Institute for Indian Mother and Child
| Institute for Indian Mother and Child (IIMC) |
|
|---|---|
| founding | 1989 in Calcutta, India |
| founder | Sujit Kumar Brahmochary |
| Seat | Calcutta, India |
| main emphasis | medical aid, education, micro-credit system |
| Employees | 550 local employees |
| Website | iimcmissioncal.org and www.iimc.de |
The Institute for Indian Mother and Child (IIMC) is an Indian non-governmental organization with main operations and headquarters in Calcutta , India . In 1989 IIMC was founded by the Indian doctor Sujit Kumar Brahmochary to help the poorest of the poor in Calcutta and the surrounding area and to sustainably improve the living conditions of these people. The main focus is on the well-being of mothers and children and the support of women on their way to more self-determination.
Main activity at a glance
- 1. Medical program
- - 1 indoor clinic with 20 cots
- - 5 outdoor clinics
- - Health advice and education for 50,000 women
- - Net-Work with 40 other NGOs
2. Educational program
- - 2500 students are financially supported
- - 20 schools have been built by IIMC in which more than 4000 students study
3. Economic program
- - Microloans for over 25,000 women
- - Agricultural projects
- - Vocational education and training for women
- - Accommodation for the homeless
- - Sewage supply
Beginning
The Institute for Indian Mothers and Children is a non-governmental organization. The IIMC project was founded with the aim of providing the poorest people in District 24 Parganas in the south of Calcutta with access to medical care. Nowadays, the project has expanded so that people not only have access to medical care, but also to schooling, health counseling, sponsorships, agricultural projects and small credit systems.
Goal setting and mission
IIMC wants to improve the situation for the poor and disadvantaged people. The main objective is medical care for mothers and their children, access to education, economic development and the consolidation of peace and solidarity in society.
founder
The founder completed his studies in Calcutta and received specialist training in paediatrics in Belgium with the support of a grant from the Bengali Red Cross. He returned to Calcutta and initially became the medical director of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa and Fr. Celest Van Exem (spiritual director of Mother Teresa) shaped him very much.
After working for Mother Teresa for 2 years, he decided to start his own project. In 1989 he started his own project 30 km south of Calcutta, in an area where there was no medical facility and people had no access to education. The first medical facility was an outdoor clinic in Tegharia. It consisted of a simple bamboo hut in which he treated 20 children a day. In the beginning, the project consisted entirely of medical help. Later it developed into a meeting point for all poor people in the region to not only get medical help, but also access to education and economic and social support.
Location in Calcutta
The headquarters of IIMC is the indoor clinic in Tegharia, Sonarput, 30 km southeast of Calcutta. Nowadays it offers space for 20 beds in the children's ward, 20 beds in the mother ward, an education center, a women's cooperation and the micro-credit bank for women. But IIMC is now not only active in this district, but also in the following others:
| localization | Centers |
|---|---|
| Tegharia | Outdoor clinic, indoor clinic, hospital, women empowerment, daycare center, home for the disabled, educational center, sponsorships, peace council, director's office |
| Hogolkuria | Preschool, elementary and secondary school, microloans, outdoor clinic, mozzarella production, peace council |
| Chakberia | Elementary school, outdoor clinic, microloans, peace council |
| Challapara Kheadah | Elementary school, secondary school, outdoor clinic, peace council |
| Purbajata in Iceland | secondary school, agricultural project |
| Ushapara | Elementary and Higher Education, Microloans, Peace Council |
| Hatgacha | Primary school, microloans, peace council |
| Dukherpole | Elementary school, agricultural project |
| Prasadpur | Primary school, peace council |
| Banamalipur | primary school |
| Dhaki | Outdoor clinic, indoor clinic, microloans, peace council |
| Bhadrapra | Primary school, peace council |
| Indraprasta | Elementary school, microloans |
| Raghabpur | Preschool, microloans |
| Kamalgazi | Preschool |
| Chaksalika-Howrah | Elementary school, microloans |
| Only pure | Preschool, elementary school |
| Bharpara | Preschool, Peace Council |
| South Kashinagar - J Polt Island | Preschool, Peace Council |
| Purba Sripatinagar - K polt Iceland | Preschool, Peace Council |
| Nagendrapur | Preschool, Peace Council |
Medical program
In the beginning, Brahmochary was the only doctor in the project. There are 18 doctors working with him now. Patients can receive inpatient treatment in the indoor clinic, vaccinations and x-rays, ultrasound, dental care, ophthalmological care and pathological examinations. Each year IIMC serves 120,000 patients from across the district and surrounding areas. The following list shows the daily influx of patients to the individual outdoor clinics:
| localization | opening hours | Patient numbers per day |
|---|---|---|
| Tegharia | twice a week | 500-800 |
| Chakberia | once a week | 300-500 |
| Hogolkuria | once a week | 150-250 |
| Kheyadah | once a week | 150-250 |
| Dhaki | twice a week | 300-500 |
Education and sponsorship program
After 3 years, Brahmochary realized that most medical problems are caused by a lack of education. He also noted that many people keep coming back with the same problems, but education and health counseling can prevent this. In India, the illiteracy rate is 46% and over 60% live in poverty. 30% are even below the WHO poverty level (BPL). 80% of the poor have no access to medical care.
To solve this problem, at least for the local area, a sponsorship project was started. The idea was that at least one child from the poor families could go to school so that he or she could learn to read and write and later support his / her family.
The children are selected by employees. The program started in 1994 with 10 children. In just 15 years, the number of sponsorships has risen to 2,500. Every child is supported by foreign sponsors from Italy, Belgium, Spain, England, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Canada, USA, Australia, Slovenia, Germany or Norway. The money (€ 20 / month) is used to finance school fees, school materials, school uniform, shoes, winter clothes, lunch and tutoring if necessary. The sponsored parents receive information about the family, the living situation and a photo. Twice a year, information about the career and the school report is sent to the sponsored parents.
As part of the “Umbrella of Spread Up Education”, 22 schools have now been built in the surrounding villages. IIMC hopes that these schools will provide a comprehensive range of education for as many children as possible. The goal is to build at least 2 new schools per year.
Health project
The goal of the health project is to improve the understanding of health and hygiene with the ulterior motive that enlightened people solve many health problems themselves. Traditional Indian medicine and understanding of health involves some myths and some practices are more harmful than helpful. IIMC tries to educate people and lift taboos.
The Women's Council plays a major role in this, especially through lessons on the topics of hygiene and health.
Education for mothers: At the moment, in addition to hygiene lessons, lessons on nutrition, family problems, family planning and women's health problems are also being given as part of this program. Problems such as discrimination against women, inferiority of girls and women's rights are also addressed.
The Net-Work program: With the help of this program, IIMC hopes to expand the health program to the most remote villages in West Bengal. As a result, lessons, workshops, seminars and symposia can now be better organized and more mothers can be reached. IIMC is now working with 40 other NGOs in 8 different districts of Bengal.
Supporting women towards independence
This project aims to help people to help themselves. Women still have very few rights in Indian society. Injustice, disregard for human rights and exploitation are still part of everyday life for an Indian woman. They have been systematically suppressed for centuries. Therefore, IIMC has set itself the support of emancipation as a further goal. The following programs are pursued with this objective:
- Promote self-confidence
- Education of girls
- Microcredit program
- vocational training / further education
- social legal aid for women
- social-psychological counseling
Economic independence of women
This project has two sub-areas:
- Matree Udyog (program for mothers of sponsored children)
- Mahila Udyog (program for women from poor rural villages)
- Matree Udyog
IIMC believes that there is potential in the poorest people too. When this potential is discovered and nurtured, it can give that person financial and economic independence. Since the women in the rural areas have neither the money, the courage nor the education to go to a normal bank to ask for a loan or a bank account, IIMC has supported these women with microcredit. 3,000 women are now involved in this program.
- Mahila Udyog
This program started in 1999. It is similar to the Gramin Bank of Bangladesh program where women can deposit money and get a loan of Rs.10,000. (approx. 160 €) can record. The aim is to enable women to gain economic independence as well. With the loans they should expand their sewing, weaving, laundry etc. There are currently 25,000 women involved in this project and Rs. 40 million (approx. € 635,000) are available as credit loans. The loan repayment amounts to 98%. Economic independence is one of the greatest steps on the way to emancipation. IIMC has founded its own weaving, sewing, dyeing and laundry facilities, in which school bags and school uniforms as well as everyday clothing are manufactured.
Education of girls
IIMC has always considered the education of girls to be very important. Therefore, as many girls as possible are tried to find godparents all over the world.
Vocational education and training for women
These include:
- Sewing courses
- Web courses
- Knitting courses
- Production of school bags and uniforms
- Running a small shop
14 women work in this project.
Women's Council
This program aims to ensure that women are more involved in decisions in the village community and that a more peaceful atmosphere is created in the village community. The council meets for 2 hours every day to discuss various local issues. They also visit families who have problems and work with local people to resolve those problems. This program also helps build women's self-esteem.
Day care center and home for the disabled
There are many women who work in factories or in agriculture all day. Most of them are uneducated, do simple jobs and do not know that education is the most important thing for their children. As a result, many children become victims of child labor and exploitation. They start working at the age of 5 instead of going to school. To combat this problem, IIMC has set up a day care center. In this way, the mothers can hand in at least one of their children to the day-care center free of charge, which is then looked after as long as the mother works. Children with disabilities, who are often even expelled from the family, have a very bad position. You will be admitted to the IIMC home for the disabled.
Outdoor Clinic in Dhaki
Dhaki is 110 km south of Calcutta. There, too, IIMC has set up a system of basic medical care, microloans and education. Before IIMC started there, the nearest health center was 30 km away and most people couldn't afford a doctor. Pregnant women could not afford preventive care or supervised delivery and usually gave birth to their children at home in their huts. The children suffered from malnutrition, worm diseases and skin infections. In 2003 IIMC expanded its mission to Dhaki and in 2006 founded the Women's Health Center there. IIMC also financed an ambulance boat.
Agricultural project
There are 3 projects under this program:
- Dukherpole project
- Purjata project
- Dhaki project
Dukherpole Project This project is IIMC's very first agricultural project. It includes: cultivation of farmland that IIMC bought. Provision of water for poor farming families. Expansion of fish farming in water basins that IIMC has built
Purjata project In this area 80% live from agriculture and 10% from fish farming. More than 60% live below the poverty line. The project includes: cultivation of farmland that IIMC bought. Expansion of fish farming in water basins that IIMC built
Dhaki project This project also serves to expand and manage the fields more efficiently.
financing
IIMC is funded primarily through donations and most donations come from private individuals. The donations come from all over the world. IIMC is also trying more and more to earn money by making mozzarella, weaving, sewing, laundry or dyeing.
Milk and mozzarella production
The Italian businesswoman Annamaria from Rome sent a technician and trainer and so two boys were trained at IIMC. It has been part of the microcredit system ever since. Over 100 women who own a cow sell the milk to IIMC every day at fair and fixed prices. IIMC uses it to make mozzarella and sell it to restaurants. IIMC pays the women Rs. 18 (approx. € 0.29) even though the market price is Rs. 15-16. 1 kilo of mozzarella is made from 10 liters of milk.
administration
Over 550 volunteers work in schools, day care centers, weaving mills, sewing shops, laundry or dye works.
IIMC - Gramin Mother Bank
Gramin Bank was founded to take care of the social and not just the financial aspect of credit. She doesn't need proof of security before issuing a loan because the loan is given to a group of women who are mutually watching over the money to be paid back. It is mandatory to repay the full amount of the loan. The response rate is currently 98%. IIMC has adopted this idea and has already achieved good results.
Legal status
The project is officially registered:
- - Registered under Public Trust Act.
- - Registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
- - Registered under Section 80-G of Income Tax Act.
- - Registered under 12-A of Income Tax Act.
Web links
- International IIMC homepage (English)
- German homepage of the association to support the IIMC eV
- Homepage of IIMC [1]