Tamy's India Project

Over the years, Tamy has carried out several development cooperation projects in India with GRAVIS, the Center of People’s Science for Rural Development. Tamy's current project is called “Promoting Integrated Health Care in Thar”. Its aim is to strengthen village communities so that they can create self-sufficient health care solutions in the future.

Rajasthan is one of the poorest states in India and its development is severely hindered by e.g. drought. Drought and poverty together make preventing and curing diseases difficult. Moreover, in Rajasthan, people's awareness of health issues and their chances to influence their own health are low. Malnutrition, anaemia and diarrhea are common. Women's and children's health is especially poor, which is why this project lays particular emphasis on improving women's and children's health and reproductive health.

The purpose of Tamy's India Project is to help create health services in the area, increase people's health awareness and bring already existing state health programmes closer to people in remote areas so that they can also benefit from the programmes. We aim to meet the objectives by reinforcing the village health workers' network created in previous projects, purchasing GRAVIS an ambulance that can reach even the remotest areas and organizing medical, antenatal care, vaccination and health awareness camps.

The distribution of work between Tamy and GRAVIS is such that GRAVIS takes care of the practical work in India and Tamy administers the project in Finland. The project is mainly funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Part of the funding comes from students' voluntary donations that have enabled us to expand the project.

With the funding from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the voluntary DC donations, we are able to organize e.g. the following in 2011–2013:

120 health awareness camps

• In the camps, the most common health issues and their remedies are covered by the GRAVIS team.
• Illustrative means are used: pictures, stories, acting out situations etc. – all in the local language.
• Emphasis is put on reproductive health, women's and children's health issues, preventing diseases and state health services.

120 health education camps for adolescents

• Emphasis is put on the typical health issues of adolescence, sexual health and nutrition.
• Sexually transmitted diseases and social issues, such as domestic violence, are also discussed.
• An involving method is used and adolescents' questions are answered.

3 health conventions

• 200 participants take part.
• Presentations are given on the most common health issues in the area.
• State health programmes are introduced.

60 antenatal care and vaccination camps

60 medical camps

In addition, the village health worker network is solidified and the workers are trained, a travelling ambulance is purchased and informative material is produced in the local language in the form of pamphlets and posters.

Learn more about Tamy's development cooperation on Tamy's DC website.