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India bound

By Oxfam Challenge - 14th October 2005 - Back to News

A familiar sight for many people living in the Wellington & Latrobe Shire areas will be the mother and son combination dressed in fluro green shirts bicycling around local roads and tracks.

This dynamic duo is in training for their participation in the Oxfam Australia - India Challenge happening in March 2006.

The Oxfam Australia Challenge program in India addresses themes including:

 - Provision of adequate quantities of clean water in affected/contaminated areas

 - Public health promotion and community mobilisation, ensuring that people are able to maintain hygiene practices in these difficult situations, to prevent the spread of water-borne disease

 - Provision of hygiene kits, including items such as soap, clean water containers and women¡¦s hygiene needs

 - Repairs of water and sanitation systems

 - Community based malaria and dengue control

 - Seeds and tools programmes for re-establishing damaged agricultural systems

 - Distribution of cooking kits

 - Livestock re-stocking, and fodder provision

Along with other members of the group (this is approximately 15 people from around Australia) Julie and Patrick McInnes from Airly will spend 14 days bicycling from Village to Village throughout the North Western part of India.

Each night will be spent in a different location, with food and board provided within homes of local families.

All monies raised by Patrick and Julie (each participant must raise approximately $5000) will go directly to these families and their communities to support them in sustainable projects.

Mrs McInnes is well known throughout the entire Gippsland Region for her role as Regional Coordinator with deaf access VICTORIA, and for her recent nomination for the 2005 Victoria Regional Achiever Awards.

"Through my studies with the Centre for Regional Studies at Monash University - Gippsland Campus (Julie is currently completing her Post Graduate Certificate in Regional Community Development) I have developed a better understanding of what infrastructure and everyday resources support communities. With these thoughts in mind, not only the need to raise funds but to help communities create sustainable programs that will affect everyone and future community members are imperative. This is especially dire now as many of the designated areas we will visit during our bicycle trip have been affected by the recent Earthquake in the Pakistan/ India area. Whole communities the size of Traralgon, Sale and Morwell have literally disappeared overnight."

Sale College Year 8 Student and Stratford Scout Group member Patrick McInnes describes his chance to participate as "the experience of a lifetime¨.

Patrick is the last eligible participant under the age of 18 years to take part in Oxfam Australia Challenges due to changes in Oxfam's criteria.

"Just the fact that we have fresh drinking water is something that we all tend to take for granted - it's an everyday resource - we just have to turn a tap on and its there. People complain if it smells or tastes a bit different, particularly when its been chlorinated or desalinated, but I think they really don't realise what a precious resource it is and just how fantastic it is to have this as a part of everyday life. If we can help to provide a community with a fresh water, well, that will be such a wonderful achievement - I really don't know how you could measure its worth"

India is one of the world's oldest and most diverse civilisations and home to a multitude of religions, philosophies, ethnic groups and social classes.

It has more than a dozen recognised languages and hundreds of local dialects. With a population of just over one billion, India will soon outstrip China as the world's most populous country.

India is a nation of vast contrasts,  socially, geographically and culturally. Information technology billionaires live side by side with those living in abject poverty.  It has an extraordinarily complex political and social structure, is prone to environmental hazards such as drought, flash floods and earthquakes, and two thirds of its farmland is now classified as degraded.

Cultural factors and the country's colonial history mean that the status of women remains very low in many communities, with many remaining locked into a life of domestic drudgery and exploitation. 

Monsoons and heavy rain in Western India has resulted in unprecedented floods and landslides in the states of Gujarat (June/July 2005) and Maharashtra (July 2005).

Flood waters cut off transport routes, communication and power supplies, and has inundated and destroyed homes, destroyed crops and livelihoods, affecting millions in rural and urban areas. Mumbai is especially hard-hit.

Deaths from India's heaviest rainfall on record have already killed over 800 people.

The floods in Gujarat forced 5 million people from their homes, and affected up to 20 million people across the state, when annual rainfall was received just in 3 days over 90% of the state. While the flood waters are now receding, and many people are returning home, thousands of homes have been destroyed.

The floods in the Maharashtra region of India have caused widespread devastation. Millions of people have been affected, and tens of thousands have lost their homes.

The floodwaters are being contaminated with dead animals and raw sewerage from damaged sewerage systems and less than adequate sanitation.

The water is not safe to wade in let alone drink, yet there are very few sources of potable water and the population is forced to make grim choices.

"We want to let people know that anything is possible if you put your minds to it. Here we are; an ordinary mum and son - two local country people about to support and help one of the poorest nations in the world with just a simple thing such as providing fresh water, vegetable gardens and the like. Anyone can do it but how many of us think about following it through?  All of the work Oxfam does is sustainable and 70% of the funds we raise go directly to those people in need".

 "If we can inspire anyone else to think of doing this - or to even donate just $1 each  - with the money raised we could support other farming communities including Australians (Oxfam Australia also runs programs for indigenous communities in Australia). How fantastic would that be?"

To support Julie & Patrick, people can purchase chocolates directly from Julie or attend a fundraising event such as stalls that will be held at the Sale & Traralgon Farmers Markets & Morwell Sunday Markets.

Donations are also accepted online by clicking on http://www.oxfam.org.au/challenge/donate.html - simply click on the India Challenge Link - select either Julie or Patrick's Name from the drop down menu and click to fill in your details for a donation.

Opportunities to participate or host an event, as well as donations of goods and services will be greatly appreciated and are tax deductible (if over $2).

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: gippsland@deafaccessvic.com.au