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HEALTH AND SANITATION PROGRAMME

CRUSADE HEALTH PROJECT REPORT Feb 2012

CRUSADE HEALTH PROJECT Plan 11-12.pdf

CRUSADE HEALTH PROJECT REPORT 10-11 pdf

Lottery Reseach Report - Available as a downloadable   PDF file

Tamwed has been working with its partner CRUSADE on a continuous health programme since 2008. The most recent project which ended in May 2012, extended health promotion work to 5,000 families covering a population of 32,000 in Minjur and Sholavaram Blocks over 12 months.

The target communities are predominantly impoverished villagers with agriculture being the occupation. The distribution of land is highly skewed with a few dominant caste families owning most. A majority of the households live in small substandard houses of mud and thatch. Around a quarter belong to oppressed Dalit community.

CRUSADE (Centre for Rural Systems and Development),  a longstanding TAMWED partner NGO in South India, has been operating in 150 poorer hamlets in the two blocks since 1992 with the main aim of alleviating poverty and powerlessness of the marginalised communities. CRUSADE has organised 8,000 poor women into cohesive Self Help Groups.                                               

Health Education to Self Help Group members using 10 modules by 10 Cluster Coordinators and 10 trained Health Workers, was delivered during 2008, 2009 and 2010. A Health Manual containing 10 modules in Tamil was distributed to each of the SHGs for the members to refer and to make use of it for the community.

In 2009-10, CRUSADE conducted a Household Survey in 103 project villages with a population of 32,000 to assess health problems. Analysis of the survey revealed that around 10% of the population suffers from major illnesses.

CRUSADE started a comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and referral programme with a positive impact. Around 50 members were followed up from the survey so far. The patients continue to take treatment to manage the health problems. With these positive results, CRUSADE extended the programme to all the 3,200 patients identified.

The home herb garden project being implemented by CRUSADE with TAMWED support helped build the capacity of health workers in training other members and ensured sustainability of primary health care at village level.

Both the health and herb programmes have ended and Tamwed is now raising funds to continue this important work with the most need of beneficiaries.

Please look at the reports and research and if you would like to know more, contact Oz Osborne at info@tamwed.org