SISTER CONCERNS (ILU/ILC)
International Leprosy Union :-
International Leprosy Union (ILU) was founded in 1986 by voluntary organizations and leprosy workers from over twenty developing and developed countries. The founders realized the need for linkage and networking to eliminate leprosy and mainstream the leprosy affected in society. Today, ILU is a leading NGO in the field of leprosy eradication. It is admirably supported by the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation, Japan (SMHF). Leprosy as a disease impacts not only those afflicted by it but also their families and those cured of it. The Government of India had declared leprosy a public health problem. Yet, unlike other public health problems leprosy continues to induce large scale superstitions and false notions among people. ILU has been working to address these issues and provide rehabilitation and treatment to the leprosy affected and their families.
ILU sponsored 213 leprosy affected children in the year 2006-2007. It provided education assistance to children and organized personality development camps and visits to educational centers. With the support of SMHF it distributed copies of a book on assistive devices to 500 leprosy colonies, approximately 250 NGOs, interested individuals and nearly 100 journalists and m adhyamdoots (journalists involved with ILU in raising awareness of leprosy). It also produced a booklet of “ Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) on leprosy in five Indian languages viz. Bangla, English, Hindi, Marathi and Oriya. The book is a useful tool for grassroots level workers and the affected people in dispelling myths about leprosy. Keeping in mind the goal of complete elimination, ILU sought to raise public awareness in the states yet to achieve complete elimination. It published 48 articles/advertorials on leprosy in 25 newspapers in the states of Bihar , Chattisgarh, Delhi , Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal . The union involved 20 journalists (referred to as madhyamdoots ) in raising awareness. The journalists wrote 56 local language articles for leading newspapers in the states of Assam , Bihar , Chattisgarh, Delhi , Karnataka, Maharashtra , Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal . Radio announcement were also made in the state of Madhya Pradesh . A creative writing workshop was conducted in Pune and Goa with the support of Shri Ventakesh Madgulkar Pratishthan , Pune. 100 emerging writers from rural areas were sensitized and oriented towards writing about leprosy and HIV/AIDS. To spread information at the grassroots level, 72 l okadoots carried out mass awareness campaign in sixteen districts of six states viz. Bihar , Chattisgarh, Delhi , Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal . The campaign reached out to 229 schools and 102 villages benefiting 20,000 students and approximately 1.5 lac people. Two programs were also organized in Mumbai and Ahmedabad to felicitate lokadoots , NGOs and government officials working to eliminate leprosy and reinforce their commitment to the cause.
All mentioned states except Maharashtra are yet to achieve complete elimination.
The International Longevity Centre-India (ILC-I) :-
The International Longevity Centre, India (ILC-I) is a non-profit organization working towards healthy, productive and participatory ageing. Established in 2003, ILC-I works towards promoting better understanding of the issues and concerns of ageing population. It works in areas of education, training, research, media, documentation and advocacy in collaboration with the government, corporate sector, NGOs and the civil society. It also undertakes pilot projects for the elderly. The center is a member of the Global Alliance Network of the International Longevity Centers, whose members include Argentina, Dominican Republic, France, Japan, Netherlands, South Africa, UK and USA. Over the year ILC played host to various international conferences and meets including the Asia -Pacific Roundtable on ‘Elder Abuse' (in collaboration with the Government of Western Australia, the Government of India and HelpAge India ), t he Annual Board meeting of the Presidents of the ILC Global Alliance, a Colloquium on ‘The Status and Role of Women in an Ageing Society'. It also co-hosted an international meeting of selected experts in the field of ageing with UN International Institute on Ageing, Malta.
To build the capacities of NGOs to effectively address the needs of the ageing population ILC-I organized a workshop on ‘Volunteers Bureau' for training volunteers from the northern regions of India . The workshop was organized in collaboration with the National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Another key workshop organized was on “Recreation for the Care of the Elderly” with the support of the Department of Science and Technology, GoI. ILC-I conducted r esearch on “Crimes against the Elderly in Pune, Delhi and Mumbai” and “Demographic Profile of the Elderly in India ” with the support of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It further designed and developed an undergraduate course in “Geriatric Caregiving” which is a pioneer initiative in the field of ageing in India . Across other units.
CASP Mumbai continued to look after the elderly with the support of Bombay Community Public Trust, Mumbai and A.C. International Child Support, Denmark . The unit continued to operate the Day Care Center at Worli Koliwad and initiated a new center at Andheri in Mumbai. The centers catered to the needs of 80 senior citizens and looked after their health, provided psychological support and provided inputs to keep the elderly current with the times. Refreshments and nutritious food were provided to the participants through the community kitchen. To enable the elderly to stay healthy, the centers networked with KEM Hospital and HelpAge India who provided health services to them and with Larsen & Toubro Co. who provided financial support. Various activities like yoga sessions, daily prayers, picnics, sports competitions and festival celebrations were organized for the beneficiaries. The elderly also participated in an outreach program for senior citizens organized by CASP Mumbai and the Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Larsen & Toubro Co., Nerolac Paints and Bharat Petroleum were some of the companies that supported the initiative. |
