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Guidance Society for Labour Orphans & Women (GLOW)
Guidance Society for Labour Orphans and Women (GLOW) is a voluntary, development oriented, non-profit, Non - Governmental Social Service Organization that has been at the service of the poor the marginalized and the vulnerable sections of the society since 1996. It has been duly registered as a society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975, (Reg. No.:389/1996) Government of Tamil Nadu and also with the Home Ministry of the Indian Government under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) (Reg. No. 07598239).
Our Activity:
- Poverty aliviation
- Intervention to Prevent and Control HIV/AIDS
- Computer Education for Rural Children
- Human Rights Information for Dalit Empowerment
- Tsunami Relief & Rehabilitation
GLOW is based at Tirupattur, in Vellore District in Tamil Nadu in South India, at a distance of 220 kms from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu on the National high way NH 47 from Chennai to Bangalore City .
It is operative in 5 development blocks in Vellore District namely Tirupattur, Vaniyambadi, Kandhili, Jolarpet and Ambur covering an area of around 300 sq kms and a population of 8,20,000 spread over 1031 villages and hamlets.
GLOW extends its Micro finance services to these villages by operating branches at both Madapalli village and Jolarpettai. Further promotion of Micro finance is being planned and implemented in phases both in Uthangarai to cover Krishnagiri district and Bangalore city for urban expansion.
The majority of people of the operational area of GLOW are Hindus while the Muslim and the Christian communities have a strong presence in selected pockets to over 20 percent respectively.
Vision:
To eradicate Poverty among the poor and enable them improve their quality of life.
Mission:
Promotion of Micro Finance among the poor and integrate it with women empowerment and economic development for overall development of the community at large.
Goal:
To reach with financial services to 60,000 poor families among the target sections by the year 2010.
Strategies and Processes:
- Organizing women in collective for empowering and developing them in social, human, physical, natural and financial capitals on self help, self reliant and self development concepts.
- Aligning the women in strength and solidarity through organizing them in a democratic structure for collective decision and enhanced participation in development.
- Providing the women access to credit and financial services for their economic empowerment and development.
- Children education and development.
As has been described earlier, GLOW's major strategy, focus and the tool to alleviate poverty among the rural poor and bring about sustainable economic empowerment and development for them remain in Micro financing to the poor that enhance their livelihood opportunities and enable them generate income for the families. For GLOW, Economic empowerment and development of women remains the key and the charging point for community development at large. The Processes involve organizing the rural women in small groups and encouraging them to be enterprising in small savings and managing money. GLOW then extends Micro finance assistance to facilitate the rural women under take various small scale economic development activities based on available resources and skill sets.
Adopting the Grameen Model In the means of Indian context of SHG and progressing rapidly since commencing Micro financing in 1996, GLOW' s achievements and accomplishments in promoting Micro finance for the economic development of the rural poor women are many, remarkable and note worthy. GLOW's synergy and partnership with leading Micro financial Institutions around the world and the various inputs of knowledge, education and experience that GLOW has been able to gain from them are chiefly responsible for GLOW's many achievements and have enabled GLOW to establish itself as a Micro finance Institution and a Resource Centre for the promotion of Micro finance for livelihood Development at local and regional scale.
Intervention To Prevent And Control For HIV/AIDS:
Genesis of GLOW-TAI Program:
TAI Project found its inception during the year April 2004 by Voluntary Health Service funded by Melinda Gates Foundation, has adopted the role of prevention, which is not an easy task. TAI has also recognized that the empowerment of the community is important for prevention. They give space for skills and life-style improvement and also addressing issues related to violence. "A long way to go" is how they take up each day at TAI. It's very apt, as there is much more to be done for the lives of marginalized community and for disease prevention.
GLOW - Partner with TAI for Targeted Intervention to Community Driven Prevention Program:
GLOW has entered into active partnership with TAI in the year 2006. To begin its journey of "A long way to go" in eradicating, control and prevent STD/HIV/AIDS, within the allocated jurisdiction of Vellore district of TamilNadu. The mass key population 2000, who are classified under 7 cluster in the part of Vellore district. The main approach of the program is CDPP (Community Driven Prevention Program) the strategy also moves towards empowerment and collectivity of the community, making it a Community - Driven Prevention program. The basis of this change in strategy was the need for the community to understand the burden of the disease and take responsibility for prevention, take control of their lives and gain power for safer behavior.
Goals & Objectives Of The Project:
The Project goal is to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS in Vellore district, among and male sex workers. Therefore the objectives of the project include:
- Reduce the burden of sexually transmitted diseases among male and female sex workers &as well as their clients.
- Address the issues of vulnerability among workers.
- Focusing on enhancing the quality of life, giving self confidence, developing high self esteem and empowering them to take control of their lives
- Empower the key population to avoid unsafe sex through effective condom negotiation, and skills to manage power structures.
- Increase the health-seeking behavior with regard to general health, hygiene and STD-Treatment
Strategies and Activities Accomplished
The main principle of the program as stated earlier, is to execute the program through the community themselves.
TAI had to seriously analyze and design a program to be implemented effectively with marginalized community.
The strategies of community-driven approach & Behavior Change Communication:
STD Program:
- Condom and lubricant promotion
- Structural advocacy measures
- Prevention among the Infected
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Creating sustainable movement.
Skill building and Communication:
GLOW has a trained beautician in the drop in center (NATPUKOODAM) IPC & STYLING This innovative concept of TAI-GLOW combines inter-personal communication massages with an income-generation program. This concept has become exceedingly popular, especially with groups like the trans gender community who have difficulties in accessing beauty services available for the general public.
Video camera skills training received from TAI is given to one person from the community in video camera filming and related concept. This is another alternative income source for community.
Promotion of PEER JEEVANS (Peer Educators)
Peer jeervans- they are educators and they give new-life. Peer Jeevan selected and recommended by the key population in their areas such that there is one peer Jeevan for every 20 community members. Many capacity building exercises were given to the peer Jeevans starting from basic orientation on STD/HIV/AIDS, understanding their roles and responsibilities, methods to use IPC materials for dialogue among their peers and simple documentation. There are 71 Peer jeevans in our organization. They should exercise measures of control, plan for the usage of condoms. They are trained about the rules of this process. They are empowered to handle violence. With the help of field workers they should find the target people living in the remote areas. Give the necessary counseling for disease control.
Peer Jeevans are assisted and trained to start SHG. In the recommended area, they should educate fellow peers on disease prevention, In case, if any violence happen among peers Jeevans, such should be brought to the notice of GLOW-TAI coordinators to take necessary measures within 24 hours. Peer Jeevans should help to prevent child labor below 18 years.
Some of the responsibilities of the Peer Jeevans:
- Being role models to encourage their peers
- Referring their friends to the services of the NGOs
- Analyze and impart skill to negotiate safe behavior
- Educating their peers on disease prevention & encourage behavior change
- Create opportunity for their peers to avail various services like skill building
- Facilitate collectivization activities
- Perform various committee roles including being on STI/IPC/Ethical committees of GLOW
GLOW appointed two counselors for the counseling services in the clinic as well as in the friends' Club (Natpuukoodam) that is the part of services.
GLOW TAI adopted a two - pronged approach in offering counseling services to the community. This includes clinical counseling for disease prevention and increasing health seeking behavior; the other is emotional counseling that addresses various issues related to their daily life and work.
In Future GLOW as a proposal to bring FCC (Family Counseling Center) to cater to the need of member families
Community Committee Members: (CCM)-14 members:
A community committee member is an elected representative of 100 community members. They are selected as a representative of the area people where they live. Their main responsibility is to know the basic needs of their community members. They should prevent the committee members from the infection of HIV/ AIDS /STD diseases. Encourage the committee members for STD check-up every month. Synchronized (joint) effort has to be taken for the congregation of target people during the functions like world women's day, TAI state level function.
Nutrition for HIV Positive People:
The objective behind this provision is to cater to the partially and totally paralyzed peer jeevans. These people are identified by the team leaders and supported by community development officer concerned.
10 Kg rice provided to 25 positive people every month and diet nutrition powder provide to 40 malnourished and Positive KPs every month.
Total No. of key population registered in the program - 2106
Glow Industrial School-Change In Status With Dignity:
GLOW, with the support of Ananda Foundation USA, started imbibing computer education, since July 2003 to 2008 offered one year Diploma in computer application to rural Dalit adolescent girls, who are living below poverty line with the Objective of empowering the rural Dalit dropout adolescent girls. The project is carried out in Tirupattur block of Vellore district in Tamil Nadu in South India.This project is being successfully run by GLOW-Ananda School of computer education since July 2003 up to till Date. Four batches of 525 students from Dalit community successfully completed the one-year Diploma in Computer Application (DCA). GLOW successfully secured jobs for many Students in corporate and MNCs.
As a mater of Policy of Anandha Foundation-USA, the Partnership tenure of five year meets an end. Extending sincere thanks to our beloved partner. We propose to continue our vision and mission based endeavor in promoting Computer literacy to all rural Dalit adolescent girls and dropout girls. Our past experience has taught us that if GLOW has Affiliation and Technical education Departments recognition it would be possible for us to place our students in Government Agencies too. We are taking proper steps in getting above mentioned issues duly fulfilled - total students studied 525.
Our school Activities towards:
- Enhancing adolescents, skills in computer literacy, and spoken English.
- Job Linkage to the computer Students
- Building self esteem of adolescents through life skills education and personality development Programme.
- Information Education and Communication for rural development
Visit the Guidance Society for Labour Orphans & Women (GLOW) web site.
