This will be the 11th In the Hands of the Fishers (IHOF) Workshop and will take place Nov. 7-12 in Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh , India . This is one workshop of the ongoing series entitled, In the Hands of the Fishers Programme.  Ten previous IHOF workshops have taken place in Senegal , Cameroon , Brazil , Thailand , Cambodia , Indonesia and Sri Lanka .

Budget – total expected budget  $46,000

Location - Vijayawada , Andhra Pradesh , India  

Purpose – To help inspire the implementation of the ecological/ hydrological restoration method for mangrove restoration in order to create a more effective, long-term solution to coastal erosion, degraded bio-diversity, including declining wild fisheries, while offering substantial protection against future cyclones and tsunamis.  In fact, it has now been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that healthy mangroves protected both lives and property which found refuge in or behind the remaining mangroves.  This IHOF #11 restoration workshop will train the trainers from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Burma and India in techniques and the general principles of this innovative approach to mangrove restoration, while at the same time implementing small-scale restoration projects in several locations of the participating groups who attend the workshop.  For more details, click here. 

Environmental Sanitation Programme

at

Slums in Mumbai

The slums in city of Mumbai faces the problem of poor environmental sanitation and as a result children and adult suffer from diarrhea, worm infestation, respiratory infection, Malaria and skin infection.

Child eye care charitable trust is implementing health programme which focuses on bringing down child morbidity & Mortality. Along with health activities like immunization, Vit. A prophylaxis, iron & folic acid distribution, underfive clinic growth monitoring, supplementary feeding for malnourished children, haemoglobin testing for mothers and children, health education and nutrition education sessions are held for mothers.  The stress is on keeping environment clean and improve their child feeding and rearing practices.  The literacy classes are conducted for adult women, non-formal classes for adolescent girls and balwadi is run for preschool children.

Ongoing health education activities with 3 existing Mahila Mandals in one slum has helped the trust in motivating 56 families disposing their daily wet garbage in their vermiculture pots.  With the help of Rotary Club cotton bags and thick plastic bags are distributed to this families.  They collect their dry waste from house in plastic bag and for buying grocery and vegetables use cotton bag.  They do not use thin plastic bags.

Out of three Mahila Mandal, one Mahila Mandal has taken initiative to appoint labourers who clean their gutters and latrines and maintain their area clean.  They collect Rs. 10/- per month per family towards the salary of labourer.  In addition they have motivated the families to put tiles over the open gutter as a result the entire lane remains clean.  Child Eye Care Charitable trust has been able to motivate them to keep their area clean.  About 10 lanes are maintained well.

Mumbai Municipal Corporation sends Tempo on two sides of community at fixed time every day and community women dump their additional garbage (which can not be used in vermiculture pot) in the Tempo. 

Child Eye Care Charitable Trust is working at present in four slum pockets.  Mahila Mandal and Youth groups are motivated to keep the area clean.  Although we are making continuous effort to make the area clean, there are certain problems beyond our control like:

1)                 To give Vermiculture pots to every family is required, since the trust is short of funds.  The cost per pot per family (inclusive of soil, culture and plant) is only Rs. 100/-

2)                 To give cotton bags, to buy grossary and vegetables and thick plastic bags to collect dry waste, the cost per set (one cotton bag + one plastic bag) per family is only Rs. 60/-

3)                 To give cleanliness equipments to Mahila Mandal. Four sets per slum area.  Cost of one set is Rs. 650/-

Child Eye Care Charitable Trust is at present working in four slum pockets.  If the help is given for 50 families in each of the slum area as a pilot project, it will motivate other families and improve the environmental sanitation.

The cost of the project will be as follows.

1)                 Vermiculture pots : for 50 families in all four slums

200 x 100 = 20,000/-

2)                  Supply of cotton and thick plastic bags to 50 families in four slums

200 x 60 = 12,000/-

3)                 Set of equipments for cleanliness for four areas

16 x 650 = 10400/-

            TOTAL BUDGET 1) + 2) + 3) = 42400/-

This help will go a long way in changing slum environment with the help of community participation.

A line of reply sent at gopajay@hotmail.com  will help us in planning.

Dr. Kothari

drpradeepns@rediffmail.com  

Or you can give Dr Suwas Darvekar a call at 0091 22 28162440 (Residence), 0091 22 28149233 (Clinic), 0091 9869368937 (Mobile)

PM Karuna to conduct stray dog sterilisations in Mumbai with a mobile van.

Karuna, an active animal welfare organisation, has already collected 2.5 lakhs towards a mobile surgical van and need 3.5 lakhs more. Corporates, and individuals are invited to donate. Any amount is welcome. Large donations will be acknowleged on the outside of the surgical van.

The van will be used as a mobile sterilisation unit. Arvind Shah of Karuna says his plan is to go to various housing societies and sterilise all the strays in their own environment. The animals will be operated on the spot and kept in the portable recovery cages. While Karuna's staff will ensure care, the housing society will be expected to do its part by providing
electricity and food for the animals for the recovery period. Sterilisation greatly reduces aggressiveness of dogs. Strays are known to reduce rat population and are scavengers for garbage, and thus should not be eliminated altogether.

Two days a week will be reserved for sterilisations since the recovery period for the dogs is 4 - 5 days. On the remaining days the mobile clinic will look to the other surgical needs of animals in and around Mumbai.

Karuna is run by Arvind Shah. Himself a former cancer patient, Shah is extraordinarily devoted to animal welfare and has taken a vow not to wear any footwear till he builds an animal hospital. After the bomb explosion at the Gateway of India last year, which occured next to the the spot at which pigeons are fed, Shah rushed to the spot to tend to the injured birds.

We will be having 2 rooms with 10 computers each for which we need one airconditioner of 2 tons for each room. The cost would be about Rs. 51,000. We will give sponsors good signage at the venue for their sponsorship.

Best regards, Anila LALWANI, finestitches@vsnl.com
222 Arun Chambers
Tardeo Road
Mumbai 400 034
tel: +91 22 23522549
fax: +91 22 23521127
mobile: 9820285862