Kannur: The Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala and the civilian population in its neighbourhood are occasionally at loggerheads over many issues including the recent protest by locals over sewage treatment plant and land acquisition process.
At the same time the INA also maintains a warm relation with the public outside its campus and one of the main reasons for this improvement in relations is the Naval Wives Welfare Association (NWWA) — an organisation working for the welfare of the naval staff families aiming at women empowerment.
Through their community outreach programme ‘Sparsh’, the NWWA is catering to the need of underprivileged sections in the nearby areas and is supporting their empowerment to a great extent with the help of INA, naval base depot INS Zamorin and its hospital wing INHS Navjivani.
The NWWA is supporting the Pratheeksha Buds Special School, Ramanthali and is also engaged in many campaigns including environmental protection efforts, health camps, etc in and around Ramanthali village where the INA is located. Recently, the members of the association visited the inmates of Health Oriented Project Establishment (HOPE), Pilathara, Kannur, and donated medicines and medical equipment and also spent a day with them as part of its community outreach activities.
“We are supplying the Buds School with equipment like TV and are also supporting its renovation work and conducting health camps for children with the help of INHS Navjivani. We are also engaged in other places like HOPE, Pilathara and Malabar Rehabilitation Centre For Handicapped, Payyannur and we are willing to support more such projects,” said NWWA Ezhimala vice-president Kairali Suresh.
“Such community outreach programmes not only help to build a stronger relationship between the Navy and society, but also inculcates the value of compassion among our members and their families,” she added.
It was in 1967, an association named as Naval Officers Wives Association (NOWA) was formed. It was later changed to Naval Wives Welfare Association (NWWA) in 1986. In all major naval bases the Association is active for the empowerment of families of the Navy staff.
With many branches, the NWWA is now involved in health, education, empowerment and environment activities among their community as well as for those outside the naval fraternity.
