Download - Dishaa Vol 2 Issue 3
Content
Editorial
Social Research @
Amrita
Picasso MSW
Fieldwork news
My Experience as a budding Social worker
Agency news ---MHAT
Activities of
Department of Social work
Book review
Upcoming
conference/ workshops
July-September
Volume 2, Issue 3
Editorial
Quarterly newsletter by ASWAS, Department of Social Work, Amritapuri campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham
The fruitful activities of the Social
Work department during the past three
months are presented here. The “field
work news” covers extensive reports on
the agencies where S3 MSW students
were posted for their block field work.
Winnie Johnson highlights the
sensitivity of “Kudamkulam” in
PICASSO MSW. Nisanth beautifully
presents the salient findings of his
research study on water shed
management. Br. Vivek also discusses
Note: Views expressed by the students and other contributors are not necessarily the official view of the Department of Social Work, Amrita University or
Mata Amritanandamayi Math.
"Love can accomplish
anything and everything: cure diseases, heal wounded hearts,
transform human minds."
-Amma
DISHAA En route to a better world…
his research on the impact of “Amala Bharatam campaign” initiated
by MAM. Ms. Veena Suresh talks on her experience as a “budding
social worker”. “Educational Package for Kadar Children” is
reviewed by Lekshmi Vimala. Other major activities that needs a
special mentioning are the initiation of the “Leadership training
programme for CPS members” by the Social Work department in
association with Coconut Development Board, Government of India
and the street play workshop for the occasion of IDDRR by State
Disaster Management Agency, Government of Kerala.
-Chief Editor
ABSTRACT
The primary aim of the research
study was to study the participation and benefits
derived by the farmers of the watershed development
program in the Sooranad area. The study was limited
to a sample of 60 respondents.
Agricultural activities are important because
almost 70% of the people depend on agriculture for
their livelihood. By its very nature, watershed
management must integrate and address both water
and the related land resources. Watershed
management is a specialized area which concentrates
not only on soil and water conservation but also other
land based activities associated with agriculture.
There are essentially three significant areas of
watershed management programme (a) To establish
accountable and transparent procedures for managing
land and water resources. (b) Enhanced service
provision and(c) To give access of marginal land
holding and landless farmers for better irrigational
facilities.
Watershed management is an interactive
process that integrates decision making regarding the
uses and modifications of lands and water within a
watershed. This process provides a chance for the
agricultural farmers to balance the environmental
factors in a proper way. The actions may affect the
long term sustainability of these resources. The
guiding principles of this process are partnerships,
geographical focus and adequate uses of water
resources within the natural boundaries.
A study on the extent of participation and benefits
derived by participant farmers of the watershed
development programme
Candidate: Nisanth M (2010-2012 batch)
Guide: Mr. VS Kochukrishna Kurup
Kudamkulam!!!
Picasso MSW
Winnie Johnson (S1 MSW)
Regarding the extent of participation of the farmers
in the watershed development programme, it was
found that majority of the respondents had medium
participation. Majority of the respondents were
middle aged, 53% of the respondents studied up to
primary school, 93% of the respondents belong to
nuclear family, 67% of the respondents moderately
contacted Agricultural Assistants. Majority of the
respondents (73%) expressed that benefit such as
help to check soil and its erosion, assistance in
ground water recharge etc increase the infiltration
rate of water thus increasing the cropping intensity
and yield.
Regarding the suggestions for better
implementation of the watershed development
programme, majority of the respondents expressed
their need of financial assistance for the
maintenance of the watershed practices. They also
recommended the provision of bank loans at a
lesser interest rate. They also recommended that
more area should be covered under this programme
and that they need more technical information/
guidance from the concerned department’s
extension field functionaries.
Social Work Research @ Amrita
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 2
A Case Study of the Impact of ABC (Amala Bharatham Campaign) organized by
Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM)
By
Br.Vivek (Dept. Of Social Work, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham)
This is a study conducted among the
Participants at Alappad Panchayat in Kollam
district. It tries to follow three important
research questions, firstly it attempt to assess
the reach of ABC program in society.
Secondly it examines the hygiene of the
community after the program. Thirdly it tries
to examine the level of involvement of people
to the project. The study was conducted in a
thin ethnographic framework. The study
focused on the individual participants from
whom the researcher collected the data. The
researcher used both interview schedule and
observation checklist to collect the data from
20 participants.. Prior to their exposure to the
Amala Bharatham Campaign, the villagers in
the area had little awareness of the concept of
sorting rubbish and refraining from depositing
waste on the road-side and walkways.
Amala Bharatham Campaign – ABC It is a
campaign aimed at cleaning India’s public places
and national highways. Through this cleanliness
drive, MAM hopes to raise social awareness of
humanity’s debt to our beautiful earth and nature.
Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi Devi) launched this
project on her 57th Birthday celebrations on 27th
Sep 2010. Amma said that the MAM is ready to take
up the responsibility of constructing toilets and
installing trash cans in government schools and
along roads all over India if it has the support and
co-operation of State Governments and other
organizations. Amma asks that all of us take a vow
to clean our surroundings. Amma believes that if the
people, Government and other organizations work
together, this sacred endeavour will certainly bear
fruit. This study analyses the impact of ABC (Amala
Bharatham Campaign) organized by Mata
Amritanandamayi Math in Alappad Community.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 3
Participants in this study were educated in proper
procedures to sort through rubbish separating
recyclable items from non-recyclable, organic etc to
create compost from food and organic waste, and to
properly dispose of the various categories of
rubbish. Involvement in the ABC impacted the
entire community by raising awareness and
enthusiasm in cleaning up their community. The
benefits of this involvement reach out to other areas
of the villagers’ lives, such as sanitation and
reducing the proliferation of disease-causing
microorganisms that spread through unhygienic
practices including spitting and urinating in public.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 4
Therefore, my conclusion is that the ABC is a
highly successful resource for communities
such as the Alappad Panchayat, and that it had
a profound positive effect on the participants
and the community as a whole.
ABC is a program in which the community
of Alappad Panchayat effectively took part, by
actively sorting waste as well as increasing
their awareness of the need of waste
management in a community. Waste is a
serious issue in the community because the
geographical area of Alappad is enclosed by
water on three sides and land area is limited,
thus emphasising the need to keep rubbish
piles to a minimum. Waste management is of
utmost importance to reduce public rubbish
accumulation, promote cleanliness and to have
a clean environment.
(photos courtesy: http://www.amritapuri.org/)
Content
Editorial
Social Research @
Amrita
Picasso MSW
Fieldwork news
My Experience as a budding Social worker
A Case Study of the
Impact of ABC
(Amala Bharatham
Campaign)
organized by MAM
Agency news ---MHAT
Activities of
Department of Social work
Book review
Upcoming
conference/ workshops
The field work news of this issue consists of the field placement reports of the S3 MSW students trainees,
Department of Social Work, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri
Field work news
DISHAA En route to a better world…
The trainees were able to visit the Sakalwara
centre and attend the medical camp conducted
at Anekkal and were also able to understand
the importance of outreach programmes. The
trainees were able to understand more about
the different techniques and approaches used
by the professionals. The trainees participated
in the case discussions done by Mphil
students. The trainees visited NCWB
(NIMHANS Centre for Well Being) and
attended the World Mental Health Programme
organized at NCWB.
The trainees were able to inculcate a bit of the
essence of professionalism. The trainees could
see and learn how the scholars balanced their
professional and personal life. The trainees
were also able to improve their
communication skills and confidence. The
trainees could also understand more about
psychiatric settings and their functioning. The
trainees were able to develop their observation
skills.
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro
Sciences (NIMHANS) is a multidisciplinary institute
for patient care and academics in the field of mental
health and also neuro sciences. It is focused on
imparting knowledge and establishing training
facilities in the field of mental health. The institute
has a number of departments functioning under it,
including the department of psychiatric social work.
The trainees were place for a period of 1 month (10th
September 2012 to 10th
October 2012) in the
institute, during which they were able to see the
workings of 6 units ( 5 days for a unit) in detail. The
units were-Adult psychiatry unit 5, Community
psychiatry, Family psychiatry, Child and Adolescent
services, Rehabilitation and De addiction.
The trainees could understand the functioning and
activities done at different units. The trainees were
able to see and learn how the cases were being
handled by the psychiatric social worker of the
different units at the OPD (Out Patient Department).
The trainees visited the Social Service complex and
interacted with the officials. The trainees could
attend the different department programmes
conducted on every Thursday at 3.30 pm and was
able to understand how the theories were put into
practice and the practical issues that are associated
with it. The trainees visited the in patients at the
ward and were able to understand their conditions
more clearly.
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)
By Anitha S, Dhanya.S.T, Lekshmi Vimala , Nandana .S & Seethu Arun
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 3
The trainees understood that a social worker was required to have adequate knowledge about the different
Government programmes for the welfare of the people. The trainees could also recognize the significant role
played by a psychiatric social worker in a mental health setting.
Community Based Disaster Risk Management
(CBDRM) is a unique programme run by the Kerala
State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA)
under the Department of Revenue and Disaster
Management, Government of Kerala. This programme
is been operated through 6 gram panchayats (Vandi
Periyar, Upputhara, Ealapara, Kanchiyar,
Ayyappankovil and Kumili) in between the
Mullaperiyar dam and Idukki dam at Idukki district.
The programme is put into action through several
phases and presently it has entered into its fourth
phase. Training programme is conducted with the
joined collaboration of the Indian Institute of
Emergency Medical Services (IIEMS), Kottayam. The
programme is mainly divided into four task forces-(1)
Alert/ Early Warning(2) Search and Rescue(3)
Evacuation and(4) First Aid.
The major activities included-conducting a group
discussion of community members for collecting the
timeline of the disasters and its management activities,
organising disaster management class for the
community members, participating in the training
programme for community members about first- aid
,community sensitization programmes, organising the
training sessions, interacting with the emergency
response team members and participating in the GP-
DMC (Grama Panchayath Disaster Management
Committee) meeting.
The trainees could observe that the rehabilitation and
transport facilities for the people residing at the
Periyar river banks were inadequate. There was
a need to construct more bridges, improve the
electrification process and increase the
community consciousness. The fire and rescue
services need to be strengthened. The major
issues observed included lack of proper
infrastructure, proper warning systems and
improper implementation of the Government
rules and regulations. There was also a lack of
adequate number of sub centers and primary
health centers. The capacity building
programmes need to be strengthened. The
trainees observed that the public works done in
the area lacked coordination. The community
members were unaware about the different
programmes organised by the Government for
their benefit and there was an acute shortage of
funds in order to facilitate the working of the
programmes. The trainees were able to
understand more about organising and
coordinating programmes and also to increase
their social interaction skills.
Kerala Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA)
By Arun B.R, & Vishnu Raj
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 4
The social work trainees did their one
month block placement at Keystone foundation in
Kothagiri, Ooty. The organization is working in
the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve area and has been
working with indigenous people in the field of
conservation, livelihoods, people and culture,
environmental governance and enterprise over the
last decades. Keystone has put forward various eco
development initiatives. It helps to build the local
markets for the items produced by the tribal
people. It also provides sustainable livelihood
options for the people. Interventions in the field of
apiculture, non-timber forest products, water
resources and enterprise development are being
implemented through village institutions. Keystone
believes in local indigenous knowledge, it is a
natural zone of ideas, people, creativity and
renewable energy.
The social work trainees were placed in the Pillur
region, one of the important field stations of the
organization. The social work trainees were
assigned with two tasks:-
1. To study the socio economic status of the
people in the Pillur region.
2. To study the farming practices followed by
the farmers in the Pillur region.
The social work trainee had to visit 19 villages in
the Pillur region in order to collect the details
regarding the socio economic status and farming
practices of the people through a survey. After
collecting the data, the data was entered in Excel
sheets and after tabbing and coding, the data was
analysed and it was represented in the bar and pie
diagrams in the final presentation at the
Keystone Foundation
By Aswathy Ashok, Prageesh E.P, Sandhya .S
organization. This study or report is
expected to benefit the Keystone Foundation
in all its working spheres and for the better
functioning of the organization. All these
will in turn benefit the tribal people, as they
are the final beneficiaries of the innovative
ideas put forward by Keystone Foundation.
It was a great opportunity for the social work
trainee to interact closely with the tribal
people especially the Irula community. The
social work trainee could get a clear picture
about the farming practices and socio
economic status of the Pillur people. The
livelihood of the people depended on
agriculture. Traditionally they were hunters
and gatherers but now they had adapted to
agricultural practices. In the past, they
cultivated millets but now they have turned
to the cultivation of bananas. Their
livelihood also depends on the collection of
Non Timber Forest Products (NTFP) like
honey, spices, amla etc. They didn’t have
primary education and also human animal
conflict was a major threat to the farmers. It
was actually a good experience to stay with
the tribal people and to understand their life
and culture.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 5
Content
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Highlights:
Inside Story 2
Inside Story 3
Inside Story 4
Inside Story 5
Last Story 6
Butterflies
By Arathy Aravind, Fathima H & Shilpa VR
Building and Enabling Disaster Resilience of Coastal Community (BEDROC)
By Ammu Asok , Mekha .M.S & Reeba Lincoln
“Butterflies” is an organization which focuses on the vulnerable children. Butterflies believe in non-
institutionalized approach for the protection and rehabilitation of the street and working children.
The trainees did their field work at different places (Nissamudeen darga and INA market) and
attended the adobe youth programme.The trainees visited the mobile health van and also attended
health corporative as a volunteer. The other activities included slum visits, night out programmes,
substance abuse awareness campaign and cultural programmes. The trainees were also able to
volunteer in the sports day programme and could visit the child line and interact with the children.
The trainees could also attend the activities of a balsabha, understand the functioning of the children
development khasana and also visit the MERC (Mobile Education Research Centre).The trainees
were also able to present reviews on topics related to children and current affairs.
The trainees got a clear understanding about the problems and challenges that are experienced in the
field. The trainees could visit the slums and observe the people’s life style and understand the value
of education for children and what were the difficulties faced by the implementing agencies. Though
the climate and the lack of knowledge of the native tongue proved to be a hindrance, the trainees
were able to make a positive use of the situation. The trainees were also able to know the actual
meaning of observation and effective communication. The trainees were also able to build on the
professional skills that are required by a social worker.
BEDROC is the successor to the NGO Coordination and Resource
Centre (NCRC), for post-tsunami response in Nagapattanam district,
Tamil Nadu. BEDROC has a broader mandate of building up long-
term resilience of the vulnerable coastal communities and ensuring
equitable and sustainable post-tsunami rehabilitation. BEDROC
mainly focuses on strengthening traditional livelihoods as means to
reducing vulnerability. Activities of the Social Work trainees aimed
to understand the different social security mechanisms that are
provided by the Tamil Nadu Government.
A project named “Knowledge Management Networking and Co-ordination as a tool to enhancing disaster
resilience” is implemented through the VRCs. The Government mainly provided this scheme for
strengthening the livelihood opportunities of the people who are vulnerable. The schemes include 1)Indira
Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAP)for old age persons of 60years or more belonging to
the BPL category, in spite of having a male legal heir above 18yrs of age 2) Indira Gandhi National
Disability Pension Scheme(IGN-DPS) for persons between 18 to 59yearsof age belonging to BPL category
having at least 80% of severe or multiple disabilities 3) Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme
(IGN-WPS) for women between 40 to 59 years belonging to the BPL category. The Social Work trainees
visited different panchayats for collecting the data regarding the level of awareness about the programmes,
main issues affecting the community and the coping capacities of the victims of tsunami. Nagapattanam is a
theatre of Disasters (tsunami, drought, cyclone, and flood). The people of the region are highly vulnerable
and most of them were the victims of tsunami. The main problems faced by Nagapattanam includes lack of
adequate medical facilities, illiteracy, difficulties of transportation, lack of drinking water etc. Another
problem is the scarcity of pure drinking water. Through the survey it was understood that people who were
eligible did not get the services while those who did not satisfy the criteria received them. The lack of
awareness about the pension schemes was a problem faced by all panchayats.
The Shola Trust
By Nisha Lijesh & Deepak S
The social work trainees were placed at The Shola Trust,Gudalur Taluk of Tamil Nadu for their one
month block placement. The key goal of the Shola Trust is to ensure that the vital wildernesses of the
community survive the onslaught of monocultures and expanding cities. The Shola Trust’s bio char and
lantana projects are other excellent examples of community conservation that could easily be replicated
around the country. The trainee conducted 20 field visits, 2 surveys and 2 focus group discussions during
this period.
The social work trainees conducted a study on the topic of ‘The reasons for failure of the lantana unit at
Chembakkolli and success of the lantana furniture unit at Moyar’.
The objective of the study included the assessment of the socio economic background of the workers at
the lantana unit, main source of income and suggestions of the individuals for the improvement of their
work conditions.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 7
The social work trainees identified some major reasons which were responsible for the difference in the
functioning of the lantana furniture making program in the villages of Moyar and Chempankolli. The climate
in the region has a pivotal role in the fate of the program as low rain fall and less humidity is good to
preserve the lantana sticks. In Chempakolli, the content of humidity is very high, limited infrastructure such
as a cement floor and a shed etc fastened the decline of the unit. Agriculture in the region is negatively
affected after less rainfall and this made many dependants on other livelihood options such as lantana
furniture making for earning their daily bread.
In Chembakolli, the forest land is more suitable for cultivation and since the economy in the region is not at
all dependant on the tourism market, the banning of the field in the area caused no harm to their economy.
The geographical features of Moyar is much influential as the plain terrain makes the collection of lantana an
easy task.Availability of water from the line pipe for the boiling process and good transportation facilities for
collecting raw materials etc are major factors behind the success. The villagers in Chempankolli has lots of
difficulties in collecting the lantana and the water, as they have to cross the trenches and the difficult terrain
for it. Compared to Chembakolli the people in Moyar are less educated and in need of more training courses.
Social work trainees completed the one month block
field work from 10th
September, 2012 to 10th
October,
2012 at V.R.C. Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre,
Vettom in Malappuram as part of the curriculum. The
hospital was set up in the year 2002 under The Mental
Health act as psychiatric hospital to provide good
quality treatment to the mentally ill. The 200 bedded
psychiatric institution is situated in a serene
environment with more than 18000 registered
patients,an average of 75 out patients per day and
specialties like General Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry,
Geriatric Psychiatry, De-addiction Psychiatry,
Community Psychiatry, Psychiatric Rehabilitation,
Clinical Psychology, Department of Social Work,
Occupational therapy, OCD Clinic, Sex Clinic and
Family Clinic.
The social worker trainees were placed in each wards
for a period of 5 to 6 days and several activities were
conducted in the agency. Special programmes
including chart presentations, brochure distribution,
awareness classes to the out patients and their family
VRC Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre
By Amrutha A, Preethy & Vishnu S
members were organised during the World
Alzheimer’s Day(21st September) and the World
Mental Health Day(10th
October).A class was given
on the importance of family support to the family
members of the people with mental illnesses. The
trainee also started a study on the prevalence of
problems among children. A magazine named
“Mayilpeeli” which was an anthology of works by
individuals with mental illnesses was released. A
booklet on alcohol consumption was prepared and
distributed among the outpatients and their relatives.
Field visits were organised to understand more about
the patient’s illness condition and medication. Case
studies, group works, group activities, group
discussions and psycho-education were organized for
the people with mental illness.
The trainees could understand the importance of
psycho-education. Most of the problems are mainly
due to the lack of awareness. Both the patients as well
as family members should be educated on the
importance of taking medications. Without knowing
the internal problems of an individual, it is difficult to
solve the problem.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 8
So, conducting MSE and taking Case history is essential.
Different departments are providing various services to the
out patients. Family support is a type of non-
pharmacotherapy and is very effective. Team work is very
important. A multidisciplinary team is present to tackle the
mental health conditions. Individual counseling sessions are
done by psychiatric social workers to address the issues of
the patients. The patients are also given occupational
therapies on a daily basis. It was understood that a
psychiatric social worker should be a good listener and
motivator. The importance of developing observation skills
was also recognized by the trainees.
As a part of the curriculum, the Department of Social work, Amritapuri campus placed the trainees at
Peejays, Cochin. Peejays is a pioneer in the field of health and provides unique care for outpatients for
both psychiatry and neurology under one roof. It works as a team consisting of senior neurologists,
senior psychiatrists, general physician and a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, psychiatric social
workers, special educators, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists and other
rehabilitation professionals. It emphasise on adult and adolescent services, developmental disorders in
children, ASD and school mental health. Through this one month field work trainees got the
opportunity to observe how the intake sessions are taken for the parents of a child with learning
disabilities. Trainees also got knowledge as to how counseling is provided to the parents regarding how
to handle the child, strategies to follow while teaching them, the limitations of the child etc.
Occupational therapy sessions were also helpful to the autistic child to tackle their obstacles. The
exposure got from the speech and language therapy sessions were also informative. Trainees also got
the opportunity to diagnose some cases of mood disorders.
The trainees were able to understand the aspects to be kept in mind while giving awareness to the
teachers and parents in order to better handle children in class room and home. This field work also
helped to increase the confidence of the trainees and also generated more interest to work in the field.
PEEJAYS
By Sukanya & Anoop P Joseph
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 9
Unnati-Organization for Development
Education is a voluntary organization registered
under the Societies Registration Act (1860) in
1990. Unnati has completed 21 years of
providing educational support in Gujarat and 12
years in Rajasthan. “Unnati work on a mission
to promote social inclusion and democratic
governance so that the vulnerable section of our
society, particularly the dalits, tribal, women and
person with disabilities are empowered to
effectively and decisively participate in
mainstream development and the decision
making process.” This aim is accomplished
through providing strategic issue based support
to development initiatives by undertaking
collaborative research, public education,
advocacy, direct field level mobilization and
implementation with multiple stakeholder
participation. Unnati works at the grassroots
level to policy level environment for ensuring
the basic rights of the citizens. Presently all the
activities are organized around three thematic
areas: 1) Social Inclusion and Empowerment, 2)
Civic Leadership, Social Accountability and
Governance, 3) Social Determinants of Disaster
Risk Reduction.
Social work trainees were assigned the
project “Campaign on Housing Safety and
School Safety regarding DRR(Disaster Risk
Reducation) in Bhachau, Kutch district”. The
trainees visited around twenty villages and many
schools and observed the pre and post conditions
of the earthquake
UNNATI-Organization for Development Education
By Karthika Baburaj & Ruby
affected area. The activities conducted were based
on the theme of disaster risk reduction. The activities
included role play, posture presentation, drawing
competition, essay competition, elocution, foot
march etc. The trainees also had interactive sessions
with school authorities, sarpanch and the
stakeholders and also was involved in the
documentation work of the campaign. The trainees
could also assist in the pre-campaign preparation
guidelines, need assessment school safety parameters
and the school safety quiz.
The trainees took advantage of the
opportunity to explore more in the field to expand
perspectives, visit many villages and observe the pre
and post conditions of the earthquake affected area,
to meet more people and to improve the professional
skills. The trainees were also able to gain more
knowledge on housing and school safety, how to
conduct a campaign (its different phases), how to
identify the structural and non-structural
vulnerabilities of both schools and houses and how
to cope up or build their capacity against various
hazards and safety measures which will help to
minimize the risk of a disaster.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 10
CORD is a secular and a political voluntary
organization that works for the poor and
underprivileged of the society for their
emancipation and empowerment, for a holistic
development of people irrespective of caste,
creed, colour or gender consideration. Started in
a small area comprising only five villages,
CORD today caters to the developmental
requirements of over 80 villages in 3 taluks in
two districts. The target groups are- the
indigenous/tribal population of these districts
who are extremely displaced and alienated. dalits,
women and children who are experiencing
ongoing severe socio-economic and socio-
cultural oppression and discrimination.
The social work trainees visited Banawara
Panchayath to see the Jenukuruba tribe.The
trainee also visited Malambi and Aloor
Siddapura. At Malambi the trainees visited the
Ashram School.The trainee stayed at the tribal
haadi in Avarugundha . The trainees visited the
Siddapura panchayath office and interacted with
Coorg Organization in Rural Development(CORD)
By Vishnu K Santhosh & Rashmi PC
the Panchayath President and Vice President .The
social work trainees could also visit Soolebhavi and
Sajjalli panchayats and the social welfare office at
Madikkery.The trainees also went to the District
Commissioner Office and met the I.T.D.P (P.C.O)
The trainees saw that the people were mostly
alcoholic.The cultural programmes organized by
them has shifted focus from entertainment to just an
occasion to drink.They have ration cards and voters
ID cards and also get proper ration. The
Government provides nutritious food to the
janukuruba tribes. There are no proper housing
facilities or sanitation. There is also a scarcity of
fresh water. The Tribes collect number of medicinal
plants .The Government also provide free education
and accommodation to the tribes. The school
functions accordingly but there were a number of
children who did not go to school.
The trainees were able to understand the lifestyle of
the tribes. The trainees also came to know about the
workings of Government offices and were also able
to organize cultural programmes for the tribals.
Dubai Civil Defence (DCD)
By Geethu M Lal
Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) is functioning under Ministry of Interior, Government of Dubai, UAE.
DCD has a vital role in Dubai, especially in the field of industrial and commercial safety and security
and assists in rescue missions, restoring life in disastrous situations to normal. Social work trainee was
assigned to work in “Emergency Crisis Management and Major Incident Planning Project” structured
by Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
As part of the block placement, the trainee got the opportunity to visit the various departments such as
Operation, Risk Assessment, Hazardous Material, Safety & Prevention, and Smart Systems. DCD
implanted the methods of vehicle tracking system, one of the important initiatives to promote safe and
secure transportation and helps to act immediately in the crisis. Thousands of buildings can be
electronically monitored simultaneously through the network called “The Direct Alarm System”. Safety
monitoring initiatives by developing technology ,that can detect the onset of fires at its early stage is
applied to all the buildings across Dubai. The Direct Alarm System enables to address all four phases
(Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery) of Disaster Emergency Management Research was done on the topic “Recommendation of Early Warning System for Earthquakes in
Dubai”.
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Last Story 6
The profession of social work will create
different experience in different individuals. In my
case I can tell you that I joined for MSW without
having any idea about it. I did not know about the
scope of social work, the area of work and the
subjects that are involved in the curriculum. I had
associated the course with social service. It was
only after joining that I came to know that social
work is completely different from social service.
Social work is helping the person to help
themselves- in other words “Better to Teach Fishing
than Give Fish”.
Since I did my under graduation in BCA, I
had to face a lot of criticism when I chose MSW, as
everyone expected me to join for the Masters in
Computer Applications (MCA). But now I can feel
the difference that MSW has made in my
personality and behavior. Let me share some
difference between a social work student and a
student of any other stream. When others deal with
computers, machines and accounts we deal with
human hearts. When others show sympathy towards
a beggar in the street we social workers will have
empathy towards him. When we are aware about
the prevalence of HIV, Cancer, Diabetes etc others
might not even know the basics of these diseases.
When they go for pleasure trips in metro cities we
will find pleasure in visiting the slums and finding
out the situation of the people living in that area.
My Experience as a budding Social Worker
By Veena Suresh (2010-2012 batch(Amrita Ettimadi campus))
When others think of how to make money we
think about how to make the poor people self
sufficient. When they read news about social
injustice we think of the solutions to stop such
issues. When others see a disabled person and
feel sad about their condition we think of
different ways to provide support to him. We
will visit forests, stay with tribal people, and
study about their culture and be one among
them but others will enjoy the beauty of the
forest and leave the place. A social work
student improves his/her skills in
communication, listening, problem solving,
decision making etc during the two years of the
course. This course helps to change our
perception of the world and how we see things
for the better. We will thus be able to lead a
full life by practicing the qualities of empathy,
love, humanity, compassion and patience. As
our beloved Amma says “We cannot change
situations in life but we can change the attitude
towards them “. I am sure that the social work
curriculum will change your attitude and this
will help you to lead a good life that is of
benefit to the society and the nation as a whole.
According to the United Nations, sea level changes can result in devastating tsunami in the Middle East if
a severe earthquake occurs. Promoting appropriate measures will equip the community and reduce the
impact of the various disasters. The DCD felicitates for the co-ordination of the emergency services, local
authorities and gives support during emergency. The detailed plans for appropriate measures and actions
in advance will reduce the likelihood of errors resulting from decisions being taken in the course of crisis.
The DCD construct guidelines, awareness, policies and activities to protect and save the lives and
properties of the residents.
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Agency news
MHAT (Mental Heath Action Trust) is a
registered Charitable Trust with its headquarters
at the Institute of Palliative Medicine, Medical
College at Calicut, Kerala. The major aim is to
provide free community based mental health
care to economically backward people and to
support all the activities connected with this
endeavor. The institute has been functioning
under the clinical leadership of Dr. Manoj
Kumar at Malappuram, Wayanad and
Kozhikode districts of Kerala for the past three
years. This programme had been initially under
the aegis of the Mehac Foundation but it was
taken over by the Mental Health Action Trust on
1st of January 2011. MHAT is a non- profit
organization that provides free, comprehensive,
community-based, volunteer-led and cost-
effective mental health care to the poor people of
the locality that is served, including the
homeless and wandering mentally ill. MHAT
aims to provide long term management facilities
for chronic mental disorders through a system of
community-owned and managed care. It also
aims to promote the monitoring and consultation
activities to avoid relapses.
The agency collaborates with over 30 pain and
palliative care clinics in Calicut, Wayanad and
Malappuram. Each clinic has identified their
own list of patients from their locality and the
patients are screened by the MHAT team to
identify their economic background.
Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT)
By Parvathy V and Prasanth P (S3 MSW)
Each case is taken up by a volunteer who then
has to assure proper rehabilitation and review of
the patient that is assigned to them. They are
each given a checklist of the symptoms of their
allotted patient so that they can keep track of
the patient and consult the doctor in case of any
symptoms of relapse. Volunteers form the back
bone of the agency.
MHAT has its own blog and an e-newsletter to
spread information about its working. At
present, MHAT is hosting the Post Graduate
Programme for M. A. Social Work in Mental
Health under Tata Institute of Social Sciences
(TISS) and the Banyan Academy of Leadership
in Mental Health (BALM) along with some of
the leading national and international experts in
the field of mental health.
Mental Health Action Trust
Institute of Palliative Medicine
Medical College,Calicut
Kerala,india,673008
Phone:+91 9745111005;+91 8089997007
General enquiries: [email protected]
Dr Manoj Kumar: [email protected]
(Reference: www.mhatkerala.org/)
Individual
Highlights:
Inside Story 2
Inside Story 3
Inside Story 4
Inside Story 5
Last Story 6
Western Ghats hornbill foundation is an organization that concerns itself
with the protection and conservation of the natural resources and
rainforests and also the preservation of the land rights of the Kadar tribe
living in and around the area of Western Ghats. Kadars are the inhabitants
of the rainforests of the Western Ghats. At present, only a limited number
of them remain due to the building of dams leading to their frequent
evacuation and displacement.
Educating the tribes about their rights and duties is one of the aspects that
the organization is concerned with. It was observed that the number of
dropouts among the children of the tribe was high and this negatively
contributed to the efforts that were initiated with a view of educating them.
The Kadar tribe has their own dialect and they are brought up in harmony
with nature and its constituents. When they are introduced to the outside
world, they find it difficult to mesh.
It was in this regard that the organization in collaboration with the
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the Athirappilly
panchayat has introduced an educational package for the use in the
anganwadis in the area, that integrates the regular teaching methods with
the tribal language and customs. The project was conceptualized in
2011.The pack consists of two theme based books (‘Ente veedu’ and
‘Kaadu ente naadu’) with a work book called ‘Nammude prakrithiyil
ninulla padanam’. The pack also make use of cards and floor puzzles to
impart knowledge to the kadar children.
'Educational package for Pre-Primary Kadar
children'
By Lekshmi Vimala (S3 MSW)
'Educational package
for Pre-Primary Kadar
children'
Authors:
Amitha Bachan,
Shajan M. P,
Fasila P. K and
Anitha K. T
Illustrations:
Ali Akbar,
Vishnu P. V. and
Anish C. S.
Year: 2011
Publication:
Paschimakhatta
vezhambal foundation,
Aranyak,
Mathilakam-680685,
Thrissur,Kerala,India
Book review
The book ‘Ente veedu’ is a guide to the common items and activities in a household while ‘Kaadu ente
veedu’ integrates the names of the common flora and fauna of the region. The puzzle that is included tries to
generate awareness about hornbill which are an endangered species found in the tropical areas of Africa and
Asia. The educational pack was developed by Mr.Amitha Bachan, Mr.Shajan M. P, Ms.Fasila P. K and
Ms.Anitha K T of the Hornbill foundation. At present, the pack has been introduced to 22 Anganwadis of the
panchayat and 300 of these kits have already been distributed.
The books consist of illustrations that are in keeping with the social and cultural background of the tribal
children and also words in Kadar language with their Malayalam and English translations.
The initiative while addressing the issue of dropouts and facilitation of education among the Kadar children
also focuses on the rights of the minorities. Kadar tribe is fast disappearing and the need to protect their
language, culture and ethnic uniqueness is crucial at the moment.
(courtesy: The Hindu July 19,2012)
9th
Aug, 2012
Observed International Day of World’s Indigenous People
The Department of Social Work observed the World Indigenous Day
on August 9, 2012. As part of this, the students organized various
presentations and short movies related to the culture and protection of
the indigenous communities in the country. The students were divided
into five groups and presentations were made on “The international
Day of Worlds Indigenous People,” “Indigenous people of India- a
sociological profile’, “Indigenous communities of Kerala”, “The
Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of
Forest Rights) Act”, “Introduction of an NGO – Survival International”.
Discussions were conducted on the presented topics.
Activities of Department of Social Work
(July – September, 2012)
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 17
13th
Aug, 2012
Induction programme and Essentials in Professional Social
Work session to 2012-2014 batch
The Department of Social work organized a workshop for the
new MSW batch to highlight the primary aims & objectives of
Social Work profession through games, activities, charts and
discussions. The objective of the programme was to emphasize
and highlight the importance of team work, effective
communication, healthy study habits & time management. The
other topics of discussions were the concept of social
responsibility, effective stress management, the relevance of
social support in stressful situations and concept of empathy.
14th
Aug, 2012
Invited talk by Adv. Kaloor Kailas Nath and Mr Sreekanthlal
(alumni, school counselor)
The Department of Social Work and ASWAS organized an
invited talk on 14th August, 2012 at Amritapuri Campus.
Advocate Kaloor Kailas Nath, leading lawyer in Kollam and
Kottarakkara Bar was the chief guest of the occasion. Having
more than 9 years of experience in the legal field, he had
specialized in criminal and family issue cases. He discussed
RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 and DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE ACT, 2005 followed by interaction session with
MSW students.
Mr. Sreekanth lal, alumni of Dept. of Social Work currently
working as School Counsellor, Mes Indian School, Doha shared
his experience with the first and second year MSW students of
14th August, 2012.
5th
Sept, 2012
Teachers’ day and Freshers’ day Celebrations
Warm welcome was given by the seniors to the newcomers.
Teacher’s day was observed on the same occasion.
6-8th
Sept, 2012
Inauguration of Leadership Training Programme for
Coconut Producers Society (CPSs)
The Department of Social Work and Coconut Development
Board (Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India) organized
Leadership Training Programme for Coconut Producers Society
(CPSs) and the programme got inaugurated at Amrita Vishwa
Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri, Kollam. The function was
inaugurated by Dr. C O Hemalatha, Principle Agricultural
Officer, Kollam by lighting the lamp. Br. Bijukumar,
Chairperson, CIR, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Mr. Jayanath
R, Technical Officer, Coconut Development Board, Cochin, Dr
Renjith R Pillai, Head of the Department of Social Work,
Amritapuri Sri. Rajeev M M, Vice chairperson, Department of
Social Work Amritapuri, were present on the occasion and
addressed the gathering. There were about 25 farmers attending
the programme on the very first day.
16th
Sept, 2012
ASWAS Annual report 2011 – 2012
The Department of Social work and ASWAS together presented
the “ASWAS Annual report 2011 – 2012” followed by the
selection of New Governing General Body member.
22nd
Sept, 2012
Participation in Rendezvous
Social work trainees of first year MSW participated in
“Rendezvous” at Vimala College, Thrissur- and participated in
several programs including exhibition, poster presentation, street
play, extempore.
.
27th
Sept, 2012
Stall on Sustainable development
Department of Social Work organized a stall as a part of the 59th
birthday celebrations of Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (AMMA) at
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri campus. The main
attractions were exhibits on sustainable development, glimpses on
Koodamkulam issue and interventions taken up during the
Tsunami of Dec 2004.
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 19
Upcoming Conferences / Workshops
December 2012
10
th : Governance and Sustainable Development:
Building Commerce and Communities Coimbatore,
India
12th
: Multi National Enterprises and Sustainable
Development (MESD) 2012 New Delhi, India
12th
: Social protection perspectives and policies
Kuttikkanam, India
15th:
3rd International conference on public policy
and social sciences (icops2012) Bandar Melaka,
Malaysia
15th
: The 2012 Conference on Anthropology and
Sustainability in Asia Bangkok, Thailand
22nd
: 2012 International Conference on Sociality and
Humanities - ICOSH 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
29th
: 2012 International Conference on Humanity,
Culture and Society - ICHCS 2012 Hong Kong, China
Printed and published by: Chair person, Department of Social Work. (For private circulation only)
Feel free to mail your suggestions and ideas to the editor’s desk:
[email protected], [email protected]
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Sept 28-30
th
Training workshop on street play as a part
of IDDR programme of Kerala State
Disaster Management department
Selected Social work trainees of first and
second year MSW participated in the training
session on street play for awareness
generation on disaster risk reduction by Kerala
State Disaster Management Department. The
programme was conducted as a part of
International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Dr. Renjith R. Pillai Assistant Professor & Chief Editor
Staff Editors:
Mr. Rajeev MM Mr. V S Kochukrishna Kurup
Mr. Ranjith Kavumkara
Student Editors: Ms. Parvathy V
Ms. Lekshmi Vimala Ms. Jasmin Pereira
Design and Layout:
Ms. Parvathy V
Dishaa Vol 2, issue 3 Page No. 20