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Committed
to Hope
Voluntary
Health Association
of India’s
(VHAI)
mission is
to work with
people whose
lives are
dominated
by extreme
poverty, illiteracy,
disease and
other handicaps.
Project Aparajita
- VHAI’s
relief and
rehabilitation
initiative
responded
immediately
to the cries
of the people
affected by
the earthquake
in Gujarat.
Immediate
relief operations
were carried
out for two
months following
which need-based
long-term
rehabilitation
strategies
were formulated
based on a
participatory
micro planning
process. |
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The
premise of these
strategies was
not to dole
out relief but
to encourage
people’s
participation
and rekindle
their confidence
and dignity.
It was evident
that the most
important question
faced by the
people affected
by the quake
was that of
restoring their
lives and earning
a livelihood.
About 19,000
handicraft artisans
in the district
of Kutch were
left in the
lurch, so also
the salt farmers.
The death
of about 20,000
cattle
took away the
livelihood of
a huge number
of people.
The overall
objective of
VHAI
was to initiate
a programme,
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| Committed
to Hope
Voluntary
Health Association
of India’s
(VHAI)
mission is to work
with people whose
lives are dominated
by extreme poverty,
illiteracy, disease
and other handicaps.
Project Aparajita
- VHAI’s relief
and rehabilitation
initiative responded
immediately to the
cries of the people
affected by the
earthquake in Gujarat.
Immediate relief
operations were
carried out for
two months following
which need-based
long-term rehabilitation
strategies were
formulated based
on a participatory
micro planning process.
The premise of these
strategies was not
to dole out relief
but to encourage
people’s participation
and rekindle their
confidence and dignity.
It was evident that
the most important
question faced by
the people affected
by the quake was
that of restoring
their lives and
earning a livelihood.
About 19,000
handicraft artisans
in the district
of Kutch were left
in the lurch, so
also the salt farmers.
The death
of about 20,000
cattle
took away the livelihood
of a huge number
of people.
The overall objective
of VHAI
was to initiate
a programme, |
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which
would facilitate
the development
process and
create an
environment
for social
change and
a process
of empowerment
to improve
the quality
of life of
people specially
women. The
ideology was
also to enable
them to overcome
their trauma
of the event
and channelise
their energies
into a creative
process. Women
were chosen
as an essential
focal point
of livelihood
interventions
because of
their inherent
capacities
to strengthen
themselves
and work towards
ensuring a
better future
for their
families and
communities.
VHAI, endeavored
to create
a learning
environment
where women
collectively
affirm their
potential,
gain the strength
to demand
information
and knowledge,
and move forward
to change
and take charge
of their lives. |
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The
Road to Empowerment
Bharat, the indigenous
name for handmade
embroidery in
Kutch was a skill
that almost all
women possessed
in the affected
areas of Gujarat.
These beautiful
embroidered pieces
were mainly made
for domestic consumption.
However, the earthquake
changed all that
and the women
saw their skill
as a means to
augment their
family’s
income. Intricately
designed embroidery
pieces, which
till now had no
value and were
sometimes exchanged
for utensils,
became a source
of income generation
and sustenance
for these women.
Through VHAI’s
livelihood development
and women’s
empowerment program,
an embroidery-training
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programme was
implemented in
20 project villages
and six hamlets.
This project reached
out to over 1,000
women with an
aim to strengthen
their skills of
embroidery for
livelihood support
with inputs on
design, quality
and market trends,
enabling them
to overcome the
mental trauma
of the event.
By channeling
their creative
energies and to
empower them by
mobilizing them
into Self Help
Groups (SHGs).
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What
are Self-Help
groups?
Self-Help
Groups (SHGs)
or Thrift and
Credit Groups
are mostly informal
groups whose members
pool savings and
re-lend within
the group on rotational
or need basis.
These groups have
a common perception
of need and impulse
towards collective
action. Many of
these groups get
formed around
specific production
activity, promote
savings among
members and use
the pooled resources
to meet emergent
needs of members,
including consumption
needs. Sometimes
the internal savings
generated are
supplemented by
external resources
loaned/donated
by the Voluntary
Agency, which
promotes the SHGs.
SHGs are able
to mobilize savings
from the poor
who are not expected
to have any savings
and can also recycle
effectively the
pooled savings
among members,
may be in a primitive
way, but in a
manner which is
cost effective,
simple and flexible
at the door step
of the members.
In most of the
cases the group
dynamics initially
prompted by economic
benefits end up
playing a very
crucial role in
the socio cultural
scenario of the
village too. |
The
development of these
women from being victims
of a calamity - helpless
and shocked to being
agents of social change
and bread earners, spells
the success of their
spirit. The programme,
most importantly fostered
the development of their
potential by having
inherent faith in their
capacities.
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The
sphere of VHAI’s
activities aimed
to address a remarkable
range of issues
with women SHGs.
These were generating
awareness to access
basic civic amenities;
learning to deal
with health issues;
committing themselves
to ensuring learning
opportunities
for their children,
especially adolescent
girls providing
them non formal
education and
vocational training;
doggedly trying
to make the women
literate; learning
to manage credit,
effectively participating
in Panchayati
Raj processes
(local self government);
learning legal
procedures and
understanding
how administrative
and social structures
work; gaining
in strength to
demand accountability
and |
effective
delivery of services;
to confidently addressing
issues like violence.
To learn what resources
are available, how to
develop them or access
fresh ones, the procedures
involved therein, the
bottlenecks likely to
be encountered etc.
are all part of the
ongoing empowerment
process initiated as
part of this programme.
Today there exist a
strong family over 60
Self Help Groups (SHGs)
in the project villages.
Savings and access to
credit has been the
focus of their group
activities leading to
training in accounts
and record keeping.
The demand and desire
of the SHG women to
learn, to read and write,
have propelled interventions
for adult literacy classes.
With a savings pool
of a considerable amount,
the SHGs are now considering
building linkages with
various organizations
and institutions for
income generation activities.
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New
groups are emerging
which want to do
agriculture cultivation,
papad making and
masala (spices)
making as a group
activity. Recently
an SHG took up the
cleaning of local
ponds and lakes
for the government,
while another group
undertook the repair
of water tanks and
stand posts.
The initiatives
facilitated by VHAI
with women’s
groups were successful
because of the grit
and determination
of the women to
move on and achieve.
VHAI, was a medium
through which they
came together to
collectively start
a movement - a movement
which crossed class
barriers, which
brought them out
of their pain they
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faced
after the earthquake
and gave them hope.
The women for the
first time felt
the need to share
their dreams and
work together. Today
these SHG women
are a force to reckon
with. Many have
visited new places
and travelled long
distances longer
than they had ever
imagined they would.
Because of their
collective strength
as a group, they
are better advocates
for demanding their
rights. Most importantly,
these SHG women
are showing greater
involvement in household
decision-making
in traditional male-headed
households. They
are restless to
widen their public
participation and
take on new roles.
The
process of sustainable
empowerment has
begun and will take
these women through
a journey that will
establish the unlimited
capacities of their
spirit. The principle
of self-reliance
is the guiding light
that motivates the
women of Kutch to
take control of
their lives and
channelise their
strength to ensure
a better tomorrow.
This is the celebration
of their undying
spirit - the spirit
of Aparajita. |
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