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i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 Highlights of the year 5 1.0 RESOURCE UNITS 6 1.1 Livelihood Resource Unit 6 Forest Rights Campaign 6 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) 8 Food Security 10 Other Activities 10 Publications 10 Impact of the Work of the Unit 10 Conclusion 11 1.2 Local Self Governance Resource Unit 11 Local Self Governance 12 Lobbying Successes 14 PESA Act 14 Others 15 Documentation and Publication 15 Conclusion 15 1.3 Budget Analysis Resource Unit – Budget Analysis Rajasthan 15 Centre (BARC) Our Day-to-Day Budget Work 16 Capacity Building of M.L.A.s 17 Issue-Based Meetings 17 Regional Orientation and Awareness Events 18 BARC Staff’s Representation as Resource Persons in the 18 Media and in Trainings Conducted by Other Organizations Micro-Studies 19 Publications 19 Press Conference 19 Conclusion 20 1.4 People’s Education and Culture Resource Unit 20 Literacy for Leaders 21 Literacy for Women Elected Representatives of PRIs 22 Ensuring quality education for tribal children 22 Cultural Teams 23 Conclusion 24 1.5 Globalization Resource Unit 24 1.6 Current Issues 24 1.7 People’s Organizations Resource Unit 24 Skill Enhancement Trainings 25 Issue Based Training 25 The Leadership Meetings cum Trainings (Sanchalak 26 Mandal Meetings) Networking and Lobbying for People’s Issues 27 High Court Case of Tribal Self Rule 27 Documentation and Publication 27 Research 27 Overall Impact of the People’s Organizations Resource Unit 27 ii 2.0 PEOPLE’S ORGANIZATIONS 28 2.1 The Tribal Development Forum (Adivasi Vikas Manch) 28 The Main Activities of the Forum during the year 29 Tribal Self Rule 29 Forest Rights 29 NREGA 30 Migrant Labour Issue 31 Loan Exemption Campaign 31 Tribal Education 31 Political Awareness 32 Right to Information 32 Annual convention – Melan Mela 32 Conclusion 33 2.2 The Tribal Women’s Awareness Society (Adivasi Mahila Jagriti Samiti) 33 The Main Activities of the Society during the year 34 Women Empowerment 34 Social Reform Committee 35 Forest Rights Act 35 National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme 35 Declaration of Village Republics 35 Food Security 36 Loan 36 Linkage with government schemes 36 Major Events Held and Organized 36 Jagruti Mela – Awareness Fair 36 Work with Youth 37 Women-Police Dialogue 37 Dialogue with Political Parties 37 Overall Impact/ Conclusion 37 2.3 The Rajsamand Women’s Forum 38 The Family Counseling Centre 38 Relief from Indebtedness 38 Food Security 38 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 39 Campaign against Child Marriage 39 International Women's Day 40 Conclusion 40 2.4 The Association of Strong Women Alone (Ekal Nari Shakti 40 Sangathan ) Background 41 Block Committee Members Trainings 41 Women’s Empowerment Day 41 District Camps 41 Meetings 42 Lobbying 43 National Forum of Single Women 43 Research 44 Publications 44 Expansion to Other States 45 Conclusion 46 iii 2.5 The Vagad Labourers and Farmers Association – Vagad 47 Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan Main Activities of the Association during the Year 47 Forest Land Rights 47 NREGA – National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 47 Tribal Self Rule 48 Loan 48 Displacement 48 Food Security 48 Dialogue with Political Parties 49 Overall Impact/ Conclusion 49 2.6 Jarga Area Development Society – Jarga Kshetriya Vikas 50 Samiti Main Activities of the Society during the Year 50 Forest Land Rights 50 Right to Information 51 Education 51 Women’s Empowerment 51 National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 51 Food Security 51 A campaign to declare the area under TADA (Listed as 52 a Schedule V Area) Awareness Campaign 53 Access to government schemes 53 Impact / conclusion 53 2.7 Gordward Adivasi Organization – Gordward Adivasi Sangathan 53 Main Activities of the Society during the Year 54 Forest Land 54 NREGA 54 Food Security – Public Distribution System 55 Education 55 Leadership Development 56 Annual Convention 56 Dialogue with Political Parties 56 Public Cooperation Scheme 56 Overall Impact 57 2.8 The Support Society 57 3.0 THE SUPPORT UNITS 57 3.1 The Administrative Support Unit 57 3.2 The Documentation Support Unit 58 a) The Library 58 b) The Audio-Visual Section 58 3. 3 The Planning Monitoring Evaluation Support Unit 59 Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation 59 Internal Evaluation 59 External Evaluation 59 3.4 The Astha Training Centre 60 iv 4.0 OVERALL CONCLUSION 61 ADDITIONS Addition No. 1 – Risk Reduction and Control 63 Addition No. 2 – Milestones – Progress Report of the Progress in 65 Achieving the Milestones Outlined in September 2006 APPENDICES TO THIS REPORT Appendix No. 1 – Balance Sheet and Income Expenditure Statements of Astha 75 Sansthan 2008-2009 Appendix No. 2 – List of Members of the Executive Council 77 Appendix No. 3 – List of Astha Staff 78 Appendix No. 4 – Organizational Chart of Astha Sansthan 80 Appendix No. 5 – Map of Rajasthan, District-Wise 81 Appendix No. 6 – Impact of Astha’s Work 82 v ABBREVIATIONS AMJS Adivasi Mahila Jagruti Samiti/ Tribal’s Women Awareness Society ASWA Association of Strong Women Alone AVM Adivasi Vikas Manch/ Tribal Development Forum BEO Block Education Officer CSD Campaign for Survival and Dignity EWRs Elected Women Representatives HRLN Human Right Law Network NAC-DIP National Advocacy Council for Development of Indigenous People NGO Non Government Organisation NREGA National Rural Employment Guarantee Act PESA Panchayat Extension to the Scheduled Areas Act PO People’s Organization RTI Right to Information SEZ Special Economic Zone TSR Tribal Self-Rule vi INTRODUCTION : Background: Astha was established in year 1986 and registered under the Societies Registration Act. Astha was founded by 7 workers who had 10 to 15 years of experience of working together in another NGO, especially in the field of adult education, rural development, organizing women’s group, drought management, and agriculture development. They had an understanding about the dominant forces affecting the lives of poor people. From their field experiences, they had learnt that people take interest in issues and problems related to them, and do make use of new information and awareness to take action. “Astha” is a Hindi word, and means “Faith”. We have Faith in the people, in their abilities strengths and knowledge. Astha believes that these capabilities are being suppressed by the dominant forces, and the result is that people themselves don’t recognize their inherent capabilities. “The People” for Astha means the poor, exploited, deprived, marginalized people, both men and women. Astha works with the poor. Whatever resources, human and material, we join on the side of the poor and marginalized. With this “deep faith” and “conviction” in the strength of the People and their capacities. Astha’s Mission: Astha has rich field-based experience of 22 years; the base of its work is primarily Rajasthan. The mission of Astha is to help The People to organize, to expand their capacities and equip themselves for the struggles they must preserve to overcome the various deprivations under which they live. Astha as a Field Based Resource Organisation, helps organizations of the poor get the knowledge, training, information, research that they require to bring about the structural changes needed. After the founder team analyzed their experiences, they found that when an organization takes any scheme or welfare-oriented work to the people, then the organization becomes ‘Giver/ Provider/ Donor’ and the people become the ‘Receivers’. This also makes people “helpless” or dependent. Thus, people associate themselves with the organization so long as the scheme/ project is on, and as soon as the scheme/ project winds up, people also get dispersed until another scheme/ project is introduced. In establishing a new organization, the issue was also discussed about the Role of an NGO. Should an NGO run parallel programmes or activities the government is also doing? Should NGOs run schools, health centers, plant trees, do watershed soil and water conservation work? Many, both within the government and outside, would say, “The government cannot do as good a job as the NGOs” – but this position privatizes the basic needs responsibilities of the state. The Astha team feels that the role of the NGO is to empower the citizens to become aware of their basic constitutional rights, their responsibilities and the government’s responsibilities, and together, to make the mass resources of the government available to the masses. Awareness about and use of laws is a role of NGOs. Of course, there are other legitimate NGO roles, in relation to social development and social change – caste and community customs are often expensive and/or cruel, counseling and mediation in problem-solving situations is often needed, people’s leadership development, and special interventions at times of crises (drought, flood, disaster). Strategy and Guiding Principles of Astha : 1. Independent People’s Organizations – We have observed that deprived, exploited, poor people are normally unorganized. Astha, with its deep conviction about people’s strength, feels that until they are organized, they would not be able to recognize and use their collective strength. 2. The Necessity of Women’s Participation and Leadership - Astha believes equally that women’s participation and leadership in the processes of social change are very crucial. Through our experience, we feel that for sustainable development and social change, special efforts are require to develop the leadership of women. 1 3. Knowledge is Power – Astha believes that knowledge is power, and knowledge comes from teaching and learning, from action / reflection, from analysis of root causes. Once people have knowledge, they can make use of it. Thus, the Astha team has decided that one of our main strategies would be to do extensive training involving sharing knowledge and analyzing problems, working towards an action plan, carrying out the plan and then back together for reflection-on-action.

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