Social Development

Total Sanitation Campaign:

Poor hygiene, inadequate quantities and quality of drinking water and lack of sanitation facilities cause millions of the world's poorest people to die from preventable diseases each year. Lack of clean water and sanitation is the important risk factor in terms of global burden of disease, after mal nutrition. Women and children are the main victims. Orissa one of the poorest states of India since 1979. Orissa has a population of closed to 37 million of which 86% live in Rural areas(Census 2001).Less than 20% of the rural population of Orissa has access to protected water, less than 1% to piped water supply, and less than 5% to sanitation. The reason behind chronic poverty and under development in Orissa ,is due to non privileges of proper hygiene practice and proper sanitary provision in rural areas India it is found in early 90’s that ill-health and loss of productivity life are among the root causes. Over 80% of the instances of morbidity and mortality are caused by unhygienic practice an abysmal attitude towards disposal of human waste and the resultant wide spread contamination of drinking water. Lack of access to safe drinking water is a major cause of ill health and loss of productivity. Phasing water is traditionally is a major chore for women and girl children, adding to their long days of toil equally, if not more not important, for woman is the lack of access to sanitation facilities, especially in the plains and during the monsoon season. Caught in trap rural communities believe that they were destined to ill health and poverty. BISWA has striven to prove that communities can lead a healthy and dignified life by working together to address the issue of water supply and sanitation.

Socialization of Leprosy Cured Persons:

Padmashree Dr. Isaac Santra, an eminent Gandhian social worker established an Ashram for the persons affected by Hansen’s disease; leprosy; at Hatibari in the year 1951. The centre was named after the village; Hatibari Kusthashram which later came to be known as ‘Hatibari Health Home. After the demise of the great soul Dr. Santra in August 1968, the management of the Home came under the control of Hind Kustha Nibarana Sangha (HKNS), a national organisation working for identification, treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy cured persons having His Highness the President of India as its Chairperson and His Excellency the Governor of Orissa as its Chairpersons for Orissa state. The Sambalpur chapter is chaired by the Collector & District Magistrate, Sambalpur with the District Social Welfare Officer as the Secretary cum Treasurer and the Chief District Medical Officer as members along with other eminent social workers. The Home provides an opportunity to the leprosy affected as well as cured persons to lead a normal life with self-respect, dignity and without a feeling of being socially excluded. The infrastructure available at the Home, viz. the cultivable land, the industrial sheds (for black-smithy/ rope making/ tailoring/ handloom weaving),the Pisciculture ponds and the orchards provided them to work with confidence and an opportunity to lead a respectable and dignified life. However after the departure of the great soul, the maintenance of the infrastructure went down gradually with a deepening of morale, self confidence among the inmates. The situation was viewed seriously and discussed several time in a series of meetings of the management. Subsequently DHKNS advised BISWA to take over the productive utilization of the infrastructure available at the Home.

Present status at the Home:
Presently the Home has 192 inmates out of which 97 are male and 95 are females. Total strength of the Home is for 192 inmates for as mentioned below:

Vocational Training programme:

Functional Vocational Training Forum (FVTF) supports BISWA to impart vocational training programme as a Nodal Body. BISWA has involved 3 other NGOs in this programme and has a 275 number of trainees receiving training in different trades.

Basic Needs Program:

BISWA for overall development of 48 identified villages. Out of these 48 villages, 16 are presently covered and the rest shall be covered by another two years. The following thrust areas are identified and intervened to better the situation.

Environment Protection:

BISWA participates in the National Environment Awareness Campaign lunched by the Department of Forests and Environment, Govt. of India every year since last 6 years. Awareness regarding protection of environment is the main theme of the programme.

Plantation:

As a special measure to restore greenery in its operational area BISWA has undertaken intensive plantation. In its plantation programme special attention is given to replenish existing forest coverage and create new greenery in wasteland.

• Plantation of bamboo shoots in adjacent jungle of Jhankarbahali

• Plantation of saplings of in Budapada, Jhankarbahali, Tangarjuri and Rathipada

• Plantation of Lemon, Mango, Bamboo, Lichee, Guava, Papaya and Sisal fiber in 196 acres at Hatibari Health Home

• Plantation of Lemon saplings at Maneswar

• Extension of financial support to Budharaja Van Unnayan Samiti for plantation at Budharaja School campus and Budharaja Hill slope

Reproductive and Child Health (RCH):

BISWA has been implementing Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) program of Government of India through the Mother NGO, MY HEART of Bhubaneswar since 1999. The activities were carried out in 20 Grampanchayats of Sambalpur district, covering a total population of more than 80000. Till date BISWA has implemented programmes pertaining to Reproductive and Child Health benefiting more than 150000 population spread throughout the district. In Chhattisgarh, BISWA has covered Nawagarh block of Janjgir Champa district under its RCH programme. 375 households have been covered under 3 PHCs; Bargaon, Kukuda and Rigni. Baseline survey has been completed in the target area.

Ophthalmic Care:

1856 patients were treated in various eye camps in BISWA
1626 patients were provided with medicines for their treatment
840 patients were provided with spectacles (glasses)
362 eye patient were operated in the eye ward of district head quarters hospital
562 cataract cases also operated.

In a follow up, 94% were found to be successful operations. This activity was organized in collaboration with National Blind Control Programme and the Chief District Medical Officer.BISWA has entered into an agreement with BKMM Eye Hospital ,Dhenkanal for providing free cataract operation to the identified people.

Condensed course school:

Central Social Welfare Board has supported BISWA to establish and run a school to impart education to school drop outs/ non-enrollees belonging to age group 10-16. The course offered there is condensed and the target is only girl children. The school has been established at Jahankarbahali village, which is one of the focus villages of BISWA. As such the village is situated in remote and difficult area, under-served in terms of health and education. Health care is also taken care of by imparting training and establishing CBD center in the main village which also covers the hamlets.

Family Counseling Center:

The Central Social Welfare Board, through the State Social Welfare Advisory Board has been pleased to extend support to establish one Family Counseling Center (FCC) covering Sambalpur district. The Center was established on 1st March 2004. Within a short span of 1 month only, 4 cases were registered in the center, counseling provided and the subjected families are expected to overcome their differences to start all over again. As per the program component, two lady counselors have been appointed with adequate educational and professional backgrounds.

Swadhar:

Environment Friendly Plastic Recycling Unit for Beggars Rehabilitation:

BISWA has been supported by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India to establish one SWADHAR home for destitute women. The Home is meant to provide shelter, food, clothing, medical and legal assistance, counseling services and economic rehabilitation to the inmates. The Home has capacity of housing 50 inmates.

Since long BISWA has been working for environmental protection and now it has started thinking for waste management, especially for the non-biodegradable waste (waste plastic product). It has established an environment friendly waste plastic recycling unit in the outer periphery of Sambalpur town. The waste plastic materials collected from Sambalpur and others nearby town are being molded and transported to the other part of the Country for giving different shape. The unit gives special attention to create mass awareness on the 4Rs (Reuse/ Recycle/ Refuse and Reduce) regarding the plastic use in Sambalpur and nearby areas besides rehabilitating beggars. The target is to loitering-plastic free area and beggars free society.

Health camps:

Serving the Handicapped / Disabled:

Conducting Health Camps in different areas in its area of operation constitutes a major activity to ensure quality in health standards of rural people. Under this program, BISWA has so far conducted 76 camps in which almost 12000 persons have been checked up and have been provided with medicines at no cost basis. Special emphasis is always laid on population control, control of prevailing diseases in the specified area and common practices for healthful living in rural and urban slum habitat.

Innovative Schools:

Disability is not a curse but it can be healed with proper care and involvement of community. BISWA and District Disability Rehabilitation Center (DDRC) jointly organized a “Identification and Follow-up Camp on Disability” in different blocks of Sambalpur Districts. Both community awareness and Parent Counseling programme were conducted in these camps. In total 304 persons with different disabilities have been identified and have been referred to the District Treatment and Rehabilitation Center, Sambalpur.Aiming at furthering the goal of education, change and social development in Sambalpur, BISWA with the help of Asha for Education:a philanthropic trust in USA and our friends from USA, lunched 20 numbers of schools in the rural parts of its home district Sambalpur titled as "Innovative Schools" with the intention of undertaking, support and sponsor study and spread of education in its different facets.