II. Little Andaman
In its initial rehabilitation initiatives, VHAI has supported 312 vulnerable families in Little Andaman. Most of the families supported under petty trade are doing very well and have expanded their business. Our volunteers are regularly visiting the supported families to understand their current situation. All the supported families have bank account and are depositing on daily basis.
The families, supported under small artisan’s rehabilitation program, have been the most benefited ones. The construction of permanent shelters is going on and most of these families are engaged in the construction work.
Support to Self-Help Groups: As one of the important goals for rebuilding the lives of the tsunami-affected people was to help them regain their lost confidence, self-reliance and self-respect, VHAI has formed 25 SHGs in Little Andaman. Many of these groups have been linked with banks and have been successful in generating income and expanding their businesses. Seeing the success of these groups, many women came forward and with the support of VHAI, formed their own SHGs. During the year 2006-07, 20 new women’s self-help groups were identified and supported. All these groups have set up micro enterprises like small restaurants, snack and juice centres, dry fish businesses, embroidery/ tailoring centres, photocopying services, etc.
Support to Fisher Folk: To date, VHAI has supported 127 fishermen’s families, of which 91 families were supported with fibre engine-fitted boats, nets and other fishing gear. The remaining families have constructed their boats with government subsidy, where VHAI has supported them with engines, nets and other fishing gear. During June-November 2006, a survey of 64 fishermen’s families supported by VHAI revealed that their average family income ranges from Rs 20000/- to Rs 25000/- per month.
To counter the problems arising from the damage caused to the cold storage unit, 12 500 litre deep freezers have been provided to the women’s self-help groups in order to prevent distress sales of their catch. As a means towards a secured future, certain initiatives have been taken, such as the formation of a fishermen’s society, which is registered with the appropriate authority. In order to cope with the future emergencies, VHAI in collaboration with the United Insurance India Ltd has insured all the boats provided to the fishermen. Further, the fishermen have also been insured under the accidental insurance policy.
Vocational Training: The youth constitutes 40% of the population in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is not possible for the government to provide employment for all in the public sector. The following vocational trainings have been imparted by VHAI, with an objective to enable the trainees to earn their livelihoods with dignity:
• A Computer Education Centre was set up at Hut Bay, in technical collaboration with ET& T’s premier institute, the Computer Education & Training Centre.
• A six-month diploma course in Computer Software Technology (DCST) has been designed for the trainees. So far, 180 trainees have qualified. A placement cell has also been established and is managed by the trainees.
• A vocational training centre for tailoring and embroidery was started at Hut Bay in June 2005 for tsunami-affected adolescent girls and women. So far 60 women have undergone the six-month training.
Community-based Disaster Preparedness: VHAI, in collaboration with the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, has prepared a disaster mitigation contingency plan and organized organized consultation meetings for three Panchayats of Little Andaman. The entire community was involved in this process, through village-based micro planning and hazard mapping. The process attempts to create a database for an analysis of the capacity and vulnerability of the community. In these meetings the role and responsibility of PRI members in preparing a disaster resilient community was discussed in detail.
The contingency plan has been updated by the community the behest of gram panchayats. New social and resource maps have also been incorporated in the contingency plan.
Health Intervention: After the initial massive health support in Little Andaman, a full-fledged medical OPD functions on a regular basis with the help of experienced doctors and nurses at Netaji Youth Club, in Hut Bay. Initially, hundreds of patients came to the centre everyday to avail of the free treatment. The OPD at the Aparajita field office, Kali Nagar, which still functions on all weekdays, provides primary treatment and medicine to more than 40 patients a day. The nursing staff organizes health camps in the evening for 5 days a week by rotation in different campsites. The project has 17 volunteers who are trained in first aid and administration of medicines for minor aliments.
Community Centre: The devastating tsunami of 2004 not only destroyed houses, but also damaged almost all public buildings. Government offices, youth clubs and community meeting places were washed away. VHAI-Aparajita has constructed 5 community centres in intermediate campsites in different locations in Little Andaman. These halls can accommodate 50 to 60 people, are well-furnished and can be used for community meetings and social functions. One of these centres is currently being used by the local administration as a godown to store essential commodities. The other four community centres are regularly used for social functions like weddings and birthday parties
Orientation-training programs on disaster preparedness for the self help group members and anganwadi workers have also been organised. Keeping in view the importance of the local youths, two day-long capacity building training program of volunteers were organized at the gram panchayats.
Realizing that communicating information about disaster preparedness at the right time to the right people is far more important than storing right and accurate information at any level, VHAI has prepared audio and audio-visual CDs in local dialects with popular songs to promote mass awareness on disaster preparedness.
III. Nancowrie Group of Islands
VHAI started working in Nancowrie Group of Islands from April 2007 and after ten months of endless efforts VHAI, today is in a position to understand the complex social fabric of a Nicobary tribal society and has started addressing the issues related to youth in the rehabilitation program. After discussion with youths, tribal council and local administration, vocational training on computers, electrical home appliances and automobiles has been initiated.
Three rescue centers in Nancowrie group of Islands are under construction. The work is going on in full speed. To monitor the construction work, a committee has also been formed. The committee consists of engineers of APWD, representative from local administration, members of tribal council and VHAI representative.
Health Promotion: In Nancowrie group of islands, various health promotion activities have been initiated. These activities are mainly community based and school based. For the smoother implementation of activities, local staff has been appointed as they can aware the community in their own native language.
As an additional support, VHAI has planned to translate some of its publications like Better Care Series into the local language.
The school health promotion activity presently covers ten both primary and secondary schools of the Nancowrie group of islands. The program has covered more than nine hundred students of different age groups and eighty-seven teachers. The main objective of schools health promotion activities is to generate awareness about good health practices among the students. After an extensive survey, a data bank has been prepared which contains information about every school like drinking water facilities, separate toilets for boys and girls, condition of play ground along with play materials, information about routine health check etc.
Various activities undertaken are - lecture session on malaria, filarial, personal hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition organized in all the schools; athletic meets ; health card and health diaries distributed among the students; weighing machine and height measuring scales supplied to each school; first aid training for the teachers and students; parent’s teachers association formed in all the schools. The State Department of Education and Department of Health is also extending their support for the successful implementation of the program.
Vocational Training: VHAI started a three months diploma course of repairing of electrical home appliances in collaboration with the Directorate of Industries. The training has covered the basics of electrical repairing, wiring and winding and also the repairing of VCD/DVD player, Television, iron box, tape recorder, and transistor. VHAI has supplied all the raw material, spare parts and tools and books for the smooth functioning of the center.
Realizing the better job potential in the field of computers VHAI initiated a six months month Diploma in Computer Software Technology (DCST). Textbooks and stationeries are also provided to the trainees free of cost. Computer hardware is also incorporated in the syllabus. In the first session, altogether 67 trainees have attended the training programme. Looking at the overwhelming respond, second session was started from 10th January 2008. 65 students are attending the training Programme. A center is also started at Katchal islands for the larger interest of the tribal community.
After the tsunami, the number of two wheelers has increased in double fold in Nancowrie group of island. For every repairing works, they have to bring the motorbikes to Port Blair, which is quite expensive and not affordable. VHAI reviewed the situation and proposed the training on automobiles repairing especially for two wheelers and three wheelers. 30 trainees have attended the training program in two different batches. A full time instructor was appointed for smooth running of the course. VHAI has supplied all the raw material, spare parts and tools for the smooth functioning of the center.
Anganwadi: During the tsunami most of the anganwadi centers were destroyed. The Assistant Commission has requested VHAI team to extend the existing anganwadi center at Kamorta. The existing center does not have proper toilet, kitchen and sitting place. After taking stock of the whole situation, VHAI team responded to the proposal and constructed two toilets, a kitchen and a sitting room for public meetings.
Solid Waste Management: Nancowrie group of islands falls under the malaria endemic zone. Thereby solid waste management in Nancowrie becomes a priority issue for VHAI. In close consultation with the Assistant Commissioner and tribal council, VHAI hired daily wage labourers for cleaning of all the drains, pits and trenches and has supplied dustbins for installation at important places like hospital, schools, market area and passenger hall etc. Garbage carrying cart has also been supplied for the waste management. Twenty community awareness meetings on solid waste management have been organized in different shelter sites. The VHAI team also visited the schools and demonstrated how solid waste management can be done cost effectively.
Eco Club: Eco club is a new concept for the students as well as for the teachers of Nancowrie group of islands. The students are aware that they should protect the eco-system but they never work together in an organized way. To achieve the objective of eco club, a concept-sharing meeting was held in the Senior Secondary School, Kamorta. The meeting was attended by Assistant Education Officer, Kamorta, Principals, teachers and students. VHAI team gave a detailed presentation about the concept and objective of Eco club. The team also emphasized on the need of such of type of clubs in the fragile eco-system of Nancowrie group of islands. Till date, five eco clubs has been formed in different schools. Each club has one hundred to two hundred members. Among these members a core team has been formed to initiate the activities. The core team is supervised by a teacher and representative of VHAI. Quiz competition, painting competition, rally were organized to popularize the concepts in the remote islands. Plantation of saplings was also done in some parts of the islands. All the saplings are supplied by Department of Forest.
Fisher Folk: From geographical point of, Nancowrie group of islands are vulnerable to any disaster. The fishermen are bound to keep their boats in open as most of the villages do not have breakwaters. After taking stock of the whole situation VHAI decided to insure all the boats. Altogether, 87 fishing boats have been insured.
Mangroves: 60 hectors of land has been identified in consultation with Department of Forest and Tribal Council for mangrove restoration. Accordingly, two nurseries have been developed at Katchal and Kamorta respectively. So far 25000 seeds have been germinated and ready for plantation. Another 25000 seeds has been collected from the forest of Baratang and Rangat. The collected seeds will be transported to Kamorta in second week of April.
