The objective of this activity is to reach the community & screen them for chronic illnesses, hitherto ignored. These illnesses, unless treated, pose a threat to the state of health of the community as a whole. Through these screening camps, we are able to identify chronic conditions affecting skin (pediatric group more affected than elder), musculoskeleton system, Genito-urinary system (Female), hypertension, anemia, vision disorders etc.

To connect to the people in their free time, we initiated night meetings when decision makers of the families are available. The objective of these meetings is to spread awareness on sanitation, hygiene, illnesses, medications, hospital facilities, precautions to be taken during various health issues amongst all sections of the community so that their participation improves.

The Mobile Medical Unit is literally a clinic-on-wheels. With in-built Examination tables and all basic clinical equipment, the MMU allows us to take health care services to those who cannot reach us due to lack of transportation, lack of funds or fear of going to a hospital.

The Community Health Volunteer, spreads the awareness of importance of visiting a medical practitioner and encourages patients to come to designated spot on a designated date. She also encourages expectant mothers to register for Antenatal care and those register to come for routine checkup.

The MMU is extremely convenient to expectant mothers, children and to geriatric population, whose ability to visit the hospital is rather limited.

Malnutrition needs no introduction. More than 50% of the children under the age of 5, in the area that we serve, are severely malnourished, stunting their physical and mental growth. Food alone is not the solution. We have embarked upon a holistic project to devise & implement long term sustainable methods for mitigating malnutrition covering 25 villages consisting of over 1250 malnourished children through the medium of Homoeopathic care.

The pilot project was started in October 2015 in 5 villages. With support from Oracle, we could scale up the project to 25 villages, screening screened more than 2000 children in 2016-17 and identify cases where further intervention was needed. We continue to work on various factors that cause malnutrition beyond the normal factors.

Our doctors, social workers, community health volunteers work through various channels to orient the community, make them understand the issue, educate them and spread awareness.

The broad goal is to make farming on small land plots ecologically sustainable and Economically viable and meet food security and balanced nutrition needs of the family along with incomes for enhancing quality of life.

• Promotion of organic cultivation practices which help to nurture the soil and provide nutritious produce free from chemical residues
• Building capabilities in farmer groups to improve soil fertility, cultivation practices and thereby improve yields
• Promotion of diversified agriculture – cereals, pulses, oil seeds, vegetables, fruits, multi purpose trees to meet needs of food security, balanced diet, needs of fuel, fodder and cash through sale to meet other needs

We have been ably supported by:

• People for Progress in India (PPI) – a USA based NGO which has funded us for past 5 years towards Sustainable Farming as well as Tree Plantation project
• HDFC Bank – funding since 2014 towards sustainable farming for 25 farmers for total period of 3 years
• ISKON, Wada who provided vital marketing support to farmers for their vegetable, fruit produce.

Currently in 2017 we are working with 60 tribal farmers; out of them 50 have been registered With Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) a central Government initiative aimed at dissemination of technology and extension services at grass roots through better involvement of farmers. In Vikramgad taluka MLDT supported group is the only group practicing organic cultivation for over 3 years.

The seeds of intervention of the activity to support education in schools were sown when one of our senior doctor on his visit to a pada discovered that children in that pada had no school infrastructure. School was organized in homes and verandahs of the community members and shifted from place to place depending on availability of space. Thus began a long enriching journey for the doctor who with active community involvement supplemented with material support which he organized from donors managed to raise a primary school building!

Age old problems of inequity, poverty, strife, ill health, child malnourishment have their roots in education. Consequently, Community services Group (CSG), Bhopoli in its quest for holistic health and development has been exploring the needs of education posed in its area of operations and nature of contribution it can make.

Scope of the Education Enrichment Programme

• School Programme
• Vocational Education / Training
• Non Formal Education

Programme:

Each One Teach One (EOTO), an NGO based in Mumbai, active in the field of education with municipal schools evinced interest in partnering with MLDT to expand their work to rural / tribal area. The partnership between the two organizations commenced in 2006 and has played a key role in the development of the Education Enrichment Programme.

Survey by the students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences highlighted some of the ground realities:

1. High drop out rate of children – increasing in secondary school
2. Low passing out rate of 10th class students – Failures in Maths and English being the prime causes
3. Low Proportion of students pursuing higher education
4. Low demonstrable linkages between education and livelihood

Provision of Basic Necessities

• Distribution of uniforms to children from 8th to 10th – emphasis was on those who were economically vulnerable. Our preliminary survey revealed that many children could not afford two sets; some had to carry on with their old set which was worn out. The children would abstain from attending especially during monsoons if the uniform was wet..
• Distribution of exercise books – most children had one or two books in which all subjects would be written which was very inadequate for basic level of need. This was made good through augmenting exercise books.
• Distribution of compass .
• Distribution of teaching aids – maps, black boards, work books and sports equipment.

Support in Upgrading School Infrastructure

• Material support for renovating classrooms for one school
• Clean drinking water through installation of filter
• Toilet block for girls of residential school

Academic Support

• Coaching support for Maths and English for class X students
• Geography map coaching for class X
• Teachers workshops to build their involvement in the education programme and capacity building in innovative action centered pedagogy

General Exposure & Development

• Life skills training through Jidnyasa Trust for class X focusing on the transition to adolescence, coping with stress, knowing their strengths and choosing career
• Educational exposure tour combining entertainment and general awareness.
• Organizing Annual Sports and Cultural Meets between all schools
• Tree planting drive with one school
• Inter school Elocution and drawing competition

• A Mobile library was introduced which today covers 6 villages making weekly visits focusing on 9 schools – primary as well as high schools and ashram schools. Total books / magazines in library number more than 2000. Readership of mobile library to date is 19185. It has risen steadily from 3328 in 2009 to 5031 in 2010 to 7379 in 2011.
• Parent Involvement: Commencement of Parents meeting of 10th std students at the start of the academic year to obtain their commitment to support their children in extra coaching and provide reinforcement.

• Launching of project “Discover” in 2010 to strengthen fundamentals in Maths, Science, English, Geography using action oriented pedagogy, teacher training, educational aids and direct intervention with children groups. This program has been funded by REAL youth to youth, Portland, Oregan, USA and facilitated by Mr. Rajiv Vartak and his team of dedicated teachers of ADHYAYAN, an NGO based in Mumbai. Some of the initiatives under this:
  1. Bridge course for classes IX and VIII to help refresh and revise concepts of earlier classes through teacher training and direct classroom demonstrations in 6 schools
  2. Commencing Olympics in Maths and Geography (Maps) and concluding with inter school competitions in both these subjects – a process absolutely new to tribal children
  3. Teacher capability building for action and experiential learning using simple teaching aids
  4. Special coaching of 10 students per school from classes IX and VIII to test possibility and limits of improved learning processes
• Extending coaching from class X to IX
• Periodic meets with principals and teachers to review and build commitment to program goals

 Vocational Education & Training

• Vocational educational tour / career orientation for class X students
• Commencement of the introduction to basic rural technology course (IBT) for classes VIII to X conducted by Vigyan Ashram, Pabal in one school starting from class VIII.
• Sponsorship of 2 students annually for the Vigyan Ashram Basic Rural technology diploma
• Initiating work with class VII students in 2 Ashram schools in agriculture as part of their “work experience” subject. Aim is to develop positive perception towards agriculture and its potential
• Scholarships to students desiring to pursue higher studies preferably in vocational courses – ITI, D. Ed. Etc
• Successful initiation of Arogya Mitra course covering largely tribal women who on course completion have opportunities to work with the trust as community health workers.

Non Formal Education

Bal Arogya Samitis instituted in various padas for :

• Encouraging children to explore and raise questions about various facets of their life.
• Imparting health education as per their expressed needs.
• Encouraging them to take up small development projects.

This is a promising and potential avenue for growth and development of children and one where much more needs to be done.

ITE (Integrated Approach to technology in Education):

We started this project in Bhopoli from 2016.

The aim of this project is to widen the expanse of education with the help of Information and Technology. (IT)

This training will help the students to take help of the information available on different websites, so that they are able to understand the subject in depth.

Warli painting is the traditional art form of the tribals. A tribal youth group skilled in this was discovered through the persistence of our social worker and students from the TISS who were placed for block placement with the MLDT. The youth were working with a private individual’s Warli workshop on a contract basis. Seeing the potential of growing the group efforts to mobilize were made resulting in establishment of Warli arts SHG around 2005. CSG extended support by way of:

• Infrastructure – space, electricity
• Equipment – an initial amount of Rs. 25,000/ extended which was subsequently repaid by the group
• Team building
• Training in book keeping, costing, marketing and other commercial arrangements
• Access to various marketing avenues – exhibitions, shops etc
• Design and promotion support

Objectives:

• To bond as a cohesive strong group and thereby create a mutual support system.
• To encourage regular savings and initiate internal lending within group and timely repayment.
• To avail of Government schemes and increase group’s capital base.
• To support financial needs of members’ through loan facility from banks.
• To feel empowered and self reliant to address and solve their / common village level problems without undue dependence on external entities.
• To engage in development and progress of their life and village.
• To get a grooming and build capacities for participation in various grassroots governance mechanisms.

The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA),the governing body at Zilla Parishad level to organize and authorize the Self help group programmeworks through NGOs in their respective areas to undertake this work. MLDT is now the official NGO to work for the State govt. for Vikramgarh taluka and part of Jawhar taluka of Palghar district.

CSG plays a role in:

• Formation of SHGs and their sustenance for 6 mths to 1 year including maintenance of their books of accounts
• Supporting the group to get their revolving fund from the Bank
• Supporting groups to identify income generation ideas, prepare proposal for submission and get the same approved and funds released
• Ensuring timely repayment of loan by group to Bank