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Dr. Athar Qureshi is RMF’s Deputy Director Programs for India. He is a Medical Graduate with a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Health Administration. He is now pursuing his Masters in Marketing Management from Mumbai University. Athar is from Mumbai and his interest in Social and Preventive Medicine made him choose his career in the development sector.
His first published work, “Health Services in Mumbai” was published as a booklet by Bombay Community Public Trust (BCPT) with support from FORD Foundation. He has worked in the development sector for the last eight years addressing Public Health issues, Reproductive & Sexual Health and Preventive Health. He designed and operationalized an Adolescent Reproductive Health Program for Niramaya Health Foundation and was instrumental in developing IEC booklets (“Aai Mala Saang”) for the program.
Athar’s career spans working as a full timer and consultant with organizations like Centre for Health Promotion, NFI (DFID Challenge Fund), Avert Society (USAID), APAC (USAID), HLFPPT (USAID) and Family Planning Association of India. At RMF, he is looking after capacity building and training of the team, developing and strengthening MIS & reporting, program monitoring and day to day management of the programs along with his duties as Deputy Director of Programs. He enjoys cooking, reading and travelling to historical sites in India. He loves watching Hollywood movies and has a passion for the parallel cinema in India.
Tags: doctor india, India, rmf team india
Community Mapping
The month of April was RMF’s Community Mapping Month in Barwani district as part of our Community Mobilization Pilot with the Department of Women and Child Development. The team started this community mobilization activity by having a two day training on the method for Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs). This was to ensure that all CNEs used similar, participatory methods in doing the mappings.
The first day was at the office in conjunction with the weekly team meeting where mapping techniques, use of symbols, and methods to involve community stakeholders were discussed. The second day of training, Anjana split the CNEs into two groups and took them out to a village near Barwani to do a practical mapping exercise as a group. This hands-on mapping training turned out to be the most effective, with the feedback from many CNEs saying that this gave them the most clarity and confidence.
CNEs started the mapping exercise by meeting with the village Patwari wherever possible to discuss the village layout, ensure his/her participation in the mapping exercise and to obtain a village map. They made an appointment with key community stakeholders, including anganwadis, Sarpanches, patwaris, and active mothers, to do the community mapping exercise on their next visit.
In each village, we ask the community to lead this exercise, with the CNEs prompting the community members to dive deeper and deeper into the mapping exercise. CNEs were instructed to ask community members to map out both the things there were proud of in their communities and the things they thought were bad for health. Good things included schools, new latrines, and village meeting places. Bad places included liquor shops and open defecation sites. In each instance, CNEs were instructed not to pass any judgment or not to make any suggestions, but to let communities do this analysis on their own.
Community mapping covers:
- Households in the community (some villages got down to the level of detail of the names of the family members in each house, other just mapped out the homes)
- Location of SAM kids
- Water sources, streams, rivers, damns, ponds
- Hand-pumps
- Public buildings: AWCs, schools, panchayats, PDS shops, AWW homes, temples
- Shops (general stores, PDS shops, liquor stores)
- Local doctors, health centers, medicine men
One of the best examples of this method leading to community realization and behavior change was in Badgaon with CNE Saroj. At the beginning of her mapping session, a handful of women sat around the poster paper, with their heads and faces covered and didn’t say much. As the anganwadi and ASHA led the mapping and did most of the work the women started to contribute more and more, peeking out from behind their veils and laughing and arguing as they discussed various aspects of the community. In the beginning, a few men stood around the outside of the circle, attempting to look as disinterested as possible. As the mapping progressed, they too couldn’t help themselves with participating more and more.
During her mapping exercise she asked community members to map out the positive and negative things in their village. The women listed newly constructed latrines (under TSC) as positive things in their village. Then Saroj asked them if they were being used. The community members laughed nervously and admitted that no one used these newly constructed latrines and still continued to defecate out in the open. Saroj asked where the open defecation sites were. The anganwadi worker plotted these right next to a stream. Without passing any judgment Saroj asked the community what they used the water for. They all said bathing. Then as Saroj remained silent, women in the group all started to giggle at the same time. They were making the connection between the open defecation and the proximity to the stream they used as a water source. And in this moment, this simple mapping activity may have had the largest Behavior Change result of any of the activities RMF has undertaken in this village thus far. Community members started to chatter amongst themselves and comment that they should start using the new latrines right away and started speculating that this contaminated water may be why children are getting sick. It’s too early to see if this has made a true change in the community, but this kind of self-realization is bound to be much stronger than any lecture or training session.
This was the most dramatic example of the effects of community mapping observed so far by RMF Managers (Caitlin was present during this session), but the community mapping seems to be a very effective and well-received activity. It’s a chance for local communities to show off their knowledge for a change and makes them feel proud of their knowledge. RMF CNEs have reported enthusiastic participation of community members in each session. Anganwadi workers have told us that this is “a very simple activity” and fun.
The key to making these mapping exercises work is to make sure the CNE understands that this is not just about drawing a map, but that it’s a community mobilization activity. CNEs can facilitate the map making process, being the illustrator or scribe, but the actual process must be conducted by community members.
We found that the mapping exercise is better with a small group of 5-10 individuals, otherwise it gets too crowded and confusing and leads to less participation. To be able to include more individuals in the process, CNEs did the mapping in 2-4 sections per village, depending on the village size and number of anganwadis. One map was made for each village, but the CNE drew the map in various stages depending on how many anganwadi centers there were in the village, so that each section of the community could participate meaningfully. The final complete village map was then copied and given to each anganwadi center to hang on the wall so that each anganwadi center has a full map. Another important pointer the CNEs found was to begin the mapping process by drawing the village boundaries instead of just diving into mapping locations. This was scale could be developed.
To date mapping has been completed in 114 villages in Barwani district. Given the success of this activity it will be scaled up to all RMF villages in the 4 other districts this quarter.
For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click here
We can use any financial help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education, Treatment and Outreach and help towards our goal of Malnutrition Eradication in this region of India.
To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.
Naiara Tejados
Jhabua, 23 de marzo de 2011
Aún recuerdo vívidamente aquellos días, lejanos según la concepción del tiempo en este país, presentes desde otros muchos puntos de vista.
Naiaria con Anandini
Tras dos días en estado de shock sin poder dormir ni comer después de hallar a Gila (una niña de 5 añitos con meningitis tuberculosa e hidrocefalia) en su casa, el día 27 de enero, recibí aquella llamada de Caitlin para informarme que la pobre criatura había fallecido a pesar de todos los esfuerzos realizados por los médicos en Ahmedabad. Sinceramente he de reconocer que sentí como un ligero alivio, pues creo que de haber sobrevivido su calidad de vida no hubiese sido la merecida por una niña de tan corta edad debido a sus múltiples secuelas. El hallazgo de Gila al igual que su final han sido relatados en este blog por Caitlin http://www.realmedicineblog.com/2011/02/15/voices-from-the-field-an-angel-from-justdail-com/#more-11294
Era obvio que algún miembro de su familia habría transmitido la fatal bacteria de la tuberculosis a Gila. Así, tras interrogar y observar, no fue difícil identificar al enfermo más crítico de la familia: el abuelo paterno, el patriarca del hogar, que desde hacía tiempo estaba también en cama, los últimos días con fiebre y sangrando cuando escupía. Mi mayor miedo era la posible transmisión de la bacteria a los otros 5 niños presentes en el hogar.
Anandini
Después de dos días sumergidos en el hospital supimos que, si bien claramente el abuelo parecía padecer de tuberculosis, casi todos los miembros de la familia estaban anémicos. Con la ayuda de nuestra trabajadora nativa estelar llamada Sumitra, les pregunté en qué se basaba su dieta. Pocas palabras me hicieron falta para saber que las condiciones en las que vivía la familia eran lamentables: tenían unos terrenos con dhal, una lenteja muy típica en India, poseían unos pocos cultivos con guisantes, y tenían maíz con el cual hacían harina para poder así cocinar roti, tortas de pan. No tenían nada más. Fue un gran placer suministrar a la familia alimentos y otros artículos de uso cotidiano que ellos mismos no podrían adquirir. Era obvio que la familia había empleado todos sus ahorros en el tratamiento de Gila y estaba ahora arruinada…
El segundo día, a las dos horas de entregarles en su casa, ya muy tarde, recibí una llamada de Sumitra diciéndome que la madre de Gila, la cual se encontraba en su fase final del embarazo, había empezado a sentir los dolores de parto. ¡Una nueva vida estaba de camino! A la mañana siguiente, impaciente, me desplacé al hospital para conocer a la criatura, cuando, para mi sorpresa, supe que Dhana aún no había dado a luz. Una enfermera nos advirtió que Dhana tenía una gran anemia y su vida corría peligro. ¡No me lo podía creer! Pensaba una y otra vez lo injusta que estaba siendo la vida con esta familia. Por supuesto en este hospital no había banco de sangre. De repente, un montón de ideas invadieron mi mente: ¿cuál era el grupo sanguíneo de Dhana?, ¿podría yo donar mi sangre? Bajo las direcciones de Jaimie, rogué al personal que analizara su tipo de sangre; me comunicaron que eso no era posible en ese hospital.
Chhatra trabajandon para RMF
No nos quedaba otra opción que ir a buscar ayuda al hospital privado dirigido por cristianos situado en el mismo pueblo, el mismo que apenas 2 semanas antes había robado la vida a Gila no proporcionándole los medicamentos necesarios por la imposibilidad de pagarlos por sus padres. Tal vez podríamos valernos de este hospital en este caso para salvar la vida de su madre y de su hermanito/a… Pedimos permiso a la matrona para trasladarla a dicho hospital, en el cual pensábamos todo podía ir mejor bajo nuestra supervisión; la matrona y las enfermeras nos comunicaron que el bebé nacería en el vehículo si lo hacíamos. No había tiempo para nada, sólo quedaba esperar.
De repente, entre el barullo del hospital, escuchamos el llanto de un bebé neonato. No podía ser otro que el del/la hermano/a de Gila. Aprovechando que una enfermera salía del paritorio, me abalancé sobre ella para preguntarle si era el llanto que estábamos esperando. Asintió, y nos hizo entender que todo había ido bien, tanto la madre como la hija estaban bien, y no había necesidad de hacer una transfusión de sangre a la madre. ¡Había sido una niña! No pude contener mis lágrimas de alegría. Fue inevitable pensar en la reencarnación, tan presente en las vidas de estas gentes. ¿Cómo la llamarían?
Para mi sorpresa y alegría, al día siguiente, supe que los padres de Gila nos habían pedido a nosotras, trabajadoras de Real Medicine Foundation, que nombráramos a la niña. ¡Qué honor! Así, escogimos el nombre de Anandini para ella, el cual significa “feliz, alegre”. Anandini nunca llora. Ha sido indiscutiblemente el mejor regalo que he recibido en India.
Abuelo de Anandini
Aproximadamente a la semana de haber nacido, Caitlin, Jaimie y yo nos desplazamos a visitarla. La familia nos recibió con los brazos abiertos. Preocupadas por su condición económica y su futuro, les preguntamos a cuánto ascendían sus deudas. Nos comunicaron que para tratar a Gila habían pedido prestados a un prestamista local 1.000€ a ser devueltos con un 25% de interés: una cuantía poco significante en la sociedad occidental, pero que convierte a una familia de estas características en deudora para muchos años, tal vez también a su siguiente generación.
Yo había recibido una gran cantidad de dinero después de haber escrito un email personal la víspera de haber fallecido Gila a todos mis familiares y amigos: fue un email solicitándoles que, cada cual dentro de sus deseos y posibilidades, donaran dinero para poder emplearlo con distintos grupos colectivos con los que trabajo en India. Por ello, enseguida pensé que me encantaría ayudar a esta familia a desprenderse de esta horrible deuda. Gracias a la generosidad de Jaimie, que también se encontraba presente, y debido a que ella también ha recaudado mucho dinero de los suyos http://www.realmedicineblog.com/2011/03/18/voices-from-the-field-one-birthday-wish-granting-wishes-for-many-by-jaimie-shaff/, decidimos que la pagaríamos a partes iguales entre las dos. Pocos días después volvimos a su casa con el dinero, permitiendo así a la familia liberarse al menos de esta carga. Les hicimos saber que esto era algo que hacíamos independientemente de nuestra organización, debido a que la misma se centra en ofrecer recursos médicos pero no en proporcionar dinero en metálico. Vimos por primera vez a Dhana sonreír. ¡Muchas gracias a todos los que habéis hecho todo esto posible!
No pudimos resistirnos a preguntarles a los padres de Anandini en qué trabajarían en adelante. Su respuesta fue unánime: cuando ella se hiciera un poco mayor, migrarían a otros estados de India como agricultores teniendo así que abandonar su hogar, incrementando mucho el riesgo de contraer distintas enfermedades por las condiciones lamentables a las que se tienen que someter, y dejando a sus hijos mayores al cuidado de los abuelos. Esta respuesta nos dejó a todos con el corazón roto. Siendo ya conocedores del buen hacer y de la infinita calidad humana de esta familia, Caitlin y Jaimie no dudaron en ofrecer trabajo al padre de Anandini, Chhatra, como “Educador de Nutrición de la Comunidad” (CNE= Community Nutrition Educator) de nuestra organización. Chhatra, ya trabaja con júbilo en su propio pueblo y en los vecinos, de casa en casa, previniendo que otros muchos niños sean víctimas de la desnutrición o otras condiciones médicas tan fácilmente evitables que roban la vida a muchos de ellos en estas aldeas.
Naiara Tejados
Voluntaria de Real Medicine Foundation
Our partner’s in Japan, JEN (Japanese Emergency NGO), have achieved the following since partnering with RMF:
- Approximately 150,000 people were reached
- Primary beneficiaries: Evacuees at shelters in Ishinomaki City and evacuees located in their own house without food stocks, and elderly persons at nursery houses.
Activities:
Material Distribution:
Food and non-food items such as fuel, clothing, blankets, and hygiene products were delivered to evacuation centers and homes for the elderly, i.e. 1,000 kilos of rice and 4,000 liters of kerosene.
Sludge Removal Tools and Volunteer Dispatch:
Supported by many volunteers, JEN has been helping remove rubble and sludge from the houses in the Watanoha area, where most houses and buildings are still covered with mud brought by the tsunami. 1,000 sludge removal tool kits were also distributed to local community centers.
Soup Kitchen Volunteer Dispatch:
An initial soup kitchen service was provided at Takasago Junior High School, an evacuation centre in Sendai City. In Ishinomaki City, soup kitchen services provide 100 meals for lunch and 50 for dinner daily.
Planned Future Activities:
Temporary Shelter Project:
Importing trailer homes from Europe and using them as temporary shelters for those who lost houses, until the government prepares permanent houses. Usually, such temporary shelter construction is done by the government; the number required at this time is too high for the government alone to handle.
Rubble Clearance by Local Companies as Revival of Local Business:
There are huge piles of rubble in the affected areas and clearance work has started. Heavy-duty trucks have been rented to participate in the work so companies can resume their business and keep the employees who are about to lose their jobs.
Community Kitchen for Psycho-Social Care of Evacuees:
JEN will establish a few community kitchens where evacuees cook together every day. Through working together and talking about their Tsunami experience over cooking, the aim is to help reduce evacuees’ stress and share a strong tie among them.
We are continuing to raise funding for JEN’s relief efforts and we currently have two matching donation challenges that are running through the end of the month.
The first is from a group of sponsoring organizations: Rudy’s Barbershop, Ace Hotel, Bimbos Cantina, and Cha Cha Lounge who have together agreed to match up to $18,000 in donations made through our website and at their in store locations!
The second is from the folks over at Global Basecamps who have agreed to match the first $2,500 donated from their fans/clients. Both matching donation options can be found on our website through the link below.
If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts with our partner JEN in Japan, click on Donate below.
All photos JEN Copyright
Tags: japan, japan charity, japan donatinos, japan earthquake, japan JEN, japan non profit, japan relief, japan tsunami, JEN, real medicine japan, tsunami, tsunami relief
by Jaimie Shaff and Naiara Tejados
Oh, our little girl. We have a serious hunch that one day she will, in fact, be queen of the world. Today, she is just a three year old wondering why these strange people have showed up and keep making her go to the hospital to undergo painful procedures and wear uncomfortable braces.
Some of you have already seen this little girl floating around the interweb, and some of you have contributed to our efforts in making her life a little bit easier. This is Basanti.
Basanti's beautiful smile on the way to Ahmedabad
Basanti first came into our lives during Diwali 2010. She presented with anemia and full body pitting edema, a sign of Severe Acute Malnutrition, and required a painful emergency blood transfusion through her shinbone. Her body was so swollen that my fingerprints were left in her arm while I held her hand during the procedure. With little to no resources out here, all of this was done sans anesthetic, and her eyes showed us that she felt every poke, and every prod. Yet, with the help of our fabulous Doctor Sachin, Basanti came through the ordeal and recovered from her bout of SAM.
Basanti after one month of NRC treatment, her edema gone but her wasted limbs apparent
As I’ve said before, the first sign of recovery from SAM is a smile. All we wanted was to see this little girl smile. Yet, after over a month at the NRC, she refused to budge. This little girl was filled with determination and willpower unmatched by any of our efforts.
Basanti came back for follow-up 15 January 2011. This was the first time I ever saw her beautiful toothy smile. Basanti was recovering marvelously, and her bloated belly had finally gone down. She was getting a bit of baby-fat back, and her activity level was high. After giving me the stare down, she glanced down at her clubfoot, looked back up at me, and smiled. This time, her eyes asked for help.
Basanti’s club foot and stubborn gaze
I got to work immediately, researching the various procedures and organizations contributing to children with a clubfoot. I also sent out a blast to my family and friends, via Facebook Causes, to ask for some much needed financial assistance. If we were going to help this little girl out, we were going to need some resources. To my astonishment, Basanti’s donation cause was fulfilled in just 3 days.
I found an organization called A Leg to Stand On (ALTSO) with a branch out of a government hospital in Ahmedabad. The organization got in touch with me immediately, and we planned the date for Basanti’s procedure. Because of her age, the less-invasive procedure was not an option, and she would require two operations and over a year of casting and braces. X-rays also showed a significant curvature in her spine.
As our CNE, Sumitra, explained the process to the father we saw the confusion set into his brow. Access to medical services is very low in our areas of operation, and complicated surgical procedures are not very common. Concepts such as anesthesia, casting, realignment, recovery, and physical therapy are difficult to grasp at first, and require complex explanations. Fortunately, with the help of Sumitra, the doctors, ALTSO, and our Gujarat-based volunteer Roma, we were able to help the father to understand the process and he agreed to continue with the process.
Basanti at her home with her sister at the first operation
Stepping back a few hours to our first major “lightbulb.” Basanti’s father provides the economic support for the family, and is very seldom around for the caretaker tasks for his children. At a daba on the way to the hospital, we realized that he didn’t know how to feed her! Naiara quickly swapped places with him at the table, mixed some daal and rice, and showed him how to feed her. After she inhaled her food, we saw her first smile of the 8-hour trip, and realized that we had some work to do. At the hospital, the families in surrounding beds offered to teach the father how to feed and clean her during their stay at the hospital. Every time we checked in on her, he had learned a bit more, and actually thanked us for allowing him to spend time with his daughter.
Basanti at her home with her sister after the first operation
To date, Basanti has had her first operation and is in her second cast (well third, the second fell apart due to the natural conditions of the village…the most recent cast has been reinforced with some wire and duct-tape. Innovation!). She is due for her second operation in June, and has been fitted for a brace for her scoliosis. She has a long road ahead of her, but thanks to the help and support of ALTSO, our team, and you, she will have the chance to walk.
Basanti’s first cast after only 2 weeks at home!
Jaimie reinforcing Basanti’s second cast with thin wire and ductape to kid/village proof the fragile plaster
One of the most powerful moments was when we went to check on Basanti at her home following her first operation. Her mother looked at me, and said “Jaimie, first you saved her life during Diwali…now you’re helping her walk like the rest of my daughters. Thank you.” I told her that there are lots of people all over the world, helping to make her daughter’s life easier. That’s you.
Without your support, this would not have been possible. Women with disabilities are marginalized in this society. In rural India, disabled women have little chance of rising up in society, and have difficulty performing basic household functions. They are poked fun of at school, increasing chances of dropping-out, and typically end up marrying poorly, thereby putting them at risk for abuse. There is little support for women in rural areas, particularly those who are already ostracized from society for an easily corrected birth defect.
Thank you for changing this little girl’s life, forever.
Jaimie and Naiara signing Basanti’s cast
For more information about RMF’s Programs in India, click here, here and here
We can use any help you are able to provide on this project to continue our Education, Treatment and Outreach in the Madhya Pradesh region of India.
To contribute to this initiative, click on the Donate button below or visit our website at www.realmedicinefoundation.org
We are excited to announce that the kind folks over at Global Basecamps (www.globalbasecamps.com) have reached out to their supporters and fans for a matching donation challenge. They will be matching donations dollar for dollar for our Japan Relief Efforts for the first $2,500 of donations received through the Real Medicine website. (www.realmedicinefoundation.org/donors)
Global Basecamps is a specialty travel resource designed to simplify the process of researching and booking sustainable hotels, lodges and private tours worldwide. Travel at your own pace with a custom itinerary or simply find accommodation and excursions so that your trip priorities are met and you have maximum flexibility while on the road.
Beneficiaries helping out at JEN sponsored soup kitchen (Photo copyright JEN)
RMF’s Japan Relief efforts are currently focused on supporting our partner on the ground in Japan, the Japanese Emergency NGO (JEN), who are distributing vital food, clothing, and other supplies to those at evacuation centers or in the most damaged areas around Northeastern Japan.
We are continuing to update our website and blog with reports sent to us by JEN and will be closely monitoring the situation over the next few weeks.
If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan now, click on Donate below and be sure to mention Global Basecamps Japan Relief Efforts as the donation purpose.
Tags: global basecamps, japan, Japan Fundraiser, japan relief
From the JEN blog
Distributing clothes from UNIQLO in Ishinomaki City, and the arrival of the fourth team!
On the 29th March, JEN distributed warm fleeces and underwear by UNIQLO at three sites in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
The clothing was donated by Fast Retailing Co., Ltd (UNIQLO), and their employees assisted the distribution. A total of 759 local residents were present at the three locations to receive the items.
The distribution of clothing. Many residents gathered following the radio announcement.
In addition to the UNIQLO clothing, we distributed items that JEN brought from Tokyo. These were items provided by our supporters, such as precooked and sealed food, canned food, powdered milk, adult diapers and wet wipes for elder care. JEN will continue the distribution of these items in other locations of the city.
Another team (Miyako Hamasaka and Tasuku Futamura) arrived in Ishinomaki on the 29th. With their arrival, JEN will continue its distribution of hot meals in the evacuation centers and the removal of mud from evacuation centers and local houses – an activity urgently required in the area. JEN will also identify communities currently not receiving assistance, and conduct needs assessments in such areas.
Stay tuned for further updates from on the ground in Japan on our website.
If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan, click on Donate below and be sure to mention Japan as the donation purpose and we will continue to organize funding to JEN’s relief efforts.
Our partners at JEN (Japanese Emergency NGO) have teams busy on the ground in the northern tsunami affected areas providing food, shelter, water and other basic survival items to the thousands of people stranded in shelters.
JEN staff prepare food for emergency shelter residents
Thanks to everyone’s donations, JEN is able to provide far more care than would have been previously possible.
JEN has been updating us with photos and updates from the field, and also posting regularly to their blog.
Most recent update from JEN of this week’s relief work:
JEN staff preparing food for emergency shelter residents
On March 23rd, JEN dispatched its third team (members: Kenta Ohno and Hiroyuki Kobayashi) to the area affected by the Tohoku Earthquake. They joined the second team currently on an assessment mission in Ishinomaki City, in the north of Miyagi Prefecture. In addition to the material and hot food distribution in the evacuation centers in Sendai City, JEN will expand its activities starting from the towns of Minamisanriku, Higashimatsushima, Onagawa and Ishimaki. These are towns which have been receiving the least external support despite the massive damage and loss they have been suffering.
JEN also received information that Iwaki City in Fukushima Prefecture was not receiving emergency items due to radiation scares caused by the nuclear plant accident, and consequently sent materials from Tokyo tonight. A two-ton truck carrying three tons of urgently needed items was sent from JEN’s warehouse in Tokyo, containing diapers (both adult and children), feminine hygiene products, pre-cooked and sealed food, canned fish and meat, and wet wipes for elder care.
As progress picks up in restoring roads surrounding Sendai City, more and more communities are becoming accessible. However, there are still many isolated areas and evacuation centers. As a result, the difference between the amount of assistance being offered to the accessible and non-accessible communities is becoming clearly noticeable. In the coastal areas, the town hall itself was swept away and there are no bodies to request or coordinate external assistance that they need. In the urban areas, on the other hand, those who have lost their homes by the tsunami have no hope of returning home, and continue to live in extremely poor living conditions. Many people are expected to face long-term displacement, and their situations and needs are becoming increasingly complex.
Following the Earthquake, three teams were sent to the affected areas consisting of two members on March 13th, three on the 20th and two on the 23rd. The teams distributed emergency items and hot meals (rice and miso soup etc) in evacuation centers in Sendai City. To date, JEN has provided fresh food (to be cooked and distributed in the centers), clothing, blankets, sanitary items (feminine hygiene products, antiseptics, wet wipes, diapers for adults and children), and fuel. While distributing these items, JEN is also conducting assessments in the less accessible areas in order to shift to mid- and long-term assistance including the provision of psychosocial care.
Stay tuned for further updates from on the ground in Japan on our website.
If you are interesting in donating to the earthquake/tsunami relief efforts in Japan, click on Donate below and be sure to mention Japan as the donation purpose and we will continue to organize funding to JEN’s relief efforts.
Also, as part of a matching donations challenge, Rudy’s Barbershop, Ace Hotel, Bimbos Cantina, and Cha Cha Lounge have together agreed to match up to $18,000 in donations made through our website and at their business locations! More information on this matching donations challenge can be found here
Tags: japan, japan charity, japan donations, japan earthquake, japan JEN, japan photos, japan relief, japan tsunami
By Edith Manoj Gonzalez
Madhya Pradesh, India March 19,
In the midst of a Jhabua sunset, Madhya Pradesh has a beauty that is recognized from a distance. Its people smile at foreigners with great curiosity and the children greet with innocence and joy. Almost instantaneously, a person can recognize the beauty of central India and realize that things run a bit differently. Perhaps my jaded New York mindset has gotten the best of me, but despite the binary customs between the East and West it is vital to embrace the multiplicity of Indian perspectives and traditions.
Conducting a field-assessment with RMF staff
Needless to say, that during my brief experience in the field with RMF, I have witnessed only some of the challenges that comes with working with a marginalized population (on an international level). During one specific field visit, the team located Vijay, a child with a fragile body and timid face; he had lost his eyesight after having had what the villagers refer to as “badi mata,” a form of measles, a few months ago.
Edith with Suriya
Vijay is approximately four years old and his weak sensory skills conveyed a sign of desperation. Sadly, to be blinded in a village is to also become a burden to the family. According to Jaimie Shaff, the Program Manager for RMF India, this type of situation occurs often due to the lack of medical access in the villages: with a simple vaccination and/or proper treatment, Vijay’s blindness could have been prevented. His future livelihood could have been restored and his family’s sustainability premeasured.
The underprivileged youth/women/families are often a great reason to question our testimonies of reality. Meanwhile, the ongoing distinctions with castes, classicism, gender inequality, religion and its people create a conflict towards progress. Respective histories and stigmas continue to exist. Among the many questions, it is courageous to ask—what is being done? The RMF team has guided me through the processes of working in the field and visiting families in the most rural and elusive locations. The local Staff, as well as the Community Nutrition Educators, display empathetic stamina as they routinely counsel and provide medical services that attempt to mitigate healthcare injustices that are ever so often ignored.
The final harvest of the channa crop in the fields where RMF works
The overall dedication of the RMF team is wholesome and the smiles after a days work are genuine. In the United States, I have had an array of past work experiences ranging from social work to healthcare policy to migrant farm work. However, these moments of unity with the people of India will distinctly stay in my memory. In addition, it is most important to humble yourself in order to understand the true depths of compassion.
Edith with the RMF host family
For more information about RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program in India, click hereand the Bhil Academy click here
To contribute to this initiative visit our website at www.realmedicinefoundation.org
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