VILLAGE ADOPTION PROGRAM
Background
"The only way to help someone is when you know they cannot return you back."
Through this program, anyone can adopt one or more village for quality eye care and help to eliminate the curable/avoidable blindness from the society. Initially, we were taking support from different agencies/institutions/philanthropist for the sponsorship of free cataract surgery only. In January 2019, we came in contact with BFO-USA and we collaborated for 200 surgeries in the beginning.
During a meeting with BFO-USA in june 2019, the concept of Village Adoption was conceived and a program in the name of 'Adopt a Village/was initiated. Since, It was a Pilot project; so we decided to start it on a small scale with village having population of around 1000. The first village covered under this project was Umarpur village of Saran district sponsored by Mr. Shatrughna Sinha, an executive committee member of BPO-USA. In the pilot phase, 6 villages were covered with more than 500 surgeries and 1000 plus spectacles distribution for the refractive error correction.
After the success of pilot project, we decided to scale it up and then "Village Adoption Program towards Avoidable Blindness Free Village" was launched with complete description of background concept, methodology, sustainahility, financial support and acknowledgement of Donors. We decided to cater to the bigger Village of around 3000 population size. During Village Adoption Programme local leaders like Mukhiyas, Sarpanch and other social activists from different locations demanded to adopt the whole Panchayat instead of one village; so once again we decided to further scaleup the programme and now we are also having "Panchayat Adoption Program" also in our project, which covers one. Panchayat of approx. 10000 population.
Cause Of Blindness In India
| PROBABLE CAUSES |
PERCENTAGE |
| Cataract |
62.40% |
| Refractive Errors |
19.65% |
| Glaucoma |
05.83% |
| Posterior Segment Causes |
04.72% |
| Comeal Opacity |
00.89% |
| Posterior Capasular Opacification |
00.89% |
| Surgical Complications |
01.15% |
| Others Including Phthinsl/absent Globe Amblyopia etc. |
04.47% |
In India, visual impairment and blindness has been recognized as an important public. health problem and the prevalence of blindness in the state of Bihar has been estimated as 1.6% and hence reduction of blindness requires effective strategies.
Thc study conducted in randomly selected 25 clusters in India estimate Current Status Of Blindness it India by G.V.S. Murthy, prevalence of blindness (presenting vision <6/60 in better eye) was 8.5% among 50 age group. Those aged 70 years and above had five time higher risk of being blind compared to those aged 50-59 years.
The major cause of blindness is cataract and in India cataract has been reported to he responsible
Tor 50-80% of the bilaterally blind in the country. Dangerously, one of the major cause Of blindness is post-operative complications or poor quality surgeries.
Avoidable Blindness Free Villages
Adoption or village For quality eye care towards
elimination of avoidable blindness is a concept
which has been followed by us. It ensures that all villagers irrespective of gender, caste and creed are provided with an opportunity to undergo aye checkup and treatment for curable eye conditions to restore the lost vision. SSLN defines avoidable blindness as 'presenting
visual acuity of less than 6/60 in better eye with curable conditions."
Methodology
A combination of community participation and service provision is exercised to achieve the goal of avoidable blindness free village. The different steps involved in the process are:
- Identify and select village
- Community mobilization
- Complete door-to-door survey
- Screening program
- Health awareness program
- Individual counselling
- Treatment
- Declaration meeting
- Documentation
Elected local representatives, opinion lenders, youth groups. self-help groups, the ground level
workers from government machinery like AWW, ASHA etc.
Field Coordinators will he supported by Senior Coordinator (Outreach) in conducting group meetings and door-to-door survey.
Several activities like documentation, individual counselling, health awareness programs and treatment may not he conducted at one point of time alone but will be a continuous process.
Sustainability
During the declaration process of the village, activities such as health education, screening program and counselling are conducted and as a result of these activities, the community has higher uptake of service sand increase in knowledge and health seeking behaviorThe ownership of the community takes a vital role in post declaration of the village.
Financial Support
The entire process explained above will be carried out by SSLN. Apart from supporting human-resources and behavior change communication methods, SSLN would be needing following financial support from the supporters/donors. This could be an individual, clubs, family and agency who wouldlike to adopt a village. SSLN will provide the due credit and ensure that the supporter is duly recognized and credited. The details of tentative expences for the different option of adoption have been given in the "adoption program" section; which may slightly change depending on the number of patients identified for treatment and surgery.
Acknowledgment Of Donors
Sri Sai Lions Netralaya (SSLN) requests much needed support from generous donors for adopting village. The receipts of the expenses will be shared by SSLN alongwith a narrative report and list of benefi-ciaries to the supporter after the declaration. The name of the supporter will also be mentioned in the Declaration Board.
- A Declaration Board will be displayed in the village acknowledging support from the donor.
- A certificate in honour of the donor will also be issued by SSLN.
- Complete door-to-door survey
- A small function will be held while displaying the hoard in honour of the doners. importance of their donation will be explained to the villagers.
- A list of operated patients and patiems who were provided with spectacles will be submitted to the donor.
- 80-G tax benefit certification from Sri Sai Lions Netralaya (SSLN).
- Name of the donor and list of benificiaries Shall be published on SSLN website.
Adoption Programs
| Exclusive Partnership
of
SSLN & BFO-USA
|
Open for Collaboration with
Intemational/National NCO/Corporates/Institutions/Individual
|
| Adopt a
Village
Program
|
Village
Adoption
Program
|
Panchayat
Adoption
Program
|
Block
Adoption
Program
|
| Village having
population upto
1000 and it cost
approx. 905$.
|
Village having
population upto
3000 and it
cost approx. Rs.200,000/-
|
Panchayat
having
population upto
10000 and it
cost approx.
Rs.600,000/-
|
Block having
population upto
125000 and it
cost approx.
Rs.7,500,000/-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please specify Date, Month and Occasion on which you wish to start/conclude the free surgery.