Annual Report

April 2007- March

2008

Offering Quality Services for the upliftment rural women and

children in Erode, Namakkal and Ssalem Districts of
Tamilnadu, India.

Admin Office: 7-C, Andikadu,

Vediarasampalayam Road,
Agraharam Post,
Pallipalayam. 638 008,
Namakkal District.
Tamilnadu. India.
Phone: 91- 4288- 240 212.
Fax: 91-424- 22 11 111.
E-mail: worded@eth.net , wordnkl@gmail.com

Annual Report April 2007- March 2008 1

 Web: http://www.word.org.in

Annual Report April 2007- March 2008 2

Our partners in Development
PWDS, Marthandam- India Alliance, New Delhi under the
funding support of GFATM Round 6.
Tamilnadu Corporation for Women Development Ltd,
Chennai
AIDS Prevention and Control Project
APAC/VHS/USAID, Chennai.
Terre Des Homes TdH- Nederlands.
INDUS Project/ GoI.
Community Based Care and Support Project
for the HIV/AIDS infected and affected
children in 4 blocks of Salem District from
1st September 2007.
Women Development Project
From August 2002.
Trucker’ Town Intervention Project
From April 2003.
“Blooming Buds Project” – An overall
development of children in 40 villages in
Namakkal Block.
Special Schools for Child Labourers.
From November 2004.
 South Central India Network for Development Alternatives 1. Community Based STD/HIV/AIDS
(SCINDeA) Intervention Program
2. Capacity building program on Disaster
Management, Mitigation and Preparedness on
Community Stakeholders
From October 2005.

Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association (TNVHA), District Facilitation Centre on Reproductive

Chennai. Health and Rights & HIV/AIDS in Namakkal
District.

Tamilnadu Health Systems Project, Patient Counselling Centres from December

Chennai. 2006.

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 From the Director’s Desk…..

Dear All,
Office, Siemenpuu Foundation, Finland,
I am extremely happy to meet you all again. ILO/GoI under INDUS Project for child
labourers, United Nations Office on Drugs and
WORD has crossed its eighteenth year of its
Crime (UNODC), Regional Office for South Asia
social service and entered in its twentieth year
(ROSA), New Delhi, TdH and SCINDeA
with great joy and fullest hope. With the rich
Network, Yelagiri Hills.
experience it has attained in the long path, we
do hope to carry the things forward with the
learnings blended with new innovations and
We also thank the support and co-operation
quality delivery of services to the public.
from all the government & non-government
officials in Namakkal and Erode Districts, local
On behalf of WORD and on my personal behalf,
elected representatives, co-working friends,
I would like to express my full-hearted thanks
staff team of WORD, consultants, auditors,
and gratitude to all those who have extended
lawyers, media friends, well wishers, volunteers
their financial, programmatic, organizational and
in the public and people in the local areas who
technical guidance to us in the due course of
extended their absolute co-operation and
time. Our thanks are due to our individual
support in implementing all our programmes
sponsors, funders, CORD-AID., Netherlands,
successfully and diligently with people's
PWDS-ALLIANCE., Marthandam-India,
participation.
Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association
(TNVHA), Chennai-India, LEISA Network.,
Thanks for all the co-operation and expect the
Trichy-India, AIDS Prevention and Control
same in the future too....
Project (APAC)-VHS-USAID, Chennai-India,
Tamilnadu Corporation for Women
Development Ltd, Chennai-India, Tamilnadu Socially Yours,
M. Renida Sarala,
State AIDS control Society (TNSACS),
Director.
Chennai-India, FHI/USAID, India Country

Annual Report April 2007- March 2008 5

 community based care and support program for the hiv/aids
infected and affected children

This project exclusively focuses for children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are being
supported by PWDS/Alliance under the financial support of GFATM round 6. The term
CHAHA represents “Children Affected by HIV/AIDS – Health and Happiness for All”- a
wish from child.

The 1st phase of the project from 1st September 2007-31st December 2007 was
implemented in Sendhamangalam, Mohanur and Erumaipatti blocks of Namakkal District.
Currently this project is being implemented in Sankari, Magudanchavadi, Edappadi and
Konganapuram Blocks of Salem district.

The children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and their families are being supported with
various direct services on health, education, psycho-social and livelihood assistances under
this project.

Till March 2008, the project has reached to 187 HIV infected and affected children.

women development project

With the support from Tamilnadu Women Corporation for Women Development Limited.
Chennai through its project implementation Unit at Namakkal under Mathi-II scheme, this
program is being implemented in Pallipalayam block of Namakkal District from August
2002.

Under this wide-ranging women empowerment program, the rural women in Pallipalayam
area are being organised into women self help groups (SHGs). There are 12-20 members will
be in a SHG. Till March 2008, 348 groups have been formed with 6261 rural women.

Each SHG is having their own savings accounts in the nearby banks and they were promoted
to practice the internal thrift and credit process. The women group members were being
given various intensive training packages including the induction and orientation training on
the concept of SHGs, leadership training, Entrepreneurial Development program (EDP),
Various Income Generation Programs like production of goods, Marketing strategies, various
vocational training programs, value added services to the products etc.,

The groups have started to manufacture their own products. Many group are involved in

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manufacturing house-hold things, vermi-composting, toys making, bamboo products,
garments, embroidery, chrosa works, glass painting, oil painting etc.,

Some groups have engaged in rural computer centres, co-operative milk societies,
readymade garment units, vehicular transport services etc.,

The women groups are instrumental in educating rural folk and the improvement of rural
economy. Through them we are reaching out the outreached sections of the society. Many
women groups are also helping to each other especially to the downtrodden and to those
affected and infected with HIV/AIDS.

Till March 2008, the women SHGs have got a loan of Rs 7, 63, 72, 600 from the Banks
under various schemes. The best thing is that the integration of the rural women in all the
project activities to overall development of the society.

truckers town

intervention project in namakkal town

With the support of AIDS prevention and Control Project (APAC) - VHS-USAID this
HIV/AIDS intervention project for truckers and Women in Prostitution (WIPs). Which the
profound high risk groups in the District of Namakkal are being carried out in the 10 km
radius of Namakkal Town since April 2003.This project has entered into the transition phase
from October 2007 – March 2009.

The truckers and the helpers are being given awareness on STD/HIV/AIDS through one to
one and one to group meet by the social workers. They are being given counselling by the
counsellors. Four counselling cum exhibition centres are being run by WORD in Namakkal.
Safer sex behaviours, correct and consistent usage of condoms, Treatment seeking
behaviours, early identification of STI, Treatment, Partner and Full course of treatment are
being emphasized for truckers.

Frequent Behavioural change communication (BCC) events by the means of street plays,
audio & video shows will be held in the vantage places where the truck crews and other
allied industry workers and the common people can get to know the exact information on
STI/HIV/AIDS.; Communication Campaigns have also undertaken with wall-painting, glow
as sign boxes, auto-sticker campaign, posters, handbills and through other relevant materials
and distributing of various innovative IEC/BCC materials.

Identification and promotion of peer educators are also an integral part of the program. This
includes intensive training for them, conducting district level and state level conventions for
peer educators to strengthen the network among the peer educators at the district and state
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level and to ensure the respectability to the peer educators, appreciate and recognize their
work; to improve the quality of services rendered by peer educators; to create a platform to
brief about their work, to exhibit the best practices and to analyze the problems faced by
them and to find out the practical solutions. Medical camps for WIPS will also be held at
regular intervals.

Condom promotion through strengthening the traditional outlets; Identifying and promoting
non traditional outlets and intensive training for the condom retailers are being given. Under
this program, the AMP/APP/RIMP Doctors, ANMs, Pharmacists were trained in
STD/HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Program. A good referral network has been
established with them for STD referral and to get proper treatment for the sexually
transmitted infections and thereby reduce the vulnerability of HIV/AIDS.

Till March 2008, 197935 truckers were reached through one-one, and one-group sessions
held for truckers.

blooming buds project

a overall development of children

Blooming Buds project which aims for an overall development of children in 40 villages of
Namakkal block is being implemented from September 2007 with the funding support of
Terre des Hommes-Nederlands. The project activities aim for the overall development of
children in terms of health, education, psycho-social and socio-economic development. A
residential school for 60 out of school children is being run by WORD in Namakkal under
this project. A vocational training institute offers training on tailoring and computer trade at
present. This vocational training institute aims to provide earning skills besides learning
skills. Considering the importance of socio-economic development, the socially and
economically deprived families are being given seed capital to initiate various income
generation activities. The formation of self-help groups and to link up with various
government support schemes are also the integral work under this project.

growing with the people program

( a socio-legal education for children & women)

The origin of the program is in continuation with the Child Workers and Mothers
Conventions organized by the Child Rights Forum (CRF - a net work of about 40 NGOs and
activists on child rights), which works on child laborers and for the welfare of the street
children in Tamilnadu funded by CORD-AID, Netherlands.

Educating the school and out of school children and women members on legal education and
social education to trigger their thinking about their rights and duties and enable them to
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become active partners in civil society building is the major aim of the program. Initiated by
CRF West Zone, this new program inaugurated on 19th January 2003 at Marialaya,
Coimbatore. At present there are 12 NGOs across the state are implementing the project.

Working closely with the legal-aid system, this program is being tremendous outputs among
the children and the people in the community in context of social thinking and for their
rights.

special schools for child labourers

Under INDUS project of Child Labour, with the financial assistance both from Government
of India and the United States Department of Labour and the execution by International
Labour Organisation, six special schools are being run in Pallipalayam and Komarapalayam
areas where the textile industries concentrated in Namakkal District. The six schools are
catered to 240 child labourers in the following areas:

1. Subash Nagar, Pallipalayam.

2. Amman Nagar, Pallipalayam.
3. Avathipalayam, Pallipalayam.
4. Chinnayakatoor, Pallipalayam.
5. K. Olappalayam, Komarapalayam.
6. Perantharkadu, Komarapalayam.

The child labourers in the special schools are provided with nutritious lunch and they have
been given intensive education at the transitional educational centres daily at par with the
Tamilnadu Government Education syllabus. Apart from the educational input, the skilled
teachers are teaching various skills on cultural, sports and games and fine arts.

Keeping in mind that poverty is the main cause of the child labour system in the society, the
parents of the children are being motivated to form as self-help groups to generate income,
build assets and move towards self-reliance. It also paved a way to spur the rural economy at
the village level. The efforts have been taken to enroll the child labourers who have got
through the final examinations.

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 scindea network activities

1. std/hiv/aids awareness among rural villages.

2. MICRO WATERSHED PROJECT

3. INTEGRATED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Under the South Central India Network for Development Alternatives (SCINDeA) network
the following two projects are being implemented from December 2005.

1. Mainstreaming of STI/HIV/AIDS in 15 villages in Pallipalayam Block with the financial

aid from Christian-AID, UK.
2. Microwatershed project with the funding support of BfH-Hungary.
3. Integrated Community Development Project with the funding support of EED, Germany.

STD/HIV/AIDS awareness programs, identification and promotion of peer educators,

identification of STD patients, HIV infected persons, referral services for medical assistance,
counselling services, condom promotion through establishing Non-traditional outlets in the
villages, conducting medical camps in the villages, Training program for Adolescent Girls,
School AIDS education programs (SAEP) are the main activities of the STD/HIVAIDS
program.

As WORD has previous experience in working with LEISA Network (KUDUMBAM) and
subsequently with Siemenpuu Foundation, Finland with empowering the Dry land Farming
Communities through Sustainable Agriculture Alternatives, WORD has got this Micro
watershed Project with the funding support from SCINDeA Network, Yelagiri Hills. This
project is being implemented in Kollapatti Village of Pallipalayam Block. The community
has been sensitized on micro-watershed concepts since November 2006. A 15 member Water
Management Institutions (WMA) and a 30 member User Group (UG) have been formed and
oriented them on watershed components. The participatory Rural Appraisal for the village
has been done. The meetings of the WMAs and the UGs are held regularly to plan for further
activities with technical input.

With the funding support of SCINDeA Network, Yelagiri Hills this project is being carried
out in 30 villages of Pallipalayam Panchayat with an integrated approach for the overall
development of the community. The program focuses with the wide range of integrated
activities on health, education, sustainable environment and improved socio-economic
initiatives for the families reeling under poverty.

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 district facilitation centre for reproductive health & rights
cum hiv/aids

WORD has been serving as the district facilitation centre for reproductive health rights and
HIV/AIDS in Namakkal District under the TNVHA network- a network of NGOs in
Tamilnadu with the motto of health through people.

Under this network, WORD co-ordinate the TNVHA network members on RHR and
HIV/AIDS components and to lead in front on the above said issues with sharing technical
expertise and resources. WORD also taking efforts to pool the resources and data on the
above said issues at the district level to effectively address these issues and to serve as a data
bank.

PATIENT COUNSELLING CENTRES

WORD is implementing Patient Counselling Centres in the two Comprehensive Emergency

Obstetric and New Born Care Service (CEmONC) Hospitals in Namakkal District
i.e., Trichengode Taluk Hospital and Namakkal District Head Quarters Hospital Namakkal
District under Tamilnadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP), Chennai by appointing three
counselors each in the above said hospitals.

Besides guiding the patients in Out Patients Ward, the counsellors render counselling
services for Anti-natal and post natal mothers, pre & post operative patients, patients with
hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardio-vascular diseases, carcinoma lungs/tobacco and
HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons through one on one/ group counselling in the
counselling rooms and the respective wards in the Government Hospitals.

Branch Office

186/1, Kavin Harsha Complex,

Nethaji Nagar II Street, Trichy Road,
Namakkal- 637 001.
Tamilnadu. India
Phone: +91- 4286- 220 280/220 478.
E-mail: wordnkl@gmail.com
http://www.word.org.in

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