HEALTH PROMOTION PROJECT IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH - CONTINUATION

FINAL REPORT, SEPTEMBER 2016

THE TERM OF PROJECT: AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2016

ORGANISATIONS: POLISH MEDICAL MISSION (POLAND) & SEVA KENDRA ARUNACHAL EAST (INDIA)

COORDINATOR AND TRAINER: MARIA STRZEMIECZNA

PROJECT IMPLEMENTERS

Maria Strzemieczna is a polish sociologist and nurse, working with different communities of Arunachal Pradesh since

2012. From 2014 she has been realizing health promotion programs as a member of the Polish Medical Mission with

cooperation of other polish volunteers. Her local partner organization is Seva Kendra Arunachal East (an Indian NGO

working for development of society of Arunachal). At present Maria Strzemieczna is a PhD student in Warsaw

Medical University.

The project was conducted in Venerable Uktara Bethany College in Namsai. VU College is an Educational Institute for

study, established in 2013. At present, it is has three branches of studies in Art (history, political science, sociology,

English) and Commerce.

HEALTH EDUCATION PROJECT – CLEAN HANDS FOR ALL STUDENTS

This year the health promotion project was realized in a T4T (training for trainers) convention. The Project started

with training for 49 students in the fifth semester in Bethany College in Namsai. Training was divided into three

parts. First part was preparing for public speaking – specifically overcoming the fear of being in front of the public.

The aim was to encourage all students to try to face the situation - also those who were usually avoiding this kind of

challenges. The second part of the training was theoretical - students got to know about problems connected with

child mortality, disease prevention and hand washing programs which were conducted in previous years. The Last

part of the training was made in small groups of 7 students - they prepared their own plan for health awareness

program. The groups work continued and was monitored on special sessions.

The Culmination of the project was, classes in primary schools in the area where students of College become the

trainers for school children. . Four schools were visited and 386 pupils took part in trainings.

Students gave classes about disease prevention, hygiene and showed how to make tippy taps. The tippy tap is a

hands free way to wash your hands that is especially appropriate for rural areas where there is no running water. It’s

a very cheap (the cost of one tippy tap is 30 INR ) solution for making hand-washing easier and saving water. The

construction is so simple that even children can make it by themselves. The idea of tippy taps started in the eighties

by Dr. Jim Watt in Zimbabwe. Since then many similar programs were created in Asia and Africa (more:

www.tippytap.org).

The training was welcomed by all participants, students, school children and teachers. In the evaluation students

wrote that preparing their own plan and conducting the program was a very beneficial experience. As they hadn’t

done similar projects before, they appreciated the possibility of training in teams, attaining working skills and

participating in something which was and is important for communities.

The college authorities are planning to continue the hand-washing program conducted by students in October.

WORKSHOP IN PUBLIC SPEAKING

200 students (from College and School) divided into smaller groups participated in a 4 hour- training about

overcoming public fear. Workshops were made in interactional methods – working in groups and pairs, using of

videos and presentations. The second part of training was not only practical exercise of speaking in front of the

group, but also the opportunity to reflect about one’s own identity with students, specially identity connected with

living in Arunachal Pradesh.

In the feedback students described the workshop as an important step towards overcoming public fear. For some of

them the training was the first opportunity they had ever had ,to speak front of others.

PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE PROJECTS

This year’s experience can be a pilot study for future projects. It showed that this kind of programs can not only be

an efficient way of conducting health promotion campaigns, but also a good method of giving students an

opportunity to practice important skills - like team work, planning of projects, cooperating with local communities.

Some modification can make the program even more effective. In future this type of programs (trainings for trainers,

peer education) can be expanded to other important areas. As a research for future projects, a survey about

reproductive health was conducted among college students. Results are at present being analyzed. Another

important topic for youth in Namsai area is drug abuse.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the seven states of Northeast India. It’s a very interesting

part of the country, ethnically and historically different from the main part of India.

Because of ethnological and political reasons Arunachal has been isolated from the

main part of the country. The restrictions for outsiders from settling in certain areas of

Northeast - including Arunachal - was started by the British in XIX century to preserve

indigenous culture and protect the tribal society from exploitation. Currently even

Indian citizens who wish to enter this land need to have a permit. Thanks to this

politics, Arunachal remains the state with the lowest population density (17 people/sq

km in comparison to 381 people/ sq km in whole India). Arunachal community is

extremely diverse: according to Scheduled Tribes Lists, there are 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes in

Arunachal - all with their own language, tradition and culture. Apart from these tribes of origin of east and south

Asia, there are also minorities from the main part of India (Adivasi from different states, Bihari, Bengali).

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the poorest states of India - almost 34,6% of people live below the official poverty line

there (for the whole country its 21,9%). The main source of income in the area is agriculture and wood industry.

One of the main problems of the area is communication - poor road conditions and lack of public transport. Many

villages are left with practically no connection with bigger centers, especially during rainy seasons.

Difficulties with communication are connected with many problems, like lack of access to professional medical help

and it makes it more difficult to get higher education. In this situation of difficult access to healthcare centers, health

education, prevention of illnesses and improving knowledge about first aid has become crucial in improving the

health of the society.

Because of racial and cultural differences people from Arunachal and other parts of Northeast often face

discrimination in main part of India.

GALLERY FROM PROJECT

Class in school

Training in school

Students with school children and tippy tap

Workshop in Public Speaking

Work in groups

Workshop about identity - What is cool in my district?