ARCOD implemented a project for Development of Adolescents and Home Based Care for Ante Natal and Post Natal Mothers in selected villages of Thally and Kelamangalam blocks of Krishnagiri District in 2 phases. The proposal was developed by ARCOD and later it was redefined jointly by ARCOD and UNICEF.
The 1st phase of the project was implemented during December 2013 to October 2014. ARCOD submitted a request to extend the project for 2 more years with expansion of activities in additional villages. The request was positively considered by UNICEF and sanctioned the 2nd phase of the project for the period from August 2015 to September 2017.
Geographical Coverage
The following table shows the No of villages covered under the project in 1st and 2nd phases.
Phase | Period | No of Villages | |||
Adolescents Development | Home Based Care | ||||
Phase 1 | December 2013 to October 2014 | Kelamangalam | 15 | Kelamangalam | 0 |
Thally | 15 | Thally | 16 | ||
Total | 30 | Total | 16 | ||
Phase 2 | August 2015 to September 2017 | Kelamangalam | 30 | Kelamangalam | 16 |
Thally | 30 | Thally | 20 | ||
Total | 60 | Total | 36 | ||
Objectives
To ensure access and quality health services to the AN and PN women that encompasses
- Access the services of Primary Health Centers
- Ensuring Institutional Delivery
- Reducing the Maternal Mortality Rate
- Reducing the Infant Mortality Rate
- Ensuring feeding of colostrum and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months
To create an enabling environment for adolescents and this encompasses
- Addressing sexual and reproductive health of adolescents and realizing their rights
- Addressing mental health issues of adolescents
- Bridging the gap between adolescent children and their parents
- Creating education opportunities, career guidance and identifying livelihood options
- Educating Adolescent in Life skills
- Improving academic performance of school going adolescents
Activities Carried Out
- Selection of Club Mentors, Village Health Workers and Coordinators
- Meetings with Panchayats, PHCs, Schools and other stakeholders
- Meeting of Family Members of AN & PN Mothers
- Meeting with Parents and other stakeholders
- Formation of adolescent Clubs
- Club Activities
- Evening Tuitions
- Monthly Tests
- Adolescent Club Melas
- Summer Camp
- Sensitization of Stakeholders
- Capacity Building for the staff team
Outputs / Achievements
The project activities were completed in the month of September 2017. It is too early to realize the outcome of the project activities. However the following immediate outputs can be seen:
Adolescents Development
- Parents’ involvement increased. They realized the need and started giving importance for education of their children. They do not send their children for work for wages.
- Club Members performance in terms of Hand writing, completing the home work and taking initiatives for new learning improved.
- The club members’ self confidence level increased. They are able to set their short term and long term goals.
- Club members were given opportunities to exhibit and sharpen their cultural talents. The drop out of children from schools reduced.
- The club activities helped the members to complete their class and go to the next grades over the three years. The following table shows the No of club members passed out to the next classes.
Academic year | No of Clubs | Total No of Members | 8th STD | 9th STD | 10th STD | ||||||||
Boys | Girls | Total | Boys | Girls | Total | Boys | Girls | Total | Boys | Girls | Total | ||
2013-14 | 29 | 403 | 443 | 846 | 40 | 48 | 88 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 8 | 16 | 24 |
2015-16 | 60 | 739 | 799 | 1538 | 148 | 139 | 287 | 71 | 51 | 122 | 19 | 28 | 47 |
- About 3000 adolescents were exposed to outside world in different places over 3 years. It was evidenced that the No of Adolescent girls attended these trips higher than boys.
- About 30 trained club mentors got opportunities as full time and part time educators in different organizations.
- Club members realized their responsibilities in taking initiatives to address common issues of the villages
- There was no child marriage reported in the working villages during the project period. Five such incidents were stopped through the adolescent clubs and mentors.
- The people’s attitude towards construction and usage of toilets changed. About 377 individual household toilets have been constructed and being used.
Home Based Care for AN & PN Mothers
- All the pregnant women (1143 AN & PN Mothers) registered with the Primary Health Centers
- The eligible mothers benefited from different schemes by availing support
- The AN mothers were prepared for safe and institutional deliveries. As a result there was > 98% (882 out of 895) Institutional deliveries
- The mothers realized the importance of colostrum and exclusive breast feeding and practiced it.
Following is the Report of External Assessment carried out by Ms. Saulina Arnold, a senior Development Consultant