Wide Angle (Social Development Organisation) is a non-political, non-sectarian State level voluntary organization. The organisation had humble beginnings when a group of young dynamic Youths who were actively involved in various students’ rights activities in their university days, decided to continue the work they started after they left their alma mater. Wide Angle, registered in 1984 became fully functional in 1997 through the patronage of the community. It came to be the mouthpiece of the marginalized people in the State of Manipur and created a common platform to amplify and address effectively their issues.
Wide Angle has been working in the prevention and intervention of HIV/AIDS since 1996 when the Manipur AIDS Cell was introduced under the Health Department, Government of Manipur. Later, this was renamed as the Manipur AIDS Control Society (MACS). Since then, Wide Angle has been working with MACS in its IEC intervention program to implement Rapid Intervention and Care (RIAC). RIAC soon came to be called the Targeted Intervention (TI). The National AIDS Control Program, Govt. of India, supports the TI project. In 2021, an additional component in the TI project was added with the support from FHI 360 Project Sunrise through MACS & SASO. This addition refers to a set of practical strategies and ideas for reducing negative consequences associated with drug use.
In 2005, Wide Angle became a strategic partner of CRY (Child Rights and You) in North-East, India. The acute poverty, ethnic violence, urban rural migration and HIV/AIDS epidemic in the State of Manipur led to the creation of Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC). The risk to children’s health has been alarming in addition to a whole generation of orphaned children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the State.
The organisation supported by CRY started a technically specific intervention on HIV infected and affected people in Imphal, West District. A political forum was organized to make aware about the rights of the children particularly those who tested HIV positive. Nine Mutual Support Groups consisting of 60 HIV infected widows were formed who received knowledge on good health, hygiene practices, low cost nutrition and Anti–Retroviral Therapy (ART). Major emphasis was given on monitoring and ensuring ART adherence among HIV positive widows and their children. The project was able to ensure, of the many children who were HIV infected were attending school regularly. Events were organised to bring the children together through activities like drawing, singing, artwork, recitation, dance and monologues. These children also attended State level Cultural program organised by MACR. The project was able to avail services from the Government Health Institution for this affected population. Schools started providing drinking water to the children. Fourteen of these schools built separate toilets for boys and girls. The organisation also ensured that there was 100% safe delivery in the hospitals, community were availing the facilities in PHC or in District Hospital. In some cases they were also being treated at private hospital. Apart from ensuring there is complete immunization of children, Mid-day Meal Program was implemented in all the schools.
The Project covers a total of 190 Children infected by the HIV/AIDS in the operational area. Of these infected children, 180 children have been brought to mainstream formal education system, 34 infected children were mainstreamed in Govt. schools and the 146 children in private schools. 10 orphaned HIV/AIDS infected children mainstreamed in Children Home.
The Project linked 190 children with the ART centre of RIMS & JNIMS Hospitals of Imphal and developed the procedure for monitoring the ART doses. Wide Angle has been providing the nutritional support to these children. It continues it's engagement with club members and community leaders for ensuring the entitlement rights of the children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The project continues to support the families impacted by HIV/AIDS. They also keep track of children who are infected by HIV, especially those who are on Anti-retroviral therapy, single orphan or orphans living on their own. It is one of the effective interventions which addressed the rights of women and children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. It filed many cases with Manipur Human Rights Commission, National Human Rights Commission and the Guwahati High Court for the protection of human rights of PLWHA. The cases were related to issues like access to treatment, stigma and discrimination, property rights, right to work etc.
Wide Angle as the nodal guiding organisation was instrumental in the formation of Manipur Alliance for Child’s Rights (MACR) on December 23, 2005 with support from like-minded Social Activists, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) as well as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It started working with an objective to build up peoples' mobilization process as pressure group. It seeked solidarity from other peace building movement to integrate holistic child rights promoting interdependence and to incubate and mobilize people centred advocacy process against human rights violation in order to ensure child rights. It established district chapter in all the districts of Manipur and became a member of the National Alliance (NAFRE).
Wide Angle was also instrumental in the setting up of Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights and collaborated with it in organising many programs and formulated the Manipur Child Rights Policy which has been processed and approved by the State Cabinet. It also introduced the Child Rights Award which is given to the best contributor in the field of Child Rights either from the Police or from Media. The awards are presented by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur and the Hon’ble Governor of Manipur.
Wide Angle in partnership with the European Union also implemented a 4 years project entitled, “Promoting Organised Initiative of Victims and Civil Society Institutions for Ending Violence against Children’ from 2011 to 2014. Last but not the least, Wide Angle was awarded Best Short Documentary at the International Film Festival held in Siliguri for it's film, "Ruptured Spring" a film on Child Rights.