thatch, wire bag, bamboo basket are the major trainings provided for them in the building for the PLHAs and affected children. Most of the trainings are residential programs. We have admitted 85 orphaned children in the home who are provided with education, food and accommodation, medical care, life skill education, moral values etc. the running cost of the building is met out through NGO contribution, donors and philanthropists.
CARE AND SUPPORT TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS: During our intervention activities in AIDS prevention and control activities in the urban backward settlements of Madurai, we were able to identify thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS who are stigmatized and discriminated from the community and family and are longing to get care and support of anyone from the community and in the neglected stages they went to the extent of end their life. On seeing their pathetic situations, ARD had decided to provide them community based care and support with the support of Andheri Hilfe Germany and Andheri Trust. Every year, based on the critical situation of the PLHAs, we provided community based care and support to 60 elders and 30 children.
They have been provided with counseling, routine medical checkup, referral treatment service, supplementary food and medicine, skill training for income generation along with interest free loan facility, educational support to their children, meditation, recreation activities. Various income generation skill were provided for the PLHAs on Food Processing, Simple Chemical, Jute, Bag Making, Sisal and Banana Fiber Products, Bamboo Products, Tailoring and Embroidering, Fur Toys Making, Coconut Thatch making etc., to get a sustainable income. All kind of support provided to the target community promoted increase in their self esteem, self confidence, social mobility and likeness for living.
To eliminate the stigma and discrimination and the negative attitude of the community against PLHAs and the children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, we have taken strenuous efforts through various strategies like house visits, conduct grass root level meetings, performing cultural programs, organizing exhibitions, providing trainings group counseling. Hence we are able to clear the myths and misconceptions related to HIV/AIDS from the community and get their continued cooperation in providing care and support to the PLHAs and their children. We are also able to promote peer educators’ forum and health care team from the community to serve the PLHAs as a sustainable body at any time. So far we have covered 526 PLHAs and 185 children those who are infected and affected because of HIV/AIDS.