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VGKK is a non-sectarian humanitarian organisation dedicated
to the ideal of "Service of God in Man". It was originally
started in Biligiri Ranga Betta (B.R. Hills) in southern
Karnataka and has now spread to incorporate Yelandur,
Chamrajanagar, Kollegal and Nanjangud talukas. It works
among the Soliga tribesmen. VGKK has set the following
objectives for its integrated tribal development work:
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To realise the vision
of a self-reliant, united and progressive Soliga tribal
community.
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To identify the latent
human potential of the Soligas through motivation, education
and training, and through building up their self-confidence
in developing themselves. In the process, to encourage
them retain their culture and, at the same time, adjust
to the changing circumstances.
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To build up people's
organisations such as Abhivruddhi Sanghas - a forum
to take up the fight for welfare, justice and fundamental
rights. VGKK strongly believes that tribals are an inseparable
part of forest life. Their future depends entirely on
preventing their alienation from nature. Along with
the de-alienation process, they need to face the challenges
of modern civilization.
VGKK works in the areas of
health, education, community organisation, cottage industry
and vocational training, agriculture, housing and cooperatives.
Health
Health care, specifically curative medical care, has
been chief entry point of VGKK into the Soliga community.
Even in this regard, it was a hard struggle to gain acceptance.
The primary reason was that the Soligas had no access
to doctors previously. They had immense faith in supernatural
powers of healing. Secondly, the allopathic treatment
was also lien to the Soliga community. Herbal medicare
had been the age-old practice. In such a scenario, it
is quite natural that initially the tribals used to disappear
in the jungle when the mobile medical unit approached
the hamlets. But some dramatic cures gained their confidence.
Subsequently, the emphasis has been on preventive community
health, the objective being to educate and gain the local
people’s participation in the health activities
by creating awareness of health needs through health education.
VGKK’s health programme can be summarised as follows:
a) Curative health
A well-equipped hospital with beds, an out-patient
clinic and a laboratory serves as a base hospital for
the whole area. The laboratory has facilities for routine
analysis. In addition, calorimetry and electrophoresis
are carried out to identify sickle-cell anaemia, which
is a genetic disease prevalent among the Soligas. A systematic
screening programme has been established for all tribals
so as to identify, follow up and treat sickle-cell anaemia
cases. Mobile medical services are being provided through
periodic visits in a mobile medical van to the distant
hamlets of Yelandur, Chamrajanagar, Kollegal and Nanjangud
taluks. The house surgeons and paramedical staff are engaged
in screening the entire Soliga community for leprosy,
tuberculosis and malaria through visit to the podus (Soliga
hutments). Suspected cases are brought to the clinic for
thorough investigation and given a full course of treatment.
b) Community Health
Under the immunization programme, most of the
children are immunized against diphtheria, pertusis, tetanus,
polo and tuberculosis. Ideally, the primary immunization
against diphtheria, pertusis, tetanus and polio should
be completed within the first year of birth. The vaccine
is administered in three doses at an interval of four
to six weeks.
However, for the Soliga children, Pulse immunization has
proved to be the best alternative for the following reasons:
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Remoteness and inaccessibility
of the podus.
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Storage difficulties
of the vaccines because of the frequent power failures.
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Existing immunization
programmes have caused patchy coverage.
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There is no way to retrospectively
determine the potency of the vaccines administered.
Under the Village Health Workers Programme, the people
of each village select their own village health worker.
After initial training at the hospital, the health workers
attend an ongoing training for two days every month at
VGKK. Community health problems are handled by them through
health education, first aid, safe delivery practices,
treatment of minor ailments and referral. The village
health workers are also encouraged to continue the use
of their traditional herbal medicines. The TBAs (traditional
birth attendants) who live in the community are brought
to VGKK for training in antenatal care, immunization,
intranatal care, care of new born, post natal care and
health education of mother and child. While dais are trained
in all these aspects, they are also encouraged to use
their traditional skills to deliver quite complicated
cases. General health education to the Soliga community
is provided by doctors, village health workers, trained
school children and teachers. Flash cards, slides, film
shows, puppet shows, songs and skits are used to impart
health education to the community.
Education
Dr. Sudarshan, founder of VGKK, felt that mere doling out of health care was not the top priority for the Soliga community. Education was necessary to wake up the Soliga from their slumber of subservience. The beginning, however, was an arduous task. The main reasons were lack of awareness and basic necessities of life. The prevalent method of textbook teaching at schools was alien and took no consideration of Soliga culture and values. The discipline at schools was too rigid for the Soliga children who were used to being free in the forest. Hence the drop-out rate was high. Even the dialect posed a problem initially.
Taking cognizance of these factors, VGKK has taken up education on the basis of a better appreciation of Soliga culture. Education is imparted in a free and fearless atmosphere. VGKK collaborated with the DPEP (District Primary Education Project) and Central Institute of Indian languages at Mysore in developing primary level text books in the Soliganudi dialect.
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