AWARENESS EDUCATION AGAINST SUPERSTITIONS FOR BETTER AND SECURED LIFE.

Project Location

Country: 
India
City: 
KASHINAGAR

Organization

Organization Name: 
KASHINAGAR PIONEER SCIENCE CLUB
Organization Type: 
Association
Specify: 
OUR FOUNDER PRESIDENT DR. NITYAGOPAL BASU BEARS ALL EXPENSES SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SCIENCE CLUB (1979) FOR ITS ALL ACTIVITIES. HE SPENDS 10% OF HIS TOTAL INCOME (FOR LAST 25 YEARS) TO THIS KIND OF ACTIVITIES (FOR A BETTER SOCIETY FOR OUR NEXT GENERAT

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Project Type

Education up to 29 years

Project Description

Description Frase (max. 500 characters): 

NO MORE SUPERSTITIONS : THINK RATIONALLY & LOGICALLY, PRACTICE SCIENTIFICALLY, LIVE BETTER AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE!

Project Summary (max. 2000 characters): 

IN OUR SOCIETY THERE ARE SO MANY SUPERSTITIONS PERSISTENT STILL TODAY WHEN MANKIND HAS LANDED OVER THE MOON AND PLANNING TO SEND AERONAUTS TO THE MARS! THESE SUPERSTITIONS BEGIN FROM DIFFERENT REASONS. 1) IGNORANCE 2) LACK OF PROPER KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN CIRCULATE FROM FELLOW-MEN AND GIVE THEM LIGHT OF WISDOM, 3) OVER-POWER OF BAD PEOPLES (IMPOSTORS) LIKE ‘SNAKE CHARMER’, ‘EXORCISTS’, ‘PERSONS WHO FAVOR INCANTATION TO HARM OTHERS WITH CHARMS AND SPELLS’, PEOPLE WHO PRACTICES WITCH-CRAFT. THEY SIMPLY MOTIVATE COMMON IGNORANT PEOPLE TO DEVIATE FROM RATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC THOUGHTS AND PRACTICES OF MODERN SCIENTIFIC WAY TO GET RID OF DISEASES.
HERE IN OUR LOCALITY ‘SNAKE BITE’ IN RAINY SEASON AND DURING HARVESTING TIME AND ‘DOG BITE’ ARE VERY COMMON AS STRAY DOG POPULATION IS VERY HIGH. IN HEPATITIS THAT CAUSES ‘JAUNDICE’ (YELLOW DISCOLORATION OF WHITE PART OF EYES, YELLOW URINATION AND SKIN) ARE USUALLY TREATED WITH WEARING A NECKLACE MADE OF SOFT GREEN STEM OF LOCAL SHRUBS ALONG WITH SOME DIRECTIONS OF ‘DO’ AND ‘DON’T’. WITH TIME THE GREEN STEMS START DRYING AND THREADS GET TIGHTENS OVER IT THUS ELONGATING THE LENGTH OF NECKLACE. COMMON PEOPLE CAN’T NOT EXPLAIN THIS WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND THINK PERHAPS YELLOW COLOR OF JAUNDICE IS DESTROYED BY THAT NECKLACE AND IT GETS LONGER! SOME THOUGHT, IMMUNIZATION TO CHILDREN CAN CAUSE INFERTILITY IN THEIR LATER LIVES. PEOPLE WALK IN THE DARKNESS AND BARE-FOOTED. SO THERE IS MORE CHANCES TO SNAKE BITE IN VILLAGES. SNAKE CHARMER USUALLY TIE A TOURNIQUET LIKE THING JUST ABOVE BITING SITE. THEN THEY START HYMES, CHARMS AND SPELL TO DESTROY POISONS OF SNAKE THAT IS UNSCIENTIFIC. INSTEAD OF TAKING THE VICTIM TO HOSPITAL, TIME IS WASTED AT HOME AND THUS LOSING THE PATIENT. IF THE PATIENT IS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL, THE DOCTORS HAVE NOTHING TO DO ANYMORE, PATIENT DIES!
WE STARTED TO STOP ALL THESE KIND OF MAL-PRACTICES, SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR SCIENCE CLUB (1979) TO EDUCATE PEOPLES, STUDENTS AND PREGNANT MOTHERS. BUT IT WAS OCCASIONAL. IN 2007, 3 CHILDREN OF A SINGLE FAMILY DIED AFTER SNAKE BITE (COMMON KRAIT) DUE TO PROCEDURES DONE BY SNAKE CHARMERS WHO ASSURED THE LIVES OF ALL KIDS. THIS PATHETIC EVEN FORCED US TO DO VIGOROUS CHAMPAGNE TO EDUCATE TARGET PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY

How long has your project been running?

2008-04-29 22:00:00

Objectives and Innovative Aspects

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF 26 VILLAGES WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF NEARLY 30,000 INDIVIDUALS IN SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL STATE IN INDIA, WE WORKED OUT AN ANNUAL INCIDENCE OF 0.16% AND MORTALITY RATE OF 0.016% PER YEAR FOR SNAKE-BITE. THE ANNUALIZED DOG BITE RATE IS 51.9 PER 10000 POPULATION IN THESE POPULATION. "JHAAD PHOONK" AND CONSUMPTION OF HERBAL REMEDIES. OFTEN THE PATIENT IS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL TOO LATE TO BE SAVED. BLIND FAITH AND SUPERSTIONS ARE COOMON IS POOR AND ILLETERATE PEOPLE OF REMOTE VILLAGES AROUND US. THIS LEAD TO PRACTISING CHARMS & SPELLS, EXORCISE, USING INCATATION TO HERM A PERSON, ARE VERY COMMON IN DOG BITE, SNAKE BITE, DIFFERENT HEALTH PRACTICE IN MOTHER AND CHILD & IN HYSTERICAL FITS AS POSSESSING BY DEITY OR EVIL SPIRIT WITHOUT TAKING MODERN TREATMENTS, RATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC THOUGHTS TO ALEVIATE THESE. IN SNAKE BITE, SNAKE CHARMERS KILLS THE PATIENTS IN THE NAME OF TREATMENT AS PATIENTS DON’T GET MODERN ANTIVENINS, OR WASTE TIME TO TAKE THEM TO HOSPITALS. IN DOGBITE THEY PROVIDE MAGIC BANANA AND TABIZ TO STOP RABISES WITHOUT ANTIRABISE VACCINATION. IN JAUNDICE THEY GIVE A MAGIC NECKLACE OF PLANT STEM IN ARRANGED IN COTTON THREAD THAT INCREASES IN SIZE WITH TIME. IN HYSTERIC FITS WITHOUT FOLLOWING MODERN MENTAL TREATMENTS, EXORCIST OFFER PAINFUL PHYSICAL TORTURES IN THE NAME OF CUREING. HOMEOPATHY AS SUBSTITUTE OF IMMUNIZATIONI N ANTE-POST NATAL CARE AND IN NEWBORN BABIES. OBJECTIVES ARE 1) TO STOP THESE PRACTICES TO SAVE LIFE IN DOGBITE & SNAKE BITE PATIENTS. 2) TO UNDERSTAND HYSTERIA, JAUNDICE AS DISEASES THAT ARE COMPLETELY CURABLE WITH MODERN MEDICINES 3) TO AVOID PRACTICES THAT STOP IMMNIZATIONS IN PREGNANT MOTHERS AND NEW BORN CHIDREN TO ENSURE HEALTHY FUTURE-CITIZEN OF THE COUNTRY.

Results

Describe the results achieved by your project How do you measure (parameters) these. (max. 2000 characters): 
OUR AIM WAS TO MAKE THE TARGET PEOPLE FREE OF SUPERSTITIONS AND TO MOTIVATE THEM TO THINK SCIENTIFICALLY AND RATIONALLY AND APPROACH TO MODERN MEDICINES TO REDUCE HUMAN MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY IN SNAKE BITE, DOG BITE, JAUNDICE, HYSTERIA AND TO UNDERSTAND IMPORTANCE OF IMMUNIZATION AMONG PREGNANT MOTHERS AND CHILDREN IN COVERED POPULATION. WE WANTED TO ATTAIN OUR GOAL OF AVOIDING QUACKERY AND EXORCIST-PRACTICES AMONG TARGET PEOPLE. WE HAVE FOUND OUT THE REASONS BEHIND THESE KIND OF PRACTICES ARE 1) LACK OF EDUCATION 2) THE CONTEMPORARY EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT DOESN’T HIGH-LIGHT THIS PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF LIFE AT ALL IN DAY TO DAY LIVING. 3) EDUCATION IS BEING ADOPTED AS METHOD THAT SIMPLY ENABLE PEOPLE TO PASS EXAMINATIONS AND TO GET READY FOR A JOB AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY, NEITHER TO QUENCH THE THIRST OF GATHERING KNOWLEDGE, NOR IGNITE CURIOSITY TO FIND REASONS BEHIND EVERY INCIDENCE. 4) IN LATER LIFE MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CONTINUATION OF READING AND UPDATE THEIR STATUS OF KNOWLEDGE, SO WHAT THEY LEARNT ONCE IS FORGOTTEN EASILY. WHILE THEY FACE PROBLEMS IN REAL LIFE, THEY SIMPLY FOLLOW THE PRACTICES (IRRATIONAL, UNSCIENTIFIC) WHAT IS IN VOGUE WITHOUT SECOND THOUGHT. WE HAVE FIXED PARAMETER OF FOLLOW UP AS 1) NUMBER INCIDENCE OF SNAKE BITE, DOG BITE PER YEAR 2) HOW QUICKLY THE PATIENTS ARE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR MODERN TREATMENT 3) NUMBER OF LIFE SAVED. IN CASE OF HYSTERIC FITS OF WOMEN IF THEY ADOPT CHARMS AND SPELLS OF AN EXORCIST, IN JAUNDICE 4) IF THEY USE QUACKERY TREATMENT AND OR WEAR NECKLACE OF PLANT STEM, 5) POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM COVERED POPULATION.
How many users interact with your project monthly and what are the preferred forms of interaction? (max. 500 characters): 

USUALLY WE TRY TO ORGANIZE AT LEAST ONE SEMINAR/SLIDE SHOW/FILM SHOW/DISCUSSION IN FORTNIGHT. SOMETIMES IT IS ONCE IN A WEEK. DURING ‘DURGA PUJA’ IT COUNTS CONSECUTIVE 4 DAYS IN FESTIVAL GROUND. AVERAGE GATHERING IS 150- 200 PEOPLE PER SHOW. WHEN THE TARGET POPULATION IS STUDENTS, THE NUMBER INCREASES UP TO 1000-1200 ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. IN THE FAIR, AUDIENCE EVEN EXCEEDS 3000-4000. IT DECREASES IN 50-60 WHEN IT WAS TARGETED TO ANTENATAL CARE AND IMMUNIZATION AS WE SELECT A VILLAGE AND CALL THEM TO A COMMON PLACE. WE INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE TO ASK QUESTIONS. THEY ASK QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS ABOUT THEIR BELIEVES AND SEEK WHAT IS BETTER WAY OUT.

Sustainability

What is the full duration of your project (from beginning to end)?: 
More than 6 years
What is the approximate total budget for your project (in Euro)?: 
Less than 10.000 Euro
What is the source of funding for your project?: 
Other
Is your project economically self sufficient now?: 
No
Since when?: 
2014-10-30 23:00:00

Transferability

Has your project been replicated/adapted elsewhere?: 
Yes
Where? By whom?: 
WE DON’T KNOW. WE HAVE NO SUCH INFORMATION. BUT SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION ARE GETTING INTERESTED TO THIS ACTIVITY AND INVITE US TO THEIR PLACES FOR ‘CALL SHOW’. WE ACCEPT THIS GLADLY AND SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE AND SUCCESS STORY TO THOSE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OUR WORKING BOUNDARY
What lessons can others learn from your project? (max. 1500 characters): 

WITH SINCERITY AND CONTINUOUS EFFORT EVEN WITHOUT BIG BUDGET, FEW MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION CAN DO A POSITIVE CHANGE FOR SURE IN A SOCIETY WITH SUPERSTITIONS AND BLIND-FAITHS TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR OUR CHILDREN

Are you available to help others to start or work on similar projects?: 
Yes

Background Information

Barriers and Solutions (max. 1000 characters): 
IN THE BEGINNING, WE FACED OPPOSITION FROM MANY OLD PEOPLE OF THE SOCIETY. THEY TRIED TO DO SOME PROPAGANDA THAT WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT, WAS NO GOOD FOR THEM, FOR THE SOCIETY. SOME MUSLIM COMMUNITY WERE NOT TAKING ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION (ORAL POLIO FOR CHILDREN, TETANUS-TOXOID AND HEPATITIS B IMMUNIZATIONS FOR PREGNANT MOTHERS), SOMETIMES EXORCISTS TRIED TO STAND AGAINST US. THEY FOLLOW UNSCIENTIFIC & TORTURE LIKE METHODS IN THE NAME OF CURING A HYSTERIA. BUT WITH REPEATED DISCUSSION AND EVEN WITH INTERACTION WITH EXPERTS, DOCTORS, POLITICIANS, GRADUALLY THEY ARE MOTIVATED AND FINALLY THEY HAVE UNDERSTOOD ITS IMPORTANCE FOR BETTER LIVING.
Future plans and wish list (max. 750 characters): 
WITH OUR EXPERIENCE, ITS SO CLEAR THAT WITH CONTINUOUS EFFORT AND CONSTANT WILL TO DO PEOPLE’S GOOD IF YOU WANT TO. WE WANT 1) TO INCORPORATE MORE VILLAGES UNDER COVER OF OUR AWARENESS EDUCATION AND SURVEILLANCE, 2) WE WANT AT LEAST FEW CLASS IN THE LOCAL SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS AND AT LEAST A CHAPTER ON EACH CLASS CURRICULUM, AND 3) WANT TO SHARE WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FROM OUR COUNTRY OR BEYOND WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH EXORCIST- PRACTICE AND LOTS OF SUPERSTITION. WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE OUR DREAM COMES TRUE, 1) ECONOMIC FREEDOM TO EXTEND OUR BOUNDARY, 2) PROFESSIONAL MAN POWER (IT’S NOT ALWAYS GOOD AND UP TO MARK IN VIEW OF STANDARDIZATION WITH ONLY VOLUNTEERS. WE NEED SOME RESOURCES THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE HIRED FOR BETTERMENT OF PRESENTATION. 3) GOVT. ASSISTANCE FOR WIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR ACTIVITY IN NATIONAL LEVEL AND BEYOND.
education ECURED LIFE SUPERSTITIONS