Health Projects:

 We started our activities in the year 1989 as an entry point to the community, we started a small clinic in a very remote village where the medical facilities were totally denied. It was established in a right place to meet the people needs, this gave an good impact to our programs. People really appreciated our medical services and requested to open in many places. Within three years we extended our activities to 60 villages by having 6    health centers and one clinic. Through this we cater more than 50,000 people every year. The project was funded by SIMAVI, Netherlands for three years.

Education:

While we implementing the program we found that children education (even primary education) also denied in rural areas. Many children are bonded (PADIYAL SYSTEM) -i.e. for the parents ‘ indebtedness the children ,mother and father all have to work in money lenders’ land or house with less wages around the clock. There is no account system maintained, just oral agreements between them. They pay very less wages for their work. This is the advantage to the money lenders. This system existed in all villages therefore we started a research study on these problems and highlighted the issue to the Ministry of Labor, New Delhi and copy submitted to Governor, Madras. To this issue we started Non Formal Education to these children and drop outs in the villages in the evening hours and helped them to read and write, do some arithmetic’s, G.K., health and environment and nutrition education.

In the year 1992, we started an English Medium school and Day care center for Elderly people attached with Income Generation program in Brick Kiln programs (supported by Help Age India.) With the support of Aid to Artisans, U.S.A, 25 women folks are trained and employed in the center. We promoted the income of scheduled Tribes who are doing shoemaking process. 25 women folks trained in new skills with machine making shoes. Purchasing ready made leathers and designing in leathers and stitching in leather machines and selling in a shop. These 25 women were capable in producing leather crafts and sell it in the towns.

Anemia correction

The project was to correct anemia among school going children in the Kanchipuram district covering of 78 schools in 13 blocks, 6 schools from each block by 10 NGOs. Target children had been divided into control group and experimental group equally to test the intervention how effectively prove the nutritious food and ISM medicines helps in preventing anemia. Both the groups HB test was done among the children (VI-VIII) and intervention was planned in Experimental group by orienting the teachers, children and family members through group meetings, home visits and IECs and after 3 months. Control Group nothing was done. At the end of 3rd month we  did the Post test and saw 95% that anemic children found in the pre test was improved by nutritious food and de-worming. IRDRP is a member organization to Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association (TNVHA). In Kanchipuram District IRDRP acted as District Resource center for Anemia correction and control program.

Religious leaders training to reduce stigma and  discrimination on HIV/AIDs

This project is basically a Global level activity were IRDRP participated. In India our organizations had opportunity to do this program. With the support of CWS, USA  IRDRP organized four Zonal level workshop for the Church Pastors to create few posters to reduce Stigma and discrimination on HIV/AIDS. Posters were sent to USA for final competitions. 119 Independent church pastors participated in Tamilnadu Level.   Follow-up of this project, We had been trained 860 women Pastors in the Christian community, through them we would reach to 3,00,000 population over next 3 months. Church for Social Concerns implemented this program, which is the program unit for IRDRP to do religious project. This project has been supported by Church World Services, USA. More details see the report in the publication.


HIV/AIDS care and support

IRDRP received funds from TNVHA to implement HIV/AIDS care and support program. There are 12 NGOs covering 12 blocks in the District. IRDRP covers Tiruporur Block. Initially Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association provided a Masters training to INGOs and then the Master Trainers implemented the activities in the target areas. We organized 6 Training for self help groups and 2 support groups meetings with People Living with HIV/AIDS. In these meetings nutritional care and child development progress were shared with them.

 

Care and Support project to Orphan infected and affected by HIV/AIDS

There were number of orphans increasing in Namakkal District. As a follow of the research study had taken in the villages of Puduchathiram block, IRDRP planned to implement Care and support project to the care takers by providing milch animals, goats to improve the economic system. Drop out and adolesent girls and boys we had vocational training and helped to initiate small shops to them. Project supported by Elton John AID foundation (www.ejafuk.com)

 

Rehabilitation for women Living with HIV/AIDS:

Initiating a rehabilitation center cum skill training center for women living with HIV/AIDS (WLHADS) fulfilled our dream. More than often men are infected first and pass on the disease to their wives. The women are then widowed, disowned by both families and being generally unskilled find themselves with no public or social support systems to seek out, this along with the burden of caring for children in the face of a hostile society. Therefore IRDRP in an endeavor to provide a continuum of care including rehabilitation of these positive women would provide temporary short stay facilities for convalesce and skills training that would enable these positive women to lead a dignified and meaningful life to the extent possible. Persons infected with HIV with a major push towards community and home based services. The issue of social stigma and HIV would be examined in partnership with PLWA and addressed by home visits.

Advocacy:

HEART Human Education and Action For their Rights-Trust HEART is the program unit of IRDRP to implement legal activities and train people, NGOs, and other related people to know on human rights and remedies for human legal problems. HEART will take women rights, children rights, environmental issues, and other related problems.

 

 

Disaster projects:

Tsunami relief and Rehabilitation:

  CAF did Relief package of Food and house hold materials to 500 families in both villages. Mr.Istavan  CAF volunteer came to  coordinate the first phase of the tsunami relief activities. ETM sponsored this phase by donating 10.000 euros. Staff did psychological support to women and children who lost their head of the family members and children. Grief counseling and counseling to come out the situation was provided at community level. Medical services were co-ordianted through Hindu Mission Hospital doctors team. They screened sick people and provided medicines to them and referred chronic cases, bone fracture people and other diseases for continuous treatment to their hospital. Every month Hindu mission hospital visits both villages and treat them at free of cost. 

Cyclone Relief and Rehabilitation Project:

 IRDRP was proposed to implement cyclone relief and rehabilitation project in cyclone affected areas in Kanchipuram district. Two kinds of activities we proposed.

 

Promotion of Naturopathy and Yoga

Since many diseases were caused by chemical foods and pollution IRDRP initiated to promote disease free life by promoting Naturopathy and Yoga among the general public as well the medical practitioners. Project was supported by National Institute to Naturopathy, Government of India, Ministry of Health ,Dept.of Ayush ,Pune. We trained 60 medical practitioners and 30 self help groups leaders in 3 batches. We taught natural food, mud bath, steam bath, vegetable food values, preparing of natural foods, Yoga and diseases curing. Some of them now practicing in daily life.

Tobacco control Program in the state

All over Tamilnadu we are advocating for the ban of tobacco products sale, consumption and usage in the state. We have a state level NGOs networking and advocacy programs. We give training to NGOs heads, staff for the issues of tobacco products both health and social problems, enforcing the smoke free laws in the state through media advocacy and lobbying with the Government and Individual companies. 2nd Oct 2008 the Government announced that the smoking in private and public places is totally banned. This project we are doing through Tamilnadu NGOs Alliance for Control of Tobacco through national support organization of Advocacy forum for Tobacco control (AFTC).

Empowerment of Physically Challanged People in Kundrathur, Kanchipuram District

We have started forming self help groups for physically challenged population and working for their rights and welfare schemes tapping from the Government. We also conduct vocational training for them in Computer, Tailoring, Beautician course, Electrical and Elctronism courses in Kundrathur. We will form a community base organisation to fight for their rights and welfare programs.