Cyclone Vardha Chennai- Relief and Rehabilitation

Centre for Women’s Development and Research

Cyclone Vardha Child-Relief and Rehabilitation – 26313

Update June 2017

We would say Cyclone Vardha happened at a wrong time like it happened within a year of Chennai mega floods 2015 so people were  still trying to come out of that shock building their lives step by step. Vardha destroyed that, Vardha cyclone were also happened during the demonetization period of Government of India so there was no money with people to donate. All these made the situation worse.  But still be best part is the strength and resilience of people particularly women.  They started rebuilding their homes and lives.  In fact that is our motivation in those difficult situations.  We have been continuing our usual work in those slums affected by Vardha like lifeskill, sexuality and supplementary education support and skill upgradation trainings for women domestic workers and single women.  We are approaching different organization including the government to rehabilitate the lives of those who had lost their homes. First time we realized need for corpse or reserve funds to meet disaster situations.

Our major focus was make sure that the girls continue their education during this worst situation because with all the difficulties the first victim would be the girl children.  Families may stop them from schools or send them for work. Since it was school annual examinations period we provided supplementary education support for school children so that they pass their examinations so that parents will not discontinue them from schools.   Most of the girls passed their examinations including those from 10^th and 12^th standard passed their board examinations but with low mark, now we are helping them to find college admissions or some skill trainings.  We are also continuing our weekend life skill and sexuality education nearly 200 adolescent girls benefitted from these programmes.  During Vardha rehabilitation activities we also realized the importance of toilets for women particularly in Sholinganallur slums, most of the makeshift toilets were destroyed.  So, we have been approaching the corporation for public toilets. We are also approaching other NGOs who are working in health, hygiene to come and help us.  

In between we have also organized May Day celebrations on 1^st May international workers day, since most of the women in slums are working as domestic workers or construction workers and they are not recognized as workers. So to create awareness about worker’s rights we celebrate workers day in slums. As part of this adolescent girls organized some recreational activities.  Mrs.Vasanthi, secretary AITUC-All India Trade Union Congress participated as a resource person and talked about the importance of May day and labour rights. We have also organized 2 housekeeping skill training for domestic workers in the slums, 78 women participated in this programme.  We are in the process of finding placements for them.  These trainings actually builds their confidence and look for a good future.

We know that it would take more time to rebuild their lives from floods and cyclone disasters but women are determined and confident to do that and we are happy we are part of it.

A volunteer Ms.Uma visited our project 4^th June and visited the slum areas and interacted with adolescent girls and women.   She also explained the ways effectively using the tools in Globalgiving site.

Centre for Women’s Development and Research

Cyclone Vardha Child-Relief and Rehabilitation – 26313

Update March 2017

Thousands of trees were lost during Vardha and now people feel the effect of it, very hot climate even before summer and there is shortage of drinking water.  During December 2015, the whole city was flooded, during November 2015, the city had 1218 mm of rain that is three times higher than the normal rainfall.  A central government team to assess the damage of Vardha cyclone visited and after returning to New Delhi, they said the damages of Vardha cyclone is not much comparing to the Chennai mega floods 2015, so no assistance from the Central Government. The point is if the Chennai floods 2015 impact is number 1 and Vardha cyclone is just 0.5. it is the same slum people are affected so if you add 1 plus 0.5 it is 1.5. During 2015 it was election time and the ruling party to attract votes immediately announced Rs.5000 to all most all the families in Channai slums.  During December 2016, Chief Minister of Tamilnadu died and the political situation become worse, adding to woes is the demonetization by the government.  Anyway, it is the most difficult times offers you great challenges and learning.

For us it is the most difficult and challenging time, because it was our working area and people are affected, we have been working there and will continue working there, so unless we help people particularly women at this critical period we may lose the good relationship built over the period.  So, we looked for ways of raising money materials to help women and girl children. We raised nearly 1000 sets of dresses for women and girl children and it was distributed among the affected families in our working area.  Our local level fund raising was greatly affected by the demonetization by the central government, literally people had no money to donate.  Even with that limitation and the money we raised through globalgiving we could able to distribute Rs.1000,  to 100 families from Pallm slum the worst affected area, Sholinganallure area. Rs.5000 were given to 13 college going girls.  We also could able collect under garments  and it was distributed among 500 adolescent girls, we also distributed 50 washable and reusable sanitary napkins for 50 girls. Adolescent girls of ‘Snehidhi’ played an important role in conducting surveys and choosing beneficiaries, it is great learning for them.  In addition to that all our staff members and student volunteers spent time in the affected area with the children organizing recreational activities like games, songs, dance and drama, nearly 600 children benefitted from these activities. Taj coromandal hotel staff members visited an affected slum and organized games for girls, provide personal hygiene lessons and also distributed some food packs for the girls, 55 girls participated in these events.

As usual women managed to rebuild their houses and lives with local resources and that is a motivation for them and us. Even in this situation women celebrated International women’s day on 17^th March and several recreational activities like games, Kolam(floor art) completions, songs were organized in addition to the women’s rights discussions. We are continuing our regular activities with women domestic workers, single women and adolescent girls. We learned the importance of corpus fund or emergency fund and seriously looking for ways of raising it.  We also realized the importance of insurance for homes but there is no way to insure slum huts, maybe we have to demand for such an insurance scheme.