Unusual Dry Weather

Baring some very strong early rains, the service areas (three districts) of Social Welfare Institute have been hit by an unusual dry weather since the middle of July. This has left farmers who depend on rain water to fall back on the scarce and already over exploited ground water and expenditures in the process. I am told that even simple household grocery item like green chillies which used to cost 20 rupees (about half a dollar) a kilo just three months back, has now hit 60 rupees in some local markets ($ 1.5). SWI did a survey in six villages as a sample in the three districts, to see the extent of damage done to the poor due to price-rise and non-availability of essential goods. The reports are alarming.... ranging from malnutrition due to partial starvation, increasing dependence on money lenders, unsafe migration in search of jobs, and sheer socio-economic exploitation. The days are hard and dry. The winter is looking up. More expenditures for the poor as the festival season has drawn near.

Struggling for Food Security

Many reports have come out saying that several districts in West Bengal are on the verge of a food crisis. In order to discuss on this issue, 78 persons (priests, religious and NGO workers) from West Bengal gathered at Social Welfare Institute, Raiganj on 12 Sept 2008. Inaugurating the discussions, Fr. S. Santhappan said that our knowledge must also be moved to the level of action, so that our activities can benefit the poor. Fr. Sarto, the Director of Association of Bengal Collaborators for Development (ABCD), facilitated the sessions for proper planning at the West Bengal regional level for helping people to get access to food security related programs of the government. Sr. Mariola, the National Coordinator of the CBCI Commission for Justice, Peace and Development narrated on the various issues and reasons for the food crisis, and deliberated on some of the schemes that can assist the poor. Mr. Aftab Alam, the North Dinajpur District NREGA Coordinator, explained the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme of the Government in details, besides explaining the Annapurna Yojana, Antodaya Yojana and the Public Distribution Scheme of the Government. Fr. Puthumai A. Nazarene, Director of Social Welfare Institute, giving the key note address deeply analysed the socio-politico-economic reasons for the current crisis in West Bengal, and how the changing power structures have added to the crisis in rural Bengal. Fr. Patras Bara thanked all the participants and called for higher levels of motivation on the part of everyone.

Women Destroy Parthenium

Women of Self Help Groups supported by Social Welfare Institute in Patiram area destroyed hundreds of thousands of Parthenium plants that had grown wild along the State Highway that runs through their villages. Twenty eight women and two staff of Social Welfare Institute dressed in masks and gloves given as gift by the Issaqua family of Washington State, (brought by our own Andrea Smith during her last visit to Raiganj), spent the entire 07 September, 2008, a Sunday --from dawn to dusk--in cutting down, gathering and then destroying the Parthenium plants with boiling hot water. The team destroyed the weed for a distance of two-and-a-half kilometers on either side of the road. The parthenium, if comes in contact, creates respiratory malfunctioning in humans and cattle. The event was covered by many local print and electronic media. Congrats to the team of women and to Mr. Jayanta Das and Fr. Herman Kindo, who coordinated and motivated the women.

Fighting Tuberculosis

In May 2008, while speaking to a group of young German students studying Public Health in Limburg, Germany, I was amazed to see that they were all studying about Tuberculosis, a disease that kills over 1.5 million people annually, and yet they had not seen even a single patient with TB! Back home, almost every other person suffers from this disease that eats up your lungs, as if it is like a soft cake! Catholic Relief Services, Caritas India, Catholic Health Association of India and CBCI Commission for Health have joined together in fighting this disease, with support from Global Fund : to be called the First IMPACT Project. Social Welfare Institute will partner with them to minimize the spread of this disease as thousands are affected by tuberculosis in the three districts we serve. Sr. Anisha SDS, Mr. Bipul Roy, and Mr. Shyamapada Goswami have identified as contact persons for North Dinajpur, Malda and South Dinajpur districts, respectively.

The first workshop was held at Kolkata on 02 Sept 2008, and was attended by over 35 participants from various organizations. The Social Welfare Institute team was led by Puthumai A. Nazarene, the Director. He also functioned as the Master of Ceremonies for the entire program, besides taking care of a presentation on the Health network of Catholic Church in West Bengal. The West Bengal State Health Secretary, State Tuberculosis Officer, and many other persons from the health department and from various non-governmental and church-based organizations were present. Dr. Anasua Bagchi of CBCI-Health Commission had organized the meeting.

Attack on Christians in Orissa

Location Orissa, India : In the middle of August a group of about 50 naxalites (a group of extremists who use violent means against rich and the money lenders) attacked a Hindu ashram and gunned down five persons, including a Hindu priest. This priest had led some violent protests against Christians about an year ago. Catholic Church and other church leaders had condemned the murder of the Hindu priest and the other Hindus who died with him.

However, soon Hindu fundamentalist groups have begun attacking the Christian institutions, claiming that the "naxal groups" have joined the Christians! These same groups had vandalized churches, and killed many Christians on the Christmas eve of 2007. Attack on Christians in the state of Orissa has increased. Since 25 Aug, several churches, children's hostels and convents have been burned down, in various parts of this eastern coastel state of Orissa. Many priests and religious nuns, and hundreds of Christians have gone "missing". And at least 14 persons have been killed, including four Hindus. Ten are Christians, and they have been murdered with local weapons, sickles and swords-- still worse three of them are said to have been burnt live! (The four Hindus died in a police shoot-out to control the violent mob attacking Christians and Christian institutions.

To mark this tragedy, all Christian institutions in whole of India will remain shut on Friday 29 August 2008. You can download a slide-show on the Orissa atrocities by clicking on : Orissa Burning

NGOs Reflect on Girl Child Education

Social Welfare Institute, PRIA and several other NGOs working in North Dinajpur have come together to work on Girl Child Education in the District. It is important to note that according to the national census conducted in 2001, female literacy in rural North Dinajpur is at an abysmal 31.5%, which includes all the children who are enrolled in the primary school level and who had dropped out at the elementary level of education. Building a strong force since February 2008, all the NGOs came together on 25 August 2008 at the Multipurpose Hall of the Collectorate to discuss the relevant issues relating to girl child education. Dr. Jeta Sankritanya, a Professor from North Bengal University, and Ms. Sanchari B., a Professor of the same University and Head of the Department of Women Social Studies, were present at the occasion. Puthumai A Nazarene, Director, Social Welfare Institute, who has been one of the founder member of this forum gave the initial address explaining the objectives of the forum and the intended activities in future, such as a thorough scientific study on the status of femal literacy and reasons for illiteracy among the women.

Food Crisis Hits North Bengal

Global food insecurity, high food prices, inconsistent monsoon over the last five years, failure of agriculture, rampant poverty and illiteracy, and high migration in search of manual non-agricultural labour, has left all the three districts of Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur facing a severe food crisis. (In a recent report, eight districts in West Bengal have been declared food insecure districts.) This means, more than one million people out of over eight million people in these three districts alone go without two meals in a day, and out of this, over 100,000 people go without even a single meal!

This crisis needs to be challenged and responded to. Few organizations met in the office of Catholic Relief Services in Kolkata on 21 August to discuss the situation, and have planned to prepare a working paper in the coming months. Puthumai A. Nazarene represented Social Welfare Institute at the meeting. Meanwhile the crisis is snow-balling into a humanitarian crisis. All generous people and organizations are requested to respond to this food crisis that has hit the poor.

Boats to Rescue

Uttar Bhakuria and several other villages in Harishchandrapur II Block of Malda district are inundated with the water from Fulahar river and the rains that have left more than 3,000 people stranded across the Fulahar river. These villages actually are situated in a river island between the Ganges and the Fulahar. After persistent effort by our Staff and the Task Force teams that are in place as a result of the efforts of the Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) program in the area, supported by UNICEF, the Block Development Officer has approved three boats for evacuation of people and animals from those villages into the main land with effective from 19 August evening. We thank Mr. Tschering, the B.D.O of Harishchandrapur II, and appreciate the efforts of the CBDP team led by Ms. Bimala Baru, Mr. Asit, Mr. Sarkar and Mr. Prabir. Wonderful job done!

Another Milestone!

We are proud to announce that with the launch of the new Human Resource Policy of Social Welfare Institute, we have taken another huge step to protect our Staff from unexpected threats to lives and physical harm through initiating insurance for all the Staff. In this process, the first group to be insured are the senior staff and the field staff (total 17 persons) of the Integrated Community Development Project supported by Caritas India. Each of them has been insured for a sum of Rupees one hundred thousand, and the premium will be shared by SWI and the staff on a 50:50 basis. We hope to cover all the Staff of SWI by the end of September 2008. And we gladly thank the President of Social Welfare Institute, Rt. Rev. Alphonsus D'Souza, Bishop of Raiganj and all the Governing Body members for giving the approval and taking keen interest in the welfare of the Staff!

Agencies Meet in Delhi

In the year 2000 an Inter-Agency Group was formed as part of strategic linkage among partners for relief and rehabilitation in places that are affected by natural calamities. Since then, such bodies have come up in many other states in India. Representatives of these Inter-Agency Groups came together in New Delhi on 11-12 Aug 2008. The West Bengal IAG was represented by Fr. Sarto, the convener of the Bengal IAG and R. Puthumai A. Nazarene, Director of Social Welfare Institute, and a member of IAG. At the meeting, all the IAGs discussed on the role, Uniform Response Strategies, Partnership, relationship with the Government bodies etc. Each IAG also presented a brief presentation about themselves. The West Bengal Presentation was prepared by Puthumai A. Nazarene, with inputs from other IAG members, specially Ms. Parnasri Ray Chowdhury and Fr. I.P. Sarto, and was presented by him. The West Bengal Presentation was much appreciated. You may download the Presentation by Clicking on West Bengal IAG Presentation.