One of the unique features of SCINDeA is being a multi-sectoral Network. During the last decade, all NGO partner organizations had developed strong Community Based Organizations (CBOs), especially among the women and youth. SCINDeA attempts to convert its more traditional awareness programmes into a people’s movement where the process become a product through
With the support and cooperation of the local communities health clinics were organized in the villages to provide low cost health care. Mobile clinics were also organized. While curative treatment was provided in the clinics in the mornings, afternoons and evenings were devoted to health education.
Village Level Workers (VLWs) were selected by the community and trained by the Health Workers to provide low cost health care in their villages. They were provided with medical kits to take care of simple illnesses. Periodic refresher training programmes were also conducted for them.
The basic objective of the Literacy Promotion Programme was to improve the functional literacy of rural and tribal women and children and to enable them to address local village issues through the NFE centres.
Literacy coordinators and supervisors were given basic orientation (4 days) in each village. A baseline survey was undertaken in all the villages. Specific criteria for the selection of women learners was developed. The Animators and Coordinators prepared the NFE curriculum jointly. Teaching strategies like songs, stories, learning about social issues from the newspaper etc. were developed.
The major emphasis of this programme was to prevent noise, air, water, soil pollution that damages the environment and to develop environment by way of adopting appropriate activities such as tree plantation, construction of soakage pits to prevent mosquito breeding and water stagnation, campaigning against the environment degradation, promoting school and kitchen gardens etc., In addition eco-cells of 6-7 members were formed in each village to monitor the village environment. This particular programme component was designed for the target communities where they not only respond to these issues but also promote ecological living.
2 project staff of partner organization were trained as trainers in 4 modules consisting of Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihood, Integrated Crop Management, Integrated Pest Management & Soil Fertility Management by the SCINDEA Secretariat. Specific criteria were developed to short list and train farmers. In a three year period a minimum of 2512 farmers were trained by each NGO in 4 one day modules.
Women were organized in to self-help groups and activities including savings, creating linkages with the banks for credit facilities and training programmes were conducted for them.
SCINDeA recognized the condition of women agriculture labourers and had attempted to address their issues in its development interventions. Women are the main focus of our capacity building initiatives. In the process, we have tried to empower them to adopt participatory methodologies in the promotion of sustainable agriculture. AME, Trichy facilitated the process and has trained 24 trainers in 4 modules. The end result of this endeavor is that 1980 small and marginalized women farmers in 99 villages have been trained in sustainable agricultural practices and participatory technology development.
The HIV/AIDS intervention programme was initiated in the year 2004 and partnered with Christian Aid London covering 336 villages. The interventions were :
SCINDeA was also concerned and affected by the whole tragedy of Tsunami 2004 as the Integrated Fisherfolk Development Project (IFDP) a coastal partner organization of the Network was affected by the tidal waves. We therefore fine-tuned our efforts to care for IFDP and its staff and clients in 15 villages. In the coastal Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu SCINDeA also worked in 4 villages. Funds were mobilized from EED, Germany, DEA, Germany & Diakonie, Austria to provide relief & rehabilitation of the affected communities.
The monsoon in Tamil Nadu in late 2005 had been rather severe. In just over a month the North East monsoon rain had played havoc with people's lives and property. There had been 4-5 spells of rain and the last spell had been particularly so widespread that it had caused extensive damage to roads, bridges, railway tracts homes and agricultural lands. Many lakes, tanks and ponds that had been dry for many years had filled up and in a number of cases had breached and caused flooding in the low lying areas of the state. The poor & vulnerable sections of society who live in slums & villages were in 3-4 feet of water.
SCINDeA through 3 of its partner organizations distributed food packets to
Joint Network Campaigns were held annually to highlight issues of common concern. The following campaigns had been held so far.
