Sristis Initiative
SRISTI's Initiatives for Earthquake Relief & Rehabilitation efforts in Gujarat
SRISTI has been actively involved in relief and rehabilitation work in earthquake affected areas of Gujarat particularly Kutch. Included is an insight into SRISTI's activities along with IIMA (IIMACORE) and GIAN.
SRISTI & IIMACORE team Visit to Kutch:
Prof. Anil K Gupta along with other NGO's & members of IIMACORE working in the relief work took a trip to the affected areas and visited Bhuj, Rapar & Bachao. Prof. Gupta shared his first hand observation of the situation and visualized the rehabilitation plan for the affected area at a lecture in Ahmedabad Management Association.
SRISTI Relief Team:
SRISTI's was amongst the first team to reach Kutch. This advance team took up the initiative to setup camp and help build up the relief center in Nilpar village of Rapar Taluka. The center for relief activity was developed at "Gram Swaraj Sangh" a Gandhian Institute. From this center the team provided medical treatment & distributed relief material to the affected people in Rapar Taluka. The team also started an effort to collect data for damage assessment in the area and tried to establish co-ordination between various NGO's and medical teams that arrived at this center.
SRISTI Relief Team: First team replace by second team
A second team of SRISTI replaced the first team and established its camp in Nilpar. This team took over the Shodhyatra route (Shodhyatra-II) and tried to asses the damage in the villages in which people had been part of the Honey Bee Network. After this assessment some of the relief material being collected with the support of IIMACORE community was also diverted there.
Resource Mobilization:
SRISTI mobilized several teams of doctors from, Bangalore, St. Stephens New Delhi etc, HAM radio operators, volunteers, structural engineers, seismologists, experts from CSIR Institutes. SRISTI staff was involved in direct relief work as well as provided support both material, resources, computers etc to IIMACORE control center.
Disaster Management Information System:
SRISTI have taken up the initiatives in compiling a database and expert system for disaster management. Through this efforts SRISTI is trying to network initiatives, experiences of individual and institutions worldwide to create a database of do's and don'ts at the time of a disaster (Emergency Preparedness). At the same time a effort is being made to develop an online database of resources and volunteers, who can volunteer online. To be contacted during the time of disasters by respective Disaster Management Authorities of states as well as NGO's and other organizations working in relief & rehabilitation.
Sikshan Sodh Evam Shram Arpan Yatra:
SRISTI 's Shodhyatra (Shodhyatra VII) with a difference, was a step in trying to rebuild the education process, in earthquake affected areas covering 14 villages of Rapar Taluka.
Networking Innovative Teachers for Educational Rehabilitation:
SRISTI & IIMACORE has initiated a project with the school children in the earthquake affected areas. The problem of parents migrating in search of employment and at the same time taking the children with them led to large no. of such school children no access to education, in the aftermath of earthquake the drain was much more. SRISTI took up the task of limiting migration of school going children's, with the aim to stop all such migration. One of the reason for such migration was lack of interest and innovative methods in the Primary school teachers. Hence lesser interest in students to actually come to school at all. SRISTI realized this problem and through its Shodhyatra "Sikshan Sodh Evam Shram Arpan Yatra" tried to impress on the parents to send there children's to school. Some President awards winners school teacher from across Gujarat volunteered to take the initiative in introducing interesting / innovative methods of teaching in students. One such teacher is Mr. Raman Lal Soni, who through his different approach of learning engaged students and actually created an interest in coming to School. SRISTI helped in rebuilding of the schools and provided "Gyan Kosh" besides other school material to the students. More about the project go to School Project. Click Here...