Disaster Management Events

School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru took the initiative to reach out to the flood victims of Kerala and Kodagu in collaboration with various organisations as given below:
Relief work at Wynad (14th August, 2018 to 18th August, 2018)

Seven students, led by Ms. Shobha D’Souza, Assistant Professor, Post Graduate Department of Social Work (MSW) volunteered to assist at the medical camps held at the relief camps in Wynad organised by Camilian Task Force (CTF) from 14th August, 2018 to 18th August, 2018.

Collection and dispatch of materials for Flood Victims ( 18th August, 2018 to 26th August, 2018)

The Relief Work which included collection and dispatch of materials for Flood Victims took place from 20th-26th August. Prof. Chongtham Oddessy Singh guided the students throughthe entire process. Prof. Sebastin K. V. was in Charge of the packing material and Transport arrangements. Seminar Hall was set up as a relief materials collection centre.
The various materials received from general public, students and other contributors were collected and assembled in the Seminar Hall, segregated and separated based on their inventory types. We acknowledge our thanks to the great generosity of 73 donors towards this cause. The dispatch of relief materials took place on 25th August, Saturday. Mr. Chongtham Oddessy Singh and Dr. Sebastian K. V. along with two 1st year MSW students Mr. Ashish Binu and Mr. Noyal Thomas, who reached them to Kottapuram Integrated Development Society, Thrissur and Vimalalaya Welfare Center, Kochi who would distribute it to the people affected by the flood.

Report on Relief work at Vimala Bhavan, Gothuruth and Kottapuram Integrated Development Society (KIDS) – Cleaning Work (Shramadan)

On 24th of August 2018, a group of 7 students from MSc Criminology and Forensic Science along with Dr. Wilsy Francis, Assistant Professor, M. Sc. in Counselling left from Roshni Nillaya to Kerala to offer a helping hand with the relief work. The 8 member team were divided into 2 smaller groups and were each assigned a building. The floods, though only moderately affected the property, had severely damaged the furniture and other personal possessions. The first day involved displacing the damaged furniture and moving them onto the grounds where they were left to dry. The team managed to complete one building and began with the surroundings. On the 27th, the final day, while the girls continued to clean Vimala Bhavan, the boys helped out at KIDS relief camp. By that afternoon all the inmates of the camp were sent home; and the boys helped out with the cleaning of the camp.

This experience was an eye opener for the entire group; it taught them the impermanence of material objects and that our life on this planet is short. In our short lives we come across grave circumstances and by lending a helping hand we hope to make our lives a little more meaningful. Another thing the trip has taught us is that even in the direst circumstances there is always hope when people come together in the name of humanity. We were lucky enough to experience our motto “Love is made fruitful in service” in real life, and we hope to continue to be the light in the lives of others.

Psycho-Social Care At Kodagu In Collaboration With Dr. Rupesh Gopal, Kodagu Institue Of Medical Sciences Under National Disaster Management Authority

A team of 14 BSW students led by Prof. Vineetha K. M. left for Coorg on 2nd September, 2018. They had a training in Psycho-social care of flood victims on 3rd September, 2018 given by Dr. Rupesh, HoD, Psychiatric Department, Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, Madikeri at the District Hospital of Kodagu and were provided with ID cards. From 4th September onwards, the team conducted group activities to enhance the coping capacity and support the psychological strength of the victims, particularly children in the camps. They also guided them and supported some of them regarding awareness and access to employment. The team also held counselling sessions for the campers.

Staff and students at Rehabilitation Work at Kodagu, Karnataka
Art/Play therapy with children and campers

Group session with adults
Further Action Plan: The experience of all our teams brought about an empathetic understanding of the pain of the people who lost everything, who lost something and who lost their near and dear ones as well as the humanity, goodness and generosity of government representatives and citizens who reached put selflessly. The loss of the thousands of families was found to be of such a huge extent that months won’t suffice to bring the situation back to normalcy.