School Health Programme Committed, are we?

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

Though I place my concerns before all of you, I want an answer from NACO.

After three years of deliberation in 2002 NACO started the school health

programme in

a big way - simultaneously starting it in most of the states of India. A series

of discussions were held and a lot of input from the experts, national and

international agencies and of course the related government departments went

into before finalising the strategy. The organisations involved

in AIDS prevention campaign and adolescents' health programme were glad that

ultimately a concrete plan is being formulated.

Being keen as ever, Parivartan became a part of the process. Prior to that we

also enquired about the sustainability plan of the programme. Because, we did

not want to leave the partner schools just after a year before fully

strengthening their skills and capacity. We were ensured by the funding agency

that everything has been taken care of and the strategy is to follow the

progress and support the schools even after completion of the project.

However, in reality that did not happen. After one year and after completing the

project when we enquired about the same, we were told " no money " so the

implementing organisation should make its own arrangement for any subsequent

activity and follow-ups.

This will have a two-way negative impact. Since the schools are assigned a lot

of extra programmes by the government, it requires a lot of pursuation from any

agency that would like to implement some programme there and adjustment from the

authority of the schools.

After all these, when one is able to make some inroad and lift the motivation

level of the schools it is disheartening to leave them high and dry. Secondly,

doing this the implementing agency looses its credibility before the partner

schools.

My question is - if you do not have funds why start such an important programme?

Arati Samajpati

Director

Parivartan

E-mail: <parivartan@...>