Annual Report 2016-2017
During the period under review, the society undertook various activities in areas related to social and economic development, education, women’s empowerment and health care. Given below is a brief account of various activities CWS has carried out. Activities of CWS are broadly classified in five segments here:
CWS is running a number of programmes for the welfare of children in various slums. The main aim of these programmes is to facilitate the education and character building of children.
a. Creches:
Presently CWS has five creches; Gopabandhupalli, Sector-2, Sheetalpara, Basanti Colony and Jamtolli. Our crèches cater to as many as three hundred and twenty two kids. We have appointed two women each in every crèche to take care of the tiny tots. Besides giving them food during the day, kids are taught alphabets, songs, dance, and disciplined behaviour. Jamtolli creche is the latest addition in this list.
b. Centre for Drop-out children:
CWS is running two non-formal schooling facility for children in Sheetalpara and Jamtolli, who have not attended any school or are dropouts from formal school. Objective of the programme is to enable them to join a formal school or to encourage them to appear for National Open School Examination. Presently the centres for drop out children have 55 students attending the programme.
During the last one year a number of programmes were organised for the slum youth to foster unity and motivate them to become better and productive citizens. Some of them are:
a. Sports and Games:
In six places - Sheetalpara, Sector – 2, Madhusudhanpalli, Sector -6, Nayabazar and Gopabandhupalli - youth were organized and conducted entertainment and educative sports and games programmes. In each of these places approximately 175 girls and boys each participated.
b. Seminars and Workshops:
CWS organised a series of seminars on leadership and life-skill development for the slum youth. The training team consisted of three members. Most of the trainings were conducted on Sundays and holidays. It facilitated better participation of youth.
c. Formation of CWS Youth Committees:
These seminars facilitated the formation of Youth Committees in slums. Now they participate and take leadership in each of the programmes that are organised by CWS in different places. Presently we have 30 CWS Youth Committees.
d. Cleanliness Drive:
Several rallies and voluntary work programmes were organised to bring home the message, ‘cleanliness alone will facilitate good health.’ Youth along with the women in slums initiated slum cleanliness programme in 25 places.
e. Tailoring Training Centres:
CWS has three tailoring training centres in slums; Gopabandhupalli, Sector 2 and Basanti Colony. A total of 145 girls and women are getting skilled in tailoring through these centres. Classes are conducted in two batches everyday for a period of six months. At the end of the period an examination is conducted, and a certificate is issued. According to our survey 68% of the students who completed this programme get employed or are self-employed.
f. Beautician Courses:
Beautician courses were organized twice in Sector 2 centre and three such programmes were organized in Gopabandhupalli centre. This course is conducted by a qualified beautician. The duration of each course is two months. 20 to 25 girls participated in each of the programme.
g. Help to Youth for Income generation and Education:
We have helped twenty youth to raise income by setting up shops, tailoring shop and boutique. Further we have also financially supported the education of 15 youth in vocational education and training.
h. Youth Festival:
CWS organized a day-long festival for the youth from various slums of Rourkela on 30th April 2017 in St. Pauls School Auditorium. More than 1,200 youth participated in this festival and showcased their talents. It offered an opportunity for the youth to meet with integrate the youth from different slums of Rourkela. The highlight of the Festival was a group dance competition with 22 entries.
Realizing the significant position of women and the role they can play in family and society at large CWS began its women’s empowerment programme way back in 1997. We have 12 women animators and three field supervisors implementing this programme effectively. Activities of this programme include:
a. Self Help Groups:
As part women’s empowerment programme CWS began the formation of Self-Help Groups in 2002. Presently we have as many as 368 functioning groups. These groups enable women to attain financial security and create habit of regular savings. These groups are also a platform for women to come together and discuss their problems and difficulties. These SHGs function as support groups for women.
b. International Women’s Day:
On 8th March we celebrate International Women’s day every year. Last year onwards we are celebrating it in five places. All the places we had an impressive number of women from our target area attended the programme. It was a great time for people to come together, listen, learn and entertain themselves.
c. Income Generating Activities:
With the help of loans from SHGs, many women have explored the possibilities for self-employment. Such initiatives include setting up of small-scale grocery shops, vegetable shops, food production units, tea shops, Poultry units, manufacturing of masala, paper bags and phenol, embroidery, tailoring, vehicle renting and mushroom cultivation.
d. Seminars for the Women in Slums:
For any empowerment process to be effective, it is important to form the target group as an informed and knowledgeable one. Hence we in CWS pay a lot of attention in organising seminars and workshops for women in slums. The subjects for seminars vary from time to time. During the last one year we organised six seminars and several training programmes. Last year’s subjects for seminars were leadership, SHG record maintenance, role, and responsibility of SHG leaders, role of women in society and formation of co-operative society.
a. Rag-pickers:
We have two Animators working with rag-pickers for obtaining greater identity, creating credit facility, to form community-based organizations and to facilitate the education of their children. Presently we have 27 SHGs exclusively of Rag-pickers. Recently we have started a Day Care Centre in Jamtolli Basti for children of Rag-pickers and drop-out children’s tuition programme where forty and forty-five children attend.
b. Rickshaw Pullers:
Rickshaw pullers are another group of marginalised groups for whom the Society in general do not care. We have organized and 120 cycle rickshaw pullers so far into small associations. They save small sums every moths. The society has so far given small loans to 20 rickshaw pullers for purchase of second-hand rickshaws and to repair their existing rickshaws. We help school going children of rickshaw pullers for the purchase of books and other study materials.
c. Programmes for Leprosy Colonies:
We have two animators working under a co-ordinator for the Leprosy patients. We have initiated this project during this financial year. Activities of this programme include formation of community-based organizations; facilitate the regular dressing of ulcers of leprosy affected patients, facilitate the removal of taboos related to leprosy from the society in General through awareness programme.
d. Programmes for Widows:
We are working with as many as 310 widows from slums in Rourkela. We have organized them into 28 Self Help Groups. Like previous years, this year too we had a celebration of International Widows day. Regular visit to widows’ homes, support for their children’s schooling, subsidised medical treatment for the widows families make it a socially significant programme of CWS.
From the very outset, CWS paid a lot of attention towards the health care of people in its operational area. Mobile clinic, medical camps, Sunday clinics in Gopabandhupalli and Sector – 2 Khariabahal Basti and finally the CWS Hospital in Jagda justify this claim. Here is a detailed account of CWS’s healthcare programme:
a. Sunday Clinics:
We have two Sunday Clinics functioning; Gopabandhupalli and Malgodam. Here the Society acknowledges the contribution of all the doctors who spend their valuable time in caring for the patients in slums and thank them. In Gopabandhupalli doctors from IGH render their service and in Malgodam Doctors from CWS Hospital render their service. During the last one year 1473 patients benefited from this programme.
b. Medical Camps:
During the year under review CWS has conducted two mega medical camps in the hospital itself and five medical camps for children in different slums and 23 ophthalmology camps.
c. CWS Hospital:
CWS Hospital with 120 beds at present is the most ambitious and visible project of CWS healthcare programme. During the last one year we had a total of 164 deliveries, 138 deaths, 731 major surgeries and 606 minor surgeries. Total inpatient admissions were 4495 and outpatient registration was 62983.
Conclusion
Activities of the Society have been successful on account of the help and co-operation received from various individuals and organizations. I would like to acknowledge and place on record our gratitude to all those who contributed towards the growth of the Society. I would like to mention some of them specifically. They are:
a. All the members of CWS old and new who support the organization wholeheartedly with their tangible and intangible resources.
b. All the members of CWS Executive Committee who make sure to attend meetings of Executive Committee and spent their quality time for its growth.
c. Rourkela Steel Plant which has given us the land for the hospital, quarters on rent for our staff to stay, and for ongoing co-operation and support.
d. NIT Rourkela which is very supportive of our organization and hospital. They have given us always a preferential treatment.
e. St Gabriel International, Austria for their financial support to various projects.
f. St. Augustine, Germany for their support to CWS Activities.
g. The media and press personnel which gave us always positive coverage for our programmes.
h. All the suppliers who promptly execute our orders.
i. Our Pharmacy, canteens and sanitation departments which are outsourced and are doing a commendable service by facilitating patient care in the hospital.
j. All the consultant doctors of the hospital who are very generous with their time and talent for CWS activities.
k. All the Staff of CWS and CWS hospital who work day in and day out literally to provide quality service to the poor in slums and patients in the hospital.
l. Society of the Divine Word, Handmaids of Mary and Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit who support the organization by sparing their members to work in slums and hospital.
Once again on behalf of CWS family, I extend our gratitude to all those who have supported, helped and encouraged us in our endeavours.
Fr. Bennichan K Peter, SVD
(Secretary, Community Welfare Society, Rourkela)