“Little Drops Life Helpline”

ManipurManipur

Overview of ManipurOverview of Manipur

Difficult location, partially isolated in the Northeast region of India Violent separatist insurgency, several militant groupsHighly affected HIV/AIDS zonesIncrease of drug addictionDepleting natural resourcesLack of aid and development

* Detailed Analysis at end of Presentation

Overview of Chandel, ManipurOverview of Chandel, Manipur continued continued

Difficult living conditions: hilly, rainy, and lack of suppliesLand disputes, struggle for leadership, and religious conflicts“No Industry Category”

High unemploymentBad economic state leading to poverty

Lack of aid and development: Shortage of waterShortage of power/electricityNo plumbing

‘‘Little Drops Life HelplineLittle Drops Life Helpline’ in Manipur’ in Manipur

Why? Due to the various circumstances of Chandel, and Manipur as a whole, there are a number of poor children They belong largely to poor and marginalized families, conflict victims, drug addicts, and HIV/AIDS infected families In order to enable these children to live better lives, they need a stable home and educational supportLittle Drops decided to start Basileia Children’s Home to provide the support needed to orphans and poor children who could otherwise fall victim to their circumstances

‘‘Little Drops Life Helpline’ in ManipurLittle Drops Life Helpline’ in Manipur

How?Basileia Children’s Home

Currently provides a home and supports education for 35 childrenRecently purchased 15 acres to build a new home

Little Drops Health ClinicServes the public through medical consulting, providing medicines and blood sample collection for disease diagnostics

Basileia Children’s HomeBasileia Children’s Home

DormitoryDormitory

Currently we have three dorms; one for girls, one each for younger and older boysIn our new home we wish to construct two large dorms; one to house 50 girls and 50 boys eachOur new dorms can be constructed to keep damp air and other weather conditions out We hope to have beds and some form of insulation to keep the dorms warm and the children safe and healthy

Our dorms are simple wooden constructions and the children sleep on the floor

The children also use the dining hall to do their school workWe would also like to have an in-door area large enough for the children to focus on their school work and extra curricular activities

Study AreaStudy Area

Today, the children work on their class activities on the floor outside their dorms

We need a dining hall, large enough for all the children and preferably sheltered from the weatherWe will also need a kitchen and store room for our new home

Dining HallDining Hall

The current dining hall where children eat their food

Water SupplyWater Supply

Our water supply, for bathing, drinking and cooking, is insufficient The amount of water we get each month usually does not lastSo when it rains, we collect rain waterOur new home has a patch of wet grass lands, abundant with water from a nearby stream, where a well could be easily constructed to provide a sufficient water supply

Currently, we pay for water which is filled in 300 litre tanks by water tankers

Toilet / WashroomToilet / Washroom

In our new home we wish to provide clean, non-hazardous bathrooms for boys and girls, separately

The current bathrooms are not very hygienic and very inconvenient

TransportationTransportation

The Chandel district is hilly and rainy , making it difficult and unsafe for the children to commute to school by footWe would like to have a vehicle, preferably a school van, so that the children can get to and from school safely

Currently the children walk to school

The Support We RequireThe Support We Require

Funds to develop the new homeOur current space (which is rented) is becoming cramped and unhealthy as more children come to the homeWe recently purchased 15 acres to build a new homeWe need help to develop the land

New Facilities:Two separate dorms; one for 50 girls and one for 50 boysClean , hygienic and non-hazardous bathroomsKitchen, Store room, Dining hallChapel

Fencing for the safety of the children

The Support We RequireThe Support We Requirecontinuedcontinued

Water Supply The construction of a well in the newly acquired land

A generator for a reliable source of ElectricityWith a well and power generator it is possible to provide simple plumbing which will greatly enhance hygienic conditions with regards to drinking water, bathing, cooking, and cleaning

Transportation There is no transportation for children or for emergency purposes Today, vehicles are being borrowed from members of community in times of needA van would be extremely useful for the same

New Land for Basileia Children’s HomeNew Land for Basileia Children’s HomeA View of the Newly Acquired LandA View of the Newly Acquired Land

New Land for Basileia Children’s HomeNew Land for Basileia Children’s Home

The wet grass land at the new land would be ideal for a well

Analysis of ManipurAnalysis of Manipur

Analysis of ManipurAnalysis of Manipur

Manipur is a state located in the Northeast region of India, bordering Myanmar (Burma) Manipur lays in the midst of hills and valleys and due to its geographical position and natural boundaries access to Manipur is limited A separatist insurgency in Manipur began in 1964 and developed a violent momentum in 1978 There are currently 34 groups and organizations, including non-violent ones, that demand independence from India Some consider Manipur “the worst case scenario in the north-east as far as militancy is concerned” (HRW); there are thousands of individual militants

Analysis of ManipurAnalysis of Manipurcontinuedcontinued

The Chandel district is one of the tribal districts of Manipur which is situated in a hilly and rainy geographical region There are more militant groups in the state than anywhere else in India, at least seven prominent groups operate in Manipur, and rivalries have begun amongst these groups which has lead to greater violence and lack of development The insurgent groups are not united and often demands of one group will jeopardize the integrity of another groups demands, leading to conflict Apart from all this, Manipur as a state is in an alarming situation with regard to HIV/AIDS problems

Analysis of ManipurAnalysis of Manipur continued continued

It is one of the most highly affected zones in the world There is also an increase of drug addictions due to the nearby poppy fields which are destroying individuals lives and families

Analysis of Chandel, ManipurAnalysis of Chandel, Manipur

Analysis of Chandel, ManipurAnalysis of Chandel, Manipur continued continued

Chandel, a district in Manipur, is located 64km from the capital city of Imphal Access to Chandel is difficult due to poor road conditions, frequent rainy weather, and road blockades The Chandel district , where Little Drops Basileia Children’s Home is located, lacks electricity, there is a shortage of drinking water, and zero plumbing to maintain sanitary conditions

Analysis of Chandel, ManipurAnalysis of Chandel, Manipur continued continued

There is no hospital or clinic in the area which can test blood on site (Though Little Drops Life Helpline Clinic recently opened and can collect blood to be sent to Imphal to be tested) According to a National Security Council report, the Chandel District was declared a “No Industry Category” and “amongst the most backward and poorest districts” of the country The Government of India once recognized the tribal's of the district as “primitives” Since few industries have developed in Chandel, the main occupation is agriculture (‘shifting cultivation’ which is jokingly said to require farmers to work 13 months a year)

Analysis of Chandel, ManipurAnalysis of Chandel, Manipur continued continued

People of the district largely depend on the forests and its products for their livelihood In Chandel, as in the rest of Manipur, there is a general disturbance of underground groups which destabilizes and paralyzes the areaAbsence of value based political education amongst the people, party politics and factional politics, have been misleading the people, resulting to inter and intra community conflict According to members of the Chandel community, “the value of living together, concern for one another, and traditional friendship is deteriorating”

Analysis of Chandel, ManipurAnalysis of Chandel, Manipur continued continued

Other attributes to the present situation stem from land disputes, struggle for leadership, and religious conflicts People are being deprived of their rights; rights to work, education, food and water, health and various privileges and opportunities like happiness and peace