Mahila Abhivruddhi Society Andhra Pradesh (APMAS)
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Mission Statement
APMAS Vision: APMAS emerged as orchestrator of livelihoods ecosystem for resilient and diverse self-reliant institutions led by marginalised women, farming and indigenous communities resulting in social and economic transformation APMAS Mission: By 2030, APMAS, a cutting edge resource organisation, engaged in multi-stakeholder partnerships for systemic change; innovating and demonstrating sustainable livelihoods institutional models impacting one million households through: 1. Co-creating and promoting quality standards and benchmarks 2. Capacity and capabilities development 3. Ecosystem services – Access to technology, finance, market, infrastructure 4. Interface among women-led and diverse community institutions 5. Integration of Nutrition, Health, Education & WASH services 6. Evidence based policy advocacy APMAS Goals 2030: 1. APMAS emerged as partner of choice, within & outside India, for Governments, Academic Institutions, Donors, Corporates, NGOs, Community Institutions and other key stakeholders through capacity building, incubation, mentoring and knowledge management. 2. Self-reliant livelihoods institutions, demonstrating high quality standards, engaged in partnerships and linkages resulting in their member households becoming resilient to cope with risks and shocks 3. At least 250 self-reliant and democratic institutions of SHG Federations, FPOs and FPO Federations providing range of services resulting in tripling of income for their member households 4. Gender mainstreaming resulting in women’s leadership and decision making at household and institutional level and asset creation for at least one lakh women 5. Member households of APMAS incubated community institutions access their rights and entitlements and utilize services of health, education, nutrition and WASH resulting in improved quality of life
About This Cause
APMAS is a technical resource organization registered under the Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Public Societies Registration Act, 1350 Fasli (No.3800 dated 14.06.2001) and subsequently under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act on 28.10.2002 (No.010230543). It began its journey on 14 June 2001 in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh with a purpose of strengthening the SHG movement and subsequently expanded its horizon programmatically and geographically across the country. APMAS currently works with SHGs and their Federations, Farmers organisations, Cooperatives, and other forms of Community Based Organizations (CBOs), and Self-Help Promoting Institutions (SHPIs) who believe in and respect the spirit of self-help and consider as a guiding principle for its work. Currently, we have direct presence in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar; and through partners in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Our capacity building initiatives, research and consultancy assignment compass across several states in India and in few low income countries in South Asia and Africa. Our programme initiatives focus around three major streams. 1. Rural and Urban SHG Institutions 2. Livelihoods 3. Model Villages Rural and Urban SHG Institutions: APMAS was established with the prime focus of enhancing the quality and sustainability of SHG movement. In partnership with the government and the self-help promoting institutions, we have supported more than 250,000 SHGs & 10,000 SHG federations in rural & urban areas towards becoming self-reliant and self-help institutions. We have demonstrated a model ‘Sector Own Control’ covering 6337 SHGs (Self-help groups), 279 VOs (Village Organisations) and 8 Mandal Samkayas in Kamareddy district of Telangana. This has been recognized as a replicable model by several SHPIs and the State Rural Livelihoods Missions across the country. The community resource persons play a key role in up-scaling this experience in selected states. Now, we strengthen and facilitate SHG institutions to move beyond financial inclusion / economic empowerment in terms of playing a catalyst role towards improving the local governance and democracy – by undertaking quality check to ensure access to safe drinking water in the slums of GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation); providing safe drinking water through operation and maintenance of RO (Reverse Osmosis) water plants in several towns; improving MNCH (maternal, new born and child health) outcomes in GHMC in Telangana and Ongole & Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh; demanding quality services from the frontline functionaries, local bodies and other development players and playing a pioneer role in solid waste management in model villages; and making SHG institutions active and financially self-sustainable in improving socio-economic conditions in Dhigwara & Garkha blocks, Saran district, Bihar. As a technical resource agency, APMAS has made significant contribution to the social mobilization and institution building processes of SHGs and their Federations both in rural & urban areas, evolving its role with ever-changing policies of the Government. Self-reliant and socially responsible people’s institutions such as SHGs and their Federations are the pillars for promotion of grassroots governance and participatory decision making which ultimately leads to gender just society and inclusive growth. APMAS continues to strengthen these institutions towards taking up higher order functions and upholding democratic governance. Our work especially with the SHGs has been recognized by Wockhardt Foundation with the Eradication of Poverty Popular Awards in the Self Help Group Category in Sept 2016. Livelihoods : The base for our livelihoods work began with the support of Aga Khan Foundation for European Union funded SCALE project during 2004-2012. This was further strengthened by the implementation of six mega watersheds in the states of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana. The foundation laid and experience gained through watershed programme prompted us to work with farmers especially small holders. Currently we are intensively engaged in promoting farmer producer organizations (FPOs) as business enterprises for undertaking value-chain interventions in Chittoor & Ananthapur districts of Andhra Pradesh and in Kamareddy & Yadadri districts of Telangana. The nucleus thrust of this domain is to enhance the production, productivity and profitability of the farmers with the special focus on small landholders, women and youth and contribute towards achieving food security and no hunger. We aspire to position ourselves as a strategic player in promotion and strengthening of farmer producer organisations (FPOs) as business/ social enterprises in India and a resource organization for FPOs across the country and in developing countries of South. Model Villages: Another prime area of our work is promotion of model villages with the support of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funding and in close collaboration with the government flagship programmes such as SMART Village and Grama Jyothi in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Our focus in this domain is institutionalizing community-driven development process to achieve overall development of the village. The emphasis is on building social capital and people’s institutions who take ownership of the transformation in the village by keeping the human development aspect high on the pedestal of holistic and inclusive growth. We disseminate our experience gained in this domain to the prime partners (Government, Corporate and other key players) engaged in promotion of model villages and flag the importance of focusing human development indicators besides promotion of necessary infrastructure development. Cross Cutting Areas: • Capacity Building has been our mainstay in our work covering various aspects of institution building & livelihoods promotion through national and state level flagship training programs, training of trainers programs, customized trainings and International Certificate Course on Community based Micro Finance in collaboration with Coady International Institute Canada on a regular basis • Research & Advocacy has been another mainstay of our work which form the basis for policy advocacy and working with the State & Central Governments, and NABARD in making course corrections in India’s SHG movement and poverty reduction initiatives and in our implementation work in the above mentioned three domains. Key Achievements • Supported the establishment and evolution of Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) as an autonomous support system for the SHG movement and played a significant role in the conceptualization, design and operationalization of Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh • Directly trained around 300,000 professional & para-professionals on various aspects of institution building & livelihoods promotion across India • Developed numerous brochures, posters, CDs, training modules, manuals and communication materials and supported SHPIs in developing / adopting required manuals, booklets, tool kits developed by APMAS in few Indian languages • Developed a massive pool of resource persons as bookkeepers, auditors, rators, facilitators and trainers with sufficient skills within the movement to cater to the capacity building needs of SHG institutions • Recognized by NRLM as a national level resource agency for providing trainings and capacity building support for various State Missions (SRLMs) • Conducted about 68 research studies and published 63 articles • Established a SHG Learning & Training Centre with all facilities • Promoted a Section 25 Company- Sadhikaratha Foundation (SF) in 2012 to meet the ever increasing needs of our clientele. SF undertakes projects and activities within the vision of APMAS and enabling the expansion of its horizon to meet the requirements arising out of the current development paradigm. • Promoting farmer producer organizations as business enterprises (FPOs) in partnership with GIZ, Bread for the World, DGRV and AEIN to take up value chain interventions for enhancing agricultural productivity and profitability of especially small landholders and women farmers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana • Publishing ‘Mahila Sadhikaratha’ a Telugu monthly magazine, regularly since 2002 • Playing a strategic role in supporting the flagship initiatives such as Smart Village/SMART Ward and Swachh Bharat Gramin initiatives of the government of Andhra Pradesh Over sixteen years, APMAS has made a successful, yet a very challenging journey, in realizing its vision for the empowerment of marginalized women and deprived communities and thereby contributing to poverty reduction initiatives. It has been remarkably successful in establishing partnerships and collaboration with diverse stakeholders such as CBOs, NGOs, national and international donors, State Governments, Planning Commission, NABARD, Banks, Research and Academic institutions. Our focus would continue as well expand covering the following thrust areas: * Continue to building social capital in SHG and livelihoods sectors * Create models and innovations in promotion and strengthening of farmer producer organisations as business enterprises for undertaking value chain interventions * Become a resource centre and a strategic player in providing technical services to FPOs for becoming business enterprises across the country * Promote climate resilient agriculture and other initiatives to mitigate climate change * Capacity building & advisory support to development programmes in Africa and Asia * Strategic partnership with national and international institutions in the areas of capacity building, research studies, students internship etc