Thursday, May 8, 2008

Sewa Sandesh 107: 8 May 2008

From Editor's Desk

The devastating cyclone in Myanmar has left whole of human society agonized as the fresh reports are coming up from the Military ruled country. It is time that people around globe respond to this challenge and reach out to the affected with resources at disposal for providing succor to the affected.

However, the Military regime will have to open up a bit for allowing aid from all across without any reservations. During such calamities and the relief, we believe, that all kinds of politicking and diplomacy need to be abandoned for saving life and providing a helping hand to the suffering and the afflicted. Sewa International has responded with an appeal with a wish to reach out to the cyclone affected. As this is being published, reports of an impending cyclone in Myanmar are hounding the people in that country. In the meantime the massive earthquake in China has bruised the whole of Asiancontinent with a toll mounting to 50000.





Counsellors' Training Class For the Counselling Centre in Delhi

A three-day counsellors' training class for a counselling centre proposed to be set up in Delhi, was organized by the Rashtriya Sewa Bharati in Delhi between 18th April to 20th April, 2008. Urbanization and modern lifestyle have taken toll on not only the well off classes but the masses also from the Jhuggies (slums).

This programme was guided by resource persons with vast experience including Smt. M.C. Pankaja, coordinator Prasanna Counselling Centre, Bangalore (A project of Hindu Sewa Pratisthan), Dr. Prameela, Dr. Prashanth and Shri Dilip Patel (Trainers and Consultants, Prasanna Counselling Centre). Representatives of Rashtriya Sewa Bharati including Shri Kulbhushan Ahuja, Shri Brij Mohan Sethi, Shri Ajay Kumar, Shri Kishan Chand Gupta and Shri Suresh Agrawal were present on the occasion. Representatives of Sewa International including its Secretary Shri Shyam Parande and senior coordinator Shri Naveen Prasad were also present there.

In the begining Smt. Pankaja told in brief about the activities of Prasanna counseling centre. While discussing the various problems of childhood and adolescence she said that understanding the behaviour of a child or an adolescent was the most important job of school teachers and parents. Shri Dilip Patel told the participants about the qualities and skills of a good counselor. He said that right attitude, positive outlook, commitment towards service, understanding the feeling of the client, listening to the problem carefully, refrain from being an advisor, lending a helping hand to the client were the qualities of a good counselor.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. Prameela told about the mental health of a child. She said that development of a child’s brain started when he/she was in the mother’s womb. She told that parents were the first teachers. They were the role-models for children. Therefore, it was the duty of parents to set some parameters before the children. She said that money, emotions, eating habits, traveling/touring, time management and loneliness of a child were some important things that should be taken up seriously by the parents. She also told that meditation, positive attitude and yoga could help a person to maintain his health well. Such persons did not need any kind of help from a counselor.
Dr. Prashanth said that, infact, mentally ill people were not mad as it was believed. He said, “10-20% of the population suffers from mental disorder of some kind or the other.” He told about drug-problems and its impact on the individual and society. He pointed out that the stress, escape from problems, activating body and brain, curiosity and peer-pressures were the reasons behind that. “It creates financial problems, encourages committing crimes including suicides,
causes mental and physical disorders and ultimately increases the hardships of the family”, he added.
As a follow up, the trained counselors are planning to start a counseling centre in Delhi that would be run by Sewa Bharti Delhi.

UTKAL BIPANNA SAHAYATA SAMITI: HELPING THE HELPLESS PEOPLE

The organization came into existence with a promissory note to help to the helpless, to give hope to the hopeless during the hard days of natural calamities like cyclone, flood, earth quake & fire etc with the help of handful of committed volunteers representing from the every nook and cranny of the state. This organization has been working for the poorest, needy and destitute since 1982 for rendering yeoman service for social elevation and upliftment. During the last 3 decades since its inception this organization has undertaken a plethora of activities to address the need of the people. A few of them have worth mentioning. Further this organization also extends social, educational and medical support to the remote rural people in different districts of Orissa.
1. Sushruta Swasthya Sewa Prakalp (Mobile Health Unit): This noble initiative has been undertaken since last 4-5 years to mitigate the sufferings of the poor with mobile medical unit. This unit is comprised of one medical expert along with two other assistants with one ambulance. The prime job of the unit is to bring the health service at the door step of the people in the inaccessible areas to render them relief. It is needless to mention that its result is really highly commendable. This unit provides free consultancy and medicines.
2. Sushruta Swasthya Sahayata Kendra (Patient Aid Centre): This unit has been working since last 4-5 years in different leading medical colleges and hospitals to help the poor and ignorant patients for their treatment and early recovery. This unit has gone a long way in providing surgery, blood infusion in addition to the free medical supply arranged by the organization from different sources. Due to the sincerity and the devotion of the unit the medical service has been geared up to the maximum for the betterment of the poor patients. The volunteers maintain the vigil round the clock for such Herculean task.
3. Health Camps: Apart from the above programmes, the organization has undertaken some spectacular work to widen its horizon in organizing health camps in different localities of the state covering all age groups for detection of different diseases and providing remedy. As a part of sensitization and awareness, the organization has been organizing the blood-grouping and blood donation camps. This programme has yielded good results. The Government has been very much impressed upon the organization and entrusted the work of organizing regular health camps at Damia Barbara in the District of Khurdha in every alternative week. After a thorough
observation of the organization’s work it was overwhelmingly resolved to set up a mega health camp at Chakapada in the district of Kandhamala between 8th April to 10th April, 2006 where in 511 Doctors and paramedical workers rendered their services to a large number of patients.
4. Balmiki Shiksha Yojana (Single-Teacher School): During the year 2006-07, the organization had taken care of 3262 students under this unit in the districts like Malkangiri, Jagatsinghpur and Khurdha realizing the ground realities of the social structure and their need at social at grassroots level as every thing shall be futile without proper self-supporting education. It is another step to add to the development of the society.
5. Sri Jagannath Niketan (Orphanage): Under the umbrella of the organization, there are 3 orphanages under which 69 inmates are enjoying their education, care and protection with homely bliss. To be clear, the orphanage cares to prepare them self- reliance and self-dependent living as a respectable person of the society with cherishing hope. The organization spontaneously entitled these orphanages as Sri Jagannatha Niketan, not to make them feel segregated.
6. Matrunilaya (A Home for Abandoned New Born Children): This unit as the emissary of love, affection, care and protection takes the unwanted and abandoned new born children to its blossom to promise them motherhood and fatherhood. Matrunilaya is the outcome of such a noble thought and spirit. It came into existence during February 2006.
7. Sewa at Bhubaneswar (Multi-Purpose Treatment Centre): In order to enhance the
longevity of life and healthy living, the organization has initiated Yoga centre along with acupressure treatment at Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar. A large number of people have thronged to this centre for enjoying the benefit. It works as a keystone in Orissa to support this kind of service spread all over Orissa. This centre also extends Physiotherapy, Naturopathy and Homeopathy for promising better living standard of the people.
8. Training Programmes: In order to strengthen, the Self Help Groups (SHGs), the organization has organized an orientation programme on micro-finance and smooth management of the group with option of suitable trades conducive to different localities. Besides that, training of the experts on Yoga, Naturopathy, Acupressure have also been conducted. Apart from this, vocational training on sewing and stitching as life line has been extended to women beneficiaries. As such, the organization has been able to run 13 sewing centres in the districts of Malkangiri, Baragarh, Naupara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghgpur, Khurdha, Puri and kendrapara to boost the household economy of the people and to enable them to live as a contributory member of the
society.
9. Sampurna Gram Vikas Yojana: The progress of the country really depends on the development of the villages. As such to realize the right spirit at the right place, the organization moved rural remote areas of Orissa and chalked out plans, programmes with holistic approach for renovation, reconstruction and restoration of rural arts and crafts land reforms, scientific cultivation by organizing periodical training, orientation and awareness camps etc. Further more, the organization has also undertaken the activities for afforestation, soil conservation and disaster management for creating herbal gardens to boost the rural economy. Besides that, the Samiti makes the people aware of sanitation, health hazards and healthy living.
10. Sewa during natural calamities: During natural calamities, the Samiti rushes to the spot to rescue the person in danger caused by flood, cyclone or storm, fire or furry or any road accidents or communal riots. During the last monsoon period i.e. 2007 due to heavy rainfall the rivers were overflooded and played havoc to millions of people in the districts of Bhadrak, Balasore, Jaipur and Mayurbhanj, UBSS volunteers and medical teams were in service to serve the patients under critical conditions and to check the epidemic.
11. Patanjali Yoga Kaksha: On the first floor of UBSS building, this Kaksha was inaugurated on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti, on 23rd January, 2007 by Shri Mohanrao Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah of the RSS in presence of Shri Surech Soni, Sahsarkaryavah of the RSS, Shri Shyam Gupta, Sanyukta-mahamantri of the VHP and many other eminent persons.
12. Yoga & Naturopathy Training Camp: A Yoga and Naturopathy training camp was organised from 21st to 27th September 2007. There were 27 participants from all over Orissa. Dr. Salila Tiwari, Vice President of International Naturopathy Organization (INO) and experts from the different parts of Orissa were the resource persons of the training camp. There were seven hours of class including lectures and practical on each day. The participants were trained to live in a hygienic way in harmony with nature.
13. Naturopathy in Swadesh Mela: In order to make the people aware of the nature’s gift to mankind and nature’s cure to diseases the Samiti made a stall on “Naturopathy” at Swadeshi mela organized at Bhubneshwar from 11th October to 17th October 2007.
14. Blood Donation Camp: On 9th October 2007, on the occasion of Gopabandhu Jayanti with the assistance of Red Cross Blood Bank, the volunteers of UBSS organised a blood donation camp. There were a total of 39 donors including 13 ladies. The orderliness of the arrangements at the camp was highly appreciated by the authorities of Red Cross.
15. Shelter House at Narua: The coastal belt of Orissa, particularly Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara are severely cyclone-prone. Keeping this in view, UBSS decided to make shelters at different locations and accordingly has constructed a shelter of 10 sq ft in village Narua which is close to the Bay of Bengal, UBSS is shortly going to start a permanent project for the rural orphans in the village too.


AAROGYADOOT
Mata Balak Utkarsh Pratishthan is working in Sangola taluka of Solapur district for last 29 years. Looking to the problems in proper clinical support to the pregnant women and new born child, this organisation has conceptualized a project viz. Aarogyadoot, under which such patients will
be checked and advised for proper medical care. Seva Sahayog has raised Rs. 9.75 lakhs for the vehicle under this project from U.V. Patel Foundation. Sevavardhini has provided total onsultancy from selection of vehicle to handing over fully equipped vehicle to MBUP.

SEWA INTERNATIONAL’S
MYANMAR CYCLONE APPEAL, MAY 2008

The terrible cyclone Nargis, occurred over the Bay of Bengal on May 3rd 2008, struck Yangon and other parts of Myanmar at wind speeds of about 192 kilometers per hour within a diameter of 240 km.. The cyclone almost totally devastated the former capital Yangon for over 10 hours from early Saturday to noon. More than 30,000 people have been killed in two divisions of Yangon and Irrawaddy and about 40,000 are still reported missing.. The villages are the worst
affected where lakhs of people have become homeless. "More deaths were caused by the tidal waves than the storm itself.” The roads of the city were strewn with uprooted trees and electricity poles while roofless houses were ringed by large sheets of water in the Irrawaddy River delta, regarded as Myanmar's rice bowl.
Sewa International (SI), an international charity with a network in about 20 countries including US, UK, Canada, Australia etc has decided to serve the victims of cyclone in Myanmar. In the past, Sewa International had undertaken relief activities in major disasters such as Super Cyclone in Orissa in December 1999, Gujarat Earthquake of January 2001, Tsunami of December 2004 (India and Sri Lanka) and Jammu & Kashmir Earthquake of December 2005, and also served the Katrina victims in the USA. These activities ranged from providing immediate medical treatment, shelter, and food to the victims and also providing them permanent accommodation, vocational assistance, psychological succor over a long period of time.
Sewa International has a good network of volunteers and like minded people in Myanmar, who will be instrumental in conducting these relief operations to serve the cyclone victims. It is a matter of concern that the lack of food, water and shelter in the delta and the diseases spawned by Cyclone ‘Nargis’ may add to the miseries of the affected and hence the need for an urgent help from all over the world. SI intends to send a team of Doctors of National Medicos Organization (NMO), who has readily accepted to volunteer for SI to help the needy. SI also
intends to distribute essential relief materials such as mosquito nets, cooking kits, clothing and other essential commodities as per needs.
SEWA INTERNATIONAL, DELHI launches this appeal to help and provide relief to these unfortunate victims. Your support will help reduce the sufferings of these people in the cyclone hit Myanmar. Sewa International will help the cyclone victims to bring back life to normal with the help of its team of volunteers and like minded people in Myanmar.

For further information please contact:
Telephone:+91-11- 23232850, 23684445
Email:
sewainternationaldelhi@gmail.com ,
Website: www.sewainternational.org
Please send your generous donations to:
SEWA INTERNATIONAL
49, Deendayal Upadhyay Marg ; New Delhi – 110 002
"Now the Sangh has to take social responsibility. We have to turn to the soceity and will have to go to different sections of the society with creative outlook. Saying that we have a family, parents, wife, children, business or job and have to earn money to run the family, is wrong. This would not bring any change in society. This is our responsibility and we have to fulfill it at any cost".
-- Bala Saheb Deoras
SEWA INTERNATIONAL DELHI PUBLICATION
sewainternationaldelhi@gmail.com

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