Works

ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY ORGANISATION FOR PROSPERITY, EDUCATION & NURTURE DURING THE YEAR 2021

Organisation for Prosperity, Education & Nurture (O.P.E.N.) began with the aim to help people in need, irrespective of their caste, creed, religion or backgrounds.  When we talk of need, the enormity of the various needs is vast and opportunities and resources limited.  However, we began with providing training to women and girls in villages for handicraft work, extended to community health, mother and child welfare, development, education, earthquake and other relief works. 

In the present pandemic, we have learnt new ways and means to extend our help to people far and near.  As a wise man wrote long time ago, “Be thankful for your struggles in life, because without them you may not have stumbled across your strengths”.  So, with God’s mercy O.P.E.N. has been striving to strike a balance between the imbalance of needs and resources for the communities we serve.

PHILLIP MEMORIAL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

While we served the communities in community health field, a need was felt to provide education to our future generations, to bring amongst them awareness, so that they could grow into fruitful trees that would be able to bear much fruit in times to come. Their learning would enlighten them to break free from the shackles of ignorance and disperse the darkness around in our society and widen its thought process. With this aim, Phillip Memorial School began in 2011 with five students.  On 31^st December 2019, the school was registered and recognized as Phillip Memorial Junior High School.  We have generally catered to students hailing from the lower income, socio-economic background families.  During the recent pandemic, the number of students on roll has dwindled and it has been really challenging to continue the school.  Presently we have classes from Playgroup to Sixth. 

During the COVID protocols, the school managed to continue to provide lessons to our students through WhatsApp, give homework, obtain responses, carry out corrections and advise parents and students of the mistakes. The new academic session 2021-22  was to commence from April 2021 but due to the second wave of COVID, Schools were closed from 10^th April 2021. Many students had neither turned up nor responded to telephonic messages and left school without paying up any fees.  Coaching classes after 10^th April 2021 were started again for the students with the consent of parents from September 2021.

In December 2020 the School Annual Programme was conducted online (couple of photographs are given below).  Despite the limited resources and without much practice, the students performed very well.  Later in January 2021, on Republic Day all teachers attended unfurling of the National Flag in school and then on Independence Day on 15^th August 2021, students of Class VI joined us on the school campus for flag hoisting and singing the National Anthem and our students again performed at homes and shared their performances with us, which were uploaded on YouTube. On 19^th December 2021 the Annual Programme was held in the school, where after two years students could perform on the stage.  The parents were also very happy to see their wards performing and enjoying.  Some of the photographs on various activities are appended.

DISABILITY INCLUSIVE LIVELIHOOD INITIATIVES PROGRAMME   (DILIP)

The aim of this programme is to create means of reducing poverty and building self-esteem, which is the underlying source of all growth, nation-building and contentment in life. It is closely connected with basic human rights. Development can be sustainable only if it is equitable and inclusive.

The programme too was affected badly by COVID-19 pandemic with lockdowns and the spread of infection interrupting the follow up of families.   We encourage persons with disabilities to get involved in livelihood activities so that they can be supported by resources, knowledge, skills and networking so that they are able to live life to the fullest, despite their handicaps.  Selected beneficiaries are from a mixed background with varied disabilities, age, occupation, skill, location and interests.

Despite the lockdowns, our Disability Co-ordinator visited families and was able to conduct a survey, wherein she has identified three families that could be helped out through this programme.  Mr. Mohit Chauhan of Pithuwala and Mr. Sehban of Harbhajwala are both Polio patients.  Zakira, of Mehuwala Naya Nagar suffers from mental issues. 

COMMUNITY LAY LEADERS’ HEALTH TRAINING COURSE (CLHTC)

The last two years have been very challenging and painful all over the world and India too has faced the brunt of COVID-19.

In the year 2020, 33 candidates were able to complete the first contact programme of CLHTC and due to the COVID Protocols their 2nd and 3rd contact programmes could not be conducted.  Meanwhile in 2021 “COVID SURAKHSHA COURSE” for 300-plus CLHTC candidates who had completed their training uptol 2019 was conducted online and books were provided to them to study at home which they have completed through the on line training  and also completed the assignments which were checked and forwarded to CMC Vellore by the  Cluster Training Officer. 80% of the candidates have done the course.  The remaining 20%  candidates who were unable to do because of network problems, are working hard to complete the same.

During April to June 2021 the Cluster Training Officer was able to go to the villages to encourage the CLHTC trained people who were providing health services to the villagers and provided them with  Covid Relief/Prevention Kits and Rations to 128 candidates. We also arranged to send by post the Covid Kits to 112 candidates where it was not possible to go.  A couple of photographs are attached. 

COMMUNITY HEALTH PROVIDERS’ COURSE (CHPC)

CHPC is a shorter course than CLHTC and provides the community workers some basic training in community health. In the midst of the two pandemic waves, during March 2021, we managed to conduct Contact Programme-1 of six days each in two batches.

The first training was conducted in Dehradun in which 17 trainees from various parts of Rishikesh participated. The second training was conducted at Gurugram wherein 24 trainees from various parts of Punjab, Delhi and Haryana attended.  Later COVID kits and ration kits were also provided to these trainees as were provided to the CLHTC trainees.

Mental Health Project “BURANS”

Under guidance and supervision of Dr Kaaren Mathias, a public health physician specialising in community mental health, BURANS.commenced on 1st June 2014, which is a community based mental health initiative. ‘Project Burans’, a partnership project with Emmanuel Hospital Association and the Community Health Global Network, Uttarakhand Cluster (CHGN-UKC), is an initiative to bring some hope to people with mental disorders. Our organisation OPEN is one of the three partners working in Dehradun.

Our team in Burans is working with communities in Raipur Block of District Dehradun. OPEN’s Burans team consists of a Programme Officer, three Community Workers and three Community Volunteers.

This project focuses on :-

•  Increasing knowledge and help-seeking behavior among community members and people with mental disorders
• Facilitate access to care and strengthening of government services for people with mental disorders.
• Rehabilitation and support to people with mental disorders and their caregivers – including in developing their own pathways to wellness.

DISABILITY INCLUSIVE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME  (DILIP)

While working in the villages for BURANS Mental Health Project and the programme on Rapid Assessment of Disability (RAD), our team came across people with disabilities who did not have any livelihood, which aggravated their pathetic condition.

In order to provide them an opportunity to be able to make a livelihood, which was sustainable, OPEN extended their support through the Disability Inclusive Livelihood Therapy Programme (DILIP). After survey, we took up two villages under this programme i.e. Harbhajwala and Mehuwala in the Raipur Block of District Dehradun. Under this programme five families of disabled persons were contacted and the possibility of their being able to carry on some trade/business was discussed with them. As per the willingness of these families, we gave them training in agriculture, goat rearing, poultry farming and kitchen gardening. 16 persons underwent the trainings.

Tools for kitchen gardening, seeds, plants, chicken and cages for the chicken and goats were provided to these families. Our team visits them and assists and guides them in improving their livelihood.

PHILLIP  MEMORIAL  SCHOOL

An initiative of O.P.E.N., at Phillip Memorial School we are providing good primary education in a secure atmosphere for the budding citizens of India.  The student-teacher ratio is most appropriate, whereby one-to-one guidance, encouragement and help is provided to the little children studying here. 

We are trying to provide them opportunities to blossom in a spacious, lush green environment with ample space to learn, play and inter-act with one another, bringing out their inherent talents in studies, games, singing, dancing and acting. Majority of children belong to the lower income group socio-economic background families.   On 19^th December 2017 we held our Annual Programme.

Skits, dances and message of peace were the themes of this event. Our Chief Guest appreciated the programme and encouraged each and everyone for the wonderful performances.

On 26^th January 2018 after Flag Hoisting, the school had its Sports Day.  Art and craft activities have also been carried out regularly. On 17th February 2018, we celebrated our Arts and Crafts Exhibition, where all parents were invited.  Prizes were given on this day to children of the Sports Day event in front of their parents and gold and silver medals were given to students who stood first and second respectively.

COMMUNITY  LAY LEADERS’  HEALTH TRAINING CERTIFICATE  (CLHTC)

The Contact Programme Health course for Community Lay Leaders is conducted at Herbertpur Christian Hospital and Landour Community Hospital, Mussoorie. 37 lay leaders enrolled in the course and completed the course. All these candidates were given certificates and bags with some medicines to help them in their work in the field.

Apart from this flash cards were provided to them as teaching aides as well.
21 lay leaders have joined the program in Herbertpur Christian Hospital. 18 Lay Leaders are currently attending the training at Landour Community hospital in Mussoorie.

Group photographs  –  Herbertpur  and Mussoorie

Valedictory Ceremony 2019 for the trainees who had successfully completed the training was held at CMC Vellore.  47 Lay Leaders who were trained at our two centers and completed the course last year were given certificates during the valedictory ceremony by Christian Medical College, Vellore.

Phillip Memorial School   :   

We are providing good education in a secure atmosphere for the budding citizens of India. The aim is to provide an opportunity to the weaker sections of our society to bring up their children so that they can face the challenges of life with confidence and valour.  Presently we have classes from Playgroup to Class IV. The student-teacher ratio is most appropriate, whereby one to one guidance, help and encouragement is possible.  Besides studies, students are provided opportunities to come-up in a spacious, lush green environment, with ample space to learn, play and inter-act with one another, bringing out their inherent talents in games, singing, dancing and acting.  Teachers also actively participate in all activities.