Health and Nutrition

Health program of the organization has broadly in two components; Community health and Institutional health. It has own trained health workers who actively disseminate health information on pregnant  mother care, child health and immunization, hygienic practices, and motivate pregnant mothers for institution delivery.

The organization has its own equipped Rural Health and Training Centre (hospital) in remote Sundarban region of South 24 Parganas district of Nandurbar District, which provides services like OPD, IPD, pharmacy, pathology etc. People access services 24 X 7 from hospital.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

The organization has wide experience working in this sector. Over the years Manas Foundation implemented thousands of household toilets in Nandurbar Dist, educated people on both infrastructural and personal hygiene and succeeded preventing open defecation. Deep tube wells installed and renovated creating safe drinking water provision and made people aware on safe water handling including collection, transportation, preservation and use. Initiatives were taken to sensitize people on water, sanitation and hygiene through wide community level campaign, demonstration, using IEC etc.

Manas Foundation implemented school sanitation program in number of schools both in Kolkata and rural areas. This program includes construction of school sanitary block with toilet, urinal, hand washing and drinking water stations with multiple tap, running water facility and incinerator (for adolescent girl students) emphasizing hygiene education and maintenance of the asset created. Maintenance committees have been formed with teacher and student’s representatives responsible for looking after cleanliness and maintenance of the sanitation block on regular basis.

Education and Protection

As an effort of preventing violation of child rights Manas Foundation runs bridge course and coaching centres for dropout, unschooled and enrolled children in suburban and rural areas. In order to prevent child labour practice and safeguard children from being trafficked the organization operates residential and non residential schools. Ultimate objective running these centers is to mainstream children in age-appropriate classes in the formal schools. They are provided nutritious food and health education imparted to students for good hygienic practices.

Livelihood and Women empowerment

Hundreds of women Self Help Groups have been formed primarily for growing saving habits and internal lending to initiate petty business venture for income. They have village level group clusters and federation at the Gram Panchayat level. Both women and men were encouraged for Pond-based Integrated Farming with vegetable garden, fish cultivation, raring duck and hen and vermin-composting through improved method in their homestead land and the products are used for both consumption and selling purposes. The farmers were trained and assisted for Systematic Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation, which is high yielding and cost effective. As per the organization’s experiences the Pond-based Integrated Farming and SRI method of paddy cultivation were found to be highly beneficial to the people improving their family status with supplementary income.

Environment and Disaster Response

Since the Nandurbar region is highly disaster prone, people face disaster situation in the form of cyclone, tidal surge, flood etc. almost every year. Therefore; Manas Foundation has taken effort educating people/people’s group responding to disaster situation. Disaster Response groups are formed and trained on the issues of rescue, shifting victims especially women children and aged persons to safer places/temporary shelters, arrange and provide relief items like food, water, medicines from Government or non-Government sources.

The organization with its own expertise implementing programs in different sectors successfully and apart from direct program implementation, the organization builds partnerships and advocates with Government and a wide range of international NGOs and donors to tackle poverty and help ensure people can create new opportunities for them self.