Information
Where does Health-Inc work:
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Health-Inc
Leh, Ladakh, India
Updates:
** New stories have been added!!
** Also view a book created by Domkhar Barma kids, on the recent floods.
HEALTH Inc. (Health, Environment and Literacy in the Himalayas; Working In Cooperation with the Local People) is a registered society in Ladakh, within the State of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It aims to work with directly with village partners and the District Government to bring community development to marginalised people and villages. As all programmes are designed by the beneficiaries themselves, HEALTH covers such important development issues as agriculture, education, health, women’s empowerment and youth.
HEALTH Inc. is an all-volunteer organisation, ‘owned and operated’ by Ladakhis; with its membership reflective of all castes, religions, education levels, ages, ability levels and villages within its territory. Members design and choose projects from member submissions each year; projects are managed by volunteer members. All projects get support and co-funding from the Government of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and the Government of India.
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Current Projects
HI Members are operating 5 projects in 2012. If you want to contact any of the projects, please see the project manager list below. You will also find a brief summary of each project, along with a list of needs from our supporters and friends for this year.
When directing questions about support, volunteering or a request for project reports to the Project Manager, please be as specific as possible and be patient in waiting for a reply.
Agricultural Education: Producing multimedia educational materials, including educational movies, and holding village-based agriculture fairs on sustainable agriculture and adjusting to climate change in Ladakh. Training government Department of Agriculture staff to implement innovative farming programmes at the village level and sharing ideas through holding Agricultural Fairs at the village level across Ladakh.
Manager: Thinles Dawa, Deputy District Agricultural Officer
E-mail: thinlees66@rediffmail.com, tdawa@yahoomail.com
Health for Marginalised People: This project provides training for Ladakhi health staff and services for persons marginalised by their health conditions. In 2012 it focuses on persons with mental illness, disabled children and HIV - hep B positive pregnant women and their families. Ladakhi health professionals need support in record keeping, graphic design and education materials and health professionals to work in hospital units.
Year 4 of a 4-year project
Manager: Dr. Ghulam Mohd., M.D. Specialist
E-mail: ghulammohd@gmail.com, ghulamnmohd@yahoo.com
Education Materials - Children’s Literature Project: Producing a variety of tri-lingual children’s books on issues of cultural conservation, Ladakhi folktales and library- love to read materials. Books produced in this year’s project will become Ladakh’s first talking books and made available around the world, at no cost, through the World Wide Web.
Year 13 of an on-going project
Manager: Geylong Konchok Phandey, Ladakhi Language Expert and President, HEALTH Inc.
E-mail: konday@rediffmail.com
Winter Camp: Operated by HI’s Future Leaders, a group of remote village youth whose aim is to instill pride and self confidence in Ladakhi youth, 2011 Winter Camp will offer a 30-day residential learning and fun programme for over 100 children and youth from the Domkhar area. Activities include ice hockey, tuition in school subjects, communication, team work and leadership skills development and producing YouTube movies about the culture of Ladakh and identity in today’s rapidly changing world. This year, the participants get to work with volunteers from Microsoft Research, learning computer and movie making skills when not on the ice rink.
Year 5 of a 5-year project
Manager: Sonam Rinchen, Co-Leader of the Future Leaders and Domkhar Drama and Design
E-mail: rinchen_yotse@yahoo.com
Flood Relief: Ladakh was devastated by catastrophic floods in August 2010. HI members trained as trauma counselors are working with school kids to tell their stories and share them through computerised based books and movies. The HI team leader would appreciate donations of computers and Flip cameras and volunteers to help edit stories.
Year 2 of a 2 year project
Manager: Tsetan Angchuk
E-mail: chetanangchok@yahoo.com
Partner Needs
HEALTH Inc. is an all-volunteer organisation, that works on extremely tight budgets each year. Project needs change every year, but needs include:
Qualified, fully self-funded volunteers, who can dedicate 4-8 weeks time to projects based out of Leh:
PTs, OTs, SLPs, Special Ed teachers, systems managers, trauma counselors or psychologists/psychiatrists for the Paediatric Handicapped Unit at the district hospital
Creative types for designing information materials for the Departments of Health and Education
Qualified teachers, ESL teachers and librarians who can work with one of 6 partner schools in fairly remote placements
Computer wizzes who can work with a partner school or our Future Leaders (drop out youth who create educational videos for us), sometimes based in Leh and sometimes in villages.
Financial Needs
Cash donations to one of our 2012 projects, or to the Ladakh Flood Relief programme. We particularly appreciate donations that involve awareness raising at North American church, community or school groups.
Cash donations directly to our on-going Printing Programme, allowing us to continue producing the only local language educational materials available to Ladakhis and Kargilis. (see some of our resources posted on the site; HI makes all its materially freely available to any NGO anywhere in the world.)
Contributions in UK, USA and India are tax-deductible as allowed by your federal laws.
We also appreciate people who want to provide a scholarship to a Future Leader - $200 can help a young person complete his or her education.
Please go to the website for information on how to contribute.
In Kind Needs
High quality new or used computer and video equipment (laptops, software, smart phones with international card slots, flip and Kodak flip cameras, digital cameras, HD video cameras) delivered to the Leh office.
Mission Statement
HEALTH-Inc is mandated to provide access to information, build skills and help remote villagers network in order to create their own sustainable futures. It serves over 150,000 Ladakhis and Kargilis, most of who live in remote villages, lacking access to government and NGO-supported development programmes.