Unicef Documentary on Akha

C-NES’ partnership with UNICEF began in July 2006 through Akha, “the Ship of Hope in the Valley of Floods” to provide health services, training and awareness on health, sanitation, livestock care and education to the poor and marginalized in the river islands of the Brahmaputra in Dibrugarh district and was responsible for the surge in medical coverage as well as improved performance on the immunization programme, health check ups and treatment of pregnant women.The partnership with UNICEF is important in terms of sustainability of the health outreach programme and the design of implementation.

On 1 May 2009, a UNICEF team visited the Aichung sapori, Dibrugarh district for shooting a documentary film on the Akha outreach even as a regular monthly camp was being conducted here. The team comprised of four program officers from UNICEF Assam, one from UNICEF Delhi and the QED crew hired for the documentary.

The Boat Clinic health team left for the sapori a day in advance, the UNICEF team joined in at Balijan ghat the next morning. In spite of a heavy downpour the night before and an overcast sky, the camp as well as the shooting went off smoothly with a lot of community support and participation. Shots were taken of the health camp, a bridge course school (Part of C-NES’ education programme with UNICEF support) and a mock emergency exercise by the boat crew and community workers of C-NES.