Success Stories from the field

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EVENTUALLY A RAY OF LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL THROUGH
MRGASUSI HOME IN ASWINI’S LIFE!
Vidhyaniketan

In this mean time Aswini’s grand father bond age her as a child labor for lease period of one year to family in Kalasipalayam Bangalore city. Because there was not even one day meal for the whole family.Aswini spent a couple of months as a child laboring like cleaning dishes and moping the floor in that house. Then one of the Aswini’s relations learned about this and got the child back home because of the VIDYANIKETHAN’s intervention. We brought the girl to the MARGASUSI HOME. Then her step mother by name Gayathri approached continuous for join her son [Aswini’s brother] for the MARGASUSI HOME but no chances she was convinced about the conditions. Now she is quite happy about     Aswini’s opportunity got Margasusi home. Aswini is regular in studies.

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MOTIVATION THAT CHNAGED LIFE FEAR INTO OPPORTUNITY
HOPE
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This is a case study undertaken in direct relation to the tribal community improvement program extended in the Chittoor district few tribal hamlets.  Among the various case studies undertaken one such study is about Yenadi community, in P.Kothur tribal hamlet-lives Mrs.Vimala narrates her own experience. Mrs.Vimala aged 33 years, wife of Mr.Gangaiah have two girl children, hail from traditional Yenadi tribal community traditional work/ practice are roaming in the wild hunting snakes remove its hide and sell them to the traders who deal in hides, dig dry/wet lake beds for roots and tubers

which is medicinally rich stuffs, apart from this collect jungle fruits, nuts as well collect jungle honey, are the very note worthy hand skills community practice right from their fore fathers time.  In special one can observe community men and women though weak and malnourished but their will power and their determination makes them to be on their toe for entire day not minding hot Sun nor rain but leading life is clubbed with what they can get for that day and to lead with that days earning alone.

Community life is a little wonder, always keep away from the main society namely high caste community nor close to dalit community either, but live apart and don’t own house plot but make small common place among the hill side and bushes erect shed, walls are made of clay, inside their house will find nothing, only small vessels to cook for the family.  Altogether community is shy and live secluded life a style of their own.

Human Organization for Peoples Enlightenment (HOPE) IN 140, Chittoor-Andhra Pradesh with the support of TdH-NL under special tribal program has been in operation for one year time, program support to children and women have been clubbed into Self Help Practice and small savings habit instilled.  Though programs are at the reach of the community shy as well secluded hence cooperation is slow to come from the tribal women are still found. Reasons are many basics of personnel cleanliness, hygiene, health, nutrition and beyond this, education are not the concern of the community, hence illiteracy found among them in large number.  Against these odds community organization has its part of compulsory community development and improvement responsibility. HOPE is taking advocacy method to better practices to follow through initiation through strong Self Help Groups formed and run with the help of the HOPE Social Workers based at the site, savings habit implanted, health of women emphasized as anemic condition and frequent birth of child are common as a result women are married off in their young unmarriageable age leading to child mortality and rest of the ailments with which women forced to live.

Over continued initiation today women by strong motivation have come together as Self Help Group contributing members to save as well to benefit by avail group loans introduced to women as family economic self development.  In this scenario VIMALA explains, she has two daughters, her in-laws forces for a boy baby she was under tremendous pressure to fulfill family desire, her physical condition weak needs good medical attention, amidst this situation the motivation of the HOPE Community Health Workers, advised firstly on equality of either girl/boy as children must be considered with equal rights irrespective of gender. This message has begun to work within Vimala mind took courage to talk it over to her husband and in-laws with the help of our health workers.  Problem she had to face alone was solved through medication intervention of our committed health workers.

When Vimala was frightened upon use of syringe for treating but immunization she had to bore pain in her heart, at this juncture she underwent complete transformation and took decision with the consent of her family to undergo family planning operation which was completed some time ago and today she is happy never to worry about her past but she wants to look to the future with her daughters growth and family welfare.  Hygiene, nutrition, and health of the family member’s aspect she understands better but just few months ago this subject was not her cup of tea to drink but was a bitter pill to swallow.  As a development initiation Vimala’s change over has come in for praise among the organization staff, beyond a credit to the implementing organization with commitment have induced in making inroads into the Yannadi tribal women who in practice reject developments that go to them.

Today in the recent past State Government has considered her family under rural housing program known as “Indiramma Housing Program” of normal size to live and improve Vimala’s family life, a positive development indeed.

Personal Data:
Name               : Henry
Age                  : 36
Sex                   : Male
Education          : 10th Grade
Occupation       : Prawn Culture
Religion            : Christian
Caste                : Most Backward Community
Address            : Pandagasalai Street,
Pathuvainagar,
Kulasekaranpatnam.

Family constellation:

Henry belonging to Kulasekaranpatnam village has been in the field of fish culture as it is the only scope for employment in his village. He used to maintain prawns culture in a small way and managed to sell they grown prawns to export companies.

He found it very difficult to maintain the family with limited income. He was managing the household expenses and the educational cost of his two children with greater difficulty. During our intervention the men SHG in the village recommended his name for financial assistance to improve his business.

He was provided with a loan of Rs 10,000/- and he purchased necessary utensils to process craft and started supplying them to the export companies. Today he is not only able to increase employment to them more persons in the village.

ECONOMICAL IMPROVMENT THROUGH VOCATIONAL TRAINING SKILLS
WORD, NAMAKKAL

Prabhavathi, a 22 year lad has lost her father due to HIV/AIDS surviving by her mother and with the younger brother who is having some mental problem. Her mother who is infected by HIV, is an agricultural coolie which attracts only seasonal income. Prabhavathi worked in a mineral water production plant and she earned Rs 1000/month. Both their income are not sufficient to run the family. Prabhavathi has studied upto 12th standard.

Prabhavathi has been trained in DTP course for 3 months in WORD with the funding support of TdH-NL. Having after the intensive training, Prabhavathi is now being employed in a Micro-Finance Institution by name Community Development Center as a Computer Data Entry Operator and she is earning   Rs 3200/month.

The training makes  Prabhavathi and his family self-reliance. He is now passes on the information to all the HIV infected and affected members and she is living a model to others.
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D. Kanchana, a HIV infected girl who have passed 10th standard lost both her parents due to HIV/AIDS. She is 16 years old. She is under the care of her grandparents. She has discontinued her studies due to her ill health. She is now under Anti-Retro Viral Therapy (ART) and she is now okay with her health. The poor family condition did not afford her to continue her studies further.
She is one of the beneficiaries of WORD under blooming buds project. Considering her educational and health status, she has been put under basic skills in computers in the vocational training center of WORD. Having after completed the training, she is now working as a Front Office Manager in a 3 Star Hotel in Namakkal by name “Hotel Golden Palace” and she is earning  Rs 3000/month.  She says, by getting this job not only provides reasonable income but also afford the peace to her mind.