By Jasmine AdaickalamYSS Service Director
It is fourteen months (June 2001 – July 2002) since we first started the project, “Program Menangani Gejala Sosial di Kalangan Masyarakat India.” As we are about to wind up the reports, it is necessary to monitor the status of the project itself, the roads most travelled and also the roads less travelled. This small yet necessary exercise has provided us with some valuable lessons and has made us a little wiser. Along the way there have been landmarks identified and we want to share with you some of these.
LANDMARK - I
Click to enlarge
|
One of the important landmarks in this journey of hope in reaching out to neighbourhoods is thecreation of active neighbourhood working committees. This journey of infusing hope has actually managed to create 21 neighbourhood-working committees. This information is like a shower on parched land for there is yet more hope for these neighbourhoods in the dimension of sustainability. Though we aimed to have only 10 neighbourhood working committees, the labour has yielded 21 committees. |
LANDMARK - II
Click to enlarge
|
Creation of active neighbourhood working committees automatically means leadership and capacities. This stratagem has borne fruit in terms of local leadership identification and tapping of local resources. Even if we think of a conservative figure such as 5 active leaders per neighbourhood, we have recognised 105 active leaders who are committed to the cause of their neighbourhoods. This will make sustainability of neighbourhoods and changes feasible. |
LANDMARK - III
Click to enlarge
|
It is essential to note the relationship and the network YSS has managed to create with Indian Based Organisations (IBOs) such as Hindu Youth Organisation and Malaysian Indian Youth Council that are national organisations and local neighbourhood organisations such as Social Development Association of Jinjang Selatan and Welfare Association of Wangsa Maju. |
Through this passage of Neighbourhood based social work, YSS has developed network with 32 Indian Based Organisations and with many agencies which is again important to sustain the social transformation process as this will ensure pooling of resources and will make light work.
LANDMARK - IV
Click to enlarge
|
The following table will show the number of activities conducted at the different programme categories and the number of target group members met through these activities and the tremendous increase in the targets setin the agreement. Compared to the number of participants to be reached according to the agreement YSS has managed to reach out to more people within the cost. |
No
|
Programme Categories
|
Activities |
Participants |
Agreed |
Actual |
Agreed |
Actual |
1 |
Community Capacity Building |
56 |
193 |
16,480 |
26,240 |
2 |
Women & Family Development |
24 |
97 |
6,950 |
15,382 |
3 |
Children & Youth Development |
57 |
261 |
7,450 |
28,680 |
GRAND TOTAL |
137 |
551 |
30,880 |
70,302 |
Within the agreed operating budget of 2. 7 mil YSS has managed 302% increase in the number of activities and 128% increase in the number of participants / service users.
The roads at places have been rough with a lot of difficult decisions to be made to reach the destination. But here we are already at the end with only few administrative chores to complete. Amidst all these we feel fulfilled because we have made it with 70, 000 over people. Our heartfelt appreciation goes to all partners who have helped to make this project a reality. Here we are at this juncture with full of hope raring to go into the next phase with little more wisdom. Our mission field awaits. |
