Case Studies

A Stride towards Creating Awareness

 

It is often seen that the various Rural Development Schemes launched by the Government fail to reach the villages because of the lack of proper information about them. This leads to the lack of social and economic development in the extreme rural areas of India and in last some years, the situation has turned from bad to worse.

To deal with a similar situation existing in Banda and Hamirpur, two years ago UPVHA launched a project named Parivartan Pariyojna. This project, apart from providing information to people, also acts as a platform where people gather and discuss their problems as well as suggest solutions for the same. The first and the foremost step that this project took, was to establish information centers in every village. These information centers have changed the lives of the villagers as they are now aware of government's programmes for rural development, government procedure, information regarding their rights and other basic information that is necessary for them to fight for their living.

Phula Devi, the animator (selected from within community itself) of information center in Badhokhar village in district Banda, struggled a lot for herself and her family's existence. She says, "chahe koi hamare sine me goli mar de per hamari takat hume aage badne ke liya prerit karagi." (We are determined to move forward despite of any hassles. Our inner strength will give us impetus to move ahead.) She further acknowledges that with the help of these centers they came to know about their rights and their place in society.

Today she has enough strength to stand up against any kind of exploitation, but the circumstances were different earlier. Earlier, the repeated efforts by the Gram Pradhan to create awareness about the BPL (Below Poverty Level) cards failed. However, the villagers were more receptive towards the information given by the information centre.

Shivpyari, a Dalit woman from a poor family, is now able to earn livelihood from a grocery shop set up by her savings at the information centre (as SHG member). These information centers have literature that gives them knowledge about the Panchayati Raj, human rights, health issues, Constitution and law, and other basic information.

The animator keeps a record of the visitors coming to these information centers, their reactions and the information they get from such type of literature. These information centers also provide posters for creating awareness among villagers, on contraceptive measures for family planning and other necessary health kits which are provided to them by the Government. Savings of SHGs and their bank passbooks are kept here with record in registers.

These centers have all the information necessary for capacity building, awareness towards individual rights and for the formation of a much more enlightened society. The project is achieving great heights and its goal with the help of these information centers.