CCDT: Trust empowers communities through education

[Guest guest]

Trust empowers communities through education

The Delhi Age 9th February, 2002-New Delhi

I have a passion for children, so every project I undertake involves children.

Of course, there is no point working with children alone, and so we work with

their families and their environment, " Says Ms Sara D'Mello, a former

schoolteacher, who started the committed community development trust to empower

marginalised communities through health, social education and community

development.

It all started around 1987, when Ms D'Mello visited the leprosy colony at

Borivali. " I realised the injustice of it all. Leprosy is curable nut most

people don't know this and are, thus, scared of those suffering from it because

of physical deformities. Like AIDS, this is due to lack of awareness, " she said.

She began to work with the people there, doing what she could to help and in

1990, realising the need for a larger team, the Committed Community Development

Trust was registered.

The state government gave CCDT the opportunity of start a leprosy control

programme called Good Bye Leprosy in 1993 for slum communities in Borivali and

Dahisar. In addition, a primary health centre and pre-school education programme

run by women of the colony was started. These programs were so successful that

they are being phased out. " We are only catalysts. Ultimately people take charge

of their own lives. We cannot supplant the government but we can help people

access government services, " points out Ms D'Mello. Today, 180 tribal children

from Sanjay Gandhi National Park are enrolled in school and CCDT has begun to

work with migrant labourer community in Dahisar, holding classes from women and

children. Another of their programmes in Dahisar is the " Help a mother, save a

child " , where a follow up is done for 30 months with pregnant women to prevent

infant mortality.

In the mid-90s, CCDT began working in red light areas and Project Ankur was

started in Kamathipura, Worli and Bhandup for the children of women in

prostitution. Ms D'Mello explains: " We need to get these children into the

mainstream. We placed them in municipal schools, provided day-care centres and

girls. It was difficult at first but we tried to build bridges. What is

important is to strengthen the mother-child bond. "

Project CHILD was initiated in 1995 for the children of HIV positive women,

especially women in prostitution. She adds: " We found many women who were ill

and not responding to treatment. It was discovered they were HIV positive. When

they began to show symptoms and became too ill, they were thrown out of the

brothels and left to die in the streets. "

For the children infected or affected by HIV, Ashray, a residential centre was

started in Bandra where a home environment is created. Later these children are

placed in schools. The BMC helped them in accessing centres for the HIV positive

women in prostitution. Today, CCDT is working with those families affected by

HIV and has begun training other groups in spreading AIDS education and

awareness. It promotes family-based care as an alternative to

institutionalisation. CCDT is always looking for volunteers whether it is

architects to help repairing their centres or artists to help with play therapy

for the kids. Recently, Shiamak Davar volunteer to conduct dance classes for

them.

Ms D'Mello says: " We have a long way to go, but we have made a breakthrough

since people have begun coming to us. Today we work with 200 families and 300

children affected by HIV. We try to provide them with alternatives, how to cope

and take control of their lives. "

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Dr.Jagdish Harsh ( jharsh@... )

Director of Administration and Operations

François-Xavier Bagnoud (INDIA) ( www.fxb.org )

161,Satya Niketan Moti Bagh-II

New Delhi-110021

Phone: +91-11-6111793-94

Fax: +91-11-4107381

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