Society for Advancement in Tribes, Health, Education, Environment

(SATHEE)

Jharkhand, India

To ensure that the most vulnerable communities, especially marginalized children and women, living in the 4 districts, Jharkhand, attain their

fundamental rights as guaranteed to them in the

Constitution of India

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These children come from…• 46% of the population that live below the poverty line

• Displacement, recurring droughts and continuous migration exists to simply survive

• For 12.5 % of the inhabitants even two square meals a day is difficult to come by

– 25% still do not have access to safe drinking water.

• 50% have yet to gain their basic rights to an education – 76% to 80% children dropped out due to inaccessibility to the school.– 56% of the girl child never enrolled into a school, while more than 90%

dropped out

• 84% living here have no access to even toilet facilities

• 312 child laborers were initially reported working in the different forms while 655 children were identified to be working as house hold workers

• 43 cases of child trafficking were identified in the area.• Children are deprived from participation at all levels.• 32% children suffered sexual abuse and 97% cases of premature

marriages were reported.

• Basic infrastructure like roadways, electricity are still amiss in this district

• The district has the lowest right to earn a living and means of employment in India even 60 years post independence

These children come from…

...have now formed pressure groups...

Today, there are:

• 500 such bal sansads’ formed across the state of Jharkhand

• 18 sessions have been held at various levels – village, district and regional levels

• 10 bal melas’ (children’s gatherings) organized for networking and interaction amongst children

• A Bal Adhikar Morcha (a children’s rally) was organized to lobby with local government bodies

• A children’s magazine was also published on quarterly basis and distributed across the state

…leading to action• SATHEE along with the bal sansad groups and the community members

have enabled free, compulsory and quality education to the children of the region :

– functioning of 19 primary govt. schools, 6 residential welfare schools– 100% enrollment of children in the primary schools across 98 villages.– 50% retention of the children and decrease in school drop out rate by 80%.– 76% Girl children enrolled – 100% Challenged children enrolled

• Removal of all forms of child labor and violence against children

– 96% villages are child labor free and enrolled into schools

…leading to action• Reduction of infant, child and mother mortality rate

– government schemes like Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) are made available, accessible.

– At least 10 sessions on the subject health, Nutrition and hygiene in each village have been conducted to combat preventable diseases

– 100% birth registration has been ensured in the villages.–

• Functioning of local health care centers – infrastructure, medical equipments, beds, medicines, staff

– 4 Public Health Centers,14 Health Sub-centers, 3 referral Health centers and 17 ICDS centers have been activated.

• The various schemes initiated by the government have been implemented - food, pension, maternity benefits etc.

– 55 public distribution centers activated with regular basic food supplies.

What it takes to make this change “lasting” - SATHEE’s initiatives

• Awareness drives and campaigns demanding schools closer to village habitations and re-activation of the non-functional schools

• Information on legal rights of the community and the role of local government bodies in ensuring alternative means like irrigation facilities and scientific knowledge of agricultural methods to cultivate land

• Campaigns advocating and seeking social audits and public hearings for transparent implementation of the programs initiated by the government.

• Rallying to re-initiate the legal access by this tribal community to local natural resources

Sustainable change made possible• Conversion of 200 acres of drought land into cultivable

areas

• Established village level cooperatives to control the market of local produce, thus cutting out the middle man

• Introduced traditional methods of farming and seeds and organized grain and seed banks in more than 75 villages.

• Initiated collective farming processes across 50 villages.

• Ensuring of emergency funds in 40 villages to combat the food situation during lean period.

Empowered community groups

• 176 Village councils (Gram Sabha) including equal and adequate participation of women.

• 500 Traditional and Local apex self- governance bodies (Bungalow federations)

• Regional level alliances

“ “ Children can turn the world upside down Children can turn the world upside down (in the right direction that is!)”(in the right direction that is!)”

- Anita Marande, Bal Sarpanch - Anita Marande, Bal Sarpanch

(Chief of the children’s parliament) (Chief of the children’s parliament) Godda district Godda district

JharkhandJharkhand