2-76, Ananthavaram, Thullur Mandal, Guntur District – 522 236 Andhra Pradesh

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW ANNUAL REPORT – 2019 INTRODUCTION

GAMANA is a non-profit and nongovernmental organisation operating in 18 Panchayat Villages of Thullur Mandal of AP CRDA in Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh State in India. The organisation was found in 2007 with the endorsement of the community leaders and the local authorities as well. The organisation has mainly focused on education and empowerment.

GAMANA has built its reputation at grassroots level as a visionary organisation capable of working with communities mutually to alter the current course of conflicts and disempowerment at communal and individual level in the CRDA region. Thus, the need for attitudinal change for the youth is predictable. The lack of social economic stability for many parents has resulted the youth to get limited or no access to basic education and employment.

PURPOSE

The overall purpose of the project is to improve livelihood skills and reducing unemployment rate on target women for 16 to 35 years in 29 villages of APCRDA by empowering rural women through vocational education and training.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To reduce unskilled girls/women of 16 to 35 years age group. 2. To improve the life style of the women to live with dignity and pride in the village society. 3. To organise different skills trainings to improve the employability of women through appropriate vocational trainings. 4. Sustainable opportunities for self-employment creation. 5. To use these groups as a platform for generating awareness on social issues

PROJECT EXECUTION, GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT

Livelihood, Skilling & Capacity Building 1. Selection of suitable candidates was done from a group of 287 girls, where potential girls were screened and eventually selected. Though the process was time consuming but the end, result was satisfactory and had well-deserving girls who exactly fit our criteria.

2-76, Ananthavaram, Thullur Mandal, Guntur District – 522 236 Andhra Pradesh. INDIA Mobile: +91 98490 78450/+91 98480 78450 Email: [email protected] www.gamana.in www.facebook.com/gamana.in www.twitter.com/gamana_theway www.instagram.com/gamana.in www.linkedin.com/in/madhu-mekala-359724152 https://goo.gl/maps/Txw6BNDeCjQ2

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 2. 122 girls were selected, enrolled and trained for the course. The initial target of employment after the completion of the training course was 17%, but it was later raised to 32% in the qualitative outcome of the project. 3. Computer literacy has helped the girls to get employment with a steady source of income. We also realised the necessity of making rural India digitally literate to further challenge the traditional learning opportunities that have a gender bias, in order for digital progress to take place and bridge the urban rural divide. 4. Girls who can master technology found more career opportunities, decrease the gap in gender pay and take larger strides towards equality; the benefits of which will reach their children. 5. During the program implementation, various awareness activities and counselling sessions were organised for both the trainees and their families. 6. The purpose of these sessions was to educate them about the benefits of computer education and how it would help the girls become more empowered. 7. The training given by INFUSION also has an inbuilt component of soft-skills, EDP skills and personality development including English communication skills. 8. While the program was initiated in 2017, seeing the awareness it is raising in the community we are engaged in, we know that we are on the right path. 9. Seeing the large number of requests pouring in from engineering graduates too, we are motivated to expand, grow and empower as many young girls as we can in the near future.

Interface Meetings

Since the mid of the year 2017, Reliance Mart and few private firms encouraged us in collaborating together with GAMANA initiative. The main purpose of this imminent partnership is to foster the empowerment and employability of young girls between 16-35 years from challenged socio-economic backgrounds, with whom GAMANA is working. Federal Bank team of employees spent time during working and private hours to mentor the young people in their transition to the working world. They seek to inspire and motivate young women to prepare their first professional steps by means of sharing their own professional and personal experiences. A variety of activities are organised and they can roughly be clustered into the following categories:

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW a. Job orientation to help young women understand the job market b. Soft and basic skills training to enable access to the job market c. Exposure to professional working environment to gain initial work experience

PROJECT PERFORMANCE

1. GAMANA has structured the training in such a way as to ensure the holistic development of a trainee and thus modules such as life skills and implementation of the Individual development plans were included. 2. These modules have helped the trainees in understanding the various aspects of practical life. It has also equipped them with skills to deal with difficult situations, make rational decisions and establish positive interpersonal relationships. 3. It has had a very positive effect on their self-image and employable development skills. 4. The trainees felt that the project has changed them and has a significant impact on their lives. 5. Financially, it has transformed them from being idle and not having any idea about future to earning money and being a productive resource to the family. 6. Now with skills acquired, they are able to earn money for themselves and their families. 7. With assured income they are able to take care of their family’ financial problems, clear debts buy items for the family; spend money on health and education of the siblings. 8. Socially, they have gained good relationships with family and friends and with the Employers. The trainees find it satisfying to get recognition from the family and the community. 9. Learning computers, being able to speak little English and having a regular job have enhanced their self-esteem and recognition in the community. 10. Professionally, they have good relationship with the people with whom they are working. They take their careers seriously and are able to communicate effectively. 11. They also are going through the local newspaper advertisements seeking further professional opportunities in their careers. 12. Attitudinally, they have gained enormously. They think positively, work hard and are better disciplined. 13. In addition, they are taking feedback positively and working hard on it so that they can move forward. 14. The parents endorse the perception of the trainees, for they see tremendous change in the lives of their children.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 15. While the trainees were not serious enough about their career at the beginning of the project, they have become serious during the training with a clear goal in terms of both short term and long term. 16. Another significant outcome of this project is the impact it has had on the community as a whole. There is greater awareness of the opportunities available and a willingness to accept alternate means of livelihood. 17. This project has had an impact on few establishments also. They have become sensitive to the need to support the disadvantaged in upliftment of their life. The partnership and commitment shown by some of the establishments has been encouraging. 18. The impact of the program was that it provided an opportunity to “give back to the society” by engaging themselves in the program and providing the marginalised women an employment which is the last milestone in the journey.

OUTSTANDING ISSUES

Potential risks that have jeopardised the realisation of some are tackled

1. Though the private sector is willing to lower their entry-level education barriers, they still prefer urban youth with technical qualifications. The employers require 2-3 references from the trainees to verify their credentials and security. Given the background, it becomes difficult to provide such references. 2. The private sector demands the manpower to work in shift system. The parents are hesitant to permit them to work in night shifts. Though job acceptance is high, retention among women especially is a huge challenge as it acts as a deterrent for girls in the context of marriage. 3. Some Companies in general have started to look up on outsourcing for manpower requirements as becomes a cost saving option for them. However, this is somehow lead to exploitative employment to the girls. 4. Due to potential high migration and to spread information among parents to allow their children to accept jobs in nearby towns, we are not fully succeeded to convince both the trainees and parents.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 5. To mitigate this, the success stories of the employed girls are shared with the reluctant girls and their families at the time of social awareness meetings for mobilisation and job placements. 6. This strategy, along with continuous interaction with families and bringing trainees into the job orientation skill trainings to some extent contributed to placement acceptance ratios. 7. Some families view this training opportunity as a right (from the government) and not an opportunity (for them to become self-reliant). They are more interested in ‘demanding’ than ‘participating’, which is the spirit of the program. 8. After successful training too, there are some instances when girls and their families have openly stated that they are able to find better ‘matches’ for them to marry with this additional qualification. 9. The girls from poor family background, due to pressing financial problems, prefer to go for daily wages in construction sector or seasonal migratory work as non-formal or daily wage workers, even if they know this is more exploitative. 10. Mobilisation strategies that include clear information on options in the job market have provided in such cases the opportunity for these girls to make informed choice options. 11. However, several girls remain in the unskilled non-formal, daily wage stream, which is a cause for concern.

Disabled

Overall, 16 girls with disabilities who had taken part in the program, training was considered least effective because the lowest percentage of trainees managed to find employment, because of the operational suitability to those with a physical disability and a perception of higher demand in the field. The disabled girls because of possible self-employment options in their localities favourably considered writing accounts and book keeping for SHGs. Overall though, appropriateness of the training (i.e. training that matched the trainees skills, ability and mobility) was deemed the best indicator for finding employment.

DOCUMENT AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

1. 15% of those who did not find employment after training stated that the insufficient (3 months) training program was at least partly responsible.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 2. 5% of trainees applied for jobs in various establishments, but they did not get jobs because their learning experience is not strong enough. In this instance, there was a mismatch between the trainee’s knowledge and nature of work which they have chosen. 3. 60% of trainees were motivated enough to find work after completing their courses and 50% of the trainees took part in the Focus Group Discussions/social awareness trainings, expressed that the training also helped a lot to establish awareness about government and private sector jobs. 4. Almost all disabled girls reported that they had learnt about disability allowances, identity cards, seat reservations on buses/trains, disability stipends, rights and entitlements. 5. 80% of the disabled mentioned that they have increased awareness and self-confidence. This is to be considered important because, generally speaking, it resulted in more positive attitudes among them and community. 6. To sum up, the training program, 63% of the trainees appeared to heighten everybody’s motivation to participate in civic society, awareness of women rights, as well as improve psychological well-being.

Social

Out of 57 trainees, who had successfully completed the training and got employment in different establishments were expressed about the changes they had noticed in terms of support and inclusion:  Improvement in their overall quality of life in several significant ways, over and above increased financial resources and independence.  Having an opportunity to connect with other people was observed as essential and employment helped most of them to communicate with service providers.  Their family members now involved them more in decision-making.  They started feeling and believing that they are more accepted in their families  Had enough courage to discuss/argue and accepted in the community/society.  In the Focus Group Discussions, all trainees agreed that employment enhanced their sense of belonging and identity.  Improvement in independence and individual freedom was often related to greater access to financial resources.

Psychological

The participants expressed the following psychological improvements and societal changes in their life: 68% of trainees expressed that they had overcome tremendous fear and low self-confidence related to employment. 79% of the girls who got employment had shifted their aspirations, dreams, desires and expectations.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW In the Focus Group Discussions, all the trainees expressed that the training program had enhanced their self-esteem. Some of them also mentioned a positive impact on how they viewed themselves in relation to their village society. Finding employment had a substantial effect on the girls psychological, economical and societal factors and acceptance. It was noted that all the trainees accepted that, employment had improved their overall quality of life, dreams and expectations and helped them feel more confident and accepted within their family and community.

Challenges Faced during Employment

1. Although many positive results of having found employment are noted, it is important to consider the challenges that the trainees face in the workplace. 2. Of the 28 girls employed, who participated in the Social mobilisation programs said that they experienced negative attitudes from their supervisors or co-workers. 3. In fact, few Executives expressed their negative opinion in the following way: “From my experience, I never find these rural people productive. Most of the time, when I give them a few tasks, they always need extra support. 4. The main challenges experienced by the trainees during employment were societal and psychological (e.g. negative attitudes).

PLACEMENT/EMPLOYMENT

1. 12% of trainees managed to secure employment on their own within their surroundings, which have improved individual lives (economically, socially and psychologically) as well as societal attitudes towards them. 2. Found employment had affected positively on their quality of life and social acceptance. 3. However, Empowering Rural Women through Vocational Education and Training project is more successful in preparing teenage girls for employment. 4. Mere participation in the training had also yielded positive results, such as the motivation to find work and increased awareness of women employment/empowerment. 5. However, the fact that 39% of the girls failed to find employment after the training program implies that there is stillroom for improvement. 6. For some trainees, discrimination is also a key factor for their continued unemployment and they expressed that even some of those who were successful in finding employment faced discrimination in the workplace. 7. Majority of disabled girls were denied employment though they have met necessary requirements. Instead, they tried to find out and settle as bookkeepers for SHGs within their villages on their own skills/talent.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 8. Discrimination towards disabled girls extends to the challenge of seeking and maintaining employment.

Acknowledgements

1. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Dr. Damaris Luthi, on behalf of GAMANA for her valuable contribution, insight into the project, support and profound belief in our work with helpful support in empowering rural Women through vocational education and training project. 2. I am deeply indebted to her by keeping utmost belief on us by recommending our project for Four Wheeler and got it sanctioned by Survive-Miva, Switzerland. 3. I am also very much grateful to Mr. Peter Ganther and acknowledge our heartfelt gratitude to the donors/contributors of Survive-Miva, Switzerland who helped us by sanctioning the Vehicle for the training purpose and office needs. (Unfortunately, we could not utilise the vehicle much during this reporting period, as it was sanctioned in the month of January 2019). 4. With an earnest request and assurance to the Director Karin Schafer, MIVA, that this vehicle will be fully utilised in the proposed/anticipated projects in coming years. i. ‘Capacitating different stake holders to effectively respond to issues of girl child education’ project submitted to WDP-Switzerland and ii. ‘Women Empowerment Initiative/vocational education and training to the existing out of school girls in 29 villages for sustainable livelihood’. 5. The project success would not have been possible without providing jobs/placements to the trainees with different employment opportunities. I express our sincere gratitude to the authorities and personnel of Reliance Mart, D-Mart, CRDA and Individual Entrepreneurs, those who considered our request in recruiting our trainees (though half-baked in attaining the required soft/EDP skills).

LESSONS LEARNT

1. There are various factors that lead to girls dropping out and menstruation is definitely an important but often overlooked issue. 2. Society as a whole has a big role to play. At the grassroots, we need more sensitisation on these issues.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 3. Community members who do not have school-aged children were felt like the dropout rate does not affect them. However, it does. 4. Everyone wins when students stay in school. Educational qualifications definitely will increase when students have community support and communities benefit with more graduates in their workforce economy. 5. Dropout rates affect entire communities with decreased buying power, lower-rated schools and decreased property values. There is a trickle effect. 6. Mentorship has potential to play a big role in keeping girls in school especially where teenage pregnancies and lack of commitment of the parents are the main factor affecting retention. 7. Teenage years are the formative years when girls begin to discover themselves. It is crucial to have proper guidance both in the home and outside to ensure that girls do not slip through the cracks. 8. Girls must first have a conducive environment if they are to attain a reasonable level of education. 9. Proper sanitation, nutrition, possessiveness and attitudinal changes are a part of this conducive environment without which Girls will be left with no option but drop out of school.

FUTURE PLANS IN CORRELATION WITH THE PRESENT CONTEXT

Keeping the lessons learnt above, GAMANA developed a two-pronged strategy to address the girl’s retention rate in schools and vocational training to the out of schoolchildren;

1. Increase awareness among the adolescent/school going girls and empower girls to face their issues boldly, confidently and effectively to retain in the school to prevent dropout rate. 2. Traditional education would be supplemented with skill based technical trainings by capacitating adolescent/school going girls to understand their rights violation problems and deal the same effectively to reduce the school dropout rate. 3. Engage different stakeholders, PTAs (Parent/Teacher Associations) community at large and schools as collaborators in time beyond the typical school day to help more students’ succeed. 4. Involve families outside the traditional school day, both in their own learning and supporting their children’s success and deploy quality standards linked to successful programming and results. 5. New satellite centres would be set up to bridge the imbalances and disparities across the villages to address special economic, social and technological needs of the target group. 6. A holistic and balanced expansion approach would be adopted to-open Satellite Centres to targeted and uncovered villages. Thrust would be on consolidating and improving the capacity and quality of the Centres. 7. Skill development centres at Cluster level will be used to provide skill development opportunity as well as to act as one-step kiosks with information on the labour market/employment, vocational learning opportunities and support schemes.

THE WAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW 8. Focus of modular courses and short-term courses with fast changing skills in the labour market, focus would be on short, relevant and effective courses that would get candidates into the workplace. 9. Training of trainers will be provided to create new knowledge and improve teaching standards. Refresher courses for trainers are also necessary. Initiatives to improve the quality and availability of Instructors in training sessions need to be launched in a mission mode. 10. Local Establishments, Entrepreneurs, Individual Entities and other local bodies will be involved in skill development and employment generation at the local level. 11. For skills development, GAMANA being a facilitator will take a lead role in terms of investment.

CONCLUSION

We constantly tried to remove the social and economic barriers faced by girls in the intervention villages of GAMANA for fulfilling their livelihood ambitions. There is a dire need to reach out to educate the school-going girls and empower school dropout girls to combat the numerous costs, social stigma and the safety concerns of rural parents sending their girls to distant places for employment. GAMANA have flexible strategies, which are especially appropriate for enabling access to training and improved life prospects when working with disabled and disadvantaged girls. However, there is clarity about the distinguishing characteristics of vocational trainings overall and where exactly measures like improved basic education, occupational orientation, life-skills training or job-entry coaching fit in to vocational training. GAMANA has therefore decided to create an orientation framework describing the vocational trainings with its specific characteristics and the orientation towards the ‘promotion of competences for the labour market’. This vocational training strategy should explicitly incorporate the flexibility that has made the partners’ work so successful until now. With regard to improving our concrete approaches to vocational training, we are seeking more dialogue with Corporate Sector and its vocational training partners in concrete terms; a presentation of these results would be planned for 2019-2022.

FINANCES

WDP – Switzerland MIVA – Switzerland