About Society for Development Research and Traning in Anna Salai, Pondicherry

Society For Development Research and Training (SfDRT) is a non profitable and a non-governmental organization, registered in 1996 under the "Pondicherry Societies Registration Act" of 1860. At the period of inception, no organization in Pondicherry was working for STD/HIV/AIDS and particularly for the vulnerable groups like Sex workers & clients in the brothel, Bar tenders, workers & clients in the liquor bars and truckers in the Truck Halt Point. Initially the need for a STD/HIV/AIDS program was assessed in the form of Behavior Surveillance Survey (BSS) for nine populations at Pondicherry, which was documented and published.
SfDRT draws its strength from its efficient staff, who are with post graduation qualifications and wide variety of experiences in different backgrounds like counseling, social work practices, public health and education. It also took the help of experienced consultants with specialization in the various fields like Management, Research and Methodologies, Journalism, Medical etc. It has also achieved the eminent services of volunteers interested in the social services, to control STD/HIV/AIDS and to take care of them.

Activities

SfDRT provides interventions which includes, One on one communication, Group Discussions, and Group Work, Focus Group Discussions, Counseling, Condom Promotion, distribution & demonstration of condoms, implementing Health Camps and Mobile clinics, distribution of IEC materials, awareness creation through Audio Visual programs, Cultural programs etc. in the respective target areas and as a whole.
Reaching the Sex Workers in brothel & Jail
SfDRT carries out its interventions with the sex workers in the brothel, jail and on the streets. SfDRT identified the brothel as its target area and started all its intervention here for the sex workers community. It works with sex workers in the brothel with the strategies like Sensitization of Madams, brokers & the police, Identification of the female and the male sex workers and child prostitutes, creating Awareness and education on STD/HIV/AIDS to the sex workers, and Condom promotion and distribution in the brothel. SfDRT educates sex workers on all aspects of health & hygiene, STD/HIV/AIDS. They are cautioned about high-risk behavior and introduced to the advantages of health seeking behavior.
Sex Workers apprehended by the police spend 2 – 3 months behind the bars. SfDRT conducts its interventions for the sex workers during this period – There is a good response for this from the beneficiaries.
Work among people living with HIV/AIDS.
During the interventions, SfDRT identified 15 PLWHAs who were previously indulged in the sex work. They were properly counseled and as a support for their subsistence, SfDRT started a nutrition scheme for them by the support gained from a leading star hotel in Pondicherry. Further interventions regularly force us to identify and grope with the care of PLWHA that SfDRT successfully aimed at through home-based care services. Resources fulfilling the aspect of care and support in Pondicherry had been well identified sensitized and helped in bringing about a comprehensive and a holistic approach for the PLWHA at Pondicherry.
Work with Vulnerable children in the brothel
While working in the area, SfDRT noticed the downtrodden condition and identified the vulnerability of the Sex Worker’s children. The children in the red light area are also in danger of being abused and exploited. Here every girl child is trained to become a sex worker and boys to become a drug peddler or a pimp in the future. Therefore, to change the lives of the children in the area SfDRT is now concentrating more on the infected and affected children. Towards this goal, the activities have been split under various categories like Education, Health, Nutrition, Psycho – Social support, Vocational Training, recreation and so on. As a prelude SfDRT established a childcare center in the area for the children.
Work at the Villages
SfDRT conducts interventions in the villages through integrating programs with the existing Women’s organizations. With these programs the approach is to identify the key leaders of the villages and motivate them to guide them to strengthen the PHCs henceforth the STD Syndromic treatment and opportunistic infections could be dealt with.
Work at the Liquor Bars
The bar workers and the clients are SfDRT’s unique target group. Interventions are carried out for these vulnerable groups. Free condoms are supplied to them through the condom outlets kept in the bars. Besides this, the Sex workers who operate around the bars are contacted and encouraged to introduce their clients towards health seeking behavior.
Work among truckers
SfDRT works with the truckers in the trucking points with the aim of bringing down the high-risk behavior involved with their sexual activities – for both the participants and their families. SfDRT distributes condoms free of cost by keeping 30 condom outlets in different locations for their easy accessibility. Information on STD/HIV/AIDS are easily accessible through their peers at the intervention sites with the opportunity of enjoying the permanent clinic services set up by SfDRT at the trucking point.
In all its interventions, SfDRT works with empathy and discretion. Sex, sexual behavior, STD/HIV/AIDS are all highly sensitive issues. SfDRT never puts across a judgmental or pontificating message on pleasure seeking behavior. SfDRT evolved different methodologies to work with specific target groups with suitable follow up procedures to ensure that what is implemented is sustained.
SfDRT’s particular strengths are: Detailed planning, Grass – root-networking and implementation, interaction with bureaucrats, meticulous documentation. Excellent training for staff, Co-ordination with local organizations to help make the programs more effective.
Linkages of care And Support with the existing Intervention Programes of HIV/AIDS In Pondicherry
Managing the PLWHA comfortable physically and psychologically with prevention of opportunistic infections that can make them feel worse.
Managing and Assisting PLWHA in coping with the continuing illness they experience with a low cost treatment process.
Managing PLHWA within the community and family groups to a large extent. This can provide them with a better quality of life at a time when they are too ill to enjoy and understand what is going on.
Helping PLWHA and their families prepare for coping with life after HIV. This may include proper care and nutrition, tending to relationships in the family or the community, arranging for the transfer of responsibilities and helping them to be as independent as possible.
To render the PLWHA more than a medicine or hospital to cope with his physical stress, mental agony, social, psychological and spiritual conditions. He needs holistic care which should have more emphasis on nursing care like that of physical care to keep the person clean and dry to prevent skin problems, stiffness of joints and relieve pain.
To render psycho social care of people with AIDS which is another important aspect
of people with AIDS and those they love need to feel that they are not outside the love and affection of their own community.

Net Working:
Net working and coordination is realized to be the goal towards achievement by SfDRT. Thereafter SfDRT has to its credit having established a strong network of NGOs working with the sex workers in the country with and electronic forum working towards the advocacy of rights for the sex workers.