Special features of the organization
Lightway Society was formed in the Year 2001 with an aim to promote the needy and down trodden Sections of the society. Since its inception, the society has strived to enhance the status of Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs) also known as Key Population (KP) by addressing stigma and discrimination in the society. Supported by Nagaland State AIDs Control Society (NSACS) and funded by National AIDs Control Organization (NACO), the Organization started implementing the IDU Targeted Intervention project in August 2014 and over the years the Organization has enhanced its capability in many areas such as documentation, management (program and finance) and technical subjects. The organization is currently reaching out to 506 Injecting Drug Users in 23 villages and 4 towns. There have been positive shifts in terms of their injecting behaviors which can be seen through growing number of IDUs adopting safer behaviors or shifting to oral use. Regular feedbacks of the activities/programs have positively impacted the deliverance of quality service to the KPs. The society is now providing service to 506 Injecting Drug Users. , Advocacy sensitization and awareness programs about HIV/AIDS, STI, IDU, TB, etc. are been conducted time to time at Block levels, town and village in the project area. It is an ongoing activity of the organization thus it is able to reach out to the people in the grass-root level. The constant effort of the organization in organizing advocacy and awareness camps, leader of some villages were able to visualize and understand the impact of HIV/AIDS and drug abuse in the society. These village leaders are now welcoming more agencies to tackle the issue and they are even approaching the government and availing schemes and thus forming the village health committee at their village level. , Condom promotion: There is an increased risk- behavior practice among sections of the population. Casual sex among young people is common, leading to a lot of pre- marital pregnancies and other possible health hazards. Condom promotion was done through outlets and condoms were freely distributed to the high risk groups and often sessions were held with them on safe use of condoms. Condoms are distributed through both the outreach field team and DIC. , Needle Syringe Exchange Program: This is one most effective way of stopping the spread and further infection of HIV/AIDS among the IDUs. To make the services easily available to the KPs the organization has appointed staffs in all the operational areas. In places where the staffs are not present the organization has entrusted a reliable person from the particular operational site. , STI: With the high prevalence of Injecting Drug Users and to prevent the risk of opportunistic infections, the organization has a clinic to manage STI among the IDUs and their regular partners. Most of the client are either referred by the peer educators or identified by the clinic nurse. Some of them come by themselves. , Piglet, chickens and carpentry tools were provided to the community based organization (Espoir CBO) for income generation; also a vocational training was conducted for IDUs. Self help group was initiated. Apart from providing services to the general population and drug user s community, the society has also grant relief to seven (7) differently able people in the form of School uniforms, nutritional foods, and financial assistance and capacitated through counseling as they were deprived from the society which indirectly becomes a hindrance for their development. , Community Mobilization: The involvement of community in the project implementation activities and the initiatives taken by them has been producing effective results. Community events such indoor and outdoor games, picnics etc take place annually. These are the occasions where greater number of KPs comes together. Other programs such as International Drug Users Day, World AIDS Day and International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking are observed with the rest of the world on respective days. , , Oral Substitution Therapy: The Oral Substitution Therapy program was also taken in the year 2014 along with Targeted Intervention (TI) program for IDUs. In the Oral Substitution Therapy program, Buprenorphine tablet is provided through Directly Observed Treatment under the supervision of Doctor or Nurse. Since, initiation of OST program in 2006, 158 IDUs have been registered to the program so far, out of which 32 have successfully completed treatment and 64 are currently in the program accessing OST daily. This program has not only helped the clients in their drug use but in many other aspects such as economy, social, health, family and their spiritual lives. After the successful completion of the program many of our clients are staying clean from drugs. , With motivational programs, input sessions and counseling, their behavior slowly began to change. They have become role models to the rest of the injecting population who are still hidden. , DOTS: NACO has also club up RNTCP in the TI programs. Apart from other activities the organization has also taken up sputum collection and verbal TB screening activity. Sputum is collected both in the DIC and fields which is taken to the Microscopic centre for testing. The organization also tracks defaulters and field follow-ups.
