Case Studies ECHO

8/3/2019 Case Studies ECHO

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INTRODUCTION:

Reaching out first to the most needy and most vulnerable is the guiding principles of any emergency

response. The same holds good for recovery phase rehabilitation and reconstruction. After 2 months

of Odisha floods -2011, we enter the recovery phase. ECHO cash programme as part of “emergency

flood response in Odisha” is here to support this process of recovery

Stories of such vulnerability seeking intervention form the core in both selection of beneficiaries as

well as the kind of support this programme can extend. Both programme interventions and need of

the families makes up to a successful recovery plan. This is the compendium of some such stories

out of the filed notes.



1. He knows not what we are doing…. He looks in to nothingness as his wife Samjukta

Das adjusts his draped lungi and we stand before

him. Some people gather around to explain thefamily situation and 32 year old Samjukta just

stands next to her husband looking at him with

her partial vision. She is 40% blind. He is 40 year

old Agonicharan Das, suffering from mental

illness. Neighbors point out that the illness runs in

the family and Agonicharan’s father suffered

similar plight. Suddenly Samjukta’s tears swell. To

cover the tears, she rushes in to house asking “do

you need anything?” to an 80 year old woman sitting in the corner. The Old woman is Agonicharan’s

mother.

One of the woman murmurs, “She (Samjukta) is worried, what if her son also has to suffer this way.

This seems to be a hereditary disease. Agoni (charan das) was fine till he was 20 and progressively

lost his memory and health. Now no one is there to support the family.”

Samjukta is back. She talks about her two daughters Bijuli who is 13 year old and attends high school

and Pabani, a 10 year old studying 5th

class. In passing she just mentions her son Sarveswar das

(whom she addresses as Meghanath, the mythological warrior from the epic Ramayana who

defeated Gods). Sarveswar das is 8 year old and is in 4th class. While mentioning her son we could

literally feel the fear in her voice.

Samjuktha says, “Villagers always helped us. But in this flood, even villagers were in trouble and we

had no one to help. When Save the Children came up with first relief, entire village wanted us to get

it first.” Even now, the community has strongly recommended ‘unconditional cash support’ should

go to this family.

A happy Sarveswar Das along with his sister Pabani in

school giving us the count of material that they have

received as part of relief say, “I am happy that

everybody is taking care of us”. Agonicharan Das maynot know what we are doing for his family. But

happiness in his family would surely make him feel

better.



2. Hoping for better tomorrow…

Leaning to the door, holding a book in his hands he goes

on reading. Today he didn’t go to school. He is preparingfor his exams as well as take care of his father and

mother. He is Basant Kumar Swain, a 15 year old boy

studying for an important academic year of his life i.e.

10th

class. However, his life took a critical turn 3 years

back when his father 55 year old, Rasand Swain is taken

ill by paralytic attack.

Basant’s 38 year old mother Suparani Swain is partially

blind and cannot take care of the family. His elder brother Vijay Kumar Swaine had to drop out of

school and migrate to Gujarath to support the family. Basant is now the functional head of thefamily. Vijay sends Rs 2000/- every month. The very little land that they have has no one to

cultivate. Hence no income comes out of that source and most of the money sent by Vijay goes in

buying medicines for bed ridden Rasand and his treatment. Financial situation is bad and sustenance

a hard task. This flood made the situation worst.

Swain family lost many of their household possessions. Lost the food stock they had stored for

difficult days. Here is when Save the children’s food basket kept them alive. And now an

unconditional cash support as part of ECHO project is waiting for the family.

Basant says “if not for timely support, I might be out of school by now. With this money I can buy

medicines to my father and take care of my mother.”

Basant is hoping for better tomorrow. Only hope he had is his education. Our efforts helped him

sustain his hope in these times of distress.



3. A single sickle man ….

A man walked past us with a sickle in hand. Village

animator hailed at him “Kedar!” he just stopped andturned back with a smile. He is out looking for some work

to earn the day’s wage. He is Kedar Mallik. Kedar is 35, a

landless labourer from scheduled caste.

Kedar keeps looking for work on a daily basis to sustain

himself and his family. His wife Tuni mallik (26) their 8

year old son and 1 year old daughter makes up his world.

His work ranges from agricultural labour to masonry.

When asked about ‘what happened to him in this floods?’, he just points at his small hut and says “I

have nothing valuable to lose. But this time the flood took away one of the four walls that made myhut. It took a lot to rebuild it. It is set now, and now I need to set my life right again.”

Be it agricultural work, cutting bricks or masonry, Kedar has single sickle that he takes along to work.

Though he is skilled labour, he manages to get only 100-150 rupees a day depending on the work. He

thinks if he can get better tools of his own, he has greater chances of securing not only regular work,

but also get better wage on his work. Kedar wants to earn

more money so that he can keep his son who is in 3rd class

in school and also take care of his young daughter and

wife.

Kedar will get his tool kit as part of ECHO programme. He

will no longer be a single sickle man.



4. Recovering land rebuilding lives

“My land is submerged in flood. I am starting to

clear it up. Till I finish that and get ready for nextcrop, me and my family has nothing much but to

survive on the food (basket) you have distributed”

says Nrushya Charan Pradhan looking at his two

daughters standing next to him.

Nrushya Charan is 62 year old. He owns 1.5 acres

of land. He generally cultivates jute and paddy in

his lands and earns livelihood out of it. Now more

than 80% of his land is submerged due to flood.

As his wife Kanchanabala Pradahan from inside the house calls out for 20 year old Anusuya, she runs

and vanishes in home. “My elder daughter is married and I was thinking of Anasuya’s marriage this

year. But I don’t think it is possible now.” Says Nrushya Charan looking towards where Anasuya

vanished. Listening to this his 18 year old daughter Papita Pradhan gets up and leaves the place. She

goes back to knitting mats with some green leaves. She stopped her education after 9th

because of

the family condition.

Both his 18 and 15 year old sons have migrated and working as labour and last son is 10 year old and

is in school. His migrated sons send some money every now and then with which the family survives

when agriculture fails. This happens almost evry alternate year as a chronic happening. Whatever

the savings that Nrushya Charan was planning for his second daughters’ wedding is gone in bringing

their submerged home and life back to normalcy.

ECHO programme is supporting the family with

unconditional cash support, cash for work to clear his field

and also supplying agricultural seeds so that it will be easy

to start his agricultural activity. If not for this support both

his teenage girls would have been vulnerable to migration

and even his younger son would have been out of school.

By putting this family on road to recovery few young lives

have been saved.



5. The only light he could see is the bliss….

There is nothing in his eyes. No expression of

recognition, surprise or sadness. He is standing still at

the end of the room, in front of other door. Filed

animators entered the door and reached out to him

and brought him out of the house. He held the

animator in one hand and other hand was methodically

searching for something. He is out in the bright sun

light. His eyes are empty. He is blind. His name is Babaji

swain, age 67.

The moment he came out we were introduced to him.

Babaji with his hands searching for us said “I have nothing to offer but my blessings. Be happy and

my God bless you with prosperity”. He is alone. Wife and son are dead. His only daughter is married

off to a different village. He lives alone and manages his daily life with the support of neighbors. He

just has a place to live and has absolutely no source of income. His house was flooded and lost all the

utensils and other essentials he had in home. The floor is still

wet with the flood water marks.

He is selected for unconditional cash support as part of ECHO

cash programme.This is the only ray of hope he has to go

back to his normal life. And all he can do is blessing us.



6. (At least) there was a home….

After crossing the mud banding that it also the road

leading to village, there was a huge pile of sand crushedin to earth. And there was a cemented structure next to

it. A man is lying on a bed and his wife standing next to

him helpless. He is Ashok Kumar Behra, met with an

accident in 2010 and from than onwards bed ridden

and lives on the support of his in-laws who are migrated

to Gujarth.

All he had for himself was a house. At the time of flood

many people gathered at his house for shelter. Because of the loose soil the foundations weakened

and the entire house at once came down. Ashok Kumar Behra’s family lost all the assets they had inthe house and most importantly the only considerable asset, the house they had for themselves.

With 2 young girls of 10, 8 years and a boy just 3 year old the family was already burdened with no

bread winner at home. Now there is not even a home. They are now living in a small room offered

by their neighbors. How long they have to live this way and when they would come back to normalcy

are questions still lingering.

Apart from the immediate response from Save the

Children like food basket, hygiene kit and blankets an

unconditional cash support is offered to this family in

ECHO programme.



7. Queen of kitchen garden…

“I growing onions and palak (spinach). Flood did damage

one full grown kitchen garden with Malak, Methi,

Bhindi,Dhania and other vegetables. But life can’t stop

with flood. I am back to growing my kitchen garden to

support my family” Says 55 year old Harapriyadas of

Narayanpur village when asked about the status of her

kitchen garden. However she points out that as her

house also is flooded with water; she lost all the seeds

she stored for future.

“With difficulty I could gather some seeds and plant this time. I have to go to market next week to

get some more” said Harapriya as if talking to herself. The village animator jumped up to intervene

hurriedly saying “didn’t we say we will supply seeds as part of the programme.” She looked at him as

if to recollect and told “you didn’t say what seeds you are going to give.” Animator looks at his file

and read out the list “Palak, Sag, Kosalasag,Dhania, Beans, Chilly, Tomato….” She shook her head

happily.

Harapriya’s husnband is Rabindranath Das. He is 60 year old and barely manages to work on his farm

field of 2 acres. In a year once paddy and rest jute is grown in it. They have two sons one 22 year old

and another 18. When asked about them, Harapriya didn’t respond very positively but was more

interested in talking about her 16 year old daughter who helps her out with all this. Later we were

told that, son in the family are unemployed and just while away their time roaming around city and

don’t help the family much.

Harapriya has always been the queen of her kitchen

garden. In spite of hardships she supported family with

it. Floods at once robbed her off her kingdom. Now

with ECHO support she is more than happy to

reorganize it and sustains it for future.



8. Lonely cow.

She was having her meal provided by a helpful

neighbor when we went there. “She is alone. We toohave no elders at home. However busy we are, at

least we ask her if she had her meal for the day” says

the lady at the neighbor as Rebati Das gets up to wash

her hand and looks on to the neighbour thankfully.

Rebati is 80 year old. She has no one but herself in the

world. Only livelihood she has is the two cows she

bought five years ago.

Rebati Das lives by the cows. Sells milk and earns her

livelihood. Has a small hut and space for cows to live in with. These floods for few days deprived herof the only livelihood option she had. There was no feed for cattle and she herself was struggling to

survive. Governments help and Save the Children’s timely support sustained her.

As she is coming back to normalcy, her biggest concern is will she survive the next . “I get

government pension (as part of Antyodaya scheme). It is just Rs 200/- a month and that too not very

regular. What will happen to me if I fall sick or go through such flood again?” she asks. Her

trembling hands and with the falling vision she looks on to us asking these question leaves so many

uncomfortable questions.

She is going to benefit out of the unconditional

support ECHO programme is providing. This may not

answer all her questions, but surely will help in her

road to recovery and answer to some of her

insecurities for future.

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