Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Limits for MORE

Dear All

Money or Funding requires for solving the problems,crises, disasters, supporting others, empowerment of others,....etc. Now the term, MORE is a qualitative word and do not have any quantification. Every one at every places asks for MORE either it is for personnel or for public / community purpose. When the give asks for why? How much?... then the real problem comes to give suitable reply immediately. The term MORE is synonymous with BETTERMENT which is also qualitative with out quantification.

Quantification of MORE is significant and crucial for the NGOs / Service providers to know exactly what they want and How much they want?...... No slowly the attitude has been changed to quantify their needs in terms of resources required for empowering the target groups and to lead better living with sustainability and quality of life with the limits to MORE and BETTERMENT.

As long as MORE and BETTERMENT are not quantified, then is is very difficult to propose the concept with funding proposal to the stakeholders and other funding agencies.

Lets look for found raising plans / resources based on the needs of the targets groups and the grass root environment.

Do we really need more money?

Dear All

Though the immediate answer is YES, still money is not everything and money alone cannot improve the Quality of life of the person or the nation. Every one needs money for fulfilling their needs and to live in the community with sustainability. There is a need to balance the need of money Vs the needs and development. As long as the money is on the need based then it works for the healthy environment and any thing excess over it destroy the situation / environment.

Money to be earned for the needs and not for the greedy. Greedy makes you run behind the money.

To conclude, we all need money and we should work for this for leading healthy life in the community. Work with such strategies where money runs behind you and never run behind the money which destroys the life and environment.

MONEY MAKES YOU HAPPY AND GREEDY SPOILS YOU.

WATER AND SANITATION IN DISABILITY REHABILITATION – AN INCLUSION.

Dear All

ABSTRACT

Keywords: Water Harvesting, Rehabilitation, Sanitation, Empowerment, Inclusion, Persons with Disabilities, Sustainability, Quality of Life.

The access for water in terms of its quantity and quality is the key factor in keeping people poor, unhealthy and further creates barriers in improving their livelihoods. When this situation is complex with the normal people then its impact on the persons with disabilities creates vulnerable situations. Water is the additional factor to poverty, disability and development which are cause and consequences of each other. As a result, the access for water literally controls the health and development of the people as well as the area at all levels in general and particularly in the rural villages where the water storage bodies are less and ineffective / insufficient.

The people get affected with poor access for water and sanitation by way of disability and while under going the training and rehabilitation. In the disability area, better access for water and sanitation is necessary for the prevention of disability and to rehabilitate the persons with disability effectively for better sustainability with quality of life (QOL).

The present study deals with the awareness created for the better use and management of water and sanitation facilities which is adopted as a module in the area of disability through community based approaches. Suitable measures and models adopted for the rainwater harvesting improved the access for water and thus for sanitation. This was done in the selected villages of Krishna, Guntur, Medak, Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy and neighbouring districts of Andhra Pradesh with need based strategies. In addition, the training provided to stakeholders like: anganwadi workers, health workers, professionals, persons with disabilities and their parents / family members, service providers / NGOs / DPOs / CSO and community members yielded for attitudinal changes in understanding the need and gravity of the situation. The impact was positive and significant in the prevention of disabilities and rehabilitation of the persons with disabilities. The module on water and sanitation in the curriculum of community based rehabilitation improved the capacities of the professionals to implement the same at grass root environment. The empowerment model of persons with disabilities has helped them to be part of the community as an inclusive strategy. In view of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the People with Disabilities (UNCRPD), its obligation for the amendment of Indian Disability Acts and in the whole process of disability rehabilitation, access for water and sanitation is going to gain importance to work for the inclusion of persons with disabilities with right based approaches at all levels with better sustainability and quality of life.

Remarks: Abstract of the paper

TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR THE WELFARE OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – AN INCLUSION

Dear All

ABSTRACT

Key Words: Rehabilitation, Inclusion, Sustainability, Quality of Life, Access, Barrier Free Environment, Independent Living, Service Spectrum, Corporate Social Responsibility, Stakeholders, Empowerment.

The Government, Corporate, Funding Agencies, Service Organizations and other stakeholders are providing training and rehabilitation services to the persons with disabilities (PWDs) suiting to their challenges, skills and needs which helps to build their capacities. The spectrum of rehabilitation starts from the stage of identification followed by early intervention, special education and pre-vocational activities. This helps to provide training in vocational trades suiting to their skills, living environment and income generation opportunities.

The employment opportunities for the PWDs includes either to join the industry or to start self employment. The second part is affected significantly with the funding support, linkages and marketing. In spite of the best efforts of the stakeholders, the first part is also having several limitations including access, competition, sustainability and other environmental issues. The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) improves the opportunities for the PWDs in terms of rehabilitation, training and employment.

This paper presents the model of rehabilitation, trainings and employment opportunities provided for the PWDs. The linkage and networking between the Service Organizations (NGOs) and Industry helped to provide employment for more than 200 differently abled who works in an inclusive environment which has been appreciated and recognized by the authorities at all levels. Selected PWDs could start their own establishments which improved their economical position and thus able to be the part of the community as a productive member. The process is going on to reach more and more with better awareness and networking.

The concept of Resource Centre cum Placement Cell (RCPC) is the platform which links the job seekers (PWDs) and job providers. The RCPC works with an integrated approach including registration, assessment, guidance, capacity building, orientation, placement, monitoring & evaluation with full participation. This process has created significant impact among the lives of PWDs including their family members which lead for their better living with sustainability and quality of life (QOL) in barrier free environment (BFE). This model is flexible and can be replicated by the Service Organizations / Industry suiting to the skills and needs of the PWDs.

Remarks: Abstract of the Paper presented at JNTU - Hyderabad.

FARM ATTENTION

Dear All

The editor has rightly pointed out in the editorial ‘From where our food will come’ (August 16-31, 2010) the shortage of agricultural labourers. The demand for food increases with increase in population, but the size of land and other resources remain the same.

To counter this, farm inputs should be supplied at affordable costs and managed properly. Management of rainwater requires special attention by the authorities.

Looking forward for better management of resources and production and to work for better FOOD security...

with thanks

Comments at www.downtoearth.org.in

Gandhi ashram protests polluting pig iron plant..........

Dear All

It is the clear cut violation and supports the no one bothers for the general public. When such a evidence is available, the concerned authorities should take action immediately with out causing further damage to the soil, water and people.

Acts and policies exists on the paper and confined to store room and mostly not for implementation. It helps only to say we are having strong policies and guidelines to check the polluters and to save the environment. But the facts on its implementation are known to all of us.

No one oppose development but only needs optimization with needs based strategies / approaches with the participation of the PAPs and other stakeholders at all levels.

Hope the concerned authorities will learns lessons from the experiences and to take necessary measures while sanctioning the developmental projects and its implementation.

Hoping to have pollution free and healthy environment along with the development...

with thanks

Posted as a comment at www.downtoearth.org.in

Groundwater ground reality in Andhra Pradesh

Dear All

The reality of “Groundwater” in the state of Andhra Pradesh is alarming and thus leads for poverty, hunger, migration and suicide. The issue is related two aspects as: a) availability of water in terms of quantity and quality and b) access to water. The issue is complex and is connected with the basic survival of the people as well as the development of the community to nation as the agriculture is the backbone of country’s future. We cannot imagine the life of the mankind with out water. When the water is excess, we are facing the problem with floods and other related issues and when it is less, still we face problems with drought and its consequences. In both the cases, need of the hour is to understand and manage the most precious life saving natural resource “water”. Keeping the vulnerability and challenges of water, the need is to look back for the basics for finding out suitable solutions / strategies and some of them are as follows:

1.Development of water sheds both existing and new one at least one for each village or for specified number of population.
2.Encourage for tank or canal irrigation to the maximum extent rather than bore well irrigation.
3.Suitable crop management based on the availability and optimization of water and other resources.
4.Encourage for rainwater harvesting both individually as well as at community level for all purposes.
5.Improve the groundwater resources by way of injection wells and check dams in general and particularly along the coastal area to check the intrusion of saline water and to manage and control fresh water – saline water interface.
6.Mapping of ground water resources, data base of bore wells, monitoring of water wells and implementation of bore well density should be made mandatory.
7.Encourage PRA with real participation of the stakeholders for better planning to implementation including monitoring and evaluation.
8.Strategies for the storage and management of rain water and thus to check the floods and its ill consequences.

With experience in this area, I feel positive that the above measures certainly improve the water resources and thus for better production with a check on the poverty, hunger, migration and suicide and further for the better living of the people with sustainability and quality of life.

with thanks

Posted as comments at www.downtoearth.org.in