Engaging Citizens
Though India may have several sociological and ideological factors that interfere with social change, many citizens have strong beliefs on how their communities and nation should function. However, a lack of knowledge regarding certain topics can create feelings of helplessness, potentially blocking social progress. After all, how does one enact social change if they do not possess the correct tools needed to find solutions to very real problems?
At Prime Trust, we make a point of tackling this issue directly by raising social awareness and creating opportunities for Indian citizens to become engaged. We organize seminars, health camps, and clean-up efforts meant to inform interested citizens, offering them the proper language and skills to use when thinking of, then acting on, the issues they face. Several seminar topics and clean-up efforts include: health, specifically HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer, nutrition, tuberculosis, and other wellness-related topics; human rights such as domestic violence, women’s and children’s rights, gender equality, and self-appreciation; and environmental issues including misuse of plastics, renewable energy, rain water harvesting, tree planting, and the proper disposal of waste.
Our goal is to present useful knowledge many Indian citizens may lack, allowing those citizens to understand and engage the social and physical realities they live with on a daily basis.
At Prime Trust, we make a point of tackling this issue directly by raising social awareness and creating opportunities for Indian citizens to become engaged. We organize seminars, health camps, and clean-up efforts meant to inform interested citizens, offering them the proper language and skills to use when thinking of, then acting on, the issues they face. Several seminar topics and clean-up efforts include: health, specifically HIV/AIDS, diabetes, cancer, nutrition, tuberculosis, and other wellness-related topics; human rights such as domestic violence, women’s and children’s rights, gender equality, and self-appreciation; and environmental issues including misuse of plastics, renewable energy, rain water harvesting, tree planting, and the proper disposal of waste.
Our goal is to present useful knowledge many Indian citizens may lack, allowing those citizens to understand and engage the social and physical realities they live with on a daily basis.
Awareness Seminars
Prime Trust believes that the women in Self-help Groups should be advocates for social change in their own communities. However, change must stem out of proper education and a more thorough understanding of the issues in their communities. For this reason, Prime Trust conducts awareness seminars in the SHG communities that cover a range of different topics taken directly from their everyday situations. These seminars are conducted weekly, with a Prime Trust employee fixing where and when they shall take place in accordance with the group’s schedule and availability. Our volunteers also share information and materials these groups don’t have access to.
To date, the feedback we have had from these seminars have been very positive, with the women feeling that they benefit from the knowledge transfer, allowing them to talk about the situations they have witnessed in their communities.
To date, the feedback we have had from these seminars have been very positive, with the women feeling that they benefit from the knowledge transfer, allowing them to talk about the situations they have witnessed in their communities.
Health Camps
In January 2012, in collaboration with Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Prime Trust organized its first Health Camp. This camp checked for eye cataracts on villagers of Uppuvelore. The people who were found to have such an ailment were taken to a Pondicherry hospital and were operated on free of charge.
As anticipated this Health Camp was a huge success and we are hoping to continue organizing such camps (a camp regarding diabetes prevention is awaiting confirmation).
As anticipated this Health Camp was a huge success and we are hoping to continue organizing such camps (a camp regarding diabetes prevention is awaiting confirmation).
Environmental Awareness & Coastal Clean-Ups
As with any large city environment, a huge issue facing urban citizens is sanitary living conditions and waste management education. We provide seminars that detail the effects of ill-managed waste products on the surrounding communities as well as offer alternatives to potentially unsafe practices. Though some issues are out of citizen hands, such as governmental policies regarding waste management enforcement, our hope is to create environmentally-conscious citizens that feel responsible for their natural surroundings.
Most recently a youth led clean-up effort has been initiated near our remedial school. The students told us they wanted a cleaner street as they walked/biked to school.
Additionally, every year Prime Trust partners with the Indian Maritime Foundation of Chennai to help organize the “International Coastal Clean-up” effort, placing interested citizens on the shores of the Bay of Bengal to help collect waste. We offer transport to and from the area, educational material, and tea/snacks for all citizens who partake of the effort.
Most recently a youth led clean-up effort has been initiated near our remedial school. The students told us they wanted a cleaner street as they walked/biked to school.
Additionally, every year Prime Trust partners with the Indian Maritime Foundation of Chennai to help organize the “International Coastal Clean-up” effort, placing interested citizens on the shores of the Bay of Bengal to help collect waste. We offer transport to and from the area, educational material, and tea/snacks for all citizens who partake of the effort.
