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.


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.


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


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


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.


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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.


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.


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


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.


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”.

http://www.dcd.gov.ae/services.php#fr

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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/)

mailto:[email protected]

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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)


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.


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]

Follow us:

http://dishaaspeaks.wordpress.com

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


mailto:[email protected],%[email protected]

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