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Sazidaparviin, a 12-year-old Indian girl, got her very first school bag last month. Imagine her delight in discovering not only her school bag, but also its contents – five exercise books, a pencil case, two pencils, an eraser and a pencil sharpener. "During the floods, when I dropped my school work, I could no longer read it," said Sazidaparviin. She loves school and her favourite subject is science. She wants to be a science teacher.
Last September, Sazidaparviin’s school closed for three entire weeks. The young girl lives in Assam state in Darrang district, near the city of Sipajhar. Floods devastated this area last autumn. To help affected populations, Terre des hommes (Tdh) and local partner SATRA launched a major project to distribute school bags (845 in total), hygiene kits (860 in total), roofing and money. This project also involved disinfecting water pumps and vaccinating cows and goats.
The vaccination of animals is a new activity for Tdh. According to Markanday Mishra, coordinator of Tdh's water, sanitation and hygiene programme, "This is extremely important, as cattle is a source of subsistence for children and their families."
Approximately 3,000 animals will be vaccinated by the end of the year. The aim is to protect them against foot-and-mouth disease, anthrax and haemorrhagic septicaemia. Floods affect animals by reducing feed supplies and confining them to small areas. As veterinarian Bazrul Islam explains, “If an animal is sick, there is a major contagion risk.”
A young local, Manoj Kredeka, and his neighbour have come to vaccinate three cows (which he keeps for milk) and four bulls (which work his maize fields). "Clinics are far away – we need the vet to come to us to save our animals," he says.
Terre des hommes is improving the living conditions of more than two million children and their families each year. Find out more about or projects in India.
