By MALATHI MITTAL | MANAGING TRUSTEE , THE EARTH TRUST NILGIRIS
Health Programme Report for the period July 2016-September 2016
Our Health programme for women focuses on equipping a woman with knowledge that will improve her sense of well –being. We therefore not only inform her about her body but also all the pro-active steps she can take to optimize its functioning. Nimmi our Project Director is a Nutritionist with 30 years of experience. During the three months we conduct our programmes in a village, there always sessions where the village women learn about nutrition and sources of nutrition. What is a challenge for us is to replace 10 minute-noodles with something that can be prepared as quickly, is tasty and definitely of greater value to her family health.
The past three months, our team has been conducting an Advance course in Melkowatty which covers preparation of basic traditional Ayurvedic Choornams. These are the equivalent of health supplements which are sold all over the world by big Pharmaceutical companies. They improve digestion and shore the immune system. All of us from an older generation grew up on a yearly cycle of detoxing. Fortunately enough number of older women in the villages know and still practice these traditions. But it is getting harder and harder to convince a younger generation woman that these systems are invaluable and they are designed to flow with the seasons. These are some of the challenges we are facing. We always make all these discussions participatory.
The basic course was inaugurated at Kallakorai and Ottimaraosahatty villages. Around 15 women from Kallakorai and 23 from Ottimara joined the programme. We, who are outside of the daily running of Earth Trust try and attend these inaugurations. Naturally it is the village headman, his committee and other men who are present. The sight of all these enthusiastic women is always exciting and such a huge affirmation of the success of the programme. Looking at all these eager young women, interacting with them, one sometimes forgets to acknowledge the men-folk and their support!!! We always, always remember Vanya Orr whose brain-child the programme is. Invariably one or other of our Health team is in tears remembering her and sharing their interactions with her with the village women. This is our homage to her. We are attaching a small part of the report sent by our Team to us. The brevity and simplicity is heart-warming and deeply touching. You see, they then have to fight –in a friendly fashion of-course- for access to the office computer, to single finger type the report, coax and cajole one of the guys to draw the tables and someone else to download and upload the photographs and finally send it to us for writing this report. One constant and frustrating exercise has been to make them understand – the guys at the office- that we cannot use photographs sent as a word document. They are finally beginning to– Hallelujah! We are sharing all of this with you – as it is the only way to involve you not only with the excitement of all that is happening on the ground but all also the hurdles one has to jump over to get this report out on time!!
What the terse two sentence report does not tell you is the struggle Mala –one of our Health team members has, to make it to these remote villages by bus and at times to walk the distance to the villages. It does not tell you of Meera, the other team member who has a Damocles sword hanging above her head- her husband’s cancer label. He is 50 years old now; he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus five years ago- in the prime of his life. After surgery, he had chemotherapy. Early diagnosis and treatment helped; he is now in remission but weak and does not go to work. Meera has been managing his health just by nutrition alone. Meera is the sole bread-winner now. She is a sterling example of what the whole Women’s Health programme is all about. She has been walking the talk – an informed woman is a source of tremendous strength. We at Earth Trust salute her.
We are doing important work here – investing in a woman’s health, encouraging her to take ownership of her body and her well -being. The battle is to make her understand that it is not the end of the world if she puts her health first before that of her family’s; that her healthy presence is the best thing that can happen to her family and by the ripple effect her community. These are constant dialogues we have with them during the three months we are there in a village. This happens every single time.
The programmes in both Kallakorai and Ottimara Hosahatty will spill over to October as well. After the valedictory function, we will move on to our next village. We cover around three villages in a year.
Every Health programme is the same—the faces change but content is the same. Locations differ. But believe us, the fizz and energy each time does not diminish!! Every time we also learn something new.
The union between Monsanto and Bayer looms large on our horizons—we are prepared for the long haul.
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