PUDUCHERRY: Jaya, a member of the gypsy Narikurava tribe, was the cynosure of all eyes during a workshop organised by the School of Nursing and Society of Midwives India (SOMI) here, on Sunday. For, while three of her ilk fled, she alone stood resolute to address the gathering. Jaya is a ‘peer educator’ being trained by SOMI to impart minimum basic training in hygiene and health-related issues to Narikuravas, living in a colony near Lawspet. E Premila Thamizhvanan, principal nursing officer of the Mother Theresa Post Graduate and Research Institute of Health Sciences, told Express that four persons from the gypsy colony were being trained to create minimum awareness of cleanliness and health-related problems.But citing Thiruvizha (Aadi festival), her ‘colleagues’ fled the scene leaving Jaya to attend to the matter on hand, said Premila. The latter also revealed that the volunteers from SOMI now frequented the gypsy colony and addressed their problems.Initially, it was a herculean task to reach out to them. But now, they seek us out calling ‘”akka, akka” (sister, sister) and are ready to share their problems with us, said Pramila, who is also the general secretary of SOMI.She said there was some awareness amongst the Narikuravas with regard to matters of hygiene - clean food, bathing and use of napkins, etc.If we are able to manage so much, then we are confident that we would be able to make many changes in their lifestyle with continuous and coordinated work, said a confident Premila.SOMI is actively campaigning for early detection of cervical cancer and the importance of breast feeding.Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who kept the gathering waiting for two hours and 20 minutes, was the chief guest at the inaugural function of the workshop titled ‘Midwifery skills - the vital link between midwives and client’.
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