Seva Kendra Calcutta 22
5. Process Narrative
Truck drivers are a neglected group in our society often disrespected by the general public, harassed and approached by NGOs, and government programmes only for HIV prevention treating them like ‘trouble makers’. It is therefore natural that truck drivers are weary of intervention programmes.
5.1. Rapport Building and Creating Awareness
The field officers start the process by spending a lot of time gaining their trust and convincing them that they are here to help and not report about them or increase their troubles. Initially, the project staff received a lukewarm response from other stakeholders when they tried to engage them. The project staff often meet truck drivers when they are in transit which do not provide the ideal scenario for any meaningful, educational or awareness programmes.
So instead of doing conventional training or capacity building sessions, interesting workable solutions were devised to interact with truck drivers.
We focused on engaging indirectly with truck drivers by doing street plays - called ‘Theatre of Development’ in the area near the parking lot. The play
communicated messages about behavioral change, safe driving, danger of drunk-driving, drug and tobacco addiction. Cleanliness drives were conducted wherein personal hygiene, hand washing, wearing a mask and keeping the vehicle clean are emphasized.
The street play worked like an ice
breaker between the project staff and the truck driver. Similarly, playing cards with trucker drivers that have pictorial messages on them and performing magic shows to communicate key messages to women and children of truck drivers are some of the innovative ways used to engage with truck drivers.
5.2. Humanitarian aid and psychosocial wellbeing
5.2.1 Health camps and medical aid
The next step was to organize health camps which also provided free refreshments to those who participated. This slowly led to the truck drivers getting their health check-up, HIV and eye check-up done, thus gradually building rapport with them. A survey was also started to get a sense of the kind of health issues prevalent among the group but many were reluctant to share information and often gave half information. To increase the interest and gain trust of the truck drivers various activities like providing necessary items for their daily use were initiated like towels, solar lamps, water filters and shirts. These items were important as truck drivers often travelled at night in places where there was no electricity, drinking water and bathing facilities.
Thus with gradual friendship and rapport building many truck drivers would not only attend but also convince their friends to attend these health camps.
Based on the diagnosis at health camps they were given required medical aid, spectacles etc. This assured them that the project staff had genuine intentions of helping them.
To increase the interest and gain trust of the truck drivers various activities like providing necessary items for their daily use were initiated like towels, solar lamps, water filters and shirts.
Figure 2 Rapport building with Truck drivers
With the improved health of the truck drivers, the truck owners also slowly started seeing merit in having healthy truck drivers who are less prone to accidents, and illnesses which indirectly meant better employee performance without them having to pay any expenses. This led to participation of many individuals and associations of truck
owners to encourage their truck drivers to participate in the health camps and workshops of Sambandh Project. For this the staff has also made linkages with local hospitals, and medical equipment providers to organize resources.
5.2.2. Individual and Group Counseling
After this the next step was to do group counseling and individual counseling.
The truck drivers needed more than health check-ups as some of the problems were inherent in the lifestyle of a truck driver. It was important that they themselves took active steps to better their health and family life.
Through counseling many of them spoke openly of their family and financial problems and they were made aware of the importance of safe sex and were also taught basic yoga and exercises to keep themselves in good health. Here the nexus of masculinity and mental health has a big role to play as the truck drivers as men do not discuss their personal problems or allow themselves to be vulnerable in front of their peers. Through group counseling and individual counseling many such issues that bothered them found an outlet and made them feel better. The needs of the families of truck drivers came to light and so education classes for children of truck drivers were started and health camps for their wives were also regularized along with other health camps.
The migrant and transit drivers both leave their families behind in the villages located outside the state of West Bengal. A very small proportion of the drivers live with their families locally. The children are often first generation learners with neither the environment nor the people available to support and facilitate their learning process at home. Sambandh initiative provides a daily free tutorial for such children at Kolkata, Howrah and Petrapole.
Figure 3: Health camps