Health Project "0 deaths for acute kidney injury by 2025"

Beneficiaries: Suffering from acute kidney injury (AKI) 

Cities / Region involved: Sri Lanka 

Period: 2013 - to date

Project Status: ongoing

In collaboration with the International Society of Nephrology Analysis of the territory of SriLanka to evaluate the possibility of carrying out the project based on the use of peritoneal dialysis for the treatment of acute kidney injury ( AKI ) in Developing Countries , in collaboration with Prof. Giuseppe Remuzzi ( Mario Negri Institute ) , President of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN ) - 2013 For the World Health Organization (WHO) SriLanka is a "category A" country for infectious and parasitic diseases that can be complicated by Acute Renal Failure. Haemorrhagic fever trasmitted by the dengue mosquito is the leading cause of death among children. Most affected areas are the west coast of the island and also those with higher urbanization such as the capital . During the first three months of 2013, 7,962 cases of dengue fever have been reported by the Ministry of Health. Leptospirosis is endemic in the north-east coast and reaches 7000 cases diagnosed per year. Of importance is snake poisoning with 33 000 cases per year reported in the most south-eastern coast . The risk of malaria, especially in the benign form caused by Pl.Vivax persists throughout the year and throughout the country , except in the District of Colombo , Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya. There is a high Pl. falciparum resistance to chloroquine . In any case, in the absence of a registry or otherwise of centralized data there are no clear statistics on cases of acute renal failure in the areas of higher incidence correspondinge to infections mentioned above. All data are obtained from individual health care districts. The incidence of kidney disease in Sri Lanka has increased dramatically and hemodialysis treatment is inadequate to the needs of the territory. Renal failure in both the acute and chronic form is often of unknown nature ( CKDu ). A recent study of 2012 shows that the progressive increase in kidney disease is correlated with the use of pesticides, fertilizers and toxic pesticides imported from neighboring China . Especially in the center and northeast of the country 15% of the population, mostly rice farmers, is suffering from chronic renal insufficiency without the presence of risk factors (diabetes, immunological disorders , cardiovascular problems ). High concentrations of cadmium and arsenic, elements contained in the illegal chemical compounds used in agriculture have been found in blood sample. Project Proposal of collaboration with the Medical Institution of SriLanka : The area of Batticaloa where @uxilia has increased project activity is also the one most relevant to the ISN staff training and treatment of patients with Acute Renal Failure by peritoneal dialysis project. This is because the hospital in Batticaloa has the adequate characteristics to sustain a process of training and learning, has excellent staff skills, a good level of infrastructure and management of the patient. In addition, it is the reference center on a large territory on the east coast corresponding to a population of about 1.5 million people involved in the epidemiological risks described above. Currently the treatment of End Stage Renal Failure is accomplished with two B Braun hemodialysis machines without specialist' nephrologists. The treatment of chronic patients is suspended according to the need of treatment of acute patients. The real need for dialysis is far superior to the availability of these 2 dialysis machines. During the mission in SriLanka Auxilia has contacted most iof the principal managers in health care and nephrology. There was some discussion on the feasibility of the project and the following authorities expressed high availability and collaboration: Dr. Palitha Mahipala, Director General of Health Service; Dr. Rustom Mehta responsible Firdosi WHO Srilanka; Prof Mohamed Hussain Rezvi Sheriff Professor of nephrology PGIM University of Colombo; Dr. K. Muruganandam, Director of Batticaloa Teaching Hospital; Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Adviser on Reconciliation to the President, and finally the Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Arpea. Considering government policies in this oligarchic form of government, friendship and confidence with the Italian ambassador and adviser to the President are harbingers of good result. In summary, the various meetings have highlighted the absence of peritoneal dialysis in the whole island, the possibility of hemodialysis almost exclusively in the capital, where there is the only center with nephrologists, Hemodialysis in the remaining territory is limited to the presence of 2/4 type B Braun hemodialysis machines located in the major town hospitals of the country which are accessible to the population in a time ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours by car.

Development of activities of micro-entrepreneurship among women, Batticaloa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beneficiaries: Women, widows and ex-child soldiers in Batticaloa

Cities / Region involved: Batticaloa

Period: 2012 - 2014

Sources of funding: Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia

Total cost: 50.571,22 euros

Project Status: ongoing

Funded by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia MICRO PROJECTS pursuant to Regional Law n . 19 of 30 October 2000 Interventions to promote, at regional and local level, the activities of development cooperation and international partnership.

This project aims to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015 in relation to Objective 3, which aims to " Promote gender equality and women empowerment." This project is carried out in a social context characterized by widespread poverty, especially in rural areas; this has a strong impact on the most vulnerable populations, including women, thus highlighting the strong links between gender issues and poverty. Even though many humanitarian projects have been carried out by several different NGOs, the results were often limited by the weakness of the activities, poorly effective and sustainable, unable to adequately resolve the real needs, relegating the final beneficiaries in the vicious circle of poverty. Our project aims to overcome these difficulties by providing a valuable support through a program of education and promotion of income generating activities, addressing the most vulnerable groups, represented by women, widows and ex-child soldiers of the Tamil community in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Its overall objective is to carry out activities aimed at overcoming the situation of social exclusion through the development of professional skills and the support of small entrepreneurship projects. The project foresees training courses aimed at increasing professional, organizational and managerial skills with the subsequent start of small micro-enterprise activities.

The project foresees training courses aimed at strengthening the professional skills of women involved. 30 women, divided into sub-groups, will participate in various theoretical and practical training aimed at developing technical skills in income generating activities in order to increase their possibilities of employment. Training on income-generating activities will constitute a theoretical module aimed at developing skills in the areas of entrepreneurship, product quality, sales management and other specific economic techniques. The technical labs that will take place within centres in the area, and are implemented by our Partner, the local Association Koinonian, will cover: techniques of dyeing, processing of fabrics and tailoring, processing techniques, preparation and preserving of fruit, vegetables and cooked foods, micro-gardening techniques, techniques of construction and fishering. Women will be so enriched by a know-how that will enable them to better manage their activities. Once the theoretical training is done, women will be able to train other women and other members of the community, thus multiplying the chances of spreading the techniques learned. On completion of the training phase, the project envisages the establishment of an ad hoc service for entrepreneurs that will be run by some of the women previously trained. The Entrepreneurship Service will also have the important task of managing a micro-credit fund, under the supervision of a local representative of the Association, which aims to support small business ideas for women trained by the project. The micro-credit loans will then have the aim of promoting the creation and development of small business ideas to start or develop self-employment projects. In determining the duration of the grant allocation, small businesses will have to return the received credit, which will then fund new projects. The provision of micro-credit will be initially managed by Koinonia that will assist women throughout the duration of their stay and for the gradual transfer of skills and know-how that will allow the fund to be self-managed. The strengthening of the network among women involved in theoretical and practical training aims to increase the institutional involvement and will make the whole community aware of the opportunities in the area. The analysis phase of the context and related problems has been implemented placing the accent to the situation of women in Sri Lanka. Great importance is given to the involvement of women given their crucial role in the Sinhalese society. All activities have been planned starting from the identification of needs of women and their obligations towards the society and their family commitments. In addition, the establishment  of a fund for micro- credit loans is aiming at reaching the autonomy and self-employment of women involved, who will then decide their future. After a theoretical and technical training, women can indeed access micro-credit loans by implementing micro-entrepreneurial projects that will be carried out thanks to the financial contribution. Once the activity will be started, the money received will go back and allow the financing of new business projects of other women. The project results will be disseminated by Koinonia in the local area through a series of events and initiatives that raise awareness and promote the services offered. In addition, Auxilia will release publications and organize conferences with the aim of raising awareness on development cooperation issues and microcredit as an opportunity for self-employment. Main activities: The activities of the project requires the establishment of an operational structure in charge of coordination and administration of all the actions implemented to achieve the objectives and results (agreements with local partners , organization and design of teaching classes, enrollment of participants…); it will therefore develop all the activities related to training courses, the Entrepreneurship Service (purchasing equipment, training to other members of the community, creating an ATM for entrepreneurship for the territory in the north-east of Sri Lanka, agreements with local partners , logistical organization of the ATM, selection of staff); a fundamental step is also awareness raising and dissemination of actions implemented throughout the duration of the project, through the creation of a network that will become a reference point for sharing and exchanginguseful information, resources, tools and best practices. The organization of conferences and meetings for community awareness on development cooperation issues, dissemination of results and publications is also a fundamental part of the project.

 

 

PHOTOGALLERY

Textile processing

Working the fields

 

LINK UTILI

The project in english

Keep up to date on the progress of the project

Sending school supplies to six schools in Batticaloa

 

Beneficiaries: 6 schools of Batticaloa

Cities / Regions involved: Batticaloa

Period: 2010

Sources of funding: Members and sympathizers of @uxilia

Total cost: more than 4.000 euros

Project Status: ongoing

The Project included the renovation of a school for children and building a new one in the city of Batticaloa, located in the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. For the implementation and management of the entire project in Batticaloa, @uxilia relies on the cooperation with the local partner Koinonia. The program includes a school project for the construction of 10 schools in the area of Batticaloa and a project of "remote support" for children in need in the areas of Mamallapuran (Tamilnadu - eastern India), Batticaloa (Sri Lanka), Galle (Sri Lanka).

 

PHOTOGALLERY

 

USEFUL LINKS

Donate a School Kit

Building the Vocational Training Center for the recovery of former child soldiers and their mothers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beneficiaries: Former child soldiers and their mothers

Cities / Regions involved: Batticaloa

Period: august 2011 - march 2013

Sources of funding: Sources of Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia; Donations businesses and individuals; Funds raised Concert for Life

Total cost: 24.200,00 euros

Project Status: concluded

Thanks to funds of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, private donations, the fundraising Concert For Life 2011, the project had as its main objective the building of a Education and Training Centre (Vocational Training Centre) with the objective to implement training, vocational, educational and recreational and cultural activities, for young former child soldiers and their mothers, who are in situations of deprivation, vulnerability and social exclusion (education and employment) due to the effects of prolonged ethnic conflict and the absence of interventions aimed at the reconstruction of the villages affected by the conflict and by the absence of socio-economic development ( handicrafts , agro- pastoral and other services). The activities of the Center are aimed at promoting the active participation and supporting the professional development of women by offering them courses and workshops, thus making them active subjects of social change and not passive recipients of external interventions. The activities for children aged 15 to 18 years are educational, recreational, cultural, and other extra-curricular activities that support the mental growth. The activities for persons older than 18 years are aimed at granting vocational and professional. The Centre could be used for different activities and we plan to build more rooms to increase space and number of activities to be carried out. Educational and training activities will be carried out in classes divided by age, in a manner that integrate theoretical and practical approaches and through interactive educational tools that promote active participation and make learning more effective. Other activities to be carried out within the Centre would be the creation of a service of psychosocial health support and the formation of a team of operators who, following an initial training, will be able to continue the activities with greater expertise and be ready to share this expertise in other areas of the territory. 

At the end of the activities we expect: greater adaptation by young ex - child soldiers, a better education of mothers, a better reintegration of young people within families, schools, peer groups. Psychological support to families, especially mothers, in the early stages of rehabilitation is needed in order to help the people in the re- construction and construction of social institutions. These institutions are necessary for psychological protection of young people involved in the drama of becoming child soldiers, especially after a harsh and violent conflict. Another important activity to achieve is to set up a multimedia laboratory through which it will be possible in the future to maintain professional contacts. The laboratory can be used by operators in the Center for other commercial and learning purposes (distance learning, computer literacy , video conferencing , etc. ). Direct beneficiaries are the young ex - child soldiers Sinhalese families of origin, particularly mothers and service workers (psychologists , social workers, teachers, educators, trainers). Indirect beneficiaries are the peer group of boys belonging to the target but also the wider circle of relatives, friends and acquaintances of the families involved , with repercussions on the local population through the promotion and dissemination of services, facilities and institutions.

VIDEO

 

PHOTOGALLERY

The construction

 

The inauguration

 

USEFUL LINKS

See the health profect for the recovery of a former girl soldier

See the project: I traumi del post-guerra: una nuova giustizia volta alla riconciliazione

Keep up to date on the progress of the project