The analysis report on regular participation of TdH-Nl target Community in Community Play -2009.

Introduction:
A community is a social group or an organisation living in any geographical area in their own tradtion and culture and customs and beliefs. There is a growing body of evidence to illustrate the importance of play and play provision to every human being to be mentally and physically healthy.

Physical activity is one of the most affordable / cost effective way to improve and maintain health. Lack of this is a major underlying cause of many diseases, disabilities and deaths. Moreover people from all walks of life can undertake routine physical activities, which protect against a range of diseases caused by sedentary lifestyles. It is estimated that over half the world population, particularly girls and women are not physically active enough to gain health benefits

Play maintains physical fitness. In order to maintain physical fitness of the TdH-NL, India projects’ target villagers; it has been encouraged by TdH-NL, to conduct regular play in all the TdH-NL supported villages in India since 2000. They participate in traditional play activities including dance, drama, organized sports & games, and fun games and exhibit play activities at their village level, project level and zonal levels. Thereafter the representatives of these regular play activities from all zones get together at MEC once in a year to have the annual exhibition

The theme of this year is “Learning through cultural exchange for Eduction and Good Health”. Each one of the communities’ tradition, customs and beliefs are revived through this exhibition. The project partners have taken this very seriously as way of life to motivate the benefit of the play in the community. This is an analysis of regular participation of play in TdH-NL’s target community. I thank all the partners’ effort and immense participation.

Congratulations to all the partner organizations for their fabulous efforts to learn through this cultural exchange for Education and Good Health.

Base for the analysis

This analysis report is based on the

• observations during the visits to the partner organisations by TdH-NL and MEC team members
• observation during their participation in the zonal level play festivals
• interaction with the members of target communities during the participation in the zonal level play festivals and
• The documents such as project monitoring reports (PMR), evaluation reports (both internal and external), photos and videos on play festivals at different levels from village to MEC level have been helpful in making this analysis.

Criteria for selecting the best zone

The criteria, used to analyze are

• Facilitating the partners in the zone in planning the play events (from village to MEC level)
• Punctuality in sending details to MEC and TdH-NL (minutes of planning meeting, report of zonal mela, list of participants for MEC level mela)
• Quality of the above said reports
• Communication among the partners of their zone
• Overall organization and management of events at zonal level mela focusing more on participation of women
• Efforts to increase the participation of adults in play
• Mobilizing the resources from community
• Contribution in reviving the traditional play, music and dances
• Efforts to bring gender equality through play, dance and music
• Cost reduction of all events organized at various levels.
• Efforts to take care of the environment
• Inclusion of persons with disability
• Participation in campaigning on improving physical activities among the community
• Regular participation of target community in play throughout the year
• Increase in number of participants from last year especially girls and women right from the village level till the MEC level

Results of the analysis

All the zones i.e. TamilNadu, Andhra, Kerala, Central Karnataka and Bangalore have put on more initiations to make play as way of life among the target communities. Organisations for people with disability have been included in their respective Zones. Congratulations to all zonal co-ordinators and the partners in their respective zones.

Specific findings from the analysis,

• TN and AP and Kerala co-ordinators have facilitated other partners in their respective zones as per the requirement.
• TN and KL zonal coordinators have sent their information and progress report on community play to MEC and TdH-NL office on time. 
• The report of TN and AP is equally qualitative and quantitative.
• This year, the efforts of TamilNadu and Andhra zone Kerala were  given more opportunities to increase the adult participation.
• Except Bangalore the other zones have provided equal opportunity for both male and female in play. Tamil Nadu has gone further that it has included the third gender people also in play. Participation of women in organizing events and programmes was also explicit this year.
• Efforts to reviving traditional play, has become an integral part of our play festivals when we observed the play in person and in photographs of all zones.  
• A special appreciation note to Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu partners for having promoted play among individuals with disabilities almost at every organizational level.
• Tamil Nadu Zone has done campaigning on promotion of traditional play among the general public. There was a procession held. The high light of this is TN zone has executed torch bearing relay run started from Kanyakumari to Sangrenkovil.  Nearly 2 lakh people have got awareness thorough this relay with mike propaganda and handbills were distributed to all the villages before the commencement of zonal level play festive. This news has reached the outside world through the telecast by TV, radio channels and press meet.
  
• Effort to mobilize more resources has got its momentum. The maximum amount of nearly 2.5 lakh has been mobilized by AP. Congratulations to the co-ordinators and partners of AP zone for your efforts to bring in more local support.

Conclusion:
After analyzing all the reports of all the zones the scores have been presented here.
The overall score of each zone is

Tamil Nadu gets the overall score 94% the highest one of this year. Last year the highest score was 79% The second leading zone is Andra Pradesh.

When we observe the progress of all the zones for the last three years, AP / KL/ KA/ TN zone has attained the maximum and continuous progress.

Honouring the best zone with rolling trophy

From the year 2007 onwards, the best zone has been awarded with a rolling trophy. This rolling trophy is kept in the office of zonal co-coordinators for six months each. When they come for the next year MEC level community play festive, they would bring the trophy to MEC for rewarding the successive awardee. Other than this trophy, each co-ordinator will be honored with a certificate of appreciation.

Honoring the best zone

May I request Mr Lei Brouns, our Regional Director, South Asia, TdH-NL who is always the inspiration to revive and recognize our traditional aspects and Mr. Meru, Programme Officer India who is always the mark of our tradition with his all kinds of endeavours to honour the co-ordinators of TN with a rolling trophy and certificate of appreciation. The co-ordinators of Tamil Nadu zone Mr. Shiva from SIVA Trust and Mr. Thanis from CERTCO are invited to come over the dias to receive the award.