Awareness against addiction
SKDRDP in its experience has found that addiction to liquor is a major bane for poor people. To wean away the working class from liquor SKDRDP in support from the public has promoted Janajagruthi a movement against alcoholism. Under this programme awareness is created through village meets, house to house canvas, jathas and community deaddiction camps against alcoholism. In the deaddiction camps addicts are treated and counseled. This is one of the more successful social initiatives of SKDRDP.
The de-addiction camp is our founder plan to wean away the liquor addicts from alcohol at their doorsteps. Started in 1997, this has become one of the most demanded programmes through the co-operation of the community. For its success, an organizing committee consisting of respectable persons of the locality in constituted and the camp is run by the active co-operation of the community.
A camp is of 8 days’ duration and a team of experts does individual and family counselling in order to bring a change of mind in the addict. Besides the actual participants, local people also come to these camps, take part in the activities, become aware of the liquor menace and give up drinking by self motivation. The entire expenses of these camps are borne by the community and follow up programmes are organized. Nava Jeevan Samithi of the de-addicted are formed to help them lead a permanently -addiction -free life.
Activities of Jana Jagruthi Forum
House Visit and counselling: The village visits, house visits, family visits to create awareness against various types of addiction.
Swasthya Sankalpa: Awareness camps in the schools and colleges: undertake awareness programme at schools and colleges about health care, impact of drug addiction, cigarette consumption and tobacco chewing on the health.
Madyavarjana Shibira (De-addiction camp): Conduct ten days community de-addiction camp at village level. Special camps are also organized in de-addiction center at Belthangady.
Navajeevana Samithi: Groups formed by de-addicts who support later on to strengthen the Janajagruthi activities in their localities.
Field level monitoring: With regard to unauthorized production and sale at the shops and bringing to the notice of the concerned authorities.
Awareness creation: Develop the materials, pamphlets and documentary movies for display during awareness programme.
Prepare Case Studies: Develop the success stories, keep track of the development of the de-addicted persons.
Policy Advocacy: Liaising with the Government, submit the recommendation to the governing authorities regarding policy framing against alcoholic abuse.
Celebrate the special days: Recognise Special days like Gandhi Jayanthi day, World no-tobacco day, world health day and mark the importance of these days.
De-Addiction camps
The ten days camp is organized at the village level in a community hall/school building/ temple to detoxify the addicts and counsel them to leave alcohol. These camps are normally conducted with the help of village leaders and the forum members. The funds required for the camps are collected locally in the form of sponsoring the addicts. The Janajagruthi forum provides the required personnel like the camp officer, counsellor, doctor, nurse, yoga specialist etc., They also provide the manual for conducting the camp. In these camps the addicts are treated, trained and introspected. They are made to realize their follies. Then they meet their own family members with a clearer vision. There after the situation becomes emotional.
On each day of the camp three to four sessions are held to sensitise the members about adverse effects of the alcohol to human body. The addict’s attention is drawn towards the loss they have incurred so far while spending money on liquor which otherwise would have been invested in income generation activities. Individual attention is given to all participants. One to one counselling sessions are arranged to understand their problems and give proper solutions. Subjects on family coherence, children education, importance of savings and investments, religion spirits and customs, bhajans are taught. Opportunity is given for exhibiting their talent in the evening sessions.
The camp ends with the formation of a Navajeevana Samithi consisting of the de-addicts.
Navajeevana Committee
The de-addicted members form a small group called ‘Nava Jeevana Samithi’ to monitor the members not going back to addiction. The committees are supervised by the resource persons deputed by SKDRDP. In the six-month period immediately after the camp the members meet once in a week. Normally they do bhajans, share their experience, discuss their problems and development and express solidarity.
‘Shourya’ - Relief work during disaster
In times of disasters such as earth quakes, landslides, floods and in times of emergencies like drowning, snake bite, road accidents etc. time taken to respond greatly affects the severity of the disaster. An early action after disaster can save lives and property. Creating a local cadre well skilled and experienced in disaster management can address this situation. To cater the above needs, SKDRDP has developed cadres of volunteers well trained in managing different types of disasters in different geographies of the state.100-200 volunteers are selected for each taluk unit committee and trained by NDRF and Department of fire in Mock drill exercise mode in which volunteers get expertise to fight in any sort of disasters. Each volunteer undergone training is provided with a certificate after completing the training. Each taluk unit is equipped with 34 types of equipments such as stretcher, life jacket, ladder, fire extinguisher, safety helmet, chain saw, first aid kit etc. The volunteers undergo refreshment workshop in which Rtd. soldiers, Rtd. policemen, doctors, social leaders give training.
The skilled team trained and ready to take up relief activities in this programme is named as ‘Shourya’ disaster management committee, Dharmasthala. This programme is designed in such a way that the disaster management activities are taken up in association with nation level, state level and district level Disaster Management Authorities, National and State level Disaster Rescue Forces, departments of police, fire and health. These volunteers are not only having expertise in disaster management activities, say swimming, trekking, climbing etc., but also having the contact of hospitals, police and fire departments, taluk and district administrations, political and local leaders, organisations involved in social activities and key officials and are having the knowledge of the person to be communicated based on the incidence. Under this programme, Disaster Management Coordinators, Disaster Management Volunteers, Rapid Response Force, Masters and Captains are identified at different levels and state level disaster management forum is formed.
Janajagruthi forum, PBG-SHG Federations, PBGs, SHGs and JLGs, Navajeevana Committees, JVK centers, Swachchata Senanis, Disaster management experts, other organisations, general public, volunteers etc. are all put together to form ‘Shourya’ disaster management committee. This programme is taken into action in association and coordination of National level, state level and district level Disaster Management Authorities, Tehsil level disaster management committee and disaster management committees formed by Dist. collector. Experts such as swimmers, boat operators, tree climbers, welders, mechanics, snake catchers, divers, drivers, electricians, first aid experts, speakers, masons, tailors, road accident and fire accident handling experts etc. become the part of the volunteers team.
Numbering about 3,000, these volunteers have provided a lot of service during last two years in times of the land slide in Dakshina Kannada, floods in other parts of the state and during COVID pandemic. Called as team “Shourya” these volunteers are supported by SKDRDP in discharging disaster relief measures.