IFA Projects 2017

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​​DISHA (Direct Initiative for Social & Health Action) – Multi State – Focus on poor and marginalized coastal fishing communities in West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Building awareness and lobbying for additional measures to protect the water bodies the communities depend on for their livelihood. Securing health care and pensions and enhancing income via better facilities for fishing, preserving, drying etc.

Sankalp – Rajasthan – creating livelihoods and preserving forests of marginalized tribal communities. Successful in reinstating 200 days a year of work under NREGA which the Government had reduced to 100 days a year. A big boon to the impoverished families.

Samaj Parivartan Samudaya (SPS), Karnataka – Stopped illegal mining in Karnataka.   Main focus has been on rehabilitating the people and training for sustainable livelihoods.

Karuna Trust – Arunachal Pradesh – Providing quality healthcare to over 8000 people in 54 remote villages. IFA’s grant of $12,000 enables $108,000 in government funds!
($1000 for Annual Meeting of Fellows in India)

Rejuvenate India Movement (RIM) – Madhya Pradesh – Reducing child malnutrition. IFA’s grant enabled 20 Samaj Shilpis to ensure effective delivery of existing government health and nutrition programs to almost 5000 children in 30 villages. Results for 2017 show $16 in services mobilized for each $1 of IFA support.   Major successes also include a village with a mostly Adivasi population that is now 100% liquor-free and 2 villages with 100% households with toilets achieving “open defecation free” status.


SRI (Society for Rural Improvement) – Kerala – Providing microcredit to women for developing sustainable livelihoods. Total IFA support of $36,000 during past years and in 2017 has grown to more than $60,000. It has directly helped 200 households towards a sustainable future and continues to be available for making additional microloans.

Aruna Asaf Ali Memorial Trust (AAMAT) – Punjab – Beautician training for lower income young women in Chandigarh, Punjab. Graduates are able to get jobs or start their own small business with a monthly income of Rs. 4,000 – 10,000.

Surya Chandra Foundation – Sarva Vidya Foundation, Chennai – supporting 120 women from disadvantaged families get nursing certification.

Siddi Project – Gujarat – One year pilot program focusing on health and education of Siddis and other tribals in Ratanpur village in Gujarat with 269 families & 1300 people. Mobilize help from the local community hospital. Tutoring of high school students.

Bhasha Research Publication


$20,000


 

$12,400
 


$12,000
 

 $13,000
 

$23,300








$2,500


$2,500

$4,300



​$2,350

Challenges and final resolution

The mine barons tried to scuttle the Lokayukta probe by hand picking all the forest and revenue officials and police departments. U V Singh, the chief conservator of the Forests and who led the investigation was physically attacked. Due to lack of government action the SPS filed a PIL in Supreme Court. In 2010 the Lokayukta concluded that between April 2006 and July 2010, the state had lost Rs.16,085 crores to illegal mining.  The court banned private mining from Bellary. Reddy brothers, their associates and the chief minister of Karnataka were arrested. The court also asked the government to come up with a reclamation plan and asked CEC to examine corporations like Jindal Steel and Adani

Future Challenges

The mining ban has affected around 50,000 people who want mining to continue for livelihood.  However, a healthy relationship between nature, culture and society is a must and benefits must be shared equitably. Activities like mining must not be given into private hands. The SPS is now working with the local community to develop alternative sources of income while also working towards the regeneration of ecology and agriculture.

Click here to read full report on Bellary Mining Issue

Sankalp
Freeing of Bonded Laborers

Sankalp is a volunteer group in Rajasthan with long standing record of working on behalf of marginalized and tribal communities for social reforms 

Issue Background

There are thousands of bonded laborers in India. Faced by dwindling livelihoods, they are enslaved by debts that start out small, but escalate horrendously, as they and their entire family toil for more than a lifetime. 

Process of Resolution

Sankalp organized a meeting of bonded laborers two years ago in which they encouraged them to come forward with their stories. Under pressure from many social elements, it was not easy for the laborers to speak of their plight. However, with consistent and earnest effort by  Sankalp volunteers, they did share their gut wrenching stories and in the process, incriminated the powers-that-be in the feudal village structure and exposed the structural flaws in poverty resolution agenda of modern society.

Challenges and final resolution

The authorities shamelessly questioned the authenticity of these stories and there was expected backlash from the unscrupulous moneylenders who needed their cheap labor. As the event was well covered by the media, representatives of Sonia Gandhi, the Rajasthan Chief Minister as well as other government officials visited the area. Jagrat Mahila Sangathan helped the laborers file applications following the procedures of the Bonded Laborer Act. Facts were exposed which resulted in a dramatic attention and subsequent development for this community.

Future Challenges

Obtaining freedom for over 140 bonded laborers has been one of the crowning achievements of Sankalp. They now want the state to hold surveys and commit to freeing all the bonded laborers in the entire state.

Click here to read full report on Sankalp project

Karuna Trust 
Primary Health Care Center

Karuna Trust is an organization engaged in integrated rural development running 25 Primary Health Care (PHC) Centres in all the districts of the state of Karnataka and 9 PHCs in Arunachal Pradesh (AP). Since 2007 IFA has supported two PHCs in AP. 
The Mengio center and the Jeying center comprising of 54 villages are two of the most remote regions in AP.


Issue Background

Mengio is an area where 40 villages have no proper roads, have intermittent electricity, and no reliable means of communication. A doctor in Mengio, Arunachal Pradesh, has to walk 7 hours to get to some of the villages, when it is not raining, and the roads have not been swept away by the floods. Routine health care in rural India remains a distant luxury

Process of Resolution

A $6,000 annual grant from IFA for each health center enables the Karuna Trust to tap into $54,000 in matching State grants. They provide basic health care services for thousands of people and continue to invest in community based, people oriented, and culturally acceptable methods with a minimum cost to the community.

Challenges and final resolution

Getting to a village involves trekking for at least half-a-day.  The PHC in Jeying, has seen a sharp drop in outpatient visits. Regular home visits, health camps, immunization drives, and malaria control initiatives have ensured better overall health. Under the aegis of IFA, Karuna Trust continues to alleviate pain and suffering as less people now fall ill. The incidence of malaria was down to 10% in 4 years from the beginning of operations of the PHC

Future

The Karuna trust continues to grow and spread. It now operates 30 centers in Karnataka alone, and continues to branch out to different states each year. It plans to expand services to almost 60 centers in six states and will need additional funds from NGOs around the world.

Media Update

Dr H Sudarshan, founder of karuna Trust was recently recognized for 

Click here to read full report on Karuna Trust's Primary Health Center
"How wonderful it is that we need not wait a single moment before starting to improve the world" 
- Anne Frank