Extension Activity Report

LR Nagar - 4th February 2014

Introduction
Social work is not about providing solutions to problems, but it provides an arena in which
clients can review their concerns, and see how they can manage them best and live an
effective life. Social work links clients with services, resources and opportunities, which
might provide them with the help they need. Extension is an important activity which
contributes to the enhancement of the status and public recognition of a profession and
welfare of the society at large. Keeping this view in mind the 1st year MSW students of Christ
University carried out a street campaign on February 4, 2014 inLR Nagar, where they
Objectives

1. To create awareness in the community about girls’ safety

2. To sensitize the community on various issues such as female infanticide, eve-teasing
and dowry
3. To train the girls in basic self-defence, and enable them to fend for themselves

Processes

Needs assessment
The team formulated a questionnaire as part of the need analysis, based on which the team
members interacted with community
people, staff members and Centre for
Social Action (CSA) and its beneficiaries.
As a result of the need assessment, the
study team found girls’ safety to be a major
issue. When they had detailed discussion
with the staff members of CSA they also
expressed the issue as very significant to
be addressed in keeping view of the issues
faced by girl children in public places and even in the study places. The team also found the
need to sensitize the community on the issues of dowry, female infanticide and eve-testing.
Programme planning
Having decided the topic for campaign, the group then planned the programme in terms of
the strategies they wanted to adopt to create awareness on the issue, within the community.
Having previously done a few street plays, they decided to conduct a street play, as it would
be the most effective method of communication. The group divided the topic into three sub

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topics, namely female infanticide, eve-teasing and dowry. The street play was planned for 5
to 7 minutes, with all the group members being given a chance for equal participation.
Since LR Nagar is one of the project areas of Centre for Social Action, the group took the
support and guidance of CSA staff in executing the programmes. As per their advice, the
group took permission from the local police station to carry out the awareness campaign in
the area, and also invited two female police constables to give a talk about the steps that the
girls can take when faced with a difficult situation and take police help.

In an attempt to empower the girls to fend for themselves when faced with a dangerous and
unsafe situation, the team decided to invite a self-defence trainer to demonstrate the self
defence mechanisms to the adolescent girls of the community.

Strategies
Print media and Rally
The team prepared posters and banners with slogans written in English, Hindi and Kannada.
They also used catchy
phrases set to Bollywood
songs, in order to grab the
attention of the community
people to the maximum. The
students carried out rallies
accompanied by the community children, who seemed ever enthusiastic, and shouted out
the slogans along with Group.
Street play

The MSW students of Christ University performed the street play at five different places in
the community. The group depicted female
infanticide, eve-teasing and dowry in Tamil and
Kannada, the languages the crowd spoke and
understood. The team was successful in
conveying the message through the play, owing
to some very talented actors. It was found that
the community members showed good response
to the street play. Community women and
children were the major stakeholders of the
programme.

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Interaction by Lady Police Constables to the adolescent Girls

Two lady police constables from Adugodi Police station visited the
activity centre of CSA in LR Nagar and discussed about the steps
that the girls can take when faced with a difficult situation and take
police help. They have also cleared the doubts of girls related to
their daily life and related issues of safety. Both of the police
constables shared the scope of the support of police in preventing
anti social elements from the society and gave the contact
information of the police station to all girls. They have assured all
support to the children in difficult situations and appreciated the
initiatives undertaken by Christ University students in this regard.

Demonstration of self defence techniques to adolescent girls

A group of four self defence trainers visited the CSA activity centre in the area and took one
hour session on the basic defence
techniques that the girls could adopt when
required. The girls, aged between 12-14
years, found the session very informative and
thoroughly enjoyed themselves. In order to
be of assistance while they call out for help,
all the participants were given a whistle. The
girls were so enthusiastic and have asked different doubts to the trainers. Children were also
given chance to demonstrate the techniques explained by the trainers.

Impact assessment

A week after the campaign, the group visited the community to carry out the impact
assessment. We spoke to the
people and also the girls, and
received a very positive feedback.
Our campaign had been
successful in creating awareness
on the issue of girl’ safety and
encouraging change for the
better. The street play performed
in different parts of the community
was found effective when asked to the neighbours, shop keepers and other community

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members. Since it was used in three languages the community people speak the meaning
was really understood by the audience. The posters used were appreciated by the
community especially children as it was giving significance to girl safety and importance of
girl child. The interactive session with police constables and self defence trainers were the
most impacted programmes of the day since it could through some light on the emerging
social issues in the community. The girls attended the programme found that was very useful
for their daily living.

Team Members

Mathew CP (Faculty in charge), Karthik Shyagale MC (Leader), Gracious JM, Prakriti Thapa,
Neha Esther Lal, Shruti Srinivasan (Documentation in charge), Karuna Mishra, Deepa
Simon, Aastha Thapli, Benazir Sharieff, Akshaya G, Taruni T, Smruthi Parashar, Rebecca
Mariam Jacob, Krishna Bistha, Betty Mary Gigi, Melchishadek BA, and Raveena Adam

Mr. Mathew CP

Dept. of Social Work