Background

Focus of Work

Proposed Interventions

Background
The killer earthquake in the western Indian State of Gujarat which occurred on 26 January 2001, measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale played havoc with the lives of millions of survivors.

The Bhuj city, the quake’s epicenter, was almost razed to the ground, reducing all the houses into a rubble and debris.

Pune-based Community Aid and Sponsorship Progamme (CASP), the voluntary national non-governmental organization, rushed its team immediately to the quake-affected areas.

Relief materials in the form of blankets, tents, clothings, medicines, dry food and water were provided to the victims.

CASP also joined hands with the Medical Association and sent one orthopedic surgeon with a mobile hospital to Bhuj.

Taking note of the great tragedy, the 26-year-old NGO soon started working in 10 villages spread between Rapar and Bhachau areas.

Initially, some 650 children were identified and looked after at five day care centers each at Rapar and Bhachau base camps.

The centers provided nutrition, recreation materials, and Balwadi teaching materials. Counselling centers in stress management and coping mechanisms for trauma victims were also established, especially for women.

In the aftermath of the quake, CASP emphasized on confidence building measures among local people who were still in a state of shock and dazed.

In response to CASP appeal, both national and international humanitarian agencies and individuals extended quick support to start the relief and rehabilitation programmes, specifically for children in the quake affected area.

Subsequently, some of the agencies continued their support to sponsor these hapless children.

Today the programme for children is being continued to support their education and promote their health.

Starting with relief efforts in the initial stages of the quake, CASP switched gears towards developing long-term sustained measures for selected high-priority affected groups of people.

Orphaned children, pregnant women, and the aged who required immediate care were identified. With the help of CARE, an international organization, CASP launched a project to help children, especially orphans and disadvantaged children in Anjar, Rapar and Bhachau areas.

The overall objective was to help them rebuild their lives and shape their future in order to bring them into the mainstream society and not to institutionalize them.

This was achieved by providing services within the community and the family.

The CASP volunteers first carried out a survey of the quake affected areas, identified and registered the orphans (who had lost both parents) and the disadvantaged children (with one parent dead or disabled) in 115 villages of the three project areas.

Some 1003 children were identified out of which 623 were boys and 380 girls, their age ranging from 3 years to 15 years. Once the children were identified, their needs assessment was chalked out.

In addition, village profile in details with resource mapping was also undertaken by identifying resources such as schools, health facilities, local NGOs, local self help groups, religious institutions or any other local formal or informal institutions which could cater to their needs and provide overall support to these children.

• Rehabilitation of orphans
  
• Foster care
  
• Formation of self-help groups
  
• Community sponsored support
  
• Collaboration with other NGOs working for rehabilitation of children
  
• Recreation and creative workshop for children
  
• Educational and health support
• Enrolling sponsored children into schools
  
  
  

Proposed Interventions

• Enrollment of sponsored children in current year 2002-2003
  
• Identifying institutions to provide vocational training of sponsored children and needy women, especially in traditional crafts.
  
• Strengthening networking with other NGOs & institutions for the care and rehabilitation of children.