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NALAMDANA'S CURRENT PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Since 2001, the organization has focussed on:
1. Addressing the alarming status of malnutrition among young mothers, adolescent girls and children through strategic communication.
2. Addressing the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in this region, through strategic communication and the development of user friendly training materials. Nalamdana undertakes short term projects for HIV/AIDS prevention and also trains others in community theatre.
3. Addressing key issues of women's empowerment and child rights with special focus on the girl child - a new three year project undertaken by Nalamdana is the "South India Girl Child Initiative" funded by World Education, Boston. Nalamdana networks with four partner NGOs under this project; one based in Tamil Nadu and two in rural Andhra Pradesh. Nalamdana shares skills and training experience with the partners and in turn learns from their areas of specialization.
4. Documenting traditional practices:
Nalamdana collects and records the persistent misconceptions and cultural practices that contribute towards all of these issues so that they can be tackled through our participatory theatre programs, group meetings, FGDs and the creation of IEC materials. We believe in using existing cultural practices to aid our work rather than swimming against them thereby wasting precious time and money. All ongoing projects in both urban Chennai areas and select rural sites cover some or all of these main topics, including the importance of education. Ignorance and poor access to health information is one of the main reasons for continued poor health practices among our challenged audiences.
Some new projects, plans and updates for 2007
I. Scale up the on going HIV/AIDS and TB project at the Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine in Tambaram, Chennai. Since 2005, this project was funded by I-TECH, Seattle and CDC, Atlanta. it is now approved for extension and is being funded by The Gere foundation India Trust and UNESCO. Nalamdana will hold regular role plays and monthly drama's on the campus of the Government hospital site rolling out free HIV treatment and medication to the maximum patients infected with HIV and TB. The latest funding will help Nalamdana create a pioneering project using internal radio (public address system) to reach weak patients in far flung wards, helping doctors, health care providers and patients participate in these education / entertainment programs.
PROGRAM UPDATE (as of September 2007)
Nalamdana's Make ART/STOP AIDS- pilot project at Tambaram Govt. Hospital for TB/HIV, a two year pilot, has led to 6 months innovative cable radio installation... in 2007. This is expanding into a 3 year project with funds from support partners. Program goals are being met and new ones being formed. Role plays, monthly dramas and daily cable radio program reaches hundreds of patents, care givers and attenders. This is being show-cased as a pioneering project by our funders - MASA, Gere Foundation India Trust and UNESCO. We are likely to get program funding till 2009 from the Ford Foundation.
II. Move into Year two activities under the South India Girl Child Project. Nalamdana works with challenged girls and youth in Chennai urban areas to reach specific communication objectives covering issues of women's empowerment, child rights and nutrition. The HIV/AIDS component also forms a part of the health education for target groups of in and out of school children.
III. Expand our Networking in rural areas
1. With Nalamdana's well established partners along the coastal areas, (through our completed Tsunami Rehabilitation project) we will create second line messaging through shared programs and projects.
2. Our partnership with the rural Network of Women's Self Help groups will create opportunities for further training and capacity building. The MicroFinance Foundation of India (MFI) which is a network of SHGs from the Madurai District and also works in areas of rural Tanjore have approached us for a long term partnership. They have over one hundred thousand members and we will assist through the "training of trainers" for these excellent peer educators.
IV. Run the Nalamdana "Working Holiday" Program
Involve volunteers and visitors from outside India and other States
in all our work - as a process of participatory learning and sharing
on a wider scale
UPDATE (as of September 2007)
Nalamdana hosted the first working holiday team of six students from Dartmouth College, USA from August 31 - September 11, 2007. This was a volunteer team gathered together by one student, Roopa Chari, who had contacted Nithya Bialji by email. More information coming soon on the working holiday page.
V. Create Information Education Communication (IEC) Materials
Continue to develop and create participatory training films, puzzles, games, video and audio materials on identified topics and share them with all target groups and partners.
UPDATE (as of September 2007)
The Community Health Project, funded by Deshpande Foundation is a short one year project (2007) It is a pilot project, which we plan to scale up next year. Project goals and communication objectives were pre set. Methods used are being defined, as we use participatory techniques. We are experimenting with several new forms including community video and theatre. We hope to share achievements and challenges by end of first year.
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