Integrated Program for Community Development (IPCD)

Integreated Program for Community Development is a post-tsunami development program implemented in 29 villages and 79 schools from Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai and Kanyakumari districts with the support of Canadian Red Cross.

Health/WatSan sector highlights:

Training of Trainers (ToT) on Water and Sanitation: Followed by the WatSan Master Training of Trainers (MToT) conducted for IPCD Staff in January at Cuddalore and Training of Trainers on WatSan for has been conducted for Health Promoters. While Pudukottai, Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari districts branches completed this training in last month, Cuddalore organized this ToT from 1st - 4th Mar 2011 for 81 Health Promoters with the following training objectives

• enhancing the knowledge related to overall WatSan as a public health issue;
• developing the capacity of the health promoters so that they can create and develop the skills pertaining to hygiene and sanitation in their target community;
• understanding the WatSan related issues in IPCD areas and come-up with village based project implementation plan

Considering the number of Health Promoters, the training was organized in two batches as to ensure active participation of each participant. The key facilitators of the training were District Coordinators (DCs) and Village Coordinators (VCs). All the 81 health promoters were trained as WatSan trainer.

Other regular activities of the health sector such as nutrition support to children from 13 crèches, periodical health check up for the creche children and play based pre-school education and need based first aid services in the community continued as usual.

II. Disaster Risk Reduction Sector

Training on Tracing during natural Disaster:

The increasing incidences of natural disasters are one of the leading causes for displacement of families and separation of family members is inevitable in such kind of grim and distorted social conditions. Recognizing the above fact, the Indian Red Cross Society, through its well established Family News Service (FNS) wing, has been assisting people to re-establish the contact with their family members and friends missing in emergencies in close coordination with International Committee of Red Cross and other Red Cross and Red Crescent societies worldwide.

In order to take this service forward at the IPCD program village level, a one-day Restoring Family Links (RFL) training was conducted for 275 Red Cross volunteers / disaster management task force members. Volunteers from 26 IPCD Program communities of Pudukottai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Cuddalore districts took this training and learned about Red Cross movement fundamental principles, RC tracing services, how to fill Red Cross Message (RCM) and Tracing Request and also techniques to provide psychosocial support to the members of displaced / separated families. The participants were also trained on how to cater the need of tracing during natural disasters. Practical sessions and role-play methods were adopted to ensure more participation. These trained volunteers would be in regular touch with local Red Cross branches and play vital role in tracing activities during emergencies.

:Training on Networking and Coordination to Village Disaster Management Teams:

With the objectives of building and strengthening the capacity of village disaster management team members and enhancing their awareness on the significance of networking and coordination with different stakeholders, a one-day training was organized in 10 IPCD operational villages of Tiruvarur, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts.

The training focused not only on educating the community on how to establish link with the available stakeholders for DRR activities but also made them to understand grassroots level concerns, bringing change in their communities through their own initiatives, mobilizing internal and external resources for community level DRR initiatives, importance of bringing attention of community based organizations, Panchayat Raj Institutions and Government into identified low and high profile mitigation initiatives etc.

As an immediate output of the training the participants came up with an action plan to initiate networking and coordination at different levels to undertake various disaster mitigation activities identified by their own community through vulnerability and capacity assessment exercise. The participants were also motivated to realize DRR was everyone’s responsibility.

* CDG- RL Community Development Groups for Restoring Livelihoods

III. Humanitarian Values Sector

Following the MISSION REPORT by the Technical Advisor and Program Manager, which was a result of community consultations there were many opportunities identified. As part of Ten Steps  which is to create awareness on child safety among the children and teachers in the schools, baseline survey in the schools covering 9th class children was the achievement for this month. Further, parents from IX graders from selected 29 schools pertaining to our project area was identified as samples for completing the baseline survey. (Baseline survey sample consists of Students, Teachers, Principals and Parents of the selected 29 schools).

IV. Livelihood Sector

Livelihood sector regular activities continued as usual. Work order for construction of Community Development Groups for Restoring Livelihoods (CDG-RL) building at Jambavanodai, Tiruvarur has been issued to the contractor. Similary, proposal for upgradation of Fish Auction Hall at Annankovil, Cuddalore has been approved. Neccesary funds have been transferred to the concerned District Branches for iniating the work.

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