ABOUT EMCOR PROJECT'S INDIA PARTNER "CHALE CHALO":-
"CHALE CHALO" - two inspiring words in Hindi; literary mean “Let’s Move Forward” - A Grassroots Development Organization with Professional Commitment, Strong Human Values and Results Oriented Effective Facilitation and Advocacy Skills, emerged from the campaign to instill self-confidence among the victims of devastated super cyclone that hit Orissa in the year 1999. More than 300 volunteers under the dynamic leadership of young social activist Mr. Ranjit Kumar Swain (who is at present the Director of Chale Chalo) had extended all sorts of cooperation to government and non-government agencies and local communities in their relief and rehabilitation works in Kendrapara District of Orissa. After 5 years of its informal existence, in 2005 CHALE CHALO was registered under Indian Trust Act –1882. Since then it has been closely working with other likeminded organizations & networks in backward and disaster prone areas of Orissa and Jharkhand on sustainable development issues with rights mode approach, where majority of people reeling under abject poverty and are victims of exploitation, inequality, exclusions, injustice, violation of human rights and poor governance.
Value System in Management:
Institutionalization of the system of self-regulation, democratic functioning, inclusiveness, non-violence, equality, respect for human values & human rights, respect for nature, caring and sharing, transparency, accountability, effectiveness and adoption of best practices are few mantras (core principles) of our internal management.
Target Groups:
Marginalized children, youths, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, backward caste, women, differently able people, landless, unorganized workers, forest dwellers, fishermen, migrants, prone to and/or victims of HIV/AIDS, displaced people, small and marginal farmers, destitute and other disadvantaged groups
Vision:
To create an economically, socially, politically, culturally and environmentally sustainable society without poverty, distress and sufferings and society free from child labor, gender and social inequality, oppression and exclusion among tribal; dalits, women, children and other marginal communities.
Mission:
“CHALE CHALO” mainly works on the following missions
• Poverty Reduction, Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood Mission
• Basic Rights and Entitlements Mission
• Gender Equality and Social Justice Mission
• Human Resource Development Mission
• Environment Protection and Sustainable Development Mission
Goal:
Creation of self – governing communities and their organizations and empower them for poverty reduction through achieving basic human rights and entitlements including basic education, basic health, livelihood security and gender and social justice and adopting sustainable development practices.
Main Objectives:
• To work for Relief of poverty, distress & suffering and to attempt total human development and social transformation in backward areas in India
• To help the poor for self – sustaining development organizations and to build up an institutional base for capacity building of the weaker sections in order to augment the participatory sustainable development process
• To undertake child, youth and women development initiatives for their all round development and promotion of their rights
• To promote integrated and sustainable management and optimal use of natural resources and promotion of Sustainable Livelihoods among the poor
• To undertake Relief and Rehabilitation programs on the event of natural and / or man made disasters / calamities and promote disaster preparedness, response and management
• To promote better health and nutritional status among the needy and poor and work for prevention of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis etc.
• To create awareness on various government / non-government programs / services meant for poverty reduction & socio-economic development of the poor and to cooperate with them for effective implementation of the same
• To undertake research and studies relevant to the target groups with the aim to searching alternative inclusive development strategies
• To develop areas of mutual cooperation, support and understanding among different individuals, NGOs, CBOs and government agencies working on similar issues;
• To work for peace, communal harmony and social cohesion, strengthening of democracy, national unity and integrity as well as to promote good governance through village self rules both in scheduled and non – scheduled areas.
Approaches:
• Right based and people centered approaches with focus on mobilizing, educating, organizing, capacity building and empowerment of the poor for poverty reduction, equity, justice and sustainable development
• Promotion of volunteerism and action oriented works to address the problems and finding people’s solutions through participants led and sustainable development approaches.
• Working with like-minded individuals, organizations, networks & government departments for the interest of the deprived and excluded communities & disadvantaged groups.
• Maximum utilization of available services, programs & resources of Government, NGOs, PRIs & Local Communities and working with them for high impacts and avoiding duplication
• Self-driven, self-governed and self -sustained people’s initiatives through their organizations
• Finding out the root cause of poverty, hunger, starvation deaths, distress, sufferings, discrimination and violation of human rights etc. and attempting to build up multi-stakeholders’ partnership in development.
CHALE CHALO (ORISSA) PROGRAMS:
Mangroves Regeneration, Protection, Conservation & Management through Community Participation
This program covers 30 villages of Rajnagar and Mahakalpada Blocks in Kendrapara District of Orissa, India. Loss of Mangroves is linked with Global Warming, Climate Change, Disasters, Livelihoods Insecurity and other issues affecting the local people especially the poor. More than 120000 plants of common local varieties and 40000 mangrove species have been planted. 9 women SHGs, 3 Eco-Clubs and 1 Youth Clubs have been involved in tree nursery raising activity. 3 Forest Protection Committees have been involved in mangrove nursery raising and plantation. Planting trees, protecting mangroves and other tree mass have taken the shape of mass movement in order to create a Green Belt and Resilience Climate Change Effects.
Education in Environmental Issues in Orissa:
This program covers 60 Children’s Eco-Clubs in 5 blocks of Kendrapara District in Orissa, India. It is participants led self-driven and self-sustained learning process to improve the level of environment education and awareness among school children, teachers, youths, women and villagers. Classroom teaching, competitions, games, environment library, practical actions in schools, families & villages, investigation, study, maintaining of Natures’ Diary, Study Tour, Awareness Campaign on Global Warming and Climate Change and Environment Newsletter are some of the components. The Environment Education aims to engender an understanding of the relationship between human beings and the natural world, of the impact that their behavior can have on the environment and the long-term consequences and to empower people to take responsible action for the future of themselves and the wider world. The Climate Change Workshops and Climate Change Awareness Mela have tremendous impacts among the children, youths, women, teachers, community leaders, government officials and people’s representatives in sensitizing them to take individual and collective actions to resilience climate change and save the planet earth.
Women Empowerment through SHGs For Rights, Poverty Reduction & Prevention of Violence:
We are working with 274 women SHGs, who have fifteen lakhs plus savings. We provide required supports for capacity building, group management, record keeping, bank linkages, information on government programs, facilitating maximum use of government, banks, NGOs & PRIs’ programs, resources and services. Women are being capacitated to address health, education, environment, agriculture, poverty, governance, rights and entitlements issues. They are involved in management of development programs and undertaking IGPs and leading the campaign to End Poverty and Violence against Women. They are on the path of self-sustained, self-managed and self-reliant. They are being respected at homes, offices and society for their meaningful participation in the development process and contribution in poverty reduction.
Children’s Community Radio: Voice to Voiceless Marginalized Children in Nuapada District, Orissa
“Mor Tune Mor Kathani” (Its My Voice: Its My Story) – Child Community Radio of CHALE CHALO has proved as an important advocacy tool for promoting Children’s Right to Survival, Protection, Development and Participation. All the programs are performed in remote villages with the marginalized local children in local cultural forms using local language. Children and adults in thousands of villages have been listening the Child Community Radio Programs for last two years broadcasted by All India Radio Station, Bhawanipatna from 1.20 PM to 1.50 PM on 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month. It has complete children and communities’ acceptability, ownership and self-driven. So far 52 Episodes have been broadcasted and intensive narrowcasting done in project villages for participatory learning and actions to address their issues. The children do enjoy the programs as lots of funs & learning involved in the process and it facilitates to protect their rights and solve their real problems.
EMCOR - Empowering Marginalized Communities for Their Rights and Poverty Reduction Through Community Radio in KBK Region, Orissa
This project aims to achieve empowerment through community radio of the voiceless marginalized communities to articulate their problems, demand their rights & entitlements and to engage the community & local governing structures to deal with their issues in 60 Villages in KBK region of Orissa, India. The Community Radio Program in the Title “MOR HAQ” (MY RIGHTS) has regularly been broadcasted from 2nd October 2009 (Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi) every week from All India Radio Bhawanipatna (Wednesday from 1.20 PM to 1.50 PM) and All India Radio Sambalpur (Saturday from 6.10 PM to 6.40 PM). The direct beneficiaries are 6000 marginalized families with focus on women, disabled, destitute, tribals, dalits and victims of/prone to HIV/AIDS, children, the elderly and unemployed youths. The wider beneficiaries are 500,000 plus regular radio listeners among the poor. The Panchayati Raj Institutions (Local-Self Governance for Rural India), Concern Government Offices & other Agencies are being benefited through continuous feedback, interaction, dissemination of information, increased beneficiaries participation; cooperation & collaboration and the project’s contribution towards achieving increased responsiveness; effectiveness; accountability; transparency and credibility in the governance system in poverty stricken Nuapada, Bolangir and Kalahandi Districts in KBK region of Orissa State, India. Mobilization, organization and capacity building, education, direct actions programs and empowerment processes are enabling the excluded communities to demand and access their right to information, right to work, right to forest; land and water, right to health and right to education etc. Gender Equality, Prevention of HIV/AIDs and addressing the Needs of Excluded Marginalized Communities have been the Cross Cutting Issues in the Project.
Right to Health through Community Action under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
CHALE CHALO has launched sustained campaign in its area of operation in Nuapada, Bolangir, Kalahandi & Kendrapara Districts to make Right to Information familiar among women, dalits, tribals, backward castes, youths and other disadvantaged communities. Meetings, Trainings, Group Discussions, Distribution of Awareness Materials including RTI Application Forms and Consultations have been organized on RTI. The organization has built up solidarity with RTI & Good Governance campaign launched by different organizations and networks at state and national level. The community radio program in KBK region is helping the poor to access the information and also to speak out their concerns.
Campaign on NREGS, Right to Food and Poverty Reduction:
CHALE CHALO has been spearheading and strengthening the campaign on NREGS, Right to Food and Poverty Reduction at different levels in its areas of operation in the state of Orissa. Awareness building meetings, cultural programs, leaflets distribution, poster and banner display, rallies and community radio episodes etc. have been highlighting the plights of the migrated laborers and the importance of NREGS for poverty reduction, food security, checking of distress migration, allowing children to continue their education and creating village assets for multiplying employment opportunities in agriculture, forestry and allied activities. We have assisted the laborers to fill up the job application forms, demanding works, getting timely proper wages as well as accessing food security and poverty reduction programs. CHALE CHALO has launched a strong campaign on Proper BPL Survey and inclusion of Real Poor in BPL list in 160 remote villages of Nuapada, Bolangir and Kalahandi Districts.
Promotion of Livelihoods through Sustainable Agriculture including SRI Method of Paddy Cultivation:
CHALE CHALO has provided technical supports to more than 300 farmers in Nuapada, Bolangir, Kalahandi and Kendrapara district for adopting sustainable eco-farming practices. Thrusts have been given for preparing organic manure and pesticides, undertaking vegetable cultivation, horticulture, multi-crops practices and suitable commercial crops. The organization is actively involved in the campaign against GE / GM / BT Crops as it causes loss of land fertility in long runs and puts the poor farmers in sever food insecurity and distressed condition. We have directly promoting 2 SRI villages in Boden and Sinapalli blocks of Nuapada District and successfully undertaken System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of paddy cultivation in 60 acres of land in collaboration with Agriculture Department, Government of Orissa. This has proved an important way for increasing food production, ensuring food security among the small and marginal farmers, combat farmers suicides, enrich the health of soil and promote sustainable agriculture in a poor state like Orissa with less investment.
Promotion of Livelihoods through Sustainable Collection, Processing & Marketing of Non Timber Forest Produces (NTFPs):
The processes of Community Based Regeneration, Protection, Conservation and Management of Degraded Forest have been strengthened by CHALE CHALO in 32 villages in Nuapada and Bolangir District. We are providing training on NTFP processing and marketing to the forest dwellers. They are being trained on collection, primary processing, storage and marketing of Mahua Flowers, Mahua Seeds, Kusum Seeds, Harida, Bahada, Anla and Leaf plates etc. The primary collectors of this area have been motivated to process and sell their products through their SHGs and developing direct linkage with the main traders of the region. They are also being oriented to have their own cooperatives and enter into further processing and direct marketing of NTFPs to fetch more price than they used to get while dealing the NTFP through the middle men / local agents. We are lobbying for ensuring minimum support price of NTFPs to Primary Collectors. NTFPs based livelihood approach promotes protection of forest and resilience climate change impacts.
Promotion of People’s Organizations for their Rights and Entitlements:
Most of the trustees, staffs and volunteers of CHALE CHALO have the backgrounds of people’s movements and rights mode approaches in project implementation. Taking the advantages of these past experiences we have been successfully promoting and strengthening people’s organizations mainly among the small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, daily wage earners, women, forest dwellers, marginalized families/communities and fishermen etc. for their rights and entitlements. In KBK region 3 people’s organizations, which have been promoted and strengthened by CHALE CHALO are “Manava Adhikar Surakshya Abhiyan” for promotion of Human Rights of All, “Jami Jangal Mukti Andolan” for promotion of Forest Land Rights of the Tribals / Forest Dwellers and “Krushaka Shakti Shakti Sanghathan” for promotion of the rights of the small and marginal farmers and agricultural laborers. Under EMCOR Project 60 Village Level Marginalized Communities’ Forums in the name of “MOR HAQ GAON COMMITTEES” (My Rights Village Committees) have been formed and process is going on to federate them for collectively claiming their rights and entitlements for Poverty Reduction by using Community Radio. Similarly the people’s organization in coastal region in the name of “Upakula Surakshya Abhiyan” is working for protection of coastal environment and traditional fishermen’s rights. Besides, we are actively involved in local, state and national level networks and campaign groups on rights of the children, women, migrants, tribals, dalits, disables and other weaker sections and sustainable development issues.
Awareness on Government Welfare Programs
The organization is closely working with the village level institutions and regularly undertaking awareness generation activities about various government programs and services among the villagers. We had collected, printed and distributed posters and leaflets highlighting the salient features of different pro-poor government policies, acts, programs and services. The SHGs and community leaders have been oriented, capacitated and engaged to ensure proper functioning of schools, Integrated Child Development Centers (Anganwari), Public Distributed Schemes, Community Health Centers, Primary Health Center, health sub-centers, Indira Awas Yoyan (Housing Scheme for the Poor), Old Age; Widow & Disable Pension, Annapurna Yoyana (Free of Cost 10 Kg Food Grains), Antodaya Yoyana (Food Subsidy), National Rural Health Mission focusing on Janani Surakshya Yoyan (Maternal Health), National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Forest Land Right Law, Panchayati Raj Institutions (Local Self – Governance), Right To Information and other pro-poor and development policies and programs.
Disaster Preparedness, Response and Management
CHALE CHALO has been established by the volunteers, who were engaged in relief and rehabilitation works in 1999 Super Cyclone affected areas in Orissa. So the genesis of the organization linked to disaster management. Since then it has always been with the people suffering from disasters like – floods, drought, storms, untimely rain, heat wave, cyclone and saline surge etc. It has been giving priority on community preparedness, response and management in order to lessen the impacts of the disasters. Ours People to People Assistance Approach during the disasters have proved effective and widely acclaimed be all sections. We have been undertaking and facilitating Rescue, Relief, Health Services and Rehabilitation programs especially in undivided Cuttack and KBK districts of Orissa State in collaboration with other NGOs, Networks & Government as sort term measure. Besides, massive plantation, regeneration and protection of degraded forest including mangrove, promotion of sustainable livelihoods, advocacy, lobby, networking and facilitation for sustainable management of water, land and forest and measures for effective disaster preparedness, response, management and mitigation are the long term approaches.
Cross Cutting Issues:
Climate Change, Prevention of HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Participation of marginalized groups like – women, children, elderly, disables, HIV/AIDS victims, tribals, dalits, destitute etc., reduction of IMR & MMR, Education & Health to All, Environmental Sustainability and Cooperation, Collaboration and Partnership for Sustainable Development are some of the cross cutting issues well addressed by the organization through its development actions.
For more information about CHALE CHALO and its Programs, Please visit http://www.chalechalo.org.in
ABOUT EMCOR PROJECT'S UK PARTNER "INTEGRATED VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT TRUST" (IVDT):-
The Trustees of IVDT have a wide range of experience in social and development projects here and abroad, and strong links with India where it mostly works. IVDT has a close involvement with the work, and two Trustees visit the projects each year to monitor and assess progress, and carry out training of staff and volunteers, as well as running workshops for teachers in the area, Women’s Groups and children. This means that the trustees have first-hand knowledge of the problems and achievements of the work that is carried out on the ground, and are able to build a long-term relationship of trust with development partners in the field.
IVDT’s priority to help the most marginalised – women and children, dalits and tribals. IVDT works in rural communities in parts of India which are being left behind by progress, leaving many even more vulnerable than before.
IVDT has high standards of transparency and accountability, and insist that all the project partners conform to those standards. It is also important to IVDT that the project beneficiaries themselves become empowered and are able to take control of their future.
For last 20 years IVDT has been supporting local NGOs in India in their work to empower marginalized sections of rural communities and to relieve rural poverty. It works with the most disadvantaged communities (women, children, youths, dalits, tribals and other weak sections of society) to enable them to improve their social, economic and environmental circumstances, and bring about long-term change within their communities.
It has worked with Indian development partners on projects such as - Women's Empowerment and Poverty Reduction through Women's SHGs, Rights of Tribal Adolescent Girls and Mothers, Promotion of Rights of Carpet Child Laborers and their Parents through Creative Education Centers, Technical Skill Development and Promotion of Livelihoods, Promotion of Tribal Health Rights. In Orissa we are currently working on projects such as - Women's Empowerment and Advocacy for their Rights and Poverty Reduction, Community Participation in Sustainably Managed Mangroves, Environment Education in schools and community, Advocacy on People's Rights and Entitlements, Empowering Marginalized Communities for Rights and Poverty Reduction through Community Radio etc.
IVDT has long experience in use of various forms of media and information technologies for development purposes. The current EMCOR Project in Orissa is one of the few community radio initiatives in India and IVDT has been involved in the conceptualization, designing, planning, monitoring, capacity building and impact assessment of the project. IVDT has been working with its Indian Project partner CHALE CHALO since 2005 and have been successfully implementing few innovative projects which have sustained multiplier impacts in bringing improvements in the lives of the excluded marginalized communities and their social, economical and environmental situations.
For more information about IVDT and its Projects, Please visit http://www.ivdtrust.org.uk
