HIV Awareness at Devi Nagar

Leaders: Mr.Lakshmish and Ms.Gaythri, Followers: Ms.Malini and Mr.Ajay

Location: Devi Nagar, Hubli, focused for Male group

Objectives: To bring awareness about HIV/AIDS to the group members and to bring self risk perception.

Strategies:
Ø Showing Tele Film
Ø PPT
Ø Interactive discussion

Process: It was a group of 7 adults who were the beneficiaries of the activity. The group members were all working people and had little education till higher secondary and PUC. So the group members were shown a Tele film to attract their attention. During the film was shown all were very keenly watching each and every moment though there was lot of external disturbances.

After the film was completed, the facilitator threw an open ended discussion to the group members. It was so amazed, in the first session the facilitation brought up the group members sharing their risk. After providing basic information about HIV, the session focused on addressing their misconceptions. Though 5 members in the group were sexually active, they had very less knowledge about using condom. The opportunity was utilized in addressing their wrong notions along with condom demonstration.

Later, the group came up asking voluntarily to go for testing. Necessary information about the testing was provided and those are referred to ICTC, KMC hospital, Hubli. Later the group members expressed they need further sessions and took contact numbers to clarify their doubts as and when needed. They have asked to know about the female condom and using of it in the follow up session.

Needs further follow up of the activity, the group members have asked for female condom demonstration.

HIV Awareness at Boys Hostel

Leaders: Mr.Lakshmish and Mr.Veeresh, Followers: Mr.Shambuling and Mr.Mahantesh

Location: Boys Hostel, Vidya Nagar, Hubli

Date: 22/02/2009

Objective: To provide information on HIV and educate them to become responsible towards HIV.

Strategies:
1. Telecasting of informative movie clip
2. Using PPT
3. Interaction session

Process: The activity focused on providing the information on HIV to the youth students and to develop capability to take the responsibility in decreasing the number of infections, and also reduce the impact on those who are infected. The activity was conducted in a boy’s hostel by informing them one week early. Around 20 student involved in making the activity successful.

The session started with showing the short movie, contributed by BSF, casting famous Bollywood actors that contain information on HIV. This was shown to provoke them to generate some information and ideas about HIV. The movie was shown for 20 mins that followed by an interaction session through the help of an PPT.

Later the discussion went on for half hour, the group members came up with their thoughts, perceptions and the doubts they had related to HIV. The group was so enthusiastic, they all exhibited high quality participation in listening and interacting thought out the activity. The session covered modes of transmission, difference between HIV and AIDS, stages, role of a person towards HIV and brief about treatment.

Each one gave valuable feedback about the session, the overall of it said they got proper information about HIV, and they will be available for the needy.

Awareness on Safe Delivery and HIV

As part of the fellowship curriculum, Mr.Lakshmish and Mr.Ajay visited Nagalavi, a village 18 kms away from Dharwad. During the visit, we got an opportunity to do an activity on”Awareness on safe delivery and basics of HIV”. The topic was chosen based on the interest and need of the group. The activity beneficiaries were a group of women 20 in number, all aged between 18 to 35 years and only 2 were above 50 years. The activity was led by Mr.Lakshmish with the support of Mr.Ajay.

Aim: The aim of the activity was to provide information to the group members on the impact of home based deliveries.

Objectives:
1. To make sure 100% deliveries are Hospital based.
2. All the pregnant women undergo screening for HIV, thus avoid chances of HIV transmission from mother to child.

Process: The session was more of through interaction. It was found that, around 8 years back all the deliveries were home based. The village had 2 mid-wives, who did deliveries at home. Though there is no report of any hazardous situation occurred due to home based delivery, for the precautionary measures this session was conducted focusing young and adult women those were in the reproductive age. But in recent past, since more than 50% of the cases started accessing hospital for delivery, one of the mid-wife left the place. But still rest of the deliveries was done at home so the activity focused on 100% hospital based deliveries. The session covered information on the safe hospital based delivery and basics of HIV, that was linked to the consequences of home delivery.

A woman who accessed ICTC during her pregnancy came forward to speak about her experience to the group members. Her words had a great impact on the group, later she added earlier she did not understand many things that got cleared on the day’s activity.

In the beginning though the group did not open up much, later they all came up sharing their knowledge and few of their misconceptions were addressed. At the end the group brainstormed the points they learned and the session was concluded.

PRA Activity at Bommasamudra, Hubli

Participatory Rural Appraisal PRA is a method to know the reality of villages and the clear picture of all resources and facilities available there. I attended four days of theory sessions on PRA, facilitated by Dr.Prakash Bhatt. With a practical learning on 10 February, Tuesday I reached ‘Gram Chetana’ training centre, Soorashettikoppa with my all co fellows for village study. We were told that this training centre is made by participatory efforts from villagers and this is an entrepreneur of BAIF (Bhatia Agro Industries Foundation) organization. BAIF is a leading organization in rural development field that is working since 1967 and founded by Dr. Manibhai Desai. Journey of BAIF in Karnataka started from 1980 and working is 20 Districts.

On second day we were divided into separate groups for village study. I was in the team for Bommasamudra village study. We were four members (Mr.Lakshmish, Mr.Jagadish, Ms.Meenakshi and Mr.Ajay) in our group.

I reached village after walking about 8 kames. Here one facilitator Mr. Shettappa from AME Foundation helped us in first hand interaction with villagers. We have a meeting with about 30 people where we introduced with then and told about our objective. In this meeting they told us that they all are busy from morning to evening in farming. So we decided to collect demographic information of the village and we enquired people and visited Junior High School (1 to 8th) and Aganwadi worker. Here we get the information regarding village.

Information about Village
} Its 13.5 k.m. away from Hubballi city.
} Population of around 1519.
} Main source of income is agriculture.
} It has Palya to its East, Kardikoppa to West, North-Balagali and Varur to South.
} Around 300 families stay in the village.
} 100% households connected by electricity.
} 70% are pakka and rest is kaccha houses.
} Only 30% houses have Toilet rooms facility.
} Contains 60% Kurubas, 30% lingayath, 10% - Badigas, SC/ST, Muslim and Valikar.
} 5 water tanks with 7 bore wells, out of which 2 are not working.
} Many youngsters are into driving profession.
} Rest does agriculture and works in making Cement blocks.
} PHC is situated 1 km away from Bommasamudra at Harlikatte.
} Around 98% deliveries are done in Hospitals.
} Malaria is commonly seen during rainy season.
} “Mid day meals is contributing for children’s participation and healthy development” – Head Mistress.
} TB (2-3 cases per year) and HIV (1 male & 1 female).
} Around 21 disabled are found that includes mental and physical disability, duff and dumb etc…
} The village has an Anganwadi and a school that teaches till class 8.
} School has 230 children and 7 teachers.
} Main crops: Jawar, Soya Beans, Cotton, Groundnut, Paddy, Chikku, Maize, Sunflower
} The area is surrounded by Black and Red Soil
} Agriculture, Carpentry, Petty shops, Coolie, Khanavali is the main source of income.
} Natural sources: 2 ponds, one is of Government and one is private, 120 acre of fodder.

At evening time because most of the villagers used to come back after their work. But we had to go back Gram Chetana. So we did two personal Interviews and left the village.
Second day we started with Transect walk and during the day we used PRA Tools like: Resource Mapping, Matrix, Venn diagram, Family visits and collected the related information.

Important Learning:
Castism is not followed by villagers, they celebrate all festivals. Women and Men both use to work in farms and go to markets. Language is important for mingled up with villagers. Villagers have talent but they are not getting platform to enrich their uniqueness. Attitude and thinking towards women is Gender biased. Cattles are much costly comparison to North India. Pre-planning and some knowledge about villages should be.

Challenges:
Could not involve women for group activities with men. Gathering people as much as required for participation. Villagers’ expectations.

Leadership Activity at Glass House, Hubli

Leadership Activity at Indira Glass House

It was Feb 1st, 2009, Sunday morning when the fellow group of Ms.Savita, Mr.Lakshmish, Ms.Latha and Ms.Usha visited Indira Glass House located in the heart of the Hubbali Muncipal city, hoping even there we can find some reason where we can intervene as leaders.

We could see many elderly men, women, children and senior citizens of Hubbali starting their day with walking at Indira Glass House under beautiful sunrise, few doing yoga practice and the young kids practicing Skating.

But all those were not our focus, rather we could see very unhygienic condition like used plastics lying all around, paper plates, tumblers etc. dustbins lying around the area which seemed that people coming there never wanted to use it. The place never looked like someone was bothered about its maintenance. Though there was a huge board placed at several places of the Park, in which number of rules focusing on the cleanliness of the place, vehicles not allowed inside the premises all just look like rules that were not to be followed.

When interacted with the people around that area, they expressed their sense of withdrawn from what is happening. On probing they expressed saying “what is available in the park now, is provided after a lot of struggle, writing appeals to the concerned people.” On asking the opinion from those gathered around about bringing necessary steps to keep the place according to the rules and regulations of the place, they all together expressed the interest to fight together for the cause. They came to an opinion saying “a letter could be signed by all those who come there and the same could be forwarded to the Director of the Horticulture”. They expressed the deep sense of support for the team by saying they would join us if their support could be handy. On the same time it was decided, if there is no step taken the issue should be taken to the media.

As per the plans, the fellows visited the place on Feb 8th, 2009 and collected signature from 35 people and the same will be forwarded to the Director of Horticulture, Hubbali.

The important aspect to notice was, those who interacted with us were aware about Deshpande Foundation, though not its thorough activities a good sense of positive words were shared by them.

Date: 02/02/09, Start Time: 9:20
Topic: Public Health
By Mrs.Meenakshi,

Started with the introduction of the group members, by sharing Name, background and the activity done during the week end. It was a good activity at the beginning of the day’s process to learn about Public Health. The faculty person started the session with introduction and definition to Public Health. After providing a brief idea about PH, a small tele film was screened on Indore. The tele film consisted of the approaches that were used to provide Public Health in the area of slums which are in and around Indore.

Followed by this, the fellows were asked to answer the questions based on the approaches that were used in the area of Indore. The questions were also focused on bringing out the innovativeness in the fellow members. Duration of 30 mins was given to answer the questions given and the answer sheets were collected back for correction.

Followed by the refreshments break, the focus on module continued to go depth in understanding the context of Public health. The strategy that was used by the speaker was so good that it kept all the fellows intact with the on goings through the two way discussions. The fellows were so much encouraged that everyone showed the interest of sharing their views and ideas without any hesitation. Mr. Golden Frankly’s presence gained the group by his personal sharing.

Later, the group was divided into 4 sub groups and a similar case was given to two groups on which the groups were asked to debate with one group ‘for’ and ‘against’ related to the case they were given. It was a great experience to many of the group members as the debate was healthy with pre-guidelings and facilitation by Mrs.Meenakshi and gave a break for lunch. The two topics were one that emphasized on opinion about Public Smoking and the other on Sex Education for school children.

After breaking for lunch break, later the group of two members was made and were given 2 scenario of the NGOs on which the fellows were asked to discuss the problems existed in the case and also it led path to think innovative idea on addressing the problems that were presented in the case given. All the fellows took part in expressing the ideas that they had towards the problem.

The next activity was done forming sub groups consisting of 3 members in each group and asked to write a project proposal to the funders (Ajay, Malini and Chandrashekar) to get grants for the activity what were the fellows would like to start up with. It was rather a good session to learn the criteria to receive funds from a funding organization. It helped understanding the approach required in receiving grants for the social development activities. This concluded the day’s activity.

As per my observation, I would like to share that all the group members showed high participation in the group activities and sharing their valuable ideas during the session. The credit goes to Ms. Meenakshi that she adopted the method of teaching where all could open up with their views towards the topic. The session was concluded at 5:45pm.