Building resilience in children at risk, enabling them in their vulnerable situations, is the main focus of BREADS development interventions with children. From our experience, we believe that children can overcome most negative conditions, provided that the child’s vulnerabilities are compensated by a protective environment. Through multipronged and rights based approaches, BREADS projects have tried to establish an enabling environment for vulnerable children; where they are encouraged to open up and enjoy opportunities for participation, growth and development.
Breads implemented Projects for children which addressed both curative and preventive aspects. These projects are being
implemented across different locations in Karnataka and Kerala states of India, where the children’s rights to childhood and education were precluded. These projects not only provided protection and an enabling environment for the vulnerable children but also stimulated the community people, duty bearers and policy makers to take part in child protection and child rights promotion activities. Our strategies include rescue operations, short-stay homes, home reparation, institutional rehabilitation, child protection mechanisms, advocacy, education skill trainings, accompaniment and foster care Education is our key strategy which includes both formal and informal methods focussed on the less privileged children.
MAZDOOR SURAKSHA YOJANA
Mazdoor Suraksha Yojana is an initiative of Workers India Federation and Labour Commission of Catholic Bishops Conference of India, which is an insurance linked pension scheme for unorganized workers especially in the field of Agriculture and self-employed or daily laborers.
It is a government guaranteed retirement pension scheme named Swavalambana having central government subsidy of Rs. 1000 per year with a minimum contribution from the pensioners such as Rs.100 or above up to Rs. 12000. ASWS with the support of Workers India Federation enrolled 543 members from the unorganized sector to this scheme. The members can go for death claims as well as accident claims. Those who complete 60 years can avail their pension amount back.
SPARSHA - Cancer Awareness Program
SPARSHA is a campaign against cancer under the banner of Caritas India, New Delhi. The power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, or the smallest act of caring is so profound that it has the potential to turn a life around. This is very much the charism of SPARSHA by which we instill hope in the people battling against the disease of cancer. The aim of this campaign is to create awareness, detection, treatment and prevention of cancer in operational areas of ASWS under the Diocese of Bhadravathi. The methodology adopted in this manoeuvre is emphasizing the change in the lifestyle of the people which will effectively serve in striking the ailment.
Amidst this pandemic many webinars were organized to alert and inform the people about the grave nature of this illness and the ways to fight against it. The beneficiary list of this campaign has a universal nature as it is open to all. Also, as the government relaxed the lockdown regulations many camps were organized in our operational areas.
The cancer detection camps were conducted with the help of the Palliative Care Centre run by MSSS and moreover the compatible hospitals and organizations came forward to be part of this noble endeavor. We have a strong team of the volunteers who are instrumental in carrying out the functions of this program in an effective manner. It consists of animating the people of the villages to support this virtuous cause. The volunteers training programs, Strategic meetings with like-minded organizations etc. are organized on a regular basis for the effective functioning of the awareness program.
Organic Farming and Kitchen Gardening are the two initiatives which are held in high regard as it enables the people to have healthy food and life style. The free distribution of the organic seeds serves as impetus to cultivate vegetables in their gardens and open spaces. Along with these efforts the suffering people are provided with psychological and spiritual counseling both in offline and online manners.
Community Health Programmes
Health is a state of complete physical, social, and mental well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Within the context of health promotion, health has been considered less as an abstract state and more as a means to an end, which can be expressed, in functional terms as a resource for everyday life. It is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capabilities. ASWS initiated different programs in the health sector with our focus mainly on the prevention of diseases, awareness creation, promotion of holistic health, and rehabilitation.
Sight to the Blind (Eye Camp)
Eye is an important organ and people must pay attention to keeping it in good condition. Keeping this in mind ASWS in association with the Indian Vision Institute – Chennai; organized the ‘Sight to the Blind’ programme with the aim of detecting different issues relating to eyes. This programme was organized at different villages of our diocese. It includes N.R. Pura, Tharikere, Arahatholalu, Gouligere, Umblebylu, Rippenpete, Induvalli, Iduvalli, Anavatti, Bommankatte etc. The eye specialist, Dr. Padmanabhan along with his 3 member’s team was a helping hand to ASWS to conduct the eye checkup. Under this programme more than 9650 beneficiaries got their eyes tested. Among these 2870 people were diagnosed with eyesight problems and they were given the needed specs freely to them. Bishop Mar Joseph Arumachadath took active role in organizing this meaningful program. At some places Dr. Padmanabhan was also present to distribute the spectacles. With collaboration and support of Indian Vision Institute – Chennai, we have conducted such programs at different locations which have benefitted many people
BLOOD DONATION CAMP
Blood, it is a gift we all have inside of us to give to those who are injured, sick, or in need. ASWS makes people aware of the importance of Blood Donation and that through this noble act; they could potentially save precious lives. Keeping this aim in mind ASWS formed Blood Donation Armies at different parishes in collaboration with the youth association of the diocese. As a joint venture, we organized blood donation camps in 5 places.
Awareness Workshop on Lifestyle Diseases and Preventive Measures
Today more and more people are falling into the trap of various lifestyle diseases like obesity, heart attack, diabetes, hypertension, (High blood pressure) depression and even cancer. Lifestyle diseases, as the name suggests, are caused by lifestyle habits, and hence they can be prevented by following simple changes in day-to-day life. What is more concerning is that the occurrences of these diseases are becoming higher among youth and even small children are affected by the same. Blame it on a hectic and tight busy work schedule, smoking habits, alcohol abuse, sleepless nights, skipping meals, spending long hours in front computers and unhealthy diets and quick bites at coffee bars.
COVID-19 Emergency Response Programme
Anugraha Social Welfare Society together with national and international funding partners have scaled up operations to fight corona virus in our 2 districts of operation, providing dry ration kits to 44314 poor people, 17250 cooked meals to migrant laborers, distributed 22314 hygiene kits and distributing 2,660 safety kits to frontline workers. ASWS has also circulated IEC materials for the communities through social media to prevent the spread of corona virus. It helped the people to stay safe.
Protection Gear for Frontline Workers (PPE kits)
The frontline workers (including Asha workers, Village Health Volunteers & field workers) are supporting the government to provide continuous medical treatment and health care services to the infected patients in the hospitals as well as at home and people under quarantine in the community. So, they are at high risk of getting the infection and if they are infected the complete health care services will be disrupted causing massive spread and loss of lives. To avoid the crisis situation, ASWS distributed 1500 PPE kits to health workers and volunteers in the diocese of Bhadravathi.
Risk Communication & Community Engagement – RCCE
The families infected with Corona virus are mentally stressed as even the close relatives stand for support. Therefore, under the programme of RCCE, we need to sensitize our local communities on covid preventive measures, adopt individual and community safety measures and motivate and prepare people for vaccination etc. we have selected volunteers from various villages. These leaders who had the interest to work voluntarily formed 4 groups. Thus 38 volunteers were trained and 4 groups were formed and each village has one team consisting of 3 members.
The volunteers were given one-day online training on ‘COVID 19’. Dr. Rajesh DHO of Shivamogga explained the symptoms, modes of infection, prevention measures, and the first aid treatment of COVID 19. He also asked volunteers to educate people on hygienic practices which will contribute to raising a healthy generation and in ensuring a safe environment for them. The training was very beneficial for the volunteers and it gave them a clear picture of the virus infection and how they can help the families infected.
This Volunteers team is involved in carrying out the preventive response and they are supporting the families in quarantine as well as the families affected by the pandemic in association with health department thus these will help to fight against the pandemic and to prevent the spread of the virus.
