I had the opportunity to know about this Trust through a Facebook page and a friend who knew the members a few months ago. Since then I have been associated with this organisation as an outside supporting member as well. I appreciate the excellent work being done by IFED in the poor areas of Kashmir, on the outskirts of Srinagar mostly. On my visit to Kashmir in July 2017, I got the opportunity to meet the members and be part of a free medical camp conducted by them in the Tribal area of Dignibal.
Here are some glimpses from their diary. In their own words.
Initiative for
Enlightenment & Development is a Charitable Trust Registered under Indian
Trust Act; 1882.It was setup in order to tackle the problems of poverty in Jammu
& Kashmir. Initiative for
enlightenment & Development is committed to the welfare of people from
the most underprivileged strata of society without distinction caste, Creed or
Color.IED emphasis on assisting the
children & youth, who are the citizens of tomorrow and the disabled who
need support to help them join mainstream society. The learning experience is mutual our volunteers gain
perspective and the experience to mould themselves into tomorrow’s leaders.
“There is no exercise better for the heart
than reaching down and lifting people up.”
Member of Initiative for Enlightenment & Development
inspecting the feet of a poor girl.
On 16th of Oct, 2017 the members of Initiative for Enlightenment & Development
carry out a survey in the remote area of Dignibal Ganderbal. Dignibal is the
village of district Ganderbal situated 12 Km’s away from main area. The purpose
of the survey was to get the overall developmental work being carried out in
the area. The survey was conducted by means of interacting with all the age
group and sex of the village. The survey conducted by IFED throws light on different problems faced by the inhabitants of
the village. They lack the facility of Health, Sanitation, Water, Jobs, transportation
and Child Care. There is no
transportation, health, Job facilities available for the citizens of the area.
The area has been left out by everyone; even the Government agencies do not
fulfill the basic requirement of the area. In general it was observed
that no such initiative to improve the sanitation, health or drinking water
facilities has been taken. It
would take a person almost 6 hrs in a day to purchase a small packet of Biscuit
or Tablet because of no market available in the area Many villagers
stated that the youth of the village has no employment opportunity in the area.
On the whole the children’s were seen doing the labor work mainly of the age
group of 08 to 12 yrs which is an alarming situation. No vocational training
centre (Like Tailoring) has been set up for the women /Girls. Widows, orphans
have been ignored as well as not any scheme has been implemented in the area.
Children doing labor work
Door To Door Campaign (Medicinal Relief)
On 23rd of Jan, 2017 the volunteers of Initiative for
Enlightenment & Development carry out program of providing medicinal relief
(including Vaseline, Glycerin) to the people of Dignibal Ganderbal. The weather
in the month of January mainly remains wet and it was snow all around and the
team of IED walked 12 Km’s by foot to reach the village.
Members walking on foot to reach the village
On
reaching the village, the Volunteers visited every single home of the village
and provided the medicinal relief to the people. The people of the village are
affected by the cold season mainly the children and women are affected as their
hands became very rough and itchy
.
`
Members visiting the homes of villagers
Checking the Rough Hands of Children
In winters it is very difficult for them to
work and earn livelihood for themselves. The intense cold and snow are so harsh
that they do not come out of their tents and houses. Our team decided to
distribute medicine with (& Glycerin, Vaseline), to give some relief to the
Inhabitants.
Providing medicines to Villagers
Mr. Showket Ahmad Khatana: a person with Burnt Leg
During our home to home
delivery of medicines we happen to meet one of the young men of the village
namely Mr. Showket Ahmad Khatana S/O: Mr. Mohammad Ibrahim Khatana who is 32
years old. Month earlier an accident
happened to him in which he got his leg burnt (from calf to Knee role).When we
asked his father about his medication he said, “I was not able to take him to
hospital due to bad weather condition, and I got myself injured my right arm
got fractured and there is nobody to look after. When we checked the leg of the
young man we were stunned.
Burnt Leg of Mr. Showket Ahmad Khatana
As the situation of his leg was very critical
we decided to bring him to the hospital, but to his luck Kashmir received the
heaviest Snowfall of 25 years during this month and we ourselves were helpless
and couldn’t do anything for two days. We approached the Public Health Center
Shuhama for the ambulance, initially they gave us the permission to take the
Sumo halfway and bring down the patient on Stretcher mid way, but after
following them continuously for two days they denied us the Ambulance and told
that they couldn’t take the risk of driving ambulance on the slippery hilly
road to Dignibal. We were left with no option but to contact the General
Physician working in one of the Government Hospital in Kashmir and related all
the narrative and showed him the video of the person. He was really moved by
watching the video and Pictures of the Injured person and praised all our
efforts in proving the some medication to the young man. After having a deep thought he suggested us to give
him the First aid and provided us all the medicines. Due to inclement weather
and harsh conditions the team IFED went
to Dignibal again to provide the first aid to the young man. It took us almost 2 and half hours to reach the house of injured person.
Members of IFED walking on foot to Provide Medication &
Dressing to the Burnt Person
After reaching the home of the injured person we tried to
provide him the medication in a best possible manner so that the wound get
healed up as soon as possible. As we followed the instructions of the Doctor we
provided the dressing to him and inspected the wound minutely so that it
doesn’t get infected. We provided him the medication in best possible manner
and gave him anti infective drugs as well.
Dressing up the wound of the Burnt Person
HOMELESS
PEOPLE OF VILLAGE
During our second visit we happened to visit few homes of
the villagers. But we were astonished to see the houses of the people, and the
conditions were so pathetic. In this chilly weather, where the temperature is
below (-6 oC), the natives mainly women and orphans need to survive
without roofs over their head. They are living in small huts made of stray. And
we felt that lot of work needs to be done for them especially for the welfare
of Women and children. With this initiative of Initiative for Enlightenment
& Development a lot needs to be done for the people of the area.
Members
of IFED inspecting the Tents& Sheds of People of the Village
Escorting Burnt Patient
to Clinic for Checkup
As the condition of the Burnt Leg of Mr. Showket
Ahmad Khatana was not right so, we decided to accompany him to Doctor’s Clinic.
We hired a cab and reached Main Dignibal Village. With the help of his mother
and other family member Showket Ahmad managed to reach there as it was
difficult to walk through dilapidated way covered with snow. As we escorted him
to doctor’s clinic and the doctor made a checkup of is wound, he suggested making
dressings after every alternate days and he also prescribed some antibiotics
& other medicines. After the checkup we purchased some vegetables for the
family as they were running out of the stock.
Escorting Mr. Showket Ahmad Khatana (Burnt Person) to
Doctor’s Clinic
Visit to Burnt Person’s
Home Mr. Showket Ahmad Khatana for Checkup
As Mr. Showket’s
injury was critical and Doctor has advised him the dressings after every 2 to 3
days. During that period in Kashmir the
weather remains mainly wet and it was snowing heavily in the upper regions so
it was not possible for us to bring him down to Doctor’s clinic again, so our
team decided to visit his home and provide him dressings. We as a team brought
the first aid medicines and went to his home for the treatment. We manage to
check the wound and there was some slight improvement from the previous one and
we dressed his wound again.
Socio Economic Survey of Baba
Daryadin Area Ganderbal
IFED
Team’s main motive is welfare of the people of all sects and from every part of
Kashmir. We strive to help the people in need and make suitable arrangements
for their living. To get the facts and figures of the poor people our team
decided to do a small survey in one of the area of the Ganderbal i.e., Baba Daryadin.
It is one of the villages which are located in the hills and the people living
here don’t have Medical and Transport Facilities. We met some people of the
area and gathered some vital information. The survey conducted gave us some
picture about the living habitat and the problems they faced, and our team has
decided to include the village in the developmental projects going to start in
the later stage.
Carrying out the Survey in Baba Daryadin Ganderbal
BE PATIENT WITH PATIENTS WHO ARE NOT
PATIENT
As it was necessary to check the wound of the Burnt
Person Mr. Showket Ahmad Khatana, so our team again visited his home for the
dressing purpose on 18th Feb 2017, and made a checkup and necessary
medication was given to him. The condition of his wound is improving day by day
and he is feeling much better than before.
Socio Economic Survey of
SanghReshri Khimber Srinagar Area
As carrying out
the survey program is the main objective of any organization working for the
welfare of the poorest of poor and needy people, we at IFED has privilege to visit few villages of District Srinagar
namely, Khimber, Sang Reshi etc. The survey conducted was carried through
meeting several people living there and asking different questions regarding
their habitat and environment.
Team
of IFED Interacting with people in SanghReshi Area of Srinagar
IFED’S Poor Families Rehabilitation
Program
The Team of IFED visited few very poor homes of Villages
Wayil and Kondbal Manasbal. The condition of the families living there are so
bad that they don’t have bathroom for four houses living together at one place.
They live in sheds made of steel sheets. They hardly have any source of income
and rely on their house hold expenditure on Begging only. Now with these
conditions of these families we intend to help them out and make their living a
bit easier rather than comfort for them. Our program of Rehabilitation focuses
on those basic requirements of people to be fulfilled so that they do not sleep
empty belly.
Common Bathroom for Four Families
of Wayil Bala
This diary is till February 2017 only since that is the time I got to know about them and this was the profile they sent then. Post that the organisation has done more excellent work. They have improvised since and have big plans like making a toilet for people of Dignibal, who do not have a toilet and bathe in the open. Many don't bathe for this reason, even though there are clear streams.
You can check their activities and reach out to them for providing support on their Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/ifedganderbal/
