Herbal training conducted...

One day training programme on Herbal medicines was conducted by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) at Rami camp under Koyu circle on 20^th September 2011. The training is the part of FGA’s project entitled “Identifying best practices to empower Arunachal families”, launched in 2008. The project aims to bring equitable and sustainable development through empowering communities to shape their future. In this regard, a series of training and awareness programme have been carried out in the FGA projected sites since 2008.

The main objective of the training was to generate awareness in the community about basic healthcare system and its management through locally available herbs medicines. Thirty-eight men, women including panchayat leaders from the surrounding area participated in the training program to enhance the quality of their lives using locally available resources based on local needs.

Earlier, Takhe Meena and Kago Yam, Project Supervisors, FGA briefed on the objectives of the training program which aims to build the capacity of the rural inhabitants to take the responsibility precaution to their own health and well being. They also highlighted on FGA’s programs and teaching method based on SEED-SCALE methodology emphasizing on four key principles. It is worth mentioned here that FGA is managing three PHCs one each at Sille in East Siang, Deed-Neelam in Lower Subansiri and Thrizino in West Kameng district.

The participants expressed their heartfelt grateful to FGA and to Smti. Y.J. Lego from farmer training center (FTC), Pasighat for imparting training program as a resource person.

To identifying the best practice for empowering the Arunachal families, the Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) Mechuka site conducted day long motivation training on 15^th September last. The aim of the training was to build the capacity of the local people focusing on women. The training covered topics on basic health care, income generation, conservation and above all impact of women empowerment. Altogether, 35 women from surrounding villages participated in the training. It is worth mentioning here that the Future Generations Arunachal is working towards equitable and sustainable development since 1997.

Community Dialogue at Deed

A sensitization meeting about the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project in health of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh was conducted at Deed today which was attended by all the Panchayat leaders, village elders and prominent citizens of the area. The meeting, chaired by Byabang Rocket, Chairman, Master Coordination Committee, Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) was facilitated by Dr. K. Basar, DFWO, Ziro and Dr. Tage Kanno, Project Consultant, FGA. The meeting discussed about the various aspects of the PPP project under which one Primary Health Center (PHC) in each of the 16 districts in Arunachal Pradesh is being managed by NGOs. The PHC, Deed-Neelam is being managed by FGA since August 1 last.

 Dr. K. Basar, DFWO congratulated the people of Deed-Neelam for having chosen their PHC for PPP in the district. He shared his experiences with PPP and informed that PHCs being managed by NGOs are comparatively better than those managed by the government. Arunachal Pradesh was awarded the best performing state under NRHM due to innovation with PPP in India, he informed.

 Ms. Toko Rich, ex-Chairperson of Lower Subansiri Zilla Parishad advised the management of FGA to provide quality service to the people and the PHC staff to discharge their duties sincerely. She also exhorted the communities to cooperate with the management for the greater interest of the people. Other leaders expressed their concern about the future of the PHC in the light of their bad experience in the past. They were also apprehensive that infrastructure development may be stopped due to management of the PHC by an NGO.

 Dr. Tage Kanno cleared various doubts and misunderstandings raised by the communities. He also informed that FGA participates in the PPP with three main objectives – to improve curative and promotive health care services, to increase community participation in the management of the PHC and to build the capacities of the people, especially the women in health care activities. He appealed to the participants to cooperate with the management in achieving the objectives. Unless the communities have a sense of ownership, any developmental activities cannot be sustainable, he said.

 In his concluding remark, Byabang Rocket said that FGA has been successfully managing the PHC at Sille since January 2006 and hopes to replicate that success at Deed-Neelam and Thrizino which FGA is managing since August this year. It is not only infrastructure but behavior of the people which should be used to measure development.

 It may be mentioned that the Government of Arunachal Pradesh had recently approved the management of PHC at Deed-Neelam in Lower Subansiri and Thrizino in West Kameng in addition to that at Sille in East Siang by FGA. The manangement of the PHC at Deed-Neelam was taken over by FGA on August 1, 2011 while that in Thrizino was taken over on August 4, 2011. The PPP project was launched by the Government of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005.

 FGA's plan to scale up the Mothers' Training program to these new areas have already been initiated.