Ending Period Poverty: A Step Towards Gender Equality

Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) are vital for the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls. Over 300 million women menstruate daily, yet an estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. Many tribal women and adolescent girls are unaware of how to protect their health during menstruation.

As an action-oriented NGO, RDWS has initiated the End Period Poverty program to raise awareness about personal hygiene during menstrual periods. Recognizing the shyness many women and girls feel about discussing menstruation, we provide quality sanitary napkins and educate them on proper usage and disposal. To date, we have distributed 3,652 sanitary napkins to women and girls in various villages across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Ending Child Marriages: Unlocking Hope and Opportunities

Child marriage robs girls of their childhood and opportunities in life. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha witness some of the highest rates of child marriage in India, where socio-economic and cultural factors, including poverty and concerns for girls' safety, perpetuate the practice. Social norms play a key role, often pressuring individuals to conform. To challenge these harmful norms, effective communication is vital.

In response, RDWS launched an awareness campaigns focusing on the Prohibition of Child Marriages Act. The campaign covers Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, and Visakhapatnam districts, collaborating with Village Panchayats, SHGs, youth, and schools. RDWS continues to conduct advocacy meetings, raising awareness among SHG members, teachers, parents, and young girls to combat child marriage.

Trafficking is modern-day slavery and the second-largest criminal industry in the world, impacting millions of lives. As part of our efforts, RDWS has conducted 2,653 awareness camps focused on educating participants about the various aspects of trafficking.

We believe that community involvement is crucial in the fight against trafficking. RDWS emphasizes that trafficking often stems from poverty, inequality, and other social issues. We encourage everyone to support initiatives aimed at ending this social injustice. By working together, we can effectively combat trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals in our society.

End Human Trafficking: Protecting Lives, Empowering Communities

Defending the Rights of Every Child: Empowering Future Generations

RDWS successfully organising a mass campaigns involving parents, teacher associations, and SHG members to protect the rights of every child, including the right to education, survival, and participation. The campaign's main motto was to ensure every child can reclaim their lost childhood. To raise awareness meaningfully, cultural activities were held in traditional formats to engage the community positively.

Additionally, we conducted a mass enrollment campaign to encourage school attendance for every girl child, replacing child labor with education. Wall posters and banners were displayed throughout the project area to promote local participation and foster a positive attitude towards child rights and protection. Together, we strive to create a nurturing environment for all children.

More than one-third of reported HIV/AIDS cases in India are among youth, with 60% residing in rural areas. Assessing HIV/AIDS awareness in this demographic is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of past and current awareness programs and identifying the need for further interventions.

RDWS has been proactive in addressing this issue by conducting awareness sessions for students in schools and colleges. Additionally, RDWS actively engages with communities in 657 villages through processions and outreach initiatives, promoting understanding and reducing stigma around HIV/AIDS. These efforts aim to empower youth and equip them with the knowledge needed to combat the epidemic and foster healthier communities.

HIV/AIDS Awareness for Youth: Building a Healthy Future

Skill Up: A Pathway to Employment for Unemployed Youth

The RDWS Vocational Training project aims to equip, employ, and empower school dropouts, youth, and physically disabled individuals from marginalized communities. Many young people today remain unemployable due to a lack of quality education and skill-based expertise. RDWS has successfully empowered 1,885 women and girls through vocational training in tailoring, leading to job placements immediately after course completion.

We are expanding our vocational training offerings to include beautician, electrician, plumbing, and cell phone repair courses for both boys and girls. These programs are tailored to local market demands, ensuring adolescents have adequate opportunities for employment and independence. Our vocational training initiatives have made a significant impact, fostering self-confidence and leadership skills by helping young people utilize their unique talents.

School Bag Kits: Paving the Way for Quality Education

Recently, at RDWS, in collaboration with School in a Bag (UK) and with CSR support from the FITCH GROUP (UK) and INDIA RATINGS AND RESEARCH (Mumbai), we provided over 1,212 children from families living in acute poverty with school bags filled with essential supplies to help fulfill their educational dreams. These bags are not just ordinary school supplies; they serve as educational toolkits.

Each School Bag includes 12 pencils, 10 biro pens, 12 coloring pencils, a math set, a ruler, a pencil case, six exercise books (line/square/plain), a water bottle, and a lunch box with a plate and spork. Each bag is new and individually numbered, allowing donors to track their impact through our website. This initiative has significantly impacted the lives of 1,212 children this year, enabling them to write, draw, learn, and express themselves effectively.

Empowering the Elderly: Health Awareness and Basic Support

RDWS focuses on improving the lives of elderly individuals, having supported over 1,486 seniors through various initiatives. We provide health awareness programs, nutritious food, clothing, and basic necessities to ensure their well-being. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by the elderly, we also assist them in accessing government benefits, including old-age pensions and housing pattas, prioritizing their needs.

Our efforts aim to empower seniors by enhancing their quality of life and promoting dignity in their later years. By addressing both immediate needs and long-term support, RDWS is committed to fostering a caring and inclusive environment for our elderly community, helping them lead healthier, more secure lives.

Restoring Hope: Support for Flood Victims in Vijayawada

RDWS provided crucial aid to flood-affected families in Vijayawada, distributing Family Survival Kits to alleviate the suffering caused by recent floods. Each kit contains 24 essential grocery items, including rice, pulses, milk, and dry foods, along with dry clothes, sarees, blankets, towels, and hygiene materials such as bath soaps, toothbrushes with toothpaste, and sanitary napkins. During distribution, the RDWS team emphasized personal hygiene and health, focusing on menstrual health for girls and women to ensure the most vulnerable receive the necessary support.

Additionally, RDWS volunteers distributed sarees to 265 elderly women and provided buns, biscuits, and fruits to 542 children, offering immediate nourishment and comfort. This initiative demonstrates RDWS's deep commitment to addressing both the urgent and ongoing needs of those impacted by the disaster.

Strengthening Resilience: Covid-19 Aid for Tribal Families

RDWS has done commendable service to Covid-19 affected families by providing essential aid to vulnerable Adivasi tribal families, helping them combat hunger and strengthen their immunity against the virus. Following the receipt of funds from Strathspey Charitable Trust, we procured vital items from local markets and assembled them into relief kits. These relief kits were distributed in remote villages with active participation from local authorities, media, and village elders.  

Each relief kit contained rice, two types of pulses, cooking oil, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, mustard seeds, washing soaps, hand sanitizers, face masks, and fresh vegetables (brinjal, ladies' fingers, tomatoes, and onions). This initiative received high praise from beneficiaries, who expressed their gratitude to our donors. The smiles on their faces reflect the project’s success and its significant impact on the lives of people in hilltop villages along India's east coast. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Giles Baker Sir for his generous support.