People’s organization: People’s organization is a platform to provide space for the community leaders to come together to discuss the village development process, problems in the community, analyze different issues and plan for action. All the villagers,  both women, children and men are the members of the People’s organizations. Like-minded people represent the People’s organization as leaders of the community

Orientation Training: RRDS organized 2 days training for 78 people’s representatives from 13 villages. The  main aim of the training is to empower and strengthening. This training helped to create awareness on socio, economic, cultural and political systems in the society. The staff was creating awareness through village monthly meetings on Rights of Adivasi and to avail Govt programme meant for their development. All organizations representatives are actively participating in these meetings and  sharing their experience and problems occurred while implementing the activities. Project coordinator is fallowing up these meetings by guiding the organizers and volunteers to success the meetings.

Peoples Network: RRDS gives most imperative to promote peoples network in target mandal by promoting district level committee with 20 representatives from peoples organization (each mandal 5 representatives). This committee was formed after several discussions in people’s organizations meetings. RRDS staff created awareness on the need of the people’s network and its role in solving the problems of target community. Network was initiated and orientation meeting was organized for the representatives on issues like on village amenities, wages, land, Dalits issues, women issues and human rights issues.

Impact: Network is playing helpful role in uniting the target communities. Some Adivasi people are noticing their village and personnel problems through this platform to the government and demanding for immediate action.  Different government schemes and livelihood issues are noticing in the meeting for detail discussions. People are utilizing government resources meant for their development.

Medical camps: RRDS organized 2 medical camps at Muthukur and Chillaku Mandal headquarters. Main concentration was for general check-up for Adivasi and fisherman families’ in ten   villagers. The general check up for diseases like body pains, skin diseases, nerves problems, B.P, Paralysis, viral fevers, cold, cough, general fever etc by specialist Doctor, Dr. Chandrahas, and 3 members team from Nellore. Muthukur camp was organised on 29-9-06 and Chillakur camp was organised on 12-12-06.These camps helped them to cure their diseases without any expenses. In the camp, medicines for one week were given free-of cost.

214 patients were identified of various diseases  and   10 patients were referred to medical care for Dengue, Chicken guinea fever, Jaundice, Tumor, Dysentery, Asthma Appendicitis Syphilis and TB. During this period the staff treated  fever, Joint pains, Cold, Cough, skin, Eye problems, Gastric pains, Dysentery, body pains, Diarrhea, headache and mouth infections

Health volunteers orientation training: Health volunteers training was organized at RRDS office at Nallatur for 13 Health volunteers who are selected by the people’s organization. Dr.Chandrahas from Nellore attended this training as resource person and created awareness in the volunteers regarding common disease and how to use the medicines for treatment.  First Aid Medical kit was provided for each volunteer with basic medicines for common diseases. 

Health card filling: RRDS/ EED staff visited all villages and conducted family survey  and identified 300 children 0 to 5 ages in 13 villages and also they fill up the Health cards by taking Height, weight, and are measurement for all the children

Health clinic: After health volunteers training, first aid Medical kit was provided for each volunteer with basic medicines for common diseases.  Health volunteer should work under the guidance of Government Health A.N.M. The medicines were not free of cost and patients should be motivated to pay the medicine cost. The amount should be revolved or rotated for the next time purchase of medicines. Before the training EED staff and health volunteers conducted door-to-door visit and met the families. The staff visited all the 13 villages and discussed on the community health programme. Along with the community the staff planned the health activities to be taken up in the villages. During the health workers visit they imparted health education basing on the health problems identified at village, cleanliness, village sanitation, and personal hygiene, on government health care facilities.

Impact:

• Volunteers trained to maintain the medical kit
• Medicines available for common diseases in the villages
• Health fund created for treatment common ailments.

Need of Educational Assistance:  In the target villages majority target children are not regular to school due to their parents economic problems, illiteracy and unawareness of importance of children’s education. The level of education among the elders is as less then 15% and women are totally illiterate and have no basic idea about the schooling.  Their stomachs are half-fed and thus their minds are occupied with the longing for food and there was no education facility.  From the early childhood the hunger and poverty are pre-dominant in the lives of the Adivasi children. The children have no access to higher education and they have to walk long distances to reach the high school. EED staff started dialogue with parents and women groups in the village regarding children’s education, dropout children, and Child rights etc. EED staff prepared list of regular school-going children and non-school going and reasons for non school going. In the villages meeting they discussed with community to bring all the children in to the school.

List of villages and Educational assistance children:

Educational assistances: After children’s organization training majority children are going to school regularly. Parents are also motivated to send their children for education and follow up regularly. RRDS field staff and coordinators visited all the villages and conducted door to door survey regarding children’s educational problems and identified 300 children in 13 villages and provide educational assistance like notebooks, pens, bag, dress, writing pad, chappals, geometry box and other necessary materials and school fees. The team members visited the schools and have discussion with school teachers and needs are identified for the tribal children.  The village development committee plays key role in selection of the children for the assistance. 

Uniforms: under the guidance of IRDWSI, RRDS provide educational assistance to 300 children after conducting survey and had interaction with people’s organization in the village regarding the education assistance. Now majority children are regularly going to school and drop-out children also  joined  schools.

Details of Educational Assistance:School Kits, Uniforms, Chappals ,School fees, Notebooks ,Pens, writing pad, Schoolbag, geometry box etc.

Achievement:

• 300 children were distributed uniforms and provided educational materials for the children.
• 102 children from 13 villages are enrolled in Government schools and hostels after facilitating children’s organizations meetings by staff and coordinator.
• 12 children were arranged bus-passes to attend high schools from their villages.
• 8 children joined in Government Hostels for Higher Education from 3 villages.

 Impact:

• Educational assistance helps the reduce parents’ burden of providing books and uniforms.
• School dropouts rejoined to the formal schools and RRDS staff is following their education.
• School strength increased from the tribal villages after EED project implementation.
• Zeal and interest of dropout students have been created to continue the education.

SHG promotion and strengthen: 9 SHG groups are promoted in 7 villages and started savings and credit programme from their incomes under the guidance of RRDS staff. These groups are initiated to actively participate in village development activities and EED programme. Filed workers are regularly following up this group meetings by writing records of the group every month on fixed dates.  This  year the 9 groups saved Rs: 21,600/-. RRDS initiated training programme for the existing 21 self-help groups belonging  to Adivasi community to strengthen the groups. They mobilized  around Rs: 50000 to 100000 bank loans.

Impact: Self sufficiency of women through income generation activities is slowly developing confidence among them. Now they are able to take care of their family needs in a better manner. They are not depending on money-lenders and landlords for their family needs. Savings habit is being developed among the women. Non-productive expense among women is slowly reducing. The parents are taking care of their children’s education by providing educational material to their children.

RRDS staff formed as group and developed role play, street theatre, songs on various issues like women problems, children, health, and HIV/ AIDS and environment. They demonstrated street plays in the night times in all 13 villages from16-12-06 to29-12-06. Adivasi men, women and children perform tribal dances in the cultural programmes.This programme generated consciousness in the area and people interacted on various issues. All the13 villages and the villagers were enlightened with the facts and consequences of AIDS and how to prevent it. Stage shows and skits are played for proper understanding on this disaster disease.

It is to build people with their own talent, resources and capacities through meetings and trainings. In this regard Community based organization trainings help the people to realize that they are partners in development and development is for them. Self-dignity and eagerness to change is very much achieved. The attitude of receiving is changing into contribution and saving. Indeed we are happy about the changes that are taking place in women youth and farmers.

Capacity Building of farmers  

Village meetings: The village meetings help the community to gain awareness about the RRDS and ITC watershed and wasteland development initiatives. We have discussed with farmers about the Tobacco plantation, soil condition, water related programmes and seasons also on the other hand pertaining to wasteland development Bush clearance, Plough and Cultivation, Manual work and Eucalyptus plantation, during the rainy season how to save water, how to complete the programmes as early as possible.

Training on soil and moisture conservation: RRDS staff created awareness through trainings and meetings on need of the watershed programme to soil and moisture conservation, which are as follows.

• Land production methods
• Water Management
• Organic manure compost pits preparation
• Alternative crops.

Impact:

• All beneficiaries have got confidence and unity among them.
• Majority women are aware about SHG concept and started saving from their small incomes.
• Cooperation, unity and confidence developed among the village sangha people.
• All beneficiaries restarted their livelihood by using these rehabilitation programme
• Reduced dependency on money lenders and fish business people for their family needs.
• RRDS staffs created confidence among the target groups to solve their problems and issues.
• Individual IGP activities helped the target community not to go labor work out side.
• 134 people were supported to start small enterprising units like petty-shops, vegetable business, tea stall, dry fish etc.

RRDS has been implementing Tsunami relief and rehabilitation activities with the support of KNH, ACT and NMZ under the collaboration and collective response with IRDWSI. In this regard RRDS initiated livelihood restoration programme in 13 villages through EED   under the guidance of IRDWSI.

Main goal of tsunami initiative: The overall goal was to identify the most neglected among the tsunami affected and support them in meeting their immediate relief and long term livelihood support to Dalit, Adivasi & fisher folk communities in13villages in Nellore district, A.P.  The main objectives of the calamity preparedness, mitigation and management can be summarized as follows.

• Right based approach  and empowerment
• Community centered calamity preparedness and management
• Advocacy and lobbying
• Net working among the victims
• Collaboration with Govt agencies to provide benefits for the victims

RRDS promoted 15 member’s cultural team and prepared a street play to awake the target communities on HIV/AIDS. This team is demonstrated street plays in 32 villages where HIV positive cases increasing. Village sangha member’s women, men and children have participated actively in this programme. The communities had understood about HIV/AIDS and this importance activity. This play helps the community to aware about HIV symptoms and to fallow the instructions given by the cultural team.

• HIV/AIDS Care and supportA two phase refresher training of Village committees was organized in RRDS training centre to aware them on HIV/AIDS problems. 72 SHG leaders and some HIV positive people attend this residential training. This has helped the trainees to understand HIV  problems and treatment facilities. 
• To reduce the STI & HIV/AIDS prevalence among migrants
• Watershed Program
• Wasteland Development Program
• Tank management program
• Income Generating programes
• Advocacy and Lobbing
• Documentation
• Monitoring and Evaluation