IBTADA
Mission Statement
Ibtada’s mission is to Empower communities especially women to play an influential role to reduce social and economic poverty and inequality. While understanding the backwardness in Mewat, it was clear that women and girl child were the worst affected. It was no surprise! because it is a hard reality that this section has to bear the consequence of all discriminations -be it social, political, economic or natural (disasters, droughts etc). Interestingly, various interventions and experiments in the development sector have shown the usefulness and effectiveness to partner with this section towards a sustainable and productive output. The SHG movement is a standing example. Therefore, promoting institutions for women is the core to Ibtada’s mission. While doing this, capacity building of the community in general and that of women leaders in particular becomes utmost important. The institutions are designed to empower women -to change power relations in the society, to foster decision-making power among women, to enhance their degree of control over resources and provide them space for visibility and collective action. A girl child of today is a woman in making for tomorrow. She faces discrimination and maltreatment since her birth. Both she and her mother need to be prepared to understand and challenge this bias. The child needs to be equipped with basics like education, life skills, etc. The community institutions must take up these issues. Besides, the institutions are also designed to provide services in areas of women’s health, girl child education; women managed livelihoods, savings and credit etc.
About This Cause
Ibtada is engaged in gender parity work in Alwar district of Rajasthan. The interventions are designed for empowerment and education of women and girls. One area of intervention is strengthening teaching learning environment in government schools that emerged from our work on girls education. The details of interventions are: SAVINGS AND CREDIT-BASED WOMEN’S INSTITUTIONS Institution Building Promoting community-based institutions for women empowerment is the core to Ibtada’s mission. These institutions empower women - to change power relations in the society, to foster decision-making power among women, to enhance their degree of control over resources and provide them space for visibility and collective action. Ibtada’s three tier Institutional architecture (SHGs, Clusters and Federations or Manch) forms the base for implementing different programmes for Financial Inclusion, Livelihoods, Girls Empowerment and Rights & Entitlements. Ibtada has promoted 10 federations until now including 5 for the NRLM. Currently, four federations registered as Trusts work autonomously with handholding support from Ibtada. Financial Inclusion Through becoming members of SHGs women do regular savings, access loans, and thus reduce the risk of social exclusion and poverty. Federations help SHGs access credit from banks and themselves also advance two kinds of loans to SHGs – loan for toilet construction and house construction. A Special Saving provision is made to cover expenditure during festivals and special occasions without affecting the groups’ saving. A fund by the name of Rahat Kosh has also been mobilized to provide financial support to the family if an SHG member or her spouse meets unforeseen death thus building solidarity and feeling of fraternity by helping a deceased member’s family in the hour of need. Agriculture-based livelihoods A local cadre of women called Krishi Sakhis are trained in enhanced agricultural practices to implement and disseminate knowledge that will help women farmers increase yield. The Krishi Sakhis conduct village level campaigns and help select farmers from Self Help Groups to increase their income through training on improved agriculture practices (Krishi Pathsahalas), cultivation of cash crops, pulses and vegetables crops (inter-cropping), Technology Demonstration Centres (pilot plots), and facilitating backward and forward linkages with technical institutions and the market (Narishakti Agriculture Producer Company). Dairy-based livelihoods Ibtada is working with dairy farmers since 2009 for productivity enhancement of milk in Ramgarh, Laxmangarh and Umrain block of Alwar district. About 35% increase in milk yield happened by adoption of improved animal husbandry practices. To provide market linkage to farmers, over 1500 farmers have been linked with Sakhi Mahila Milk Producer Company Ltd. Which ensures a fair price for their milk. Dairy Sahayaks are appointed to run Milk Procurement Points (MPP) in each of the villages who also sell quality feed to members supplied by dairy producer company. A community cadre of Pashu Sakhis are trained to conduct monthly meetings and trainings with women farmers on feeding, housing, and health of dairy animals. Goat based Livelihoods Ibtada works with over 2000 goat-rearing families and through Pashu Sakhis provides them services and technical inputs for better yield throughout the year. The beneficiaries are added through ‘Goat Pass on’ method and Goat leasing by Sirohi Bakripalak Mahila producer company. Women Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship amongst women is promoted by providing them with market knowledge as well as financial help. Women members of the SHGs can secure loans to start small shops in their village thus reducing their dependence on agriculture or animal husbandry based income. Women are also provided market knowledge to source stock and Ibtada provides hand holding support for maintaining accounts. As part of this intervention, many women have opened shops of cosmetics, general stores, animal feed, tailoring, etc. and are earning additional income. Rights and Entitlement Raising Awareness and facilitating access Village level Adhikaar Samitis are formed in each village as a forum to raise community issues and put forth demands. Meetings are held monthly to raise awareness among community members about Govt. schemes and rights & entitlements. The Samitis also help in strengthening linkages with Panchayati Raj Institutions and Govt. functionaries to access Govt. schemes and raise the concerns of women and the marginalised. Community Cadre Promote and train a cadre of leaders known as Adhikaar Sakhis to negotiate with Govt. functionaries and PRIs on issues of community rights and entitlements. The Adhikaar Sakhis are also the point of contact for village members for help and support in accessing Govt. schemes and rights and entitlements. They also lead in mobilising members, provide knowledge, and take collective action from the community to fight social issues and demand accountability from government. EDUCATION Improving Learning Outcomes For class I & II, we work on improving levels of Hindi and Mathematics. For Class III to V, we undertake assessment of learning levels of students and based on results, groups of students are formed and remedial teaching is done. Remedial teaching package is delivered in 20-25 weeks to bring the students up to the level of basic reading writing and arithmetic (three R’s). After the student is competent with three R’s, s/he copes up with the teaching in class. The learning efficiency is maintained by use of pre designed Learning packages, individual tracking of progress, and monthly tests. School Management Committees To bridge the trust between school, community, and parents, School Management Committees are formed to ensure participation of all stakeholders and improving the learning environment for children in school and at home. Teachers, Community Members, Village heads and parents are part of this committee (attendance to meetings is open to all) and Ibtada supports through training and exposure to enable them to manage the affairs of school and improve management. Monthly meetings are conducted for discussing school matters, student progress and ensuring attendance of children in school. Bal Sansad A committee of students is created that helps with school management and activities of the school. The Bal Sansad runs like any Parliament where members are elected by vote (of the students, by the students, for the students) who are in office for a term after which new candidates are chosen. This helps the children get involved in school management, develop leadership skills, work in teams, and increase their sense of responsibility. Girls Upper Primary School – Gwalda Ibtada runs an upper primary school (class 6th to 8th) in Gwalda (Tijara) with 142 girls. The school has enrolled 387 girls have since Feb 2012. Supplementary Education To support girls in continuing their education beyond 5th class and reduce their chances of dropping out, tuition facility is provided in English and Mathematics subjects to girls of class 6 -8 in 30 villages. Mother Meetings are also conducted to share the improvements in learning level as well as garner support from the family in continuing the girls’ education. GIRLS’ EMPOWERMENT Life Skills Education An initiative to build confidence, provide exposure, awareness, and hone leadership skills of young girls to negotiate better with the challenges of life. The program is conducted based on a formal curriculum focused on 5 important life skills i.e. self-identity, communication skill, goal setting, adolescence & reproductive health, and gender-based violence. A curriculum runs for a calendar of one year and is implemented through sessions in local Govt. Schools and in village level Girls Resource Centres. Girls Resource Centres Village level Girls Resource Centres (GRC) are formed to provide young girls with a safe space to openly speak and share their problems. This peer group also helps and supports each other in academic matters and in building social capital. The purpose of the GRC is to empower the girls through education and skills and help them become independent, negotiate life decisions, choose different career options and be role models and change agents. Life skills session, library, and tuition for kids (class 1-5), group discussion and counselling are conducted at the GRC. Girls are also provided information about vacancies, jobs, trainings, and other courses to help them choose career paths. Computer Education Free computer education is provided to girls from rural poor households of our project area at GRC Alwar and Nogawan. Two types of courses are run at these centres - One NIIT certified “active basic” course and a computer basics course. To support girls 50 % of the travel fare is also provided to them. After completion of the course an online and offline assessment is conducted. Transport Facility Ibtada provides transport facility to girls who wish to pursue higher education (school and college) but cannot do so due to limited mobility and access to public transport. Vehicles are provided for girls on 5 different routes to attend school and college in Ramgarh. The facility is free for those who cannot afford the same whereas some provide part or full payment for the facility.