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APPL Projects
[2007-
] Disability and Rehabilitation of the victims of Japanese Encephalitis in Eastern
Uttar Pradesh
Problem Scenario
Japanese
Encephalitis (JE) is a killer disease. It has taken more than ten thousand
lives and severely affected more than a lakh peoples since 1978. PURVANCHAL
in Uttar Pradesh-the rice belt was badly affected with JE for the past 29
years but things have not much changed till now. The JE came to Uttar
Pradesh in 1978 and from 1978 to 2006 in 29 years the state has seen 18
chief ministers and 8 Governors and almost all the political parties have
ruled, but, so far JE disabled is concerned, the crisis is still the same.
In the affected area, even the basic infrastructure has not been built-up
and the health services are not up to the marks.
See details of our work
here
[2008 -
] Collaborative Activity: Genetically Modified Crops – Center For
Contemporary Studies & Research, Lucknow and APPL
Problem Scenario
Public
awareness in India about genetically modified seed and crops, in general,
is poor. There is no labelling in
stores on genetically engineered food materials. Consumers are, therefore,
totally in the dark on what they are eating and what are their effects on health.
The
Bt Brinjal, like many other Genetically Modified (GM) crops has been now
shown by independent analysis to impact health adversely. In other studies
too, when GM food was tested on rats, the results were alarming. Evidence
linked GM food with stunted growth, impaired immune systems, potentially
precancerous cell growth in the intestines, liver/pancreas/intestinal
damage and even inter-generational effects. Latest studies have confirmed
that GM foods affect fertility.
Ever
since GMOs were first introduced in the mid-1990s, farmers’ groups and NGOs
have warned that they would not only contaminate other crops, but have
adverse impact on Environment, Bio-diversity , country’s Food-sovereignty,
social and economic structure in farming community. As produce of GM crops cannot be used as seed for next
crop, farmers shall always be at mercy of MNC seed companies for their
future needs. In the absence of a national facility, presently seed
companies either do the tests themselves or get them done in laboratories
in-equipped to know if a seed was normal or genetically modified?.
When
GM crops are planted they contaminate other crops with transgenic material.
In places where GM crops are grown on a large scale, it has already become
almost impossible to find crops of the same species that are free of GM
material. And the contamination spreads even to areas where GM crops are
not officially permitted. This has happened, just as predicted.
Contamination will reach a new level of toxicity, and occur not only within
organisms of the same species but also between species as different from
each other as plants and bacteria, or plants and fungi.
In
Mexico , GM based maize has now
Contaminated the indigenous
maize variety, which is sick and needs to be cured, but not killed. It may take
a year or 100 years to cure it, but it has to be done, because the
indigenous maize has been with their communities for generations. In
Argentina, in GM based Soya farming the intense application year after year
of a single herbicide – glyphosate – has led to the emergence of a new class of weeds that have become
resistant to this chemical. Apart from these, it has badly affected the
overall fertility of the soil.
See details of our work here
[2008]
Collaborative Activity: Medical Camp For Health Check-up of Riksha
Puller’s--- APPL and Awadh
Diagnostic Centre, Gorakhpur
Problem Scenario
Health-care
and awareness among Riksha- Pullers, as common to any unprivileged section
of the society, is poor. Riksha-Pullers, as a group, are generally
self-employed people with background of from poor families, illiterate, low
income, mal-nutrition, hard & long but not defined working hours,
exploited lot, with low awareness about importance of cleanliness and
absence of regular health care. Public awareness about health-status
of this group is also poor.
Reports
1.
Given the
need to spread awareness about regular health check-up and health-care in
Riksha pullers a health camp,in collaboration with Awadh Diagnostic Centre
,Gorakhput was organized by APPL at
Bitchhia Camp Jungle Tulsi Ram, Gorakhpur ,U.P. on November 23,2008. About
110 riksha pullers participated in the program. Apart from health screening for some major diseases,
and general Eye and Dental checkups, importance of cleanliness, which is a
key precaution for many diseases, the importance of healthy and nutritious
food was also explained .Awadh Diagnostic Centre offered to organize to bear for expenses for free X-Ray, Ultra-sound, other clinical tests.
See report and photographs of the event here. Local media has widely
covered this event.
2.
Out of the
110 people screened, it was found that
majority of the Riksha Pullers are suffering from mal-nutrition, low
blood pressure, liver and respiratory problems. About 15% were found so
called healthy, without any major
diseases, whereas 12% were found
suffering from Tuberculosis, and one person was found suffering from
leprosy.
3.
The medical
camp was inaugurated by Dr. A. K Srivastava, Executive Trustee of APPL
trust. Dr. Alok Sinha of Sahara
Welfare Foundation, Dr. Naresh
Shukla, Dr.Rahul Thakur, Dr.A.K.Pandey, Dr.Thakur Bharat etc
participated and given their free services for the medical check-up.
Dr.Sanjay Srivastava, Trustee APPL and Coordinator of the project said that
the riksha pullers as a group of
unprivileged section of the society draw no attention from the concerned
authorities, wherein they are engaged in carrying out people throughout
day and night 24x7x365,in
extreme odds of summer, winter, and rainy seasons. APPL
offered to organize such medical-camps regularly in future for such
unprivileged people.
[2007-2008]
Collaborative Activity: Volunteers from IBM India Research Lab (IRL) and
APPL
Problem Scenario
Imparting
practical education to poor kids of laborers. Just like everywhere in India, near
the new IBM Research location in New
Delhi, India,
one can find numerous children not going to school and living in filthy
environment. Volunteers from IRL had started an amazing grass-root endeavor
to educate some of these children since early 2007. APPL joined hands and
helped organize running the classes on regular basis (about 50 children are
enrolled and on any typical day 25-30 children attend the class), take the
children to picnic, organize a health camp for these children in Aug 2007
and distribution of woolens in November 2007.
Reports
1.
A report on the
health clinic.
2.
Some
photographs of health camp are below.
  
3.
Some
photographs of the woolen distribution are below.
 
[2007] Collaborative
Activity: Educational & Professional Organizations and APPL
Problem Scenario
Public
awareness about cleanliness and treatment of Encephalitis.
Reports
1.
Given the
need to spread awareness about cleanliness which is a key precaution for
Encephalitis, APPL and the students from Institute of Technology
and Management (ITM), Gorakhpur
organized an awareness camp at village Badgahan, Dist. Gorakhpur on 7th October 2007.
See report and photographs of the event here.
2.
APPL
organized a workshop in July 2007 in collaboration with U.P. state-level
medical practioners of alternative medicine (Ayurveda and Homopaethic)
about the prevention and cure of Japanese Encephalitis. See some news coverage
of the event here.
Regular Activities
We
have been distributing blankets and clothes in winter.
·
In Dec 2009-Jan 2010: 275
blankets were distributed. Photos of the events are here for at villages:
Ardaa /Gidhar (Distt. Basti), Naushad Bazar at migratory
settlements, near river Rapti , Mushahar settlements near Jungle Kusumi,
Unnaula ( Bhainsa Bazar) , (Distt. Gorakhpur) and at Noida /Greater Noida,
Distt. Gautam Buddha Nagar.
·
In Dec 2008-Jan 2009: 200 blankets were distributed. Photos of the
events are here for Unnaula
(Dist. Gorakhpur)), Mushahar settlements near Jungle Kusumi( Distt.
Gorakhpur), and Ardda/Gidhar (Dist. Basti).
·
In August 2008: saris and other clothing for children, utensils &
pressure-cookers, Blankets and durries, polythene-sheets etc. were
distributed among victims of Bihar Floods.
·
In Dec
2007-Jan 2008: 150 blankets were
distributed. Photos of the events are here for Ramkola
(Dist. Kushinagar) and Gidhar
(Dist. Basti).
·
In Dec
2006 – Jan 2007period: 110 blankets
were distributed at Unnaula (Dist. Gorakhpur), Gidhar (Dist. Basti) and
Noida (Dist. Gautam Budh Nagar).
Why APPL?
“Because
all journeys start with the first step. And not doing anything is approving
the status-quo.”™
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