Apex Voluntary Agency for Rural Development(AVARD)
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Mission Statement
To build up healthy and secure families for a value based and Harmonious society. 5 To strengthen Community Based Organizations to become effective development partners. To promote Sustainable Agriculture for better livelihood. To collaborate with Local Self Governments to strengthen the decentralization process for promoting good governance. To keep up the identity and enhance the living conditions of the indigenous people. To generate and share knowledge related to development sector. To mobilize and manage resources for the effective functioning of the organization. To promote the mental, physical and social health of the differently abled.
About This Cause
I. DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION (C.B.O) AVARD is striving towards the ultimate goal of welfare and empowerment of the rural poor thereby enabling a sustainable living. AVARD has prioritized and sustained women and specially abled for the past years and this has shown tremendous change in all the 5 Grama Panchayaths namely Athirappilly, Pariyaram, Kodassery, Mattathoor and Varandarapilly. This would not have been possible without the untiring efforts of the donors and dedicated staff. Most importantly to uplift the women, farmers, elders in the society, we organize training programs, seminars, workshops, and provide financial support through various projects. Each Ganam (Self Help Groups) gather every week and deposit small amounts that would provide loans in turn with help of CBO Coordinator. High Lights of Our Interventions • Society Assessment Administration department conducted an annual assessment to assess and to encourage their programme in the societies and subgroups. II. FAMILY DEVELOPMENT (FD) Family is the fundamental unit of human society. The Family development programme aims to help families meet basic needs as well as promote self reliance and sustainability. Family Counseling Centre (FCC) & Service Providing Centre (SPC) Family Counseling Centre [FCC] & Service Providing Centre [SPC] work under Family Development Department. FCC and SPC aided by Central Social Welfare Board started functioning in the year 1986 onwards.. The FD is well staffed with qualified and experienced two Counselors, one advocate and other office bearers. FCC functions everyday from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 pm except on Sundays and other public holidays and SPC functions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2pm to 5pm. We provide free individual counseling, family counseling, legal counseling & legal aid to the clients. Cases are referred from the honorable family court, the honorable judicial first class magistrate court, various hospitals, police stations and schools. SPC provides assistance to the people who are economically backward especially women and children and mainly focuses on cases of DV Act (Domestic Violence Act 2005). The centre has a strong subcommittee with professionals such as Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Advocates, Police officers, Social workers, representatives of Block Panchayath and Municipality. Assistance Rendered: During this reporting year FCC conducted activities like family counseling programmes, Telephone counseling during lockdown, awareness classes online and offline and also provided legal services. The counselors provided marital counseling, Family Counseling, Supportive Counseling, Reality Counseling, Therapies including BMT, REBT, CBT, etc according to the need of the client. Referral Services: The counselors also referred the cases to the Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatrist and to the Legal counselor for legal action. III. REHABILITATION OF DIFFERENTLY ABLED (R.D.A.) The year 1991 benchmarked the intervention of AVARD into a new sector i.e. Rehabilitation of differently abled in our operational area. Our efficient team diagnosed the importance to work for the betterment of differently abled. We could light a ray of hope in their lives to dream about tomorrow and live for future. The rehabilitation program is being implemented through a two dimensional approach. 1. We organize them into small Self Help Groups known as the SARGA (Specially Abled and Rehabilitated Ganams of AVARD). 2. The SLF programme provides assistance in the health, education, social, livelihood and capacity strengthening for the children up to the age of 25. The rehabilitation program of the differently abled persons has been a continuing dynamic process since 1991, intending to promote self-dependency by organizing programs for them. It is also helpful to bring a ray of hope in their lives and discuss their visions of tomorrow and live for their future. It is extended across Chalakudy Municipality and 10 Panchayaths around Chalakudy in 32 SARGAs with 302 members. Due to Covid many celebrations and activities could not be conducted. SARGA One of the major activities of RDA department is formation and maintaining of SARGA. There are 32 SARGA groups functioning under the leadership of AVARD. The objective of SARGA is the effective social rehabilitation of the differently abled who are commonly depressed and oppressed in the contemporary society. We enhance them to upsurge their self confidence & self esteem, thereby getting them organized into small self help groups. The regular meetings, sharing and gatherings create a positive bonding in them, which will enable them to sustain a progressive socio-economic status. The urge to become part of the mainstream of the society will empower them to fight for their humanitarian rights assured by the constitution. The coordinators visit houses of each member. During covid, the affected families were provided timely help and support that include both mental and financial. The coordinators were not able to conduct many activities due to Covid. .Major activities 1. Goat Distribution 2. Food Kit Distribution 3. Awareness Classes 4. Annual day Celebrations 5. Day Celebrations 6. SARGA meetings Stitching ======== Healing is a matter of time, but it is some time also a matter of opportunity. AVARD started the community based rehabilitation Programme for children with disabilities in the year 1991 with the support of Stitching Lillian Fonds, Netherlands. The projects and programme are incorporated by its supporting Organization Catholic Health Association of INDIA-‘CHAI-LF’. We are working as a partner Organization for CHAI-LF. The funds are utilized for the diverse programmes incorporated in the thrust areas like health, education, social, livelihood and capacity strengthening for the beneficiaries as per the needs and causes assessed by the PO. The activities are extended over mainly 3 Block Panchayaths- Chalakudy, Mala and Kodakara. Since 1991 AVARD has been taking countless efforts to empower them and to create awareness about their rights, providing opportunities to the aspiring youth and their care takers from the marginalised communities and the youth with disabilities with the recourse system augment the social skills of the differently abled to bring them up to the main stream of the society. Differently abled Children are subject to several deficiencies and limited opportunities in many areas of their lives. The current pandemic of Covid-19 has affected specially-abled children and their parents terribly. Their families and caregivers have also gone through a lot of stress and challenges which eventually led to grave discriminatory practices towards these children. Moreover, due to continued lockdowns, educational, clinical, therapeutic and other services for specially-abled children have been disrupted. During the last 8 months period (April to November), AVARD has assisted 40 differently-abled children below the age of twenty-five in need of provision and aid. They were supported in the form of health, educational, social and livelihood assistance. Success Story Jithin Varghese Jithin Varghese is 18 years old and is Deaf. He is the youngest child of Varghese and Kochurani. He has a sister who is married. His Father is deaf and is a daily wager. His mother and sister are normal. Jithin is currently pursuing his BCom in Ashabhavan special school in ollur. He scored full A+ in grade 12 and was talked about in media and newspaper. Jithin is very friendly and loving despite of his challenges. He is not only good at studies but also good at crafts and drawing and has received many prizes for his creative works. He is also a good athlete and has won many prizes in athletics too. AVARD provided financial assistance for Education and medication. Assistive Devices provided ====================== These are external devises that are designed, made or adapted to assist a person to perform a particular task. Assistive devises consists of Hearing devices, spectacles, special shoes etc. Disability Assistance ========= Services Provided for Differently Abled: Self help skill enhancing activities Eye-hand Co-ordination Training Fine-motor, gross motor skills training Basic academic skills training Physical Exercise Coloring, art & craft Other Activities: Psychological Evaluation Parent’s meetings Activities and progress report Parental Counseling Awareness classes for parents and family members Festival celebrations and Day observances V. AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT (A.D.) Agriculture development through a holistic approach is our vision, aiming for a sustainable development in the life of common people depending on agriculture for their livelihood. Our objective is to develop a blend of traditional cultivation norms in assistance with modern technology by which we can produce qualitative and quantitative products that neither hinder the ecological balance nor create any environmental hazards. Aadugram Project (Livelihood Enterprise Development Programme) Aadugram is a goat rearing scheme initiated by AVARD in support with NABARD since three years. The project comprises of training programme and credit linkage for goat rearing. AVARD has joint with NABARD to credit loans and subsidy for the purpose of goat rearing. Almost 10 farmers are recipient of this particular scheme. Already 11,50,000/- is distributed to farmers as loan. VI. DISASTER MANAGEMENT AVARD has a separate department to minimize the role through disaster, rehabilitation of the affected, and to undertake preventive measures for the natural or manmade calamities. This department supports the victims of the event and aids them with necessary support and restores their living conditions.AVARD stood with the people during the Covid Pandemic by providing Food kit, PPE kit and medical kits to the differentially abled, widows of Covid, and the most affected members of the society. AVARD also provided Telephone counseling to help people cope with the pandemic situation.