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Discipleship Centre |
THE LIGHT Of HOPE The Centre for the Visually Impaired The centre for the visually impaired was started in 1979. The main activity of the
centre is the publication of the “Deepak” magazine. From a modest
40 copies in 1979, the centre now The centre provides a platform for them to meet and support each other once every month. Spiritual nurture, vocational guidance and counseling form an integral part of the meetings. An average of 50 people attend these gatherings. The vocational guidance cell at the centre directs them to courses/employment suited to their needs and interests. It also provides valuable information on the various government schemes that benefit them. The individual attention and encouragement offered by the centre has built up numerous lives over the past 23 years. Hope awakens the latent potential leading to a new sunrise. HOPE FOR BROKEN LIVES Disasters, both
natural and manmade, cause untold misery to millions of lives. The
state of Rajasthan is under the grip of a severe drought affecting
73.64% of the village and has distrupted normal life of 33.04 million
livestock. Our
response to a disaster does not terminate with relief. The ultimate
objective is to restore livelihood and to support the community in
reconstructing their world. Women
are the focal point of rural socio-economic activities. 20 million
women are directly and immensely affected by the drought. Trudging
long distances (about 5 to 7 km.) for water has become a daily
routine. Mass migrations are becoming a regular feature. The drought
has added another plaintive dimension to the lives of these women. In
addition to the heavy domestic chores, she is now also a rural
labourer. The result, the Government of Rajasthan has now recorded a
severe fall in the hemoglobin levels of the women in rural areas. We,
in all our drought relief programmes, have conducted medical camps to
improve the health of women. Our
interventions have provided potable water to 12 villages in the
Jodhpur District of Rajasthan. Water harvesting structures like
tanka/cisterns have been constructed in 10 villages of the Jodhpur
District. In
the Bandikui Taluk of Rajasthan, 3 villages under our integrated
development programme have access to potable water through submersible
pumps, providing the much-needed respite for women in our target
villages. Desiltation of ponds and repairing of traditional water
harvesting structures have been carried out in all our target
villages. Food
for work programme has benefited 5000 families in the Jodhpur District
of Rajasthan for four months. New roads have been constructed enabling
easy access to schools, hospitals and other necessary public
utilities. The food for work programme was designed and implemented to
construct check dams and contour bunds, paving way for water
conservation. This, in turn, ensures better agricultural harvests in
the future. Provision
of dry and green fodder to 4190 cattle has saved them from starvation
and imminent death. In continuation of the 2nd Phase of
Orissa super Cyclone Relief, to revive the agricultural activities we
have provided seeds, fertilizers and implements including tractors in
the Thidi block of Bhadrak District. 50 low cost houses have been
constructed in Botigaon village of the Jagatsinghpur District. They
have been provided with fishing nets to enable them earn their
livelihood. 47
tubewells are providing clean potable water to the villagers in the
Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur District, making them less prone to water
borne infections. 2
small bridge have been constructed in Uttarbaha and Brahmanagar
villages and construction and repair of roads was also undertaken in
our target villages to provide easy access to schools, hospitals etc. Strengthening
community-based institutions like village panchayats and women’s
groups on disaster management techniques has been a major achievement. We
restore hope to disrupted lives.
HOPE - THE GUJARAT CHAPTER As
the nation was celebrating its Republic day on 26th January
2000, a devastating earthquake shook Gujarat at 08:45 am. The
90-second- earthquake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, causing
colossal damage to lives and property. Over 20,000 people were killed
and nearly one million people were rendered homeless. The scale and intensity of the quake had the entire country traumatised. The worst affected Kutch region was battling the dual calamity of an earthquake and drought. The resilience of the people of Gujarat in unearthing the hope of life from the rubbles is remarkable. Our relief team provided relief kits containing tarpaulins, cooking material, dresses etc. to 14,000 people. The food for work programme benefited 3908 families in 34 villages. This not only aided in rubble removal but also boosted the morale of the victims.
Rapar Block in the Kutch district of Gujarat was chosen to be our target area. Agriculture and animal husbandry are the main lifeline of the rural economy in Gujarat. Provision of fodder to 14 villages provided the much-needed relief to the livestock in the area. Water harvesting initiatives of deepening existing ponds and construction of check dams in 11 villages have led to the revival of agricultural activities in the block. Tubewells in 5 villages are providing clean potable water, considerably reducing the incidence of water borne diseases. We have constructed and handed over 274 houses in the villages of Gajjuwand, Hanumanwand, Surserwandh and Suknawand, involving the community at all levels of planning and implementation. Home | Case Study | News | Job | The journey | More About Us © 2003 Discipleship Centre All Rights Reserved. |
brings out 1500 copies every month. The editorials, testimonies, the
educative and counseling sections have provided unfathomable support
to them. This magazine not only lights up the lives of individuals,
but is also sent to special schools and other educational institutions
for the visually impaired throughout the country. It is also sent to
neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
