Rural housing
With supporting ort of Habitat for Humanity India Trust (since Sep. 2006), PAD has reconstructed a total of 95 houses of fishermen under the Tsunami-reconstruction programme which mainly covers Vembar (52 colony houses) and Periasamypuram (43). Habitat is currently supporting 300 regular houses and 200 repaired houses on a loan basis.
LIFE (Livelihoods Initiative for Empowerment) Emergency relief - Tsunami
2000 women have been provided with a LIFE (Livelihoods Initiative For Empowerment) card an innovative project to cope up against hunger and sickness during the vulnerable situations. They have been linked with the local shops and have plan to start a consumer stores at the village, panchayat,block and area level so that the economy will revolve among the community itself.
Alternative livelihoods
Diversifying the existing means of income, PAD provides short term skill trainings for youth (so far 200 participants) in crab and lobster fattening, oyster development, fish pickling and preserving and computer training (5 different level).
Alternate employment and training:
The training inputs offered to barefoot vets (44) and engine repairers (40) demonstrated the possibilities of new, alternate entrepreneurial initiatives in this region and successfully addressed the under-employment situation through supplementary income activity for fisher folk and Palmyrah tappers. The presence of these newly trained entrepreneurs within the community has also contributed to a demystification of these “technical” inputs usually provided by men and encouraged the community to rely on local resource persons, irrespective of sex, to successfully solve their problems: Due to barefoot vets mortality rate of animals in serviced areas has decreased from 30% to 5%, and there has been control of outbreaks of common diseases.
Boat engine repairers also proved their utility by attending to urgent repairs in the village and at sea. Their incomes are inadequate as yet, and need to be still supplemented by regular work, i.e. fishing.
Emergency relief – COVID-19
The Covid-19 outbreak affects all segments of the population and is particularly detrimental to members of those social groups in the most vulnerable situations, continuous to affect populations, including people living in poverty situations, older persons, persons with disabilities and youth and many.
The State and Central government changing the rules and regulations frequently during this crisis situations. This is also limits the functions of Ngo’s. Government has introduced new economic policy, Amendment in fisheries act, changes retirement span of government employees.
All the bureaucratic, and policy makers are busy with their activities, accessing them takes much time than normal. So it is very difficult for the Ngo’s to accessing the Bureaucratic and policy makers even in local levels.
Even though, PAD has approached various donor agencies and networks and got the relief aids and provided to the vulnerable families.
Approached Freedom Fund and provided dry rations and sanitation kits for 2250 families.
Got the support from Children Believe and provided groceries and sanitation kits for 600 vulnerable children’s families and 225 anganwadi children’s families.
The Relief aid from International Collective in Supportive of Fish workers (ICSF) Trust and provided support of groceries and vegetables to 250 families in Rameswaram Island.
PAD approached Child line India Foundation (CIF) and got the approval and provided the food materials and dry rations to the most vulnerable children’s families and temporary hygiene workers in the railway premises.
More than 50 families of migratory workers from other States were benefitted by the dry rations and vegetables with the help of project of Thozhalamai organization through shOUT for Freedom network.