WELFARE INTERVENTION

i. Project- ‘How Are You?’

Project “How are you?” is carried out since January 2019 co-implemeting with Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF), UK. The project covered 21 different localities in Aizawl city under the guidance and linkages with the Local authority such as MHIP (Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl), MUP (Mizoram Upa Pawl) and most importantly the YMA (Young Mizo Association). These NGOs are given information about the project in each selected 21 localities after getting permission from the Central YMA and thus, with their support of selecting the family from each locality, the HAY team carries out assessment by using two types of toolkit which is the MCC (Measuring Coping Capacity) and NAT (Need Assessment Toolkit).

Among these localities, different services have been provided to 200 families after conducting an in-depth assessment. According the assessment and observation of each family done by HAY team, steps was taken in order to provide the necessary services required with regards to the family.

a) Project team carried out an in-depth study of each family under the project by carrying out home visit and counseling was provided according to the situations of each family.

 b) Family Happiness Plan is being carried and planned out with regards to the requirements of each family based on the observation made by the HAY Team. A development strategy was planned by the HAY Team with each family. 

c) The Project team carried out constant home visit among the selected families for further development as well as better outcome of the project.

            Among the above mentioned activities, Counseling is considered as the most important activities and is a must to be carried out under the project in order to achieve the designed project outcome. During counseling, the mindset and mentality of each family is being studied and have been reconstructed by changing negative to positive mindset. After carrying out an in- depth study and providing counseling among the family, the necessary and required support and services have been provided according to the needs based on each family.

Following are the different services provided under the Project:

1. Educational Support: Through educational support, the project team takes initiatives and approached private schools in Aizawl where the Principal/head of the School allotted seats with free admission and monthly fees for the children who are registered under the project. Apart from this, financial support have been provided under the project for buying school uniforms, exercise books and other study materials to children who are under the project with regards to their requirements.

2. Free Skills Development Training: Tailoring, Mobile handset repairing, Flower making training, Electrician, Beauty therapy etc; where the team build linkages with different departments and organizations in order to access  government schemes for the families under the project. The main idea of linking HAY Family members for skills development training is to develop their capability and interest of an individual where they will be able to stand on their own without the support of others as well as have their own regular income.

3. Business Start-up: After an in-depth study about each family, the selected families who are capable of starting their own business are provided financial support for business startup. Likewise, financial is being provided for expanding their business to some of the families. Basically, the family who needs to support/ help is being provided different kinds of services on the basis of their needs till date. The services which are provided by the HAY Project are commonly used for piggery, poultry and vegetable vendors.

4. Crisis Fund: Under Crisis Fund, financial support for house rent, bills, for buying essential commodities and for medical purpose  is given to families as well as individual who are unable to continue their job as well as unable to earn for their living due to health issues, lack of job opportunity and especially due to Covid19 pandemic. Other instances like financial support for hiring lawyer is been provided in such situation where the mother could claim financial support for her children from the divorced husband. This is a part of helping them avail their rights being provided by the government.

5. Building a linkage with well- wisher/ Angel Member: HAY Project finds a well wisher in different regions of Mizoram especially finding a generous people in the capital city; Aizawl for the poor family is practice continuously and build a connection with the well wisher in helping the needy. HAY team finds people who are willing to help poor people socially and generously and we introduced the HAY Project of its function and aim professionally to them. At present, there are around 200 well wishers linked with the team to this project, and it aims to find more well wisher/Angel member in the future.

6. HAY Get-together- An event where HAY family members meet together, share experiences, encourage each other and building a relationship among them and the HAY team assisting them and listening to them and find a way of helping them. Through this, many problems were solved in the past years.

ii. Strengthening Community Action for Development in North East India.