Archives for category: Sharing in Success

India’s Scheduled Tribes

October 17, 2011 //

Indigenous people are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in India, facing disproportionately high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and poor health. These communities, referred to by the government as “Scheduled Tribes”, make up more than 8% of the country’s 1.2 billion inhabitants. Many have little contact with the outside world and continue to survive through hunting and gathering or farming with rudimentary agriculture techniques. It is estimated that more than half of these people live below the national poverty line.

As we work to combat poverty in India, special assistance must be provided to tribal communities to help them address their many needs in a way that respects their unique history and way of life. The Kothamangalam Social Service Society and the Highrange Development Society in Idukki have been working with tribal communities in the area of Marayoor, Kerala for nearly two decades. Prior to this, the communities had no interaction with the outside world and at first, they were cautious to have contact with people from the outside. Over time, staff members were able to establish a trusting relationship with the communities and were eventually welcomed in the tribal settlements. These staff members discovered a people with a nomadic culture, their own dialect, unique cultural arts and traditions, and a custom of nature worship. They also found high rates of infant mortality, insecure temporary shelters, many cases of early marriages, and extreme poverty.

The staff began to work with the community to illustrate the importance of formal education and eventually they worked together to create a school for the children of the area. It has been developed and expanded over time and now provides education up to Grade 4 for 200 local children. In addition to housing classes, the school also acts as a community centre where many gatherings take place, including community discussions on important issues, celebration of the local tribal festivals, medical camps, meetings with local government officials, and administration of the local Credit Union.

Save A Family Plan (SAFP) works in partnership with the Highrange Development Society to support the ongoing operation of the school and to continue addressing the needs of the children. In 2008, a midday meal program was started for the students after it was discovered many were missing class because they were hungry and spent the day searching for food in the forest instead. The following year, “an egg a week” program was started to provide additional nutrition to the children.

In early 2011, a survey of the community revealed that only 10% of the people in the tribal settlements had access to proper sanitation, while the rest were using open areas for their washroom. This practice leads to a variety of health issues and diseases that could be seen among the population. SAFP is now partnering with Highrange Development Society with a goal of building 60 latrines in the settlements this year. This will decrease the cases of endemic diseases, prevent the contamination of drinking water, decrease the infant mortality rate, and raise awareness of the importance of hygiene throughout the community.

SAFP is happy to support the work of the Highrange Development Society and the committed staff who spend their time working and teaching in these remote areas. In order to reduce poverty in India, it is essential that all people have the chance to take part in the country’s development and to benefit from the progress that is being made. Many marginalized groups, such as the Scheduled Tribes, require a helping hand to begin identifying and addressing the problems they face and to ensure their human rights are being met. We are pleased to work together with these communities as they engage in development with dignity and become active, participating citizens within their country.

By Cassandra Griffin
SAFP Canada Staff

Tags Development, education, India, indigenous people, Poverty, sanitation, scheduled tribe

Categories Development Matters, Get to Know Our Partners, Sharing in Success

Overcoming Obstacles to Education – Little Stars School

October 4, 2011 //

Although education in India is considered to be a right for all, schooling is still out of reach for many children from poor families throughout the country. This is the case for many children living in the slums in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, which is found in the north of India.

Poor families arrive in Varanasi from nearby villages and neighbouring states in search of work in the city. With no education, assets, or savings, they are often forced to settle in areas with poor infrastructure and lack of security, and to work low paying jobs driving cycle rickshaws, washing dishes, cleaning clothes, cooking or cleaning for others, selling vegetables or sweeping the street. With their small incomes, education for their children is out of reach. They are unable to afford the costs of uniforms, books, and supplies that are required for their children to study in free government schools. A large number of the children are also expected to work from a young age to help support the family, picking up trash in front of stores, begging, working at road side stalls selling tea or tobacco, pushing food carts, and working as domestic servants in wealthier homes. In this case, sending the children to school means a loss of income for the family.

Little Stars School, a partner of Save A Family Plan, is working to overcome the obstacles to education in the slums of Varanasi and give the children a chance at a better future. Along with providing tuition, uniforms, and supplies at no cost to the families, they have worked with parents to help them understand the importance of education. The school started by providing classes to a just few students, but now nearly 750 students are enrolled from preschool to grade 10.

Little Stars School aims to provide as much assistance as possible to these underprivileged children to address the variety of challenges they face. Class sizes are kept small to ensure that all the students get the help that they need and a wide range of skills are taught to accommodate their varying abilities and goals. Medical exams and daily nutrition supplements are also provided to keep the children healthy and deal with any problems. Support is provided to those who wish to continue their studies at college or university.

SAFP is happy to support organizations like Little Stars School that work to give disadvantaged children the chance to attend school. Their work is integral to making education for all in India a reality.

Photos and information courtesy of Little Stars School, http://www.littlestarsschool.org.

Tags Development, education, India, Little Stars School, slums

Categories Get to Know Our Partners, Sharing in Success

Sharing in Success – Microfinance in Gujarat

September 23, 2011 //

Sony Ben lives in Nadapa village near Bhuj in the state of Gujarat. She was abandoned by her husband and left to care for three children with her meagre income. Sony Ben has a wonderful talent for creating elaborate designs with needlework, which is a local form of traditional art in some rural parts of Gujarat. In order to earn an income, she would do this stitching work for a wholesaler in the city, who provided her with materials to create her artwork and paid her a minimal amount for her labour when she returned the completed pieces. By dealing with a middle man, she was prevented from participating directly in the local market.

Sony Ben became involved with an organization called Clare Bhavan, a partner of Save A Family Plan, which had come to her village to assist a group needy women. They were offered support to start their own small businesses, including receiving training and access to microfinance loans. Sony Ben was sceptical at first, since she knew of the problems that came from borrowing from moneylenders. However, she decided to join the group and take a loan of $125 provided by Save A Family Plan, after which she immediately purchased her own cloth and other supplies to produce her beautiful textiles work. Now that she has ownership of her materials, she is able to approach retailers on her own terms and earn a more fair amount for her product. She is able to earn $5 per day, which is enough to bring her above the poverty line and to meet the needs of her family.

Sony Ben shares her feelings about her experience. “I could not imagine my life if I had not joined the group. This is not just a
matter of me earning money, but now I have a feeling of pride and acceptance and the other women are appreciating me.”

To read more about the use of microfinance in SAFP’s programming, check out this this article, titled Helping the Poorest.

Tags Clare Bhavan, Gujarat, handicrafts, India, Micro-credit, microfinance, SAFP, Save A Family Plan

Categories Sharing in Success

Responding when Disaster Strikes

September 1, 2011 //

In addition to our ongoing development activities, International Development Organizations like Save A Family Plan and its partners also need to be prepared to act when natural disasters strike. Extreme weather conditions and other destructive forces present a major risk to the poor, many of who are struggling for survival to begin with. It is essential that organizations are able to respond quickly in this type of crisis situation.

Two years ago, SAFP was able to work together with the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society and other NGO’s to respond when torrential rains devastated the district of Davanagere in Karnataka. The rain caused severe flooding that swamped millions of acres and many people lost their homes, belongings, crops, livestock, and even their lives in the flood. In the aftermath, villagers whose shelters had been destroyed stayed in schools, temples, churches and community centres. Daily activities were at a standstill and thousands of people were left jobless.

The government’s relief efforts were slow to reach many of the affected people in this area, but the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society was able to take action. The staff was able to quickly assess the situation and ensure that relief was provided to those most in need. Relief packages were assembled by energetic youth from a nearby church and contained rice, oil, biscuits, tea, sugar, a bedsheet, soap, utensils, and other important items. In all, 530 families received relief packages.

The Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society had this to say about the experience: “Serving the flood affected people was an opportunity for our organization. We could stretch out our hands to the most affected people of our society. The survey that was conducted by volunteers helped us to select the poorest people and most affected by the rains. Every stakeholder played their role beyond their ability, with love and zeal. We thank every person for their mite in bringing some joy and peace in the lives of the affected poor.” They continue to engage with the affected communities to support livelihood initiatives and prepare the people to manage natural disasters in the future.

To learn more about SAFP’s role in disaster management, read about our Tsunami Family project.

By Cassandra Griffin
SAFP Staff

Categories Get to Know Our Partners, Sharing in Success

Sharing in Success – Our Tsunami Families

June 14, 2011 //

The ocean can be a source of livelihood for many poor families in costal areas, but it can also be a powerful source of destruction.

On December 26^th, 2004, the south-east coast of India was hit by a killer tsunami. The massive waves, which were said to have been higher than the tops of the palm trees, took many people living in the costal areas completely by surprise and caused the loss of an estimated 18,000 lives in India.

Of the countless people who were affected by the disaster, many of them were desperately poor families living in small fishing villages in areas where Save A Family Plan (SAFP) works. Those left behind faced problems such as the loss of their homes, the destruction of fishing boats and other income generating property, and the death of family members, sometimes including the main breadwinner of the family.

After witnessing the situations of these families as they struggled to recover from the disaster, SAFP recognized the importance of assisting them in the long-term and helping them to rebuild their lives in a sustainable way. Thanks to the support of many generous contributors, we were able to assist 500 affected families through our Family Development Program. Since then, the families have worked very hard with SAFP’s support to move beyond meeting their basic needs. Many have secured new homes, learned new skills, started income generation projects, educated their children, and saved money for their family’s future. We are overjoyed to say that all 500 families have successfully completed the program and have now moved on to be self-supporting!

We would like to share with you the story of Mr. Soosai and Mrs. A. Pushpam, an elderly couple in Tamil Nadu. Their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter were all lost in the tsunami, which was an incredible shock and left them as the guardians of their one remaining grandson, nine-year-old Anthony Praveen. This presented a major challenge for Soosai, who was already struggling to make ends meet for himself and his wife on the meager $20 he earned each month as a daily wage labourer.

Despite the terrible grief he suffered, Soosai was determined to support his family and ensure that his grandson, Anthony Praveen, was able to attend school. His old age made it very difficult for him to go out to work, so he had the idea of opening a petty shop (a small variety store) in order to earn an income.

Soosai, Pushpam, and Anthony Praveen in front of their home.

By participating in SAFP’s Family Development Program, Soosai has been able to open and run his shop right from his home with great success. He earns around $125 a month, which allows him to support his family and educate Anthony Praveen, who is now studying in the 9^th standard (Grade 9). All of them are healthy and living in a secure home. Thanks to the support they received, Soosai, Pushpam, and Anthony Praveen were able to find the courage and hope to move forward and rebuild their lives in a positive way.

It is with immense gratitude that we recognize all the contributors who responded with such generosity after the tsunami and contributed to the support of these families. The success these families have achieved after just 6 years reminds us of the incredible change that is possible when we partner with the poor.

Tags Development, Disaster management, India, Poverty, SAFP, Save A Family Plan