Save The Children India

Mahad – Integrated Rural Development Project:

2009 has been another busy year for the Mahad Community Development Project, with the advent of new initiatives and steady continuation of previous work. In the last year the project ensured that all aspects of rural health issues were covered. Immunizations for children and pregnant women were completely successful and disposable delivery kits were provided to expecting mothers in remote areas. Also, caregivers and health workers being trained in relevant details and adolescent youth were given health education in personal and community hygiene, sexuality, substance abuse etc.

Over the year, the project collaborated with T.N Medical College in Mumbai to conduct a study on knowledge and prevalence of HIV/AIDS among migrant families in the target areas. Training programmes for stakeholders and awareness campaigns for students of 9th and 10th standard were held. The study was supplemented by FGDs and the important data and opinions collected will prove valuable in future measures against HIV/AIDS.

Encouragement has been given to people in the project area to use food that grows locally and have been trained on adequate nutrition and diet practices. At the same time, the project has supplemented food from the ICDS for the 27 Balwadis in its charge. The project has also implemented the Home Based intervention program covering all care givers from the project’s operational area. A new manual to support the based Intervention programme has been developed and 26 centers of the ICDS department were supported through trainings and monitoring.

Working to make education accessible to people, the project has concentrated on conducting supplementary classes to reduce drop outs by providing informal education, study material and aiding schools in improving basic facilities like buildings. It has sought to sensitize parents and communities on the importance of education and motivated them to send children to school. Its intervention with the Mukta Shala tribal schools has resulted in good scores attained by students in exams.

Through an integrated package the project helped people start diary activities, sell milk at competitive prices, provide financial assistance when needed and help establish Small business programmes.

A comprehensive child poverty study was conducted in 4 villages of the operational area and tried to find out problems children face, their solutions to those issues, their dreams and above all what they feel about poverty. A number of invaluable observations were made that will prove fruitful in interventions to be carried out in the next year. In related developments, 20 children’s clubs have been started to give their creativity a constructive outlet and make them aware of their rights.

2009 also saw the staff undergo trainings in relevant programmes to ensure that the project can offer the best services and guidance to community members. The obstacles thrown up by the year 2010 will surely be resolved with confidence and efficiency, allowing the project to celebrate further successes.