Blogs

Two days training programme was organised by CSNR on “Mushroom Cultivation for Livelihood Promotion” in different slums of Bhubaneswar and in Rasol, Harichandanpur Block of Keonjhar district of Odisha. The training was imparted on dated 02nd and 3rd of August, 2022 with the motive of generating livelihood for slum dwellers and villagers so that they could be economically independent.

Every monsoon season, the risk of catching various diseases is extremely high due to unhygienic conditions and not adhering to basic preventive measures. Many of these monsoon diseases remain undiagnosed until they progress to undesirable complications. This is why early diagnosis and treatment of diseases in the rainy season is important making the difference between life and death. And the conditions in the slums are beyond the pale. So an awareness meeting was organized by CSNR on 6th August 2022 at Mahaveer Slum of Bhubaneswar. Participants (Community Organisers/leaders) from all the CSNR intervened slums participated in the meeting along with the CSNR staff. Mr. Gouranga Mahapatra, Odisha Convener, Jan Swastha Abhijan (JSA) made the participants understand the causes, preventive measures of different monsoon diseases and precautions that one can take for themselves and their families.

Iswari Mahnata, age 10 years, the daughter of Ms. Renu Mahanta was not able to get admission to any of the schools because she was neither having an Aadhar Card nor a birth certificate. She is the only child of her mother they are living in Sikharchandi Nagar. Her father did another marriage and has left her. She and her are mother alone staying in a rented house at Sikharchandi Nagar slum. Her mother is struggling with daily bread. So not able to create an Aadhar card at the right time for her which is needed during the school admission. Her mother went to different schools to get her admitted but failed and because of crossing the age limit, she was unable to create an Aadhar card. All the schools asked to produce an Aadhar card. Then she approached CSNR through the social facilitation center (SFC) Sikharchandi Nagar. She came to know about CSNR and the works of CSNR from one of her friends (community people). After hearing her story CSNR staff approached the school and talked to the headmaster. After the assurance from the CSNR staff (Ms. Pratikshya Jena, SFC Coordinator) that CSNR will help Ms. Renu Mahanta in creating the Aadhar card for her daughter, the headmaster agreed and admitted Iswari Mahanta to class 2. Iswari is very happy now and has started going to school.

CSNR organised an Interface meeting with adolescent girls on “challenges and potential solutions for adolescent girls in urban slums of Bhubaneswar” at Pandakudia, dated 25th September, 2022. More than 30 adolescent girls participated in the interface meeting and shared the challenges they are facing in their day-to-day life or the different issues of adolescent girls. Through the discussion, they were made to understand the legal framework, schemes, programmes and institutions whom they can approach.

CSNR is thankful Shri Chakradhar Pradhan, Editor at Janabadi Odia Newspaper sir for helping CSNR in getting these children admitted to Diganta Residential School of Social Justice.

Two children from Jaganath Sahi, Pandakudi were put to work by their parents due to poverty. One child was sent to work in a prawn factory out of Odisha and the other was taking care of the cows of a family out of Khorda. Both the children were staying away from their parents and working. The news came to the knowledge of CSNR SFC coordinator, Pandakudia, Ms. Pallishree Dash by an interaction with the leaders of that slum. Then with the help of Child line those two children could be rescued. But their parents were unable to take care of these children because they are having another two children younger to these children. CSNR staffs took many initiatives to send these children to a residential school. They approached the residential school Bhagawatipur to get these children admitted but failed because these children were not having caste certificates. Then they moved towards SOS village Khandagiri but their also it could not be possible because these children were having parents SOS village told they admit only orphan children. CSNR even wrote a letter to Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) on dated 05/05/22 but there was no response from their side till now. After lots of hurdles finally, these two children could be admitted to Diganta Residential School of Social Justice. One child was not having an Aadhar card which was mandatory to enroll in the school, CSNR took steps to create his Aadhar card. Now the two children have started going to school.