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.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
First Steps towards a More Liveable Future
On November 30, 2010, 20-years old Chukhu Mary went to the Government Primary School, Rubdi. It was her first day in the school as a student. A dream she had nourished for years together had come true that day.
Mary had always wanted to go to school like her friends in the neighborhood, but she did not have a childhood. In 1998, when she was 10 years old, she was forced to live with her husband as his second wife. Her husband, Chukhu Kaya, whose youngest son was Mary’s age, had five children from his first wife. Mary’s father, Nabam Saha, had received eight Mithuns from Chukhu Kaya as Mary’s bride price, when she was still too young to remember. Her father had expired some 12 years back.
Mary learned to live with the Chukhu family, initially helping with the household chores. As she grew up, she spent most of the time working in the fields and jungles. She dreaded growing up, because her husband started making advances towards her. Mary, somehow, managed to stay away from him.
Since 2006, Mary had been approaching her mother and brothers requesting them not to let her stay with the Chukhu family. “I want to go to school”, she would say. She even implored her husband to let her go to school but he dismisses her, saying, “I paid your price to your father. You are my wife now and I will keep you as I wish.” Her brothers were helpless since this has been the tradition. The only way out was to pay back the mithuns to Chukhu family, but her brothers had no capacity to do that. Mary was contemplating suicide.
In 2009, Mary joined the Women Action Group (WAG) formed by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and came into contact with Punyo Rina who is working as the Project Supervisor. Mary shared her agony with her and got much needed encouragement for the first time from anybody. In one of the workshops, some women from Palin, who too were victims of child marriage, had shared their story. The story of their successful struggle encouraged Mary not to lose hope. She started participating in every meeting and training, but her husband did not like this. He started harassing Mary more than ever and started talking ill of other members of the women’s groups as well as of the FGA staff. Paradoxically, these defensive behaviors of her husband emboldened Mary to fight on with more determination. She made sure not to miss any program and managed to leave the house even clandestinely. During an exposure trip to Ziro, she shared her story and got sympathy and encouragement from everybody.
As Mary’s protests grew stronger, a compromise was made: Kaya will let go of Mary, but she had to accept Peter, his youngest son, as her husband. In return, Mary’s brothers agreed to bear the expenses for Peter’s education. As a token, they gave a cow, some chicken and traditional beads to Kaya. Chukhu Kaya, however, did not keep the agreement. He started making advances towards Mary again.
In the night of July 22, 2010 Mary had a fight with her husband when he forcefully tried to sleep with her. “I will complain against you to the women’s group and Miss Rina if you try to force anything,” Mary told him. This angered him and he snatched away her mobile phone. Mary somehow managed to escape from the house and spent the night in the house of Kaya’s eldest daughter, who was married and stayed nearby. Next morning, when she came back to her husband’s house, they had an argument again. Mary then went to Yazali to discuss about the issue with Joseph, Kaya’s eldest son. Joshep lives with his family at Yazali. Joseph could not give any concrete suggestion. “Do whatever you think is right,” was all he said. Mary then went to Yachuli to meet the local women’s leader. She allowed Mary to stay with her for sometime so that she could observe her true intention. Mary stayed at Yachuli for a month and convinced everbody that she was determined to fight against the system. It was then that they lodged a formal complaint in the court of the Additional Deputy Commissioner.
The first hearing of the case was on September 29, 2010. In the second hearing on October 16, 2010 the final verdict was given by the court. It was decided that Mary will be allowed to go to school. It was also decided that Mary will accept Peter, the youngest son of Kaya, as her husband. However, if Peter happens to marry any other girl, Mary will be free to choose her course of life. At the same time, if Mary happens to develop a relationship with any other man, her brothers will have to return the 8 eight mithuns, which was initially paid as the bride price.
Mary has got herself admitted to third standard in the village school. She attends her classes regularly, sitting with 9-year old children. She has won the first battle against the system that has oppressed women of her tribe for generations. The struggle continues.
Mary had always wanted to go to school like her friends in the neighborhood, but she did not have a childhood. In 1998, when she was 10 years old, she was forced to live with her husband as his second wife. Her husband, Chukhu Kaya, whose youngest son was Mary’s age, had five children from his first wife. Mary’s father, Nabam Saha, had received eight Mithuns from Chukhu Kaya as Mary’s bride price, when she was still too young to remember. Her father had expired some 12 years back.
Mary learned to live with the Chukhu family, initially helping with the household chores. As she grew up, she spent most of the time working in the fields and jungles. She dreaded growing up, because her husband started making advances towards her. Mary, somehow, managed to stay away from him.
Since 2006, Mary had been approaching her mother and brothers requesting them not to let her stay with the Chukhu family. “I want to go to school”, she would say. She even implored her husband to let her go to school but he dismisses her, saying, “I paid your price to your father. You are my wife now and I will keep you as I wish.” Her brothers were helpless since this has been the tradition. The only way out was to pay back the mithuns to Chukhu family, but her brothers had no capacity to do that. Mary was contemplating suicide.
In 2009, Mary joined the Women Action Group (WAG) formed by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and came into contact with Punyo Rina who is working as the Project Supervisor. Mary shared her agony with her and got much needed encouragement for the first time from anybody. In one of the workshops, some women from Palin, who too were victims of child marriage, had shared their story. The story of their successful struggle encouraged Mary not to lose hope. She started participating in every meeting and training, but her husband did not like this. He started harassing Mary more than ever and started talking ill of other members of the women’s groups as well as of the FGA staff. Paradoxically, these defensive behaviors of her husband emboldened Mary to fight on with more determination. She made sure not to miss any program and managed to leave the house even clandestinely. During an exposure trip to Ziro, she shared her story and got sympathy and encouragement from everybody.
As Mary’s protests grew stronger, a compromise was made: Kaya will let go of Mary, but she had to accept Peter, his youngest son, as her husband. In return, Mary’s brothers agreed to bear the expenses for Peter’s education. As a token, they gave a cow, some chicken and traditional beads to Kaya. Chukhu Kaya, however, did not keep the agreement. He started making advances towards Mary again.
In the night of July 22, 2010 Mary had a fight with her husband when he forcefully tried to sleep with her. “I will complain against you to the women’s group and Miss Rina if you try to force anything,” Mary told him. This angered him and he snatched away her mobile phone. Mary somehow managed to escape from the house and spent the night in the house of Kaya’s eldest daughter, who was married and stayed nearby. Next morning, when she came back to her husband’s house, they had an argument again. Mary then went to Yazali to discuss about the issue with Joseph, Kaya’s eldest son. Joshep lives with his family at Yazali. Joseph could not give any concrete suggestion. “Do whatever you think is right,” was all he said. Mary then went to Yachuli to meet the local women’s leader. She allowed Mary to stay with her for sometime so that she could observe her true intention. Mary stayed at Yachuli for a month and convinced everbody that she was determined to fight against the system. It was then that they lodged a formal complaint in the court of the Additional Deputy Commissioner.
The first hearing of the case was on September 29, 2010. In the second hearing on October 16, 2010 the final verdict was given by the court. It was decided that Mary will be allowed to go to school. It was also decided that Mary will accept Peter, the youngest son of Kaya, as her husband. However, if Peter happens to marry any other girl, Mary will be free to choose her course of life. At the same time, if Mary happens to develop a relationship with any other man, her brothers will have to return the 8 eight mithuns, which was initially paid as the bride price.
Mary has got herself admitted to third standard in the village school. She attends her classes regularly, sitting with 9-year old children. She has won the first battle against the system that has oppressed women of her tribe for generations. The struggle continues.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Lets hope for the best!
On December 11, 2010 (Saturday) an emergency meeting of Master Coordinating Committee [MCC] of Future Generations Arunachal [FGA] was held under the Chairperson, Mr. Byabang Rocket to take a decision on recruitment of full-time Executive Director, FGA. At first, a letter from Future Generations [USA] & from Mr. Nalong Mize was placed in front of the board members. The members who were attended in the meeting had a long discussion on criteria for the selection/recruitment of ED and finally following decision were taken in the house.
- A proper advertisement should be publish in newspaper. A deadline for receipt of applications was fixed up to December 31, 2010 and the recruitment process will be completed in the month of January 2011. Requisite qualities and experience was also clearly indicated in the advertisement.
- Selection committee was formed for the recruitment of Executive Director.
- Candidate's applications copy will be send to selection committee members for scrutiny.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Eco-Camp for Children
It was a welcome break from the monotonous routine of studying within the confines of the classrooms. And it was a gift on the occasion of the Children's Day!
Twenty seven students from ten government schools in Ziro packed their bags and trekked 15 kilometers east of Hapoli to the Pange forest. They were participating in the Environment Awareness Camp organized by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and Ngunu Ziro, supported by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) as a part of the project "Community-based Conservation in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh".
The ten participating schools included Tajang Secondary School, Dutta Middle School, TPD Middle School, Gandhi Middle School, Hapoli Secondary School, Hill Top Primary School, Siiro Primary School, Hong Middle School and Old Ziro Middle School. They carried out various activities designed to educate and entertain them in the forest under the guidance of the Local Coordinating Committee (LCC) members who were the resource persons.
The highlight of the program was demonstration of much misunderstood snake as a friendly creature. When the resource person caught a snake and started playing with it, the children's fear gave way to curiosity and then to pleasure when they were convinced that snakes are lovely creatures.
The three-day camp was full of explorations and adventures. Their findings in the day were presented in the evenings.
To mark the Children's Day in a special way, the students planted trees in the camp of the Forest Range Officer at Pange.
It was not all works, though. The evening camp-fires were the event the children as well the resource persons looked forward to after days activities. They danced and sang in the stillness of the forest.
When it was time to get back to the town, the children wanted more. They had to go back now, but more they will have in the coming days!
More details are here.
Twenty seven students from ten government schools in Ziro packed their bags and trekked 15 kilometers east of Hapoli to the Pange forest. They were participating in the Environment Awareness Camp organized by Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) and Ngunu Ziro, supported by Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) and Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) as a part of the project "Community-based Conservation in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh".
The ten participating schools included Tajang Secondary School, Dutta Middle School, TPD Middle School, Gandhi Middle School, Hapoli Secondary School, Hill Top Primary School, Siiro Primary School, Hong Middle School and Old Ziro Middle School. They carried out various activities designed to educate and entertain them in the forest under the guidance of the Local Coordinating Committee (LCC) members who were the resource persons.
The highlight of the program was demonstration of much misunderstood snake as a friendly creature. When the resource person caught a snake and started playing with it, the children's fear gave way to curiosity and then to pleasure when they were convinced that snakes are lovely creatures.
The three-day camp was full of explorations and adventures. Their findings in the day were presented in the evenings.
To mark the Children's Day in a special way, the students planted trees in the camp of the Forest Range Officer at Pange.
It was not all works, though. The evening camp-fires were the event the children as well the resource persons looked forward to after days activities. They danced and sang in the stillness of the forest.
When it was time to get back to the town, the children wanted more. They had to go back now, but more they will have in the coming days!
More details are here.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Community Protection of Wildlife
The Apatanis who inhabit the Ziro valley adjacent to Talle Wildlife Sanctuary are known for their expertise in management of their forests and other natural resources. Because their life is inextricably interwoven with forests and wildlife, they traditionally had sustainable way of harvesting the forest resources as well as hunting practices. With the introduction of firearms in recent years, however, wildlife in the area is being increasingly threatened.
A willife survey is being carried out in the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary by FGA with support from CEPF and ATREE. The survey utilizes the indigenous knowledge of the tribal hunters and scientific methods using GPS and infra-red motion sensor cameras. As a part of this project, an awareness workshop on community participation in wildlife protection was organized on October 23, 2010 by FGA, Ngunu Ziro, Apatani Cultural and Literary Society and the Department of Forests & Environment, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
The participants included village elders, leaders of the village council (Panchayats) and senior local officers, Preliminary findings of the Talle Wildlife survey was presented. The participants were concerned about the dwindling wildlife and passed several resolutions to control hunting activities.
More details are covered here.
A willife survey is being carried out in the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary by FGA with support from CEPF and ATREE. The survey utilizes the indigenous knowledge of the tribal hunters and scientific methods using GPS and infra-red motion sensor cameras. As a part of this project, an awareness workshop on community participation in wildlife protection was organized on October 23, 2010 by FGA, Ngunu Ziro, Apatani Cultural and Literary Society and the Department of Forests & Environment, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
The participants included village elders, leaders of the village council (Panchayats) and senior local officers, Preliminary findings of the Talle Wildlife survey was presented. The participants were concerned about the dwindling wildlife and passed several resolutions to control hunting activities.
More details are covered here.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Women only Workshop (WoW)
Yachuli
(Sept. 27-29, 2010)
By: ‘Identifying Best Practices’ Project team
A 3 days women only workshop (WoW) was conducted at Yachuli circle of Lower Subansiri district from September 27 to 29 last with the program of ‘Identifying Best Practices to Empower Arunachal Family’. The main objective of this workshop was to promote and expansion of women action groups (WAGs) in Yachuli area and to empower village women or mothers through self-reliant development.
It was organized by the Best Practices team of Future Generations Arunachal, lead by Punyo Rina, Project Supervisor in Yachuli. Takhe Meena and Kago Yam, Project Supervisors from other two sites of Koyu and Mechukha have also joined as staff facilitators. Pura Aiya, Project Coordinator, Best Practices accompanied them to coordinate the program which was conducted at ADC office conference hall in Yachuli.
Two senior women, one village welfare worker (VWW) and a women group leader from Palin, FGA old site have invited as community resource person in Yachuli to share experiences and to exchange new ideas were Matin Yalu, VWW of Hill-Top, and Takam Nyani, women group leader of School colony, Palin. Both of them have empowered by FGA, experience and expert enough in motivating other women groups and mobilizing community empowerment through learning by doing.
The three days workshop was enriched with the full of excitements by the facilitators through their varied experiences and commitment towards the empowerment program in community level. Length and breadth discussions on various important topics were covered up in this workshop which has incorporated by many interesting ice-breaking as well as role play, group drama and action songs etc.
As many as 30 women participants from villages of Yachuli area including Zath, Mai, Lumri, Toon, Block complex and Yachuli centre have enthusiastically participated this three days workshop. Some women from village come with their small baby, and few ASHAs were also there.
To know about the basic problems faced by the women in villages, the first day covers the sharing of pregnancy history by the participants, where it has observed that most of the women have less idea and no knowledge about ANC & PNC, Family planning and child immunization. On the basis of learning experiences, the following two days were used to cover as many important related topics as possible to input new ideas as well as knowledge to the mothers and village women.
Pregnancy care session was taken by Project Supervisors, Punyo Rina led the session; it covers on the following important topics:
- Briefing on right age of marriage, fertile age and healthy pregnancy etc.
- Risk moment at the time of delivery
- Balance diet from locally available food
- Direction of baby in womb- month wise after 3 (three) months of pregnancy by showing pictures in the chart.
- Safe delivery process
- Warm welcome to newly baby born
- Delivery of placenta
- Process of colostomy
- Cord cutting
- Importance of immunization: Rina continue by participatory methods of ASHA participants [shown pictures to relate immunization].
- Importance of Institutional delivery etc.
Kago Yam, Project Supervisor Mechukha added with briefing the topics and moral of the pictures.
Role plays on ‘Pregnancy care’, ‘Safe delivery’, and ‘Pneumonia’ have displayed by all the trainers, two volunteers from Rubdi village, Yazali and staff facilitators including Rina, Meena, Yam, Yalu, Nyani, Yall and Yama.
Matin Yalu, VWW (trainer) shared success stories- with experiences on before and after coming of Future Generations in Palin. She also reveals on following incidental facts:
- Diarrhea and Cholera epidemics in Palin before FGA intervention
- Improvement on individual and group after receive trainings from FGA
It was followed by Diarrhea topics, the session was taken by Takhe Meena, Project Supervisor, with the help of practical demonstration on local or home made oral re-hydration therapy system (ORS) added by Takam Nyani, women group leader, Palin (trainer). A very good response from the trainees on home made ORS as they did not practice earlier; particularly they were interested in cereal base ORS made of millet powder and rice soup etc.
Role of VWW was shared by Matin Yalu, VWW Palin (trainer) while Meena highlights and briefed on meaning and functions of VWW and Yam shared from her past experiences as some participants get interested to know more about formation and functions of women action group.
A session on formation of Women Action Group (WAG) was taken by Takam Nyani, group leader from Palin by sharing her experiences before and after join FGA women group and briefed on successes of their women group as follows:
- Bring unity and equity in the group as well as in the community
- Fund raising for an economic stability; they have more than a lakhs of amount in their group account and they have a vision or plan to open a School in the name of their group.
- Participant must feel proud for being selected either as a trainer or as trainee amongst other village women for getting opportunity to learn many new ideas.
- How an illiterate village woman become able to provide medicine and give trainings through learning by doing from training of FGA and practicing in the field.
- Cited a good example on importance of group as- to catch and hold a thing all fingers has to function or used.
Taba Yall, WAG leader from Rubdi village, Yazali shared on function of women action group started with WoW conducted at Kuch-Kuth village and formation of WAG and activities carried out so far.
Topics on Leadership quality was taken by Rina and Meena through group exercise by free listing of the leadership quality and presentation by respective group leader amongst the participants.
Yam added with different kinds of leadership quality as being sound of- mentally, physically, economically and spiritually, she also encourage the participants to acquire all those quality.
Pura Aiya, Project Coordinator, take a session on SEED-SCALE methods emphasizing the four important principles, describing the processes correlating in practical life. Rina added on four principles with examples of successes from Palin site.
Village wise work plan have prepared and presentation given by each village representative WoW participant from respective 6 (six) villages including Yachuli centre. The important work plans included such as:
- To conduct women meeting in their respective villages to share the learning experiences.
- To form as many women action groups in the village
- To conduct cleanliness drives in the village and cleaning of public water supply tanks.
- To maintain village connecting routes etc.
The participants have also cleared about the differences in functioning of government and non-governmental organization (NGO), particularly Future Generations Arunachal works.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Board Meeting
The half-yearly meeting of the board of Future Generations Arunachal (FGA) - the Master Coordinating Committee (MCC) was conducted in the SIRD Conference Hall on September 11 last. The staff implementing various projects presented their reports.
Later in the afternoon, the members discussed various issues that the organization is facing and chalked out steps to strengthen it so that the task of bringing about a sustainable development in the state is continued.
Hibu Tatu was elected as the Vice Chairman of the board. Two new members - Rakesh Shrivastava of State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) and Kabak Tani of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), who were selected in the last meeting joined this time.
Later in the afternoon, the members discussed various issues that the organization is facing and chalked out steps to strengthen it so that the task of bringing about a sustainable development in the state is continued.
Hibu Tatu was elected as the Vice Chairman of the board. Two new members - Rakesh Shrivastava of State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD) and Kabak Tani of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), who were selected in the last meeting joined this time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)