DISATER RELIEF AND REHABILITATION
For the past few years, Kerala, the southern state of India has borne the brunt of disasters like sea erosion, floods, land sliding etc. The Vincentian Social Services – India Kottayam (De Care) has been in the forefront effecting the disaster management relief and rehabilitation measures.
The activities of the organization were spread across the coastal, high ranges and low lying areas of Kerala. De Care focusses on the response and recovery phases of the Disaster Management Cycle. Relief measures like distribution of food, cloths, medicines and other needed articles, providing psychological assistance to the affected people, opening of relief camps, organizing medical camps, laisoning with governmental authorities and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), socio-economic surveying of the affected areas, adoption of flood-stricken parishes for sustainable development etc formed part of the interventions of De Care.
Project HAND
Project HAND (Helping the Affected Neighbours in Disaster) is a compassionate, long-term humanitarian initiative dedicated to supporting children and families devastated by natural disasters. Rooted in empathy and resilience, the project focuses on helping children rebuild their lives through education, emotional healing, and community support.
Our work begins with identification and assessment, where the most affected children and their families are identified through detailed evaluations conducted in collaboration with local stakeholders. Once beneficiaries are finalized, we move to life skills and psychosocial support—organizing life skills training sessions to build confidence and adaptability among children, conducting parent meetings to strengthen home-based support, and referring children in need of deeper care to professional counsellors for trauma-informed therapy.
Project HAND also provides educational and medical support, including scholarships to ensure children can continue their studies and medical assistance for families struggling with post-disaster health challenges. These interventions aim to build resilience, enhance self-confidence, and promote emotional well-being among affected children.
Beyond direct aid, social advocacy forms an essential pillar of Project HAND. We engage in awareness and advocacy efforts to highlight the systemic issues faced by disaster-affected families and push for sustainable change.