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Sunday, January 23, 2011

Strengthening Community Data

One of the lessons that FGA has learnt is that the data on communities collected by the communities themselves are the most accurate and most useful. Village Welfare Workers (VWWs) working in partnership with FGA in various sites in Arunachal Pradesh have been keeping basic demographic and health records for more than a decade now. They are using the data they collect to prepare work plans. The records these village women keep also have become the most trusted sources of data, even used by government departments.

This mode of record keeping by the communities is being extended to the new sites where Best Practices Project is being implemented. After attending the Women Only Workshops (WoWs), the women leaders in many villages are already struggling to maintain several registers, with increasing perfection. A record keeping training was conducted for the leaders of the newly formed women's groups in Mechuka, under the leadership of Kago Yam, Project Supervisor. Takhe Meena (Project Supervisor, Koyu) and Anyak Mize (Project Coordinator, Sille) also participated in the training as resource persons.

Nineteen women from six villages participated in the day-long training. As the women were already exposed to the practice, the resource persons were impressed by the efficiency with which they picked up the idea.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Anniversary Picnic

The communities of Sille-Oyan area in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh organized the Anniversary Picnic in Sille Korong on January 4 last. Officers from various departments, Panchayat leaders of the area and selected FGA volunteers from Yazali, Ziro, Koyu and Mechuka were invited.

The Anniversary Picnic is arranged by the staff of the Primary Health Center, Sille and the community members to mark the occasion of starting the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh where FGA is managing the health facility. The health facility was handed over to FGA on January 4, 2006.

Groups of women led by the VWWs from Mangnang, Baro-Mile, Sille, Oyan, Sika Bamin and Sika Tode came with their contributions in the forms of local beer, rice, vegetable and so on. The Gaon Buras (village heads) of all the villages and members of the Rogi Kalyan Society (Hospital Management Society) proudly welcomed the guests.

It was a day of enjoyment and relaxation for the staff of the PHC and other project workers of FGA after all the works throughout the year.