Project Activity Report for Kerala State Project name - Helpage India ...

Part 2: Project Activity Report for Kerala State
Project name:
Kerala State Project
Project reference number:
N.A.
Reporting period: April to September, 2010
Project Worker’s name and job title: John E. Daniell, Sr. Manager (Programme)
Project partners and locations:
Project code Name of the partner agency Location (no. of
blocks/districts)
01000071 Kottayam Social Service Society Thellakom,Kottayam
01000017 House of Providence Kacheripady, Eranakulam.
01000146 St. Joseph’s Home Pullazhy,Thrissur
01000423 Cheru Resmi Centre Valiathura,Trivandrum.
01000062 Association for Social Development Chunangamveli, Aluva,
(Suhrut Sadan)
Eranakulam.
KER/IND/00001 Ernakulam Social Service Society. Kacheripady, Ernakulam.
1. Direct beneficiaries
Age group Able Elders Assisted Elders Destitute Elders
Men Women Men Women Men Women
55-79 148 338 70 190 138 470
80+ 6 7 24 43 17 119
Total 154 345 94 233 155 589
Elders are benefitting from the project facilities namely medical consultation, IOL treatment,
recreation, ESHGs, Physiotherapy, etc Through provision of primary medical consultation the
project have addressed the health needs of older people. About 549 older people received
medical consultation and 339 older people were screened for ophthalmic treatments and 12
have undergone cataract surgeries. Commodity support provided to 178 destitute older people
based at institutions in Ernakulam and Thrissur.
2. Indirect beneficiaries of the project (grandchildren, family members or community
members)
Directly involved with the Indirectly involved with the beneficiary (ie
beneficiary
in the community)
Older Family
Grand Older people Family Grand
people members children in the members children
(other than
community (other than
grand children)
grand
children)
Number of 480 790 805 345 610 600
INDIRECT
beneficiaries

In the context of community development, indirect beneficiaries especially the older people,
would also receive medical services, IGP and would get access to platforms where they can
meet other older people and share their problem and happiness.
The other community members will get sensitized about the aged rights and will increase their
involvement in providing the support of the older people. The children in the family and
community will actively engaged with aged people and get moral values to serve their aged.
Project activities carried out in the past 6 months
Health care
About 28 medical consultations including follow up
visits were conducted during the reporting period in
the project areas. About 549 older people received
medical consultation and 829 treatment sessions
were rendered including follow up visits during the
reporting period in the project areas. Nursing
students visited the Institutions and helped the
residents in cutting nail, bathing etc. Cheru Resmi
Centre, Valiyathura has conducted one Ayureda
camp in the month of May, 2010 during the
reporting period.
An eye camp was organised by House of
Providence in association with local NGO. Four
residents got free spectacles and five had been
selected for cataract surgery. Kottayam Social
Service Society has conducted one IOL camp at
Arikkara village in association with Little Flower Eye
Hospital, Angamali in which 142 older persons were
screened among which 7 identified have undergone
surgery. Cheru Resmi Centre, Trivandrum
conducted one IOL camp in which 197 older persons attended. 18 older persons were identified
for cataract surgeries and 5 of them have already undergone surgery.
ESHG formation
During the reporting period 43 ESHG’s have been
formed by the four community based partner
agencies out of the targeted 53 ESHG’s. As part of
formation of ESHGs, community meeting was
conducted in each village. In the initial meeting
itself participation of community leaders including
religious and political leaders were ensured. It
included ward members and leaders who are
having any kind of influence up on the community.
The presence of these kinds of persons in the
preliminary meeting helped in forming the ESHGs
without major hiccups. Two or three village
meeting were conducted following this and subsequently the members of the group were
finalised. In the final meeting President, Secretary and Treasurer were selected. Older persons
are very enthusiastic about the functioning of ESHGs. Most of the members asked questions of

doing business during old age, practicability of the
business etc. Few members had concern regarding
the frequency of saving but above all the feeling of
being together rather than being economically
independent prevailed and they vowed to grow
together for the larger benefit of the group.
Commodity support
All 178 residents under the two Institutions namely
St. Joseph’s Home, Thrissur and House of
Providence, Ernakulam were provided with commodities for the past six months. The nutrition
and care provided have enabled the older people to be more active, healthy and contended.
Their stay at the Home away from home has become more meaningful and pleasant due to this
programme.
Advocacy initiatives
Mayor of Thrissur was invited for the Home Day
function at St. Joseph’s Home, Thrissur. She was
sensitised regarding the issues of older people and
in turn assured full cooperation from the Thrissur
Corporation authorities. Visits of school and college
students were arranged by House of Providence,
Ernakulam and sensitised regarding the need for
taking care of older people. Ernakulam Social
Service Society organised a talk on the Welfare and
Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizen’s Act
which was inaugurated by Mr. Dominic
Presentation, M.L.A and presided by Justice (Retd.)
Narayana Kurup who later addressed the older
people on the ill effects of tobacco (smoking). The
talk on the Act was led by Advocate Sherry. This
was meant to create awareness among the project
workers and animators so that they can sensitise
the older people.
The initiation and implementation of the project
generated a kind of enthusiasm and interest among
the targeted beneficiaries. Through regular medical
consultation the health needs of the older people
are given due importance. For many a touch and
soothing talk by the doctor is having a medicinal
effect. Many anxieties regarding the failing health of the older people are subsided through this
intervention.
The notable comment is in regard to the formation of ESHGs. Most of the older person in the
community attend the ESHG meeting with added vigour and immense energy. They realise that
these type of institution building among the older community will certainly help them in making a
strong platform for their action against being isolated, abuse, and poverty. Another most
commendable change that has been noted from the field is that it has created a kind of thrift
among the older persons. One positive aspect is that most of the ESHG members attending the
meeting experience the feeling of being together rather than being economically independent.

In June there was flood and sea erosion at the project area in Trivandrum (Valiathura). Two
houses were completely destroyed and around 26 families were shifted to the relief camps.
Apart from that there have not been much commendable events at local level occurred during
the reporting period.
Challenges faced in the last 6 months and steps taken to over come the challenges
The notable challenge faced by few agencies is that the change of concept that is from welfare
mode to developmental mode of Help Age India. It was a bigger challenge for most of the
agencies in the initial level. Another most significant challenge was from the unpredictable
weather. Due to the incessant rain in the area of operation stalled the field level activities of few
agencies, especially in the case of Cheru Resmi Center Valiathura,Trivandrum.where the
encroachment of sea during monsoon created problems in implementation of the project.
Similar problems also faced by Kottayam Social Service Society , it has few low lying areas
under its areas of operation , due to frequent rain, the stretches leading to country sides were
remained flooded for many days.
Plans for the next 6 months
As part of programmes which fall on Age Demand Action all agencies are planning to
conduct programmes relating rights, entitlements of the Old age in the next reporting period.
Medical consultation, has initiated by few agencies, other agencies will take initiative of
medical consultation in the coming months.
Physiotherapy consultation is another sector that will be start functioning by the beginning of
November-2010.
Identification of beneficiaries for cataract surgery are some of the programmes to be
scheduled during the next reporting period.
Regarding the Formation of Elder Self Help Group it has to be graded, federated and
business plan etc to be prepared before being given them loan for income generation
activities. Agencies also planning to conduct training programme for representatives of
ESHGs to keep registers, books of accounts etc.
The two institutional based agencies have planned commodity provision and also to conduct
recreational programmes especially pilgrimage for their residents. Another notable thing is
that implementation of grain bank system.
An exposure visit to Kollam Project (Kerala Punarjani Vayojana Samithi) is planned in
November to have more insight to ESHG’s and Grain Bank. Agencies are also planning to
implement alternative system at field level to support the most vulnerable category in the
society.