Saath

Flow Of The Presentation Introduction Fact about suicide Concept Initiated By Befrienders Befriender’s India Centre Statistics About the Saath The Volunteers Activities by Saath Research Findings Our Learning Suggestions Conclusion Bibliography

Introduction Suicide is the tragic and untimely loss of human life, all the more devastating and perplexing because it is a conscious volitional act. Death is a tragedy and suicide the ultimate tragedy. Suicide has a devastating effect on family, friend and community. It leaves a trail of guilt, shame, distress and stigma in those left behind. Research reveals that survivors (those who have lost someone by suicide) are at a higher risk of engaging in suicidal behaviour. The importance of working together not only to prevent suicide, but also to help the survivors has been stressed.

What are the reason behind suicide? Response to loss. Separation and despair. Represents relief from helpless existence and hopeless future. Complex interaction of biological, genetic, psychological, social, cultural and environmental factor. To summarize them in three words: To Stop Pain.

Fact About Suicide Over one million people commit suicide every year the world over. More people are dying by suicide than in all the armed conflicts around the world. Suicide will represent 2.4 percent of the total burden of disease. Suicidal behaviour is now considered a major public health problem in all countries.

Concept Initiated By Befrienders Befriender International organisation was founded by Mr. Chad Varah in 1953 in Switzerland. Befrienders India is a registered society, founded in 1992. Which offers emotional support to anyone in emotional distress through its centers in India. The centers are run entirely by volunteers and the services are totally free. Befrienders India has 9 centres in India and has 50,000 contacts with people in emotional distress each year. It has 500 trained volunteers and runs a unique service every day of the year. Befrienders India is also part of Befrienders Worldwide which has more than 1,200 member centres in 61 countries staffed by almost 100,000 volunteers.

Cont.. Their work stretches from Zimbabwe to Japan, from Lithuania to Brazil, and the Befrienders Worldwide network shares information and also links with external contacts to share experience and demonstrate the role of volunteer suicide reduction centres. Integral to this is the Befrienders Worldwide website - being up-dated in time for World Suicide Prevention Day that lists help lines around the world and information on suicide in 104 languages.

Befriender’s India Centre Saath, Ahmedabad Lifeline, Kolkatta Sahara - Mumbai Aasra, Navi Mumbai P.V. Sankaranarayanan Sneha, Chennai Sneha - Chennai Maitreyi, Pondicherry Roshni, Secunderabad Maithri - Kochi

Year Suicide Incidence Estimated Mid-year Population (in lakhs) Suicide Rate (per 100,000) Male Female Total 1989 40212 28532 68744 8118 8.47 1990 43451 30460 73911 8270 8.94 1991 46324 32126 78450 8496 9.23 1992 47481 32668 80149 8677 9.24 1993 49851 34393 84244 8838 9.53 1994 52752 36443 89195 8999 9.91 1995 52357 36821 89178 9160 9.74 1996 51206 37035 88241 9319 9.47 1997 56281 39548 95829 9552 10.03 1998 61686 43027 104713 9709 10.79 1999 65488 45099 110587 9866 11.21 2000 66032 42561 108593 10021 10.8 2001 66314 42192 108506 10270 10.6 2002 69332 41085 110417 10506 10.5 2003 70221 40630 110851 10682 10.4 2004 72651 41046 113697 10856 10.5 2005 72916 40998 113914 11028 10.3 2006 75702 42410 118112 11198 10.5

About the Saath Saath is the only suicide prevention centre of Gujarat. Saath was founded on 27 th Nov, 1998 by Ms. Anju Sheth. Thinks idea of social cause was initiated by Ms. Anju Sheth was interested and keen to start such an organization because there was a set back in her family also. Two teenagers in her family had committed suicide. So she came to know about Sneha at Chennai based NGO working for the same cause.Taking their ideas and guidance Ms Anju Sheth started saath in Navrangpura, Ahmedabad. contact no-26305544.

About the Saath The company is financially supported by the husband of Ms. Anju Seth. The companies like Nirma, Torrent and local city busses AMTS are helping for advertisement expenses. The basic aim of the organization is to offer emotional support to distressed people, there by thwarting attempts to kill one self. Saath provides support in times of emotional crisis and the services provided by it are “FREE OF CHARGE” i.e. they don’t charge for the counselling giving to the people coming to the centre.

The Volunteers There are 3days training from the senior volunteers and Ms Anju Seth herself. Volunteers are from different backgrounds like bank officers, retired professors and teachers, house wives. Today there are around total 34 volunteers working for saath. They work for free i.e. no remuneration is paid for working for such a great social and human cause. Each volunteer has to work once in a week for only 3 hours. The first or foremost duty of volunteers is to “LISTEN” the depressed callers, basically working on the listening therapy. They are not expected to go beyond the rules and regulation given in the charter.

Activities by Saath On 10 th September suicide prevention day all the volunteers of Saath go around city especially in crowded places like kanakaria lake, Malls, Fun Republic, Star Bazar etc. and tell people what Saath is all about? They also perform a street play on the theme “with understanding – A new hope is also the part of the day long activity”.

How Saath Works? During short conversion they win the trust of the caller. There is a bond established between the caller and the volunteer. After talking to the volunteer, the caller gets open up and feels relief. The caller is free to go home and the centre does not follow the case. However if the caller wants to come again, he can. They take promises from each and every caller that, If at all in future they come across a thought of committing suicide they would first give a call to share their problem with a hope of solution for their problem.

A form pertaining the details about the problem faced by the caller is filed by the volunteer . The copy of it is attached with the report. How ever only one volunteer attend a caller but all the volunteers are familiar with the each and every caller. The reason is that even the volunteer who has attended the caller also gets stressed. So they talk to other volunteers also about the story which they listen from caller. Even the volunteers also get relief by talking to each other. The facility is provided that male caller can talk to male volunteer and female caller can talk to female volunteer.

Research What are the main reasons for suicides among youngsters? There are two reasons for this Educational pressure and Failed relationship.

Have the numbers in creased in recent times? Unfortunately the suicide rate among youngster has increasing in Gujarat. Earlier the age group read between15 to 29 but now it’s between 14 to 32. Moreover, earlier suicide cases were reported after the exam results were declared. Today, suicides are frequent even prior to exams.

What are the changes that should be brought about to make a difference? The education system needs to be changed from a ranking oriented system to a grading system. Ranking unfortunately healthy competition and often leads to inferiority complex among students, which may be harmful at a later stage. Moreover parents should recognise the aptitude of their children and accordingly channels their energies. This can be improving a child’s self-esteem and confidence. Moreover children should develop coping skills.

In what ways can we create awareness on this front? Media can play a key role in spreading awareness. Parents should also be encouraged to undergo counselling sessions so that they can deal with their children in a sensitive way. In addition, counselling centres, psychiatrists and educational institutions also need to take a collective initiative in spreading awareness.

Findings The warning signs of suicide Suicide is rarely a spur of the moment decision. In the days and hours before people kill themselves, they usually give clues and warning signs. The strongest and most disturbing signs are verbal - "I can't go on," "Nothing matters any more" or even "I'm thinking of ending it all." Such remarks should always be taken seriously.

Other common warning signs include: Becoming depressed or withdrawn Behaving recklessly Getting affairs in order and giving away valued possessions Showing a marked change in behaviour, attitudes or appearance Abusing drugs or alcohol Suffering a major loss or life change

Other reasons Situations Behaviors Physical Changes Thoughts and Emotions

Helping a suicidal friend or relative Be quiet and listen! What suicidal want? Someone to listen. Someone to trust. Some one to care. What suicidal does not want? To be alone. To be advised. To be interrogated.

Our Learning Today in this competitive world, each and every person has to work hard rigorously. By so much of stress any one can fall in to depression. And the depression is the first step and the main reason for the suicide thoughts. We learned from this that what ever the situation may be, we should not get afraid or depressed. We should handle the situation by staying cool and calm. In the busy world, we should not forget to talk with our family members, friends, co-workers. A small talk does a lot to be happy. We should share our problems and sadness with them. This will give a lot of relief.

Cont.. If we know any person who is sad and thinking to commit suicide we should talk to him or her. We should share their feelings and help them to come out of the depression. We learned that high ambition comes with lot of stress and pressure. So apart from aiming high, we should not bother about the result. Just work hard and success will come. “Try and Try will success”. The organization like Saath needs the young generation also to contribute to the society. So, as a citizen of this society we should give a helping hand to them by engaging in their activities.

Suggestions More Financial resources can be obtained by expanding its awareness; by this corporate companies might take interest in it. This might help in getting more and more donation to the organization. Saath should take the help of print media to expand its awareness. For this they can give advertisement on weekends not if daily. They should personally meet maximum number of people at different schools, colleges, government offices, multi-national companies where the stress level are very high. Especially women who stay away from their husbands because they being in to Army, Navy, Air-force etc. Seminars should be held for housewives who are depressed because of either their husband’s misbehaviour or money constrains faced by them due to it.

Conclusion The suicide is curse for the man kind. Any person might think of committing suicide because lot of stress depression in busy world. The suicidal needs to be listened and sympathies, on whom suicidal can trust and share all his/her emotions and feelings. The organization like Saath is working towards preventing such an epidemic. The volunteers are working human cause without any expectation of remuneration. These volunteers are finding the time from their family and professional life to work for the society. The people like corporate, students, employees should also understand importance of such noble cause and contribute to the society.

Bibliography Magazines: The interface of schizophrenia, culture and suicide Times Nation A journal of Befrienders International, July, 2000 Websites: www.befrienders.org www.who.org www.maithrikochi.org www.google.com

Saath

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