Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samatha Society (A MAHILA SAMAKHYA PROJECT OF G.O.I., REGD. NO. 3485/1992)
ANNUAL REPORT 2010-11
Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samatha Society (Mahila Samakhya Project of Gol) H.No. 12-13-485/5, Nagarjuna Nagar, Tarnaka, Secunderabad - 500 017. Ph : 040-27150233. Telefax : 040-27150557 e-mail : [email protected] Website : www.apmss.org
Annual Report 2010-11 1 APMSS Reach
No.of Districts - 14 No. of Mandals - 106 No. of Villages - 4394
2 Annual Report 2010-11 Inside…..
Programme Information ...... 4
Abbreviations ...... 6
Reflections ...... 7
Institutional Processes ...... 11
Second Generation ... towards Equality ...... 22
Pathways to Education ...... 32
Building Capacities and Strengthening Networks ...... 49
Expanding Horizons of Community Sensitivity ...... 61
Samatha Gender Resource Centre ...... 70
Documentation ...... 74
Participation in Seminars & Workshops ...... 77
Visitors ...... 80
Audit Report ...... 82
Executive Committee Members ...... 85
Addresses of District Implementation Units ...... 88
Annual Report 2010-11 3 78 28 otal 767 381 961 467 858 226 738 275 9,110 3,291 4,079 1,103 4,394 1,092 5,171 1,054 19,084 42,688 27,633 1,37,080 1,79,768 -- 14 - - 541 2807 1,258 PKSM ATP KNL VSP KMM T 1,394 762 689 509 209 - 14,070 22,431 25,485 14,039 14,527 5,190 7,053 6,589 ADB WRL NLG VZM SKLM 4681 3,212 798 1,175 126 780 762 655 509 - - 8,969 6,309 ------10,077 1,635 4,411 1,276 101 1,111 8,899 2,141 1,385 1,483 246 1,022 287 - 156 1,011 761 192 402 3,651 2,823 1,541 126 5,085 10,690 1 2,701 1,097 - 3,350 971 9,039 5,088 2,886 2,132 139 - 230 - - Programme Information 2010-11 10,947 7,585 16,032 18,275 16,046 19,046 10,990 22,431 25,485 14,039 14,527 5,190 7,053 6,589 2,807 1,258 Sanghams in No.of learners at presentNo.of 6 8 3 7 7 2 6 2 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 8 2 0 3 4 5 0 2 9 b) Membership in No. of autonomous mandals MandalsTotal 7Villages in autonomous mandals VillagesTotal 199 7 259autonomous mandals 1 4 279 sanghamsTotal 7 132 1 5 existing project mandals 3 454 234 199 1 autonomous mandals 0 594 4 Membership Total 259 - 515 1 0 388 279Membership in Core Groups - 491 389 - 7 132Sangham women 454 365 - 223 - 6 875(Sangham and Federation) 301*Health - - 422 5*Legal Literacy - 295*Gender 767 340 272 -*PR - 5 -*Economic 454 210 250*Education - - 4*Leadership qualities 343 - 275*NR 120 413*others - 250 - 6 250 - - 238 251 761 90 56 8 - - 251 - 22 160 0 36 250 95 - - 202 - 8 - 150 42 - 46 - - 113 - 42 24 4 - - 75 150 6 - 0 - - 5 35 - 88 4 - - 144 111 52 6 5 95 - 34 106 40 586 - 5 - 6 - - 23 - 67 - 334 - 287 - 434 53 - 1 2 188 - - - - 296 - - 158 - 132 - - - 149 - - - - 55 - - - 34 ------252 ------209 ------7 No.of women trained 6 no.of literate Total SlNo Particulars1 No. of Mandals covered2 Coverage of Villages3 MDK 7 MNR No.of Sanghams 8 KNR 255 NZB 3 335 109 7 316 2575 232 3 131 No. of Core Groups 175 301 6 743 295 199 5 272 6 0 340 5 250 454 2 6 275 4 343 - 250 413 6 251 6 7 2388 8 160 251 3 9 No.of MSKs 150 202 8 170 113 178 4 6 124 0 4 8 5 2 9 1 - 2 9 1 - 1 - 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 a) Sangham Membership in
4 Annual Report 2010-11 8 62 33 38 511 100 367 349 121 192 695 100 746 8,463 1,670 6,603 1,874 1,551 21,173 14,762 27,296 - 3,050 - - 481 -- - - 7,239 4,476 83 17 15,066 4,902 810 455 48,332 2,312 54 984 2,607 ------11,715 4,626 3,222 2,139 4,174 10,554 7,260 2,2101,472 2,9713,682 1,866 409 4,837 271 1,039 680 481 - 1,520 ------1,064 2,5421,650 4,058 1,978 1,4772,499 1,056 927 2,477 1,749 946 1,545 682 1,499 1,381 2,170 - 5,732 3,864 2,481 385 1,7971,744 798 1,3653,044 2,625 2,462 - 4,030 2,406 62 142 576 450 72 186 232 353 - 760 184 428 - 58 58 212 361 1,214 47 498 1,321 66 7 Total No. of Women Total No.of cases received Trainings Team 1 0 3 0 7 3 1 8 2 158 7 6 ------No.of girls mainstreamed into Schools / Hostels KGBVsNo. of Learners 3 7Girls 2 8Boys children Total 2 8autonomous mandals 3 9No. of GirlsNo. of Boys 3 childrenTotal 4 51Boys 4 0Girls 849 131 children Total 4 9 1,000 192 610 618Sangham fund 1 996 386 0 40 553 1 4elected to PRIs 789 67ZPTC 4,822 1 4 1,300MPTC/MPP 3,396 - 1,405Sarpanch 2,145 1 6 -Ward members 1,425 80 - 911 4joined in Sanghams 0 114 7 7 - 1,712 407 - 2,496 - 8 8federation level 5 234 244 2 - 1 7 0 110 - 223 3 4 8 3 9 -at Sangham level 5 7 2 7 2 - 1 119 13 149 - 9 6 9 8 1,098(a) No.of trainings held for team 5 7 5 - 1 - 7 - 7 384 5 9 5 111 2 - 7 - - - 407 1 486 8 1 5 7 7 1 4 7 1,286 219 12 7 - - - 307 1 5 11 17 436 3 4 345 43 1 2 8 - - - 10 9 - 2 173 5 35 190 17 2 - - 354 - 1 4 32 - - - - - 2 - 3 46 2 8 - - - 4 - 1 - - - 2 - 4 8 - - 3 - 5 0 - - - - 5 6 - - 1 - 2 ------6 ------1 0 - - - - - 6 4 - - - (b) No.of Participants 4 4 2 5 157 3 4 2 1 9 7 105 4 5 5 2 2 4 3 7 4 4 1 7 4 4 Committees at Mandal / * Through various interventions during the year (excluding MSK) 1 3 No.of Sanghams received 9 No.of Adult Learning Centres1 0 No.of Bala Sanghams 3 4 8 4 101 134 105 4 41 2 5 6 4 3 No. of children enrolled* 7 0 7 0 8 9 3 11 415 220 NPEGEL clusters - 204 2 4 205 148 3 2 336 114 - 232 166 1 384 5 13916(a) 272 - 3 2 1481 8 2 1 19 - 352 No.of Early marriages postponed 11 360 216 11 6 4 - 272 5 224 1 132 5 8 6 4 4 0 - 5 7 8 - 2 1 7 No.of cases resolved 11 No. of Bala Sanghams in 15 (a) No. of EWRs Total 1 6 No. of Nari Adalats/ Nyaya
Annual Report 2010-11 5 Abbreviations ALC Adult Learning Centre MIS Management Information System AMC Academic Monitoring Committee MRG Mandal Resource Group ANM Auxiliary Nurse & Midwife MS Mahila Samatha APD Assistant Programme Director MSK Mahila Sikshana Kendram APMSS Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samatha NABARD National Agricultural Bank for Rural Society Development APNA Andhra Pradesh NGOs Alliance NGO Non Government Organization APO Assistant Project Officer NH Day Nutritional Health Day APOSS Andhra Pradesh Open School Society NIOS National Institute for Open Schooling AWC Angan Wadi Centre NLMA National Literacy Mission Authority CESS Centre for Economic & Social NPEGEL National Programme for Education of Sciences Girls at Elementary Level DEO District Education Officer NPO National Project Office DFID Department for International NRG National Resource Group Development PE Primary Education DIU District Implementation Unit PHC Primary Health Centre DPC District Programme Coordinator PLHA People Living with HIV/AIDS DRG District Resource Group PRI Panchayat Raj Institution DRP District Resource Person PWDV Protection of Women from Domestic EC Executive Committee Violence EWR Elected Women Representative RC Resource Centre FGD Focused Group Discussion RP Resource Person GB Governing Body GCDO Girl Child Development Officer RTE Right To Education GP Gram Panchayat RTI Right To Information HIV/AIDS Human Immuno Virus/Acquired RVM(SSA) Rajiv Vidya Mission (Sarva Siksha Immuno Deficiency Syndrome Abhiyaan) HLERC Hemalatha Lavanam Educational SC & ST Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe Resource Centre for Women & Girls SGRC Samatha Gender Resource Centre ICDS Integrated Child Development SHG Self Help Group Scheme SLMA State Literacy Mission Authority ICPS Integrated Child Protection Scheme SPD State Programme Director IEC Information, Education & Campaign SRC State Resource Centre ITDA Integrated Tribal Development SSS Shrama Sakthi Sangham Agency TLM Teaching Learning Material JRM Joint Review Mission ToT Training of Trainer JRP Junior Resource Person UNCRC United Nations Child Rights KFAW Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women Convention KGBV Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya UNICEF United Nations International MCS Model Cluster School Children’s Educational Fund MDM Mid Day Meal VRO Village Revenue Officer MDO Mandal Development Officer WASSAN Watershed Support Services & MEO Mandal Education Officer Activities Network MG - Mahatma Gandhi National Rural WHO World Health Organization NREGS Employment Guarantee Scheme ZPHS Zilla Parishad High School
6 Annual Report 2010-11 Reflections
It is always a good feeling to put all the promote empowerment of the most experiences together in the form of annual marginalized women. It is interesting that report to share it with a wider audience. the observations were almost similar to the This is an opportunity to reflect up on and points that were being discussed in the to compile all the achievements, learning internal reflection meetings and this experiences and challenges faced during the reinforced our efforts towards evolving year gone by in facilitating empowerment concrete strategies. processes. It gives us a scope for critical reflection and provides new insights for further strategic planning. The past year was full of dynamic activity both at organization and field levels. Expansion to new mandals, implementation of National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) and participation of team members in a variety of events taken up by different departments and organizations has widened the reach of The annual exercise of internal assessment the programme. Mutual exchange of time and resources by the federations and the of the programme and performance team members for supporting each others appraisal of team members for this year causes and emergence of autonomous which happened subsequent to JRM visit federations as competent grassroots contributed in revisiting the existing organizations instilled confidence on their strategies and focus of the programme. It sustainability. Becoming members of also helped in realizing the need for different networks on issues like Mahatma articulating explicitly on the issues of Gandhi National Rural Employment exclusion and evolving more workable Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA), Right to strategies for inclusion. This has been well Information Act (RTI), Right to free and taken in preparing the annual work plan compulsory Education Act (RTE) at district for the coming year. and state levels created an opportunity for exchange of experiences and bringing in new The two major events, ‘Samanvitham’ – learnings. State level workshop of federations and The visit of Joint Review Mission (JRM) ‘Samatha Manddaralu’ – Alumni forum reiterated the need for addressing of Mahila Sikshana Kendram (MSK) discrimination through inclusive activities graduates, organized during this year gave and evolving more nuanced strategies to us immense satisfaction. The workshop
Annual Report 2010-11 7 with federations was the second in series in girls who graduated recently from MSKs revisiting their vision. Strategic planning to understand the possible societal pressures was done by the federations after reflecting and the need for building ones capabilities on the achievements, shortcomings and to negotiate for their own space. challenges. Necessary support systems were identified and action plan was developed We are thankful to our Chairperson who by each federation for next two years. The has been instrumental in revival of elaborate discussions on autonomous implementation of NPEGEL by Andhra functioning, convergence and networking Pradesh Mahila Samatha Society helped the younger federations to (APMSS). We could implement it understand the critical factors involved and successfully in 3,050 Model Cluster Schools to design suitable action plans. Encouraging (MCS) in convergence with Rajiv Vidya interactions with the Minister for Primary Mission (RVM-SSA), covering both Education, Principal Secretary (PE); and project mandals and non-project mandals higher officials from different departments with in 13 project districts. This has been a made the federation to recommit them- learning experience where we tried to selves to their mission. integrate the Mahila Samakhya (MS) approaches into formal school education, with a focus on life skill education to girls. We are looking forward with renewed energy to implement it in all the 14 project districts in the coming year. Improving educational levels among Sangham women, issue resource persons, federation office bearers and also the team members has been another focal area during the past year. Various educational activities Holding alumni forums of MSK graduates were taken up for different age groups at is an annual affair at District Implementation field level like short term MSKs, long Unit (DIU) level. But it was organized for duration residential camps, organizing the second time at State level after the gap assessment tests, etc., which created a of a decade. Therefore, it was an exciting momentum in the villages. Massive event to all of us and the participants, as attendance of 53,000 neo-literates to the the girls came back with loads of experiences basic literacy test conducted in to share and questions to pose. This event collaboration with State Resorce Centre provided a platform to these young women (SRC), to assess the literacy levels of the to reflect on their lived realities in the learners as part of creating a positive context of their learnings at MSK. Same environment for Saakshara Bharat prog- time it was a learning experience for the ramme by National Litercy Mission
8 Annual Report 2010-11 Authority (NLMA) and National Institute ures for autonomous functioning in the for Open Schooling (NIOS) within the consolidation mandals of Warangal and project area is an example. 1,899 women Nalgonda. This is because the strategy was enrolling themselves to different classes different from that of federation where the under Andhra Pradesh Open School Mandal Resource Groups are the base for Society (APOSS) is another example for evolving the constitutional body for their interest towards formalizing their structural functioning. However, we are learnings and getting equivalency certificate. confident that with the support from autonomous federations and the experienced It is very much inspiring to note that 968 sangham women / Bala Sangham girls team in Warangal and Nalgonda districts, appeared for class X exams and 111 taken we would be able to facilitate this process admission into the newly introduced successfully in the coming year. intermediate education under Open Along with the Sanghams at mandal level Schooling stream. the role of the organization is also changing from implementation to advocacy; from resource group to resource agency; and from low profile to greater visibility. It is bigger challenge to the State level team to strike a balance between the existing programme and the changing roles. On the other hand, the vertical movement of many team members created some gap in the processes, but in a short time it could be addressed with close interactions and capacity building sessions in getting role clarity. As many as 139 educated sangham women Role change of old team members and getting jobs as village coordinators under joining of many new team members in the Saakshara Bharat programme gave impetus programme created a greater demand for to the literacy agenda of Sanghams and intensive capacity building at various levels. federations. This momentum is also Meeting this demand within the available reflected in team members’ attempts to time to reach the set goals for the year has upgrade their educational qualifications. It been a challenge in the context of the present gives us happiness in reporting that many stage and pace of the programme. of our grassroots functionaries, core team However, we are happy to report that we members, MSK teachers and also the could meet this demand by creating an support team members continuing their internal resource pool with experienced education through open-university mode. team members and Sangaham women. In Facilitating federations attain autonomy has addition, we could also gather support from been a successful experience while it is prominent gender and development challenging to facilitate similar process practitioners and former MS colleagues in towards formation of mandal level struct- building conceptual understanding and
Annual Report 2010-11 9 broadening perspective on the changing instrumental in successfully rehabilitating contexts and new trends in development the Joginis and their daughters in Nizamabad sector. district. It is planned to utilize this space to create a comprehensive model of resource Our national consultants contributed their centre for women and girls in the coming part in demystifying the results framework year. and working out necessary formats for compiling the data collected through the All the above developments together with existing information channels. This exercise the observations of the JRM members helped the team members in developing an informed the next year’s annual work plan. insight into how to visualize the programme Major focus would be on strengthening the and the activities within the results institutional processes and accelerating the framework and present both the qualitative process of consolidation in the mandals and quantitative outcomes in a reporting where the programme has completed more format. than five years of implementation. Another area of focus would be on evolving suitable We are excited to report another important strategies and functional action plans for happening this year. Entering into a long the autonomy of Mandal Resource Groups term agreement with Samskar – an (MRG). At the same time we also feel the organization working on child rights and need for creating forums for adolescents to women’s equality for setting up of resource address the increasingly coming up issues centre using its 11 acres campus in Varni, of violence against girls. In this context, it Nizamabad district is a historical movement is envisioned that the programme would for us. It is named as Hemalatha Lavanam evolve as a strong advocacy body for Educational Resource Centre for Women influencing desired change towards and Girls (HLERC) after the veteran social achieving women’s empowerment. This worker late Hemalatha Lavanam who was indicates the need for intensive and continued capacity building of adolescents, federations, resource groups and the team members. In this process, efforts towards women’s literacy and girls’ education become common thread running through all the initiatives and interventions. The subsequent chapters present detailed account of the progress, successes, challenges as well as learnings during the past year…
10 Annual Report 2010-11 Institutional Processes
The changing trends in the socio-economic While these developments are happening and political scenario of the state over the at village level, simultaneous change in period of last 18 years since MS programme institutional processes at cluster level has began have been influencing the direction also been reflected in accordance to the and processes of facilitating grassroots village level strategic changes. In 28 mandals women’s agencies – Sangham, federation, where the programme was launched in the MRG, etc. Once we look back – in1993, first five years (1993-98), mandal level mobilizing and organizing most margina- federations have become autonomous and lized women into village level sanghams was are functioning autonomously. Retaining the principal strategy. By the year 2000, organic linkage MS and federations are strategic shifts were brought in to working working together exchanging expertise to with existing women’s groups considering meet each others needs. In the remaining the already wide spread Self Help Groups mandals, the idea of evolving cluster level (SHG) movement across the State. Enough resource pool and mandal level resource care was taken to ensure that most margina- group emerged, as issue committees were lized women who are out side SHG are already formed in the sanghams and received brought under the Sangham fold. focused inputs. Further brainstorming was held both at team and field levels, contem- We tried to facilitate a village level plating on the evolution of a constitutional Sangham/Core Group with representation body and nature of consolidation processes. from each SHG and those outside SHG, It was envisaged that this mandal level but the major challenge was huge registered body would give identity to the membership in the Sangham ranging from MRG and work independently on 80-150. By 2007, when the programme women’s issues and concerns. This is an expanded to more districts, the strategy has alternate model evolved from the field level been revisited again and the idea of more discussions and almost similar to the than one Sangham (Waada Sangham) in federation model. the village seemed more practical to address The last three years have been a period of the above challenge and to reach all women intense discussions, debates, reflections on in the village irrespective of being in SHG these various institutional strategies to be or not. Thereafter, village level Core Group facilitated at various levels. We were grappling with representation from issue committee with concerns raised by Sangham women members within each Waada Sangham has and team members; and trying to come up been facilitated for critical inputs to issue with a suitable institutional structure. The committee members and evolution of a whole exercise has been both inspiring and pressure group at village level. self reflective, keeping in mind the non-
Annual Report 2010-11 11 negotiable principles of the programme and Formation of issue committees within the set goals towards women’s empower- the Waada Sanghams ment. Given this context, the subsequent Formation and strengthening of Core pages reflect upon the institutional processes Groups facilitated and the activities held in the past year in taking forward the three-fold Stage II programme – formation of village level Core Groups, consolidation of the MRG and autonomous federations. Waada Sanghams/Core groups In the older districts, the Waada Sanghams and Core Groups are heading towards emerging as cluster level resource pool by strengthening their processes. The indicators and the stages are detailed below:
Stage I Fixed dates for Waada Sangham and Core Group meetings Regularity in maintaining registers, records Cluster level meetings, trainings to issue committee members Taking up programmes at village / cluster level on identified mandal focus issues Identification of clusters, efforts Increasing number of Waada Sanghams towards formation of issue based cluster resource pool Holding meetings and maintaining registers with the support of Identification of capacity building needs and demand for inputs Karyakarthas Waada Sanghams/Core Groups Waada Sanghams making efforts to enthusiastic in taking up convergent access entitlements and infrastructure activities along with village level facilities in the villages – Ration cards, institutions Housing, Drinking water, Sanitation, ANM, Angan Wadi Centre (AWC), Critical reflection on the need and School, etc. importance of evolving into MRG,
12 Annual Report 2010-11 discussions on its objectives, structure district alone, in 102 Sanghams, Sangham and functioning women are writing their registers and in In tune with this, capacity building another 21 Sanghams, they are taking programmes are conducted to issue support of their children or Bala Sanghams committees, Waada Sanghams and Core members or other villagers. Similarly, the Groups as a regular activity. In this process, issue committee members are taking we realized that in the very old districts such responsibility of disseminating the infor- as Medak, Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar, mation and knowledge gained through where the team earlier facilitated federation different forums to all the Sangham structure and now had to facilitate this members. changed strategy required further clarity on During the past year another critical the processes. discussion was on initiating a kitty at Sangham level with contributions from all the members in line with facilitating the institutional processes. This has become critical because in the areas where the Core Group strategy is implemented there are more than one sangham in a village and a Core Group. The question of saving the amount at Waada Sangham or Core Group was brainstormed and decided to have accounts at Waada Sangham level in view of the practicality in utilizing the amount. Accordingly in all these districts orientation In line with this 318 Waada Sanghams sessions were held to make the team started their own savings and 111 accounts members understand the structure and were opened. objectives of Waada Sanghams, Core Groups, formation of resource pool and In the two new districts of Visakhapatnam resource group and the nature of activities and Khammam, the processes have gained at each level. As a result, the pace of momentum with the intense interventions activities taken up by Waada Sanghams and at field and team levels. In all, 172 Waada Core Groups increased in all the project Sanghams were formed and are raising issues districts, compared to previous year. It also of their concern. Some of the major reflected in regularity in maintenance of concerns raised are: registers and records in all 3,974 Sanghams. Visakhapatnam It is noteworthy to report here that the Sangham members themselves have started Vulnerability of adolescent girls writing their registers in many Sanghams working in cashew industry after gaining literacy skills. In Nalgonda Child labour
Annual Report 2010-11 13 No. of Villages where Schemes and Services Accessed by the Sanghams District ANM Pension AWC ISL Street Lights Roads/Bus 108 & 104 Ration cards Water facility Indiramma houses Jobcards Arogyasri Balika Samrakshana & Janani Suraksha Medak 850 260 25 350 450 12 311 620 - 360 700 - - Mahabubnagar 236 279 244 87 206 140 309 ------Dharoor 42 55 44 30 53 21 83 ------Karimnagar 23 25 51 35 128 17 21 ------Nizamabad 5 113 15 42 23 7 12 110 - 89 157 - - Adilabad 50 23 73 16 69 10 80 - - - - - 19 Warangal 304 304 304 196 304 165 172 ------Nalgonda 101 66 63 10 26 22 - - 3 18 212 - - Srikakulam 184 190 231 90 145 156 147 245 - 132 232 147 153 Vizianagaram --102 252 - - 60 ------Prakasam 274 277 277 277 256 277 277 277 277 - 277 277 - Anantapur 39 50 4 135 3 1 ------Kurnool 60 105 61 85 56 15 27 ------Visakhapatnam - - 38 ------Khammam - 2 10 2 8 4 1 2 - 2 2 - - Total 2,168 1,749 1,542 1,607 1,727 847 1,500 1,254 280 601 1,580 424 172
Reproductive health mandals of Warangal and Nalgonda Migration districts – Chityala, Mogullapally, Kanagal and Nampally are progressing towards TB, safe drinking water, sanitation consolidation and attaining autonomy. The Khammam clarity attained at team level and field level Superstitious beliefs about the process of institutionalization of MRG as a registered body like Federations Early Hysterectomies (registered under Societies’ Registration Act No or limited access to government 1860) of the older mandals contributed to schemes and services the momentum. The next level discussions Microfinance related issues were towards formation of Executive Committee (EC) and Governing Body Moving towards MRG (GB) with representation from different As reported in the previous year, first four levels – village, cluster, resource group.
14 Annual Report 2010-11 Establishing forward and backward linkages, and convergent relations with line departments Evolving support systems for autonomy and sustainability Regular maintenance of records, registers, and documentation Analytical discussions on building corpus for MRG Core Group cluster meetings, all Sangham Identification and recruitment of cluster meetings, mandal level issue wise cluster organizers from Sanghams and resource group meetings served as different build their capacities to facilitate forums for such consultations besides the consolidation processes regular Sangham and Core Group meetings. At the same time, intensive discussions held This understanding helped in facilitating the processes with greater confidence and in the internal thematic reflection meetings lead to accelerating the pace of informed the need for further deliberations consolidation process. to gain clarity and common understanding on MRG, its structure, objectives and In Warangal, 27 villages of both processes. Accordingly, a workshop was Chityala and Mogullapally mandals organized with the team members for two began contributing to build corpus for days (details are reported in the chapter on MRG. They also discussed about the building capacities). The clarity gained was importance of documentation and on: started maintaining registers at mandal level. Resource group members are Objective, structure, roles and being involved in trainings to responsibilities of MRG and statutory Sangham women for hands on experi- requirements to get institutional ence. Cluster organizers are placed for identity – developing Bye laws, maintaining the pace of consolidation formation of EC, Registration, etc. process. Capacity building of Issue committees Kanagal mandal in Nalgonda district for emergence of resource pool and is also moving in the same direction. thereafter resource group The MRG members focused on MRG as a pressure group to ensure strengthening of Waada Sanghams and access of rights by women and address Core Groups and are actively supporting the concerns of women and issues of Cluster Organizers in facilitating violence and marginalization Sangham meetings. In the process, a
Annual Report 2010-11 15 conscious effort is made to identify learnings to all the other Sangham strong and weak clusters and extend members. With renewed enthusiasm maximum support to the weak clusters they are now planning their way ahead to accelerate consolidation process. towards autonomy. However, the progress is still slow in Nampally. Therefore, the thrust was Given the above, we are also enthused, a on regularizing Sangham, Core Group little curious as well, to watch the progress and cluster meetings; identification of of these developments in the coming year. resource pool and resource group Federations members, and building their capacities. With the result, 8 out of 12 clusters It is always heartening to report the became strong and the institutional achievements of federations in the process process picked up momentum. of autonomy and in sustainable funct- ioning. In this process 7 more federations The exposure visits to older autonomous joined the contingent of autonomous federation mandals further helped in federations making the number to 28. Just refining their understanding on the need before withdrawal of the functionaries, for a mandal level constitutional body, general body meetings were organized in nature of activities to be taken up and all seven mandals where the members identification of areas for further capacity expressed confidence in continuing the building and support. efforts towards reaching the goal of 26 MRG members from Nalgonda went empowerment of women. to Mahabubnagar, participated in Mahasangham (district level network of federations) meeting and visited Dharur mandal where Makthal federation has been implementing MS programme for the past three years. Similarly, 22 MRG members from Warangal visited Gangadhara and Ellanthakunta mandals of Karimnagar, learnt about roles and responsibilities of the governing body and EC, need for We are proud that APMSS is the first MS systemic documentation and functioning state that withdrew from direct implemen- of mandal level Nyaya committee. tation in 28 mandals creating space for the federations to be autonomous. While this After returning to their respective mandals, is a delightful experience it also prompts these women eagesly shared the new us to carefully design the role change. There
16 Annual Report 2010-11 have been many challenges in the process Sangham Huts of sustainability of the federations - District Sanc- Comp- Under ensuring information flow from Sangham tioned leted Const- to Federation and vice versa, change of ruction committee members as per the bye laws, Medak 91 83 8 developing second line leadership, susta- Mahabubnagar 54 50 4 ining the interest of the members, financial Karimnagar 22 14 8 support for taking up activities, continuation of the existing interventions like Adult Adilabad 35 29 6 Learning Centres (ALC) in the absence of Total 202 176 26 any financial support to the federations, etc. Cluster Huts Keeping these in view, in the past year, District Total Comp- Under several measures have been taken towards Sanc- leted Const- sustainability of the federations while tioned ruction continuing the previous year’s initiatives for Medak 7 5 2 building capacities. Extending handholding Mahabubnagar 9 6 3 support in terms of internal audit, facilita- Karimnagar 30 15 15 ting preparation of their annual work plan, Nizamabad 7 6 1 creating forums for periodical reflections Adilabad 4 4 0 and facilitating convergent relations with Warangal 7 5 2 Government and Non Government Orga- nizations (NGO) were to quote some. In Nalgonda 1 1 0 addition, release of one time grant to the Total 65 42 23 strong federations meeting the set para- Efforts towards building linkages and meters is another step. strengthening network of the federations Facilitating and supporting the federations have been another thrust area in the past in building their office at mandal head- year. In the mandals where federations are quarters has picked up momentum in the autonomous all the activities are planned along with federations and are being past year with the constitution of internal implemented by them independently viz., district level construction committees with mobilizing people for basic literacy test, the principal objective of speeding up the campaign on RTE, sensitization progra- construction process. This has turned out mmes on health, sanitation, HIV/AIDS, to be a successful strategy as many un- trainings to Sanghams on MG-NREGS finished and half finished Sangham and provisions, etc. MS is extending need based cluster huts have been completed with the technical support. In doing so, they are able timely and periodical intervention of team to access necessary support from the members in sorting out the issues. concerned mandal officials.
Annual Report 2010-11 17 While they are confident in approaching motivated 15 plus age group girls to the officials for any kind of support, MS is continue education through MSK and facilitating platforms for them to interact mainstreamed younger girls into with district level officials and negotiate for village schools. This has been the value collaborative interventions. This resulted in addition by the federations in this greater visibility to the federations and project and appreciated by the increased scope for collaborative initiatives authorities. A total of 460 girls were with Government and NGOs approaching enrolled through this initiative. them for implementation of specific Sawatantra Bharata Mahila Federa- projects. Besides, the district level federa- tion, Pulkal mandal was assigned a tions’ network meetings held regularly project by RVM (SSA) for conducting contributed to networking among the camps in schools to educate adolescent federations themselves for exchange of girls on menstrual hygiene taken up in resources, human and material. Regular 200 schools across 11 mandals of representation of autonomous federations Medak district. This was also in the district review of MS also contri- implemented with the support of buted to further strengthening all the above resource group members from other initiatives and for constant exchange of federations. information, knowledge and support. Sri Chaitanya Mahila Federation, Projects Handled by Federations Koheda mandal, Karimnagar district, In Medak district, Project Officer, initiated a Resource Centre in the RVM (SSA) approached APMSS, for cluster hut (the federation office) mobilization of girls from 12 identified making available all the information regarding agriculture, natural resources, mandals to Kasturba Gandhi Balika MG-NREGA, health and nutrition. Vidyalayas (KGBV). We negotiated to sanction this as a project to the autono- mous federations since they are already working on the agenda of girls’ education and ensured that MS would provide technical support to the federations. Agreeing to the proposal RVM (SSA) sanctioned the project to Swatantra Chaitanya Mahila Federa- tion, Pulkal mandal which coordinated the project and implemented it in partnership with remaining six federa- This centre will be open two days a tions. Apart from mobilizing girls as week and the information is given to part of the project, the federations whoever approaches. However, this
18 Annual Report 2010-11 needs further publicity and Social Issues 23 strengthening to make it as a full- Catering committee 35 fledged resource centre. Short term MSK 23 Capacity Building to Federations Nizamabad Project Proposal writing 30 Building capacities of the federations in Legal Literacy 32 various stages of autonomy has been a Adilabad Accounts 13 continuous process. In their annual Nyaya committee 70 planning exercise, federations identify their Legal Literacy training needs and support areas for taking forward their agenda and plan their (Rai centers ) 6 activities. Taking lead from their plans, Total 517 suitable trainings are included in our annual work plan. These trainings are planned for Samanvitham – State level Workshop on Federations MRG members who in turn would disseminate it to the members of resource The process of formalization of federations pool and issue committees. Similarly into registered bodies began in the year capacity building on documentation, 2000. In 2001, the indicators for ideal accountancy, managerial skills and leader- federation were evolved while drawing the ship qualities are planned for federation GB vision and mission of the federations for and EC members periodically, given the fact autonomous functioning. The march that these bodies keep changing in a continued further and MS also focused on stipulated time. building their institutional capacities towards independent functioning. A total of 517 representatives from different federations across five project districts participated and built their capacities. Details are as following:
District Theme Partici- /Issue pants Medak Short term MSK 33 Health 85 PR 57 Mahabubnagar Legal literacy 22 Karimnagar Legal literacy 25 Building linkages with various agencies, Documentation facilitating them to take up different & Accounts 28 programmes and gain hands on experience Health (ToT) 19 were the next steps to strengthen their PR (ToT) 16 initiatives. Subsequently, as the federations
Annual Report 2010-11 19 reached consolidation stage, the vision was Revisiting the vision of federations revisited in 2005 in the context of drafted in 2001, reflected during 2005 federations attaining autonomy. Areas for and keeping in mind the present status strengthening institutional functioning of the federations were identified while the vision remained Evolving a plan of action for future the same. Change of committees, auditing course of action keeping in view the of accounts, developing annual reports and identified agenda fulfilling statutory requirements are some The workshop served as a forum for cross of these. Subsequently, the indicators learning and sharing of the experiences of developed are further sharpened over the federations, their achievements and time in tune with the changing field challenges in autonomous functioning and for realities and mandal specific issues. identifying areas for future action in light of the present developmental trends. This was done in interactive and participatory mode in district-wise groups. The participation of officials from Department of Education - Principle Secretary, Primary Education, State Project Director, RVM (SSA), Director, Adult Education and Director, APOSS helped in detailing the activities taken up by federations in respect of education of themselves, children and girls in particular.
Starting with four federations attaining In addition, the concerns faced by them in autonomy in the year 2007, two each in the process could also be shared in the forum. Medak and Mahabubnagar districts, the The interaction with the Minister, Primary march continued reaching the number to Education also contributed to further 28 by March 2011. Keeping in view the discussions on concretizing their processes number of federations functioning towards sustainability. Participants from autonomously it was felt that the vision- other MS states of Gujarat, Karnataka, mission needs to be revisited in this context Kerala and MS National Resource Group of sustainability. Towards this, a two-day (NRG) member Prof. Anjali Dave added to state-level workshop was held in December the momentum with the exchange of 2010 with representation from all the 28 experiences, achievements and concerns. It federations. The major objectives of this also helped in critically analyzing the efforts workshop were: of the federations in marching towards empowerment of women and girls. Reflection on the present status in the context of autonomy, sustainability, Though the federations are in different realization of the vision stages of autonomy it is evident that all of
20 Annual Report 2010-11 them have a clear vision and direction of Evolution of MRGs as autonomous their own. This workshop clearly reflected institutions in Warangal and Nalgonda that these federations have set an example districts in the direction of autonomy and sustainable functioning towards empowerment. We Lobbying for federations as monit- proudly claim that these federations have oring agencies for girls education and become role models in this direction. women’s rights Future Steps Advocating for recognizing federations While reflecting on the year long progress as grass roots agencies working for and the pace of institutional processes, we social empowerment and for taking foresee the following areas for future focus these experiences in to policy level and action. discussions Formation of Waada Sanghams and Continued focus on capacity building core-groups in all the project villages of team members, resource groups and Increase in membership of the federations on changing contexts of Sanghams gender and development Facilitating formation and streng- Documenting the processes of thening of resource pool and resource autonomy group
Annual Report 2010-11 21 Second Generation towards Equality
During 1995, while facilitating the Sanghams with an overall membership of empowerment processes in the 60,047 across the project districts. Sanghams, the idea of having separate Another interesting trend in the recent past forums for adolescent girls has come up. has been passing out of older children leaving This lead to the formation of Cheli space for the younger children. These Sanghams (village level girls’ collectives) members have either joined existing village which were considered as strategic forums level youth associations or formed new to address the special needs of adolescent groups to continue their initiatives. This girls and facilitating empowerment has widened the scope for influencing processes. Subsequently, realizing the need change and spreading messages of gender to sensitise boys and girls together to equality. address the influences of patriarchal values built through socialization processes, Cheli Implementation of NPEGEL programme Sanghams transformed into Bala Sanghams in non MS project area in the past year – collectives of boys and girls (Girls between paved way for facilitating Bala Sanghams 12 – 18 years and boys between 12 – 16 within the schools. This created an years). The principal objective is to opportunity for the older Bala Sangham promote gender equality and to build a members to share the success stories, cadre of second generation change agents. experiences and learnings in accessing their rights to a new audience. Started in the year 2000, these Bala Sanghams are evolving as forums in However, one has also to note that the age addressing strategic gender interests of of adolescence itself is a critical area for adolescents. These Sanghams are working intervention. The increasing globalization on a wide range of issues relating to child and technological advancements including rights and gender discrimination. In this electronic media have brought many process, we envision evolution of a strong changes in the socio-cultural scenario of the resource base at the grassroots to spread the society in the recent times. It has its impact learnings wide and influence positive change on adolescents too, both positive and in the society. At this juncture, we report negative, which raised fresh challenges. In with confidence that the intense capacity this context, empowering the adolescents building to Bala Sangham members with life skills and knowledge on their rights resulted in emergence of 917 peer educators, is the need of the hour. We at MS are besides increased number of Bala focusing on this issue and trying to make Sanghams and membership in the existing this a regular agenda of the Mahila Sanghams. At present there are 2,151 Bala Sanghams as well as Bala Sanghams for
22 Annual Report 2010-11 discussion and action. Thus, the Sanghams by virtue of their involvement, rising of began integrating issues relating to child issues and the confidence with which they rights in their plans of actions and actively negotiate for change. We are hopeful that supporting the initiatives taken up by the these would soon transform into stronger Bala Sanghams. In addition, efforts were institutions campaigning for protection of taken up to further equip the Bala child rights. Sanghams with the new information and knowledge in order to facilitate evolution Details of Bala Sanghams of peer educators advocating for social District No. of No. of change. In line with this and in Bala Members continuation to the previous year’s Sanghams initiatives, major thrust during this year Medak 152 3,495 was on capacity building of peer educators, Mahabubnagar 236 6,159 formation and strengthening of Child Karimnagar 248 6,382 Rights Protection Committees and Nizamabad 110 2,179 Balapanchayats. Adilabad 156 3,690 The following pages give an overview of Warangal 220 10,554 the activities taken up on these lines and Nalgonda 204 7,260 the major outcomes. Vizianagaram 205 4,626 Institution Building Srikakaulam 148 3,222 Prakasam 114 2,139 Taking into account the increased number of Bala Sanghams, focus was given to Anantapur 166 4,174 strengthen the institutional processes, viz., Kurnool 139 4,902 regularity in meetings at village, cluster and Visakhapatnam 32 810 mandal levels, proper maintenance of Khammam 21 455 registers and records, leadership building Total 2,151 60,047 among the members and creating support systems. At the same time the Bala Capacity Building Sangham profiles are regularized to keep In view of the changing needs and priorities track of the progress. of Bala Sanghams, different capacity In the long run, we envisage these village building programmes were organized at level institutions culminate into stronger various levels. Adolescent health, Balapanchayats at cluster level to work reproductive health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, towards accessing and ensuring child rights gender discrimination, life skills, child with the active support of Sangham, GP, rights, violence and abuse against girls, School, AWC, youth Sangham, etc. The vulnerability issues were some of the Bala Sanghams have already gained identity important areas identified for capacity
Annual Report 2010-11 23 building to Bala Sangham members. While standard. He observed that in the village transacting these, enough care is taken to many men and women are chewing give age appropriate information and gutka including his parents. He also knowledge through participatory trainings, observed that some of them are suffering cluster, mandal level workshops and ToT from throat and tongue cancer. He raised programmes. The impact is reflected the issue in the Bala Sangham meeting almost immediately indicating the readiness and the members critically analysed the of the children to bring positive change in situation. Upon noticing the same themselves as well as in their families and situation in the neighboring thanda also, neighbourhood. they organized a massive campaign in both the villages. As part of it, they went around all the shops where gutka is sold, explained about the bad effects of chewing gutka and appealed not to sell. Then, they convened a village meeting along with the GP members and village elders and convincingly explained the ill effects of chewing gutka showing the evidences of persons suffering from throat cancer. The impressed villagers For instance, the ease with which girls and made a resolution to ban gutka in their boys sharing work at home and outside, villages. The Sarpanch was requested to discussing and advocating for right age at ensure that similar resolution be taken marriage, speaking out experiences of abuse, in all the villages under the Panchayat. etc. is a direct reflection. Same time ensuring intake of nutritional diet, usage of sanitary While organizing the capacity building napkins by girls, negotiating for continua- sessions, specific issues raised by the Bala tion of their education, demanding for Sanghams in that district form the core sanitation measures in their schools and in content within which all the above issues the villages, and banning of chewing gutka are integrated to build rights based also speak of the improved confidence and perspective among the members. For leadership qualities with which the Bala example, in Srikakulam district, trainings Sanghams members taking up issues of and workshops were organized at village and their concern. cluster level on adolescent issues. In Adilabad and Visakhapatnam districts, G. Santhosh is from Jhansi Bala input sessions were held on life skills. Sangham, Nainala village, Nellikuduru Gender and health trainings were held in Mandal, Warangal district studying 8th Nalgonda, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Warangal districts. In all, 121 trainings were
24 Annual Report 2010-11 organized across 11 project districts and Other Achievements of Bala Sanghams 4,395 members participated. In addition, In four villages – Lambadi thanda, career guidance workshops were also Ramachandrapur, Vencharaami and organized to disseminate the information Lakshmipur thanda of Chityala on opportunities available for higher Mandal, Warangal district Bala education and vocational courses. These are Sangham members noticed many basically aimed at facilitating the young children playing and roaming around people towards goal setting and planning the village with out attending school. their future course of action with informed Upon inquiry it was known that choices. absenteeism of teachers is causing this Learning by Seeing situation. They then decided to resolve this issue and initiated a dialogue with While building information levels among the teachers besides submitting a members of Bala Sanghams, exposure visits representation to the MEO along with and institutional visits were organized for the Sangham women. MEO practical learning and hands on experience responded positively and sent necessary at inter and intra district levels. The instructions to all these schools. Balapanchayats in Warangal and Consequently, there has been Karimnagar districts; and Nutrition centres improvement in the situation both in and Kitchen gardens by Bala Sanghams in terms of teachers’ regularity and Nizamabad district attracted the attention children’s attendance. of Bala Sangham members from other project districts. Besides mutual exchange Bala Sanghams successfully convinced of each other’s experiences in addressing the GPs and community in 11 villages of Nalgonda district to take a resolu- issues, challenges faced by them in the tion on preventing child marriages in process and the support received, the visits their villages. also contributed to new ideas towards further strengthening the Bala Sanghams. Bala Sangham members of 38 villages in Vizianagaram district have taken responsibility to ensure that all children in the age group of 3-5 years are sent to AWCs so that girls are not dropped out for sibling care. In another 5 villages, 24 dropouts were mainstreamed into formal schools. Nutrition centers were set up by Bala Sangham children in 5 villages of Pitlam and in 3 villages of Machareddy mandals of Nizamabad district. Of
Annual Report 2010-11 25 these, one centre in Pitlam mandal is committees and are regularly watering run in the school the plants. The yield is in turn sold to 130 girls could convince their parents the SHG group preparing MDM. Thus to postpone their marriage attempts they are able to include a variety of after successful negotiation with the vegetables in their diet. School teachers help of Bala Sangham colleagues in and village elders appreciated their Srikakulam district. efforts and are encouraging them. At the same time, the amount received thus Ten Bala Sanghams of Mahabubnagar was utilized towards Bala Sangham district have started recording the activities. physical growth of the members in their Bala Sangham. They are Protesting Child Labour & Early monitoring and analyzing their growth Marriages levels every month in accordance with We can confidently say that after these long the standard requirements and taking years of field level facilitation there has been measures to improve their health and marked change in the attitude of parents nutrition status. They took support and children themselves with regard from the AWW of their village in increasing age at marriage, particularly of getting necessary technical inform- girls. However, the challenges were also ation regarding monitoring of growth many… false age proof certificates, vested through charts, information on foods interests, marriages happening outside the rich in nutritive values and access to villages, etc. Nevertheless, the Bala Iron Folic Acid (IFA) etc. Sanghams are able to stop or postpone the attempts of early marriages whenever and In 5 villages of Medak district Bala Sanghams organized campaigns on wherever they come across. In these activities village sanitation and safe drinking they are getting support and cooperation water while spreading awareness from Sangham women, Child Rights among the community. Simulta- Protection Committees and school neously they are taking support of teachers. At times they are also not Sangham for ensuring effective and hesitating to approach the GP and the regular action by the GP. Police in addressing the issue. Bala Sangham of Bhoompalli village, As a result of all these efforts, in the past Sadashivnagar mandal, Nizamabad year, 100 instances of early marriages were district has secured lot of information either stopped or postponed in the project and knowledge in trainings and area. meetings. As part of environment Barasura Rajitha is a 12 year girl from protection they started cultivation of Degaon village of Bheemini Mandal, vegetables near water tank in their Adilabad district studying 7th class. She school campus. They formed into
26 Annual Report 2010-11 is a member of Veeranjaneya Bala Now, Rajitha is continuing her studies and Sangham. Her parents decided to get her participating in Bala Sangham activities married and made all arrangements. with renewed confidence. Rajitha does not want to get married Similarly Bala Sangham members are now but wants to study. She shared this persistently trying to address the issue of with fellow members of the Bala child labour, particularly of girls, and Sangham. All the 36 members of Bala enrolling them into formal schools. It is Sangham went to Rajitha’s house to not an easy task as there are several intricate negotiate and convince her parents to dimensions including social, economic and stop the attempts. But, the parents did cultural factors. However, taking leverage not listen; rather they started abusing the of the provisions under RTE Act, the Bala children for their interference, citing it Sangham members are negotiating with all as a matter of adults and a family issue. stake holders for access to quality education Not losing their spirit, the Bala Sangham to all those in the school age. They started members approached Sangham and the it with their own Sanghams on a priority Sarpanch for their intervention. basis. In all these efforts the team members Subsequently, with the joint persuasion, are extending necessary support in Rajitha’s parents agreed for addressing their agenda. The details are postponement of the marriage. reported in the respective chapters.
In Kurnool district, mandal level workshops were organized in view of CRC week in all six project mandals to create a platform for interface between the teachers, parents, PRI members, mandal level officials and Bala Sangham members on child friendly environment in schools and RTE. 328 children from 67 villages participated in these and presented their concerns articulating the reasons for absenteeism of the children. Major issues that came up in their presentations were: Eggs and fruits are not given as per provision in mid-day-meal. Moreover, it is cooked in unhygienic conditions as separate kitchen is not provided in many schools Non availability of Hindi teachers in 3 schools High schools have computer labs but are not in use as there is no power supply Children want to read books but Library is not accessible to children in 11 schools Transformer placed within the school premises in Noulekal village, Peddakaduburu mandal, is posing threat to children. As such parent are not sending young children to school The open well present in the school campus in Ganigattu village, filled with decomposed waste material causing foul smell is the reason for children not attending school
Annual Report 2010-11 27 Villagers collecting drinking water from schools in 3 villages creating disturbance to the classes Grazing of cattle and goats within the school compound in many schools has also been a factor for diversion of interest Stones are pelted into class rooms by miscreants through the open windows in the school at Jummaladinne causing disturbance to the children. No sufficient class rooms in 11 schools and the newly constructed school buildings are waiting for inauguration Younger siblings are brought to classrooms as the AWC is non functional in 15 villages In two villages School campus and class rooms are used for storage of grain and for functions like marriages resulting in lot of disturbance to the classes The Bala Sangham members argued that due to these factors children are loosing interest to come to school therefore loosing their right to education. It was an eye opener for the officials on the status of infrastructural facilities in the schools and the use of school compound for different purposes. They took immediate measures to resolve these at many places as reflected from the field reports. For instance, orders were issued to all headmasters to ensure quality of mid-day-meal and change of the SHG preparing MDM. Proposal was made to start AWC in Duppanagurti village, removal of grain from classroom in Jilledubudakala village and taking up the issue of electrical transformer within the school premises in the General Body meeting of Mandal Parishad are some more to quote. Peer Educators as Agents of Social few years efforts were made to identify peer Change educators from the Bala Sanghams and build their capacities. Further taking this ahead, in the past year, five day training programme was organized in January 2011 to 35 peer educators from all the project districts. Understanding life skills, transacting them through theatre as a medium formed the core of this training. External resource support was taken to impart special skills to the children. It was observed that while most of the children could learn and able to transact their Keeping in mind the effectiveness of peer understanding, few children could not keep influences on children’s minds, for the past pace with them. It was a learning experience
28 Annual Report 2010-11 District Nature of Event Expanse No. of Participants Medak Melas 3 mandals 235 Mahabubnagar Workshops 4 mandals 151 Karimnagar Street Theatre 9 villages 2,106 Nizamabad Cluster meetings 25 villages 148 Adilabad Meetings 17 villages 537 Warangal Meetings 9 clusters 592 Nalgonda Rallies 40 villages - Vizianagaram Workshops 5 mandals 237 Srikakulam Meetings 9 clusters 294 Anantapur Rallies 38 villages - Kurnool Workshops 5 mandals 328 Khammam Rallies 11 villages Total 4,628 for us to introspect and reflect upon the awareness meets at village, cluster, and processes followed in identification and mandal levels. The major focus was on capacity building of peer educators. We are RTE Act and the provisions. Conscious hopeful that in the coming year, we would efforts were made to involve all stake be able to facilitate this process with more holders in these events along with Bala ease and confidence. Sangham members to facilitate every stakeholder take responsibility in effective Celebration of Child Rights Week implementation of the provisions enlisted Bala Sanghams strategically use various in the Act. Sangham members, line forums for raising their concerns and departments, elected representatives and initiating action. Observation of child rights school teachers were invited to address the week is one of such forums where they get children gatherings and spell out their a chance to articulate their needs and specific support. The occasion also created concerns, share their experiences, exchange a platform to discuss challenges and views and discuss concrete plans for action bottlenecks in accessing rights by children and campaign towards accessing child which were in most places presented rights. through theatre medium. In all, these events were held in 10 project districts with Various events were organized across the the participation of 4,400 children. project area in the past year to mark the occasion such as intensive campaigns, Considering the high number of out of school organizing seminars, workshops and children in all the three MS working
Annual Report 2010-11 29 mandals of Karimnagar, CRC week was these forums. Officials from various observed through theatre performances in departments participated and gave inputs identified villages. The themes of the to the children. performance are RTE Act, child labour and In all these forums, major points for age at marriage. As an immediate outcome, discussion were declining sex ratio, 19 children were enrolled into formal schools vulnerability of girls to violence and abuse and 14 joined in MSK out of a total of 144 and support systems for protection of girl school dropouts. 30 identified potential children. Given the present context of dropout children were motivated to be increased instances of violence against girls, regular to school. Now the focus is on the need to equip girls with life skills and mainstreaming the remaining out of school self defense were emphasized. children into formal schools. Bala Panchayat, CRPC and Adolescent Girl Child Day Forum As reported in earlier annual reports, more time was spent to gain common understanding among the facilitating team across the districts on the concept of Bala Panchayts and formation of Child Rights Protection Committees. Similarly need was also felt to get clarity on the strategy of evolution of mandal level Adolescents’ forum to raise, discuss and address issues and concerns of adolescents. Subsequently, it was brainstormed in the review and From the past few years, it became reflection meetings held at mandal, district customary to celebrate national Girl Child and state levels. Conscious efforts are put th Day on 24 January by Department of in the field for translating this WDCW&DW by organizing different understanding with the same clarity to the events. Team members and Bala Sangham field level. In this direction Balapanchayat children participated in these meetings and meetings and mandal level workshops were workshops in the respective districts. In held in Nalgonda, Karimnagar and addition, different activities were organized Mahabubnagar districts. in the project mandals, too. In Karimnagar, Adilabad and Srikakulam districts, Balika One issue that came up in these discussions melas were organized at district level with was the age of the Bala Sangham members adolescent girls. In Warangal, district level nominated to Bala Panchayat where Bala Sangham forum was organized. A total generally the senior members of the Bala of 1937 girls and 261 boys took part in Sanghams are nominated. When the senior
30 Annual Report 2010-11 members cross the age limit and move out, of Nizamabad district, youth members the leadership in the Bala Sangham observed that lack of timely transportation is becomes a fact of concern. This requires posing problems especially to school children. further efforts towards building strong Acting upon it they met the local area depot second line leadership. manager and successfully persuaded the issue.
Youth Sanghams Future Steps Formation of Youth Sanghams with young All these experiences, learnings and adults, particularly boys crossing the age of outcomes informed the coming year’s plan 16 years and graduation from Bala with regard to strengthening the second Sanghams, has been a comparatively recent generation change agents. In this direction strategy. The core objective is to support our focus would be on: the members in sustaining their learnings Building capacities of the team and continuing their efforts towards members in effective facilitation of influencing change towards equality. In the Bala Sanghams and Youth Sanghams older areas of Warangal, Karimnagar and towards setting their agenda, Nizamabad districts, such youth groups developing strategic plans and timely were already formed and trying to make action. their presence felt by taking up various activities towards accessing rights. At this Identification of potential peer juncture, trainings and meetings were educators and building their capacities organized for these youth groups on for bringing desired change among the leadership, community participation, their adolescents by creating positive role in nation building and issues involved environment and campaigning for in out-migration. social change. Formation and strengthening of Bala Input sessions were also organized on Panchayats, Child Rights Protection gender, career opportunities, local Committees and Adolescent forums governance and village development. With to act as pressure groups and advocate the increased information levels Youth for child rights. Sanghams are actively supporting Sanghams and Bala Sanghams in their Expansion of Bala Sanghams to non villages in addressing issues. For instance, MS project areas where APMSS is in Uppalvai village, Sadasivanagar mandal implementing NPEGEL programme
Annual Report 2010-11 31 Pathways to Education
While literacy is the key for development, level literacy camps to long term residential the broad framework of education becomes training; from conducting basic literacy test crucial in attaining women’s empowerment. to facilitating opening of learning centres. With this understanding, right from the This resulted in creation of a strong beginning of the programme focus has momentum across the project area. The been on facilitating women to create their outcomes are amazing with 35,816 women own spaces and demand for their rights. appearing for NIOS test and 2,010 women However, the traditional roles within the pursuing their further education through family and the societal attitudes towards APOSS. women are still barriers in realizing the goal of empowerment. The solidarity and the At the same time, the year has also been collective strength built through Sanghams eventful for MS in the area of girls’ enabled women and girls in breaking these education with the revival of barriers and march towards the access/ implementation of NPEGEL and playing completion of education. proactive role in mobilizing girls to join KGBVs. In this process, bridging the Initially, Sanghams’ focus was on children’s academic gaps of the dropout girls to join education, then slowly moving towards in the age appropriate classes was also a focal thematic and functional literacy. Over the area during the year. MSKs and long term years, successfully addressing the agenda of residential interventions served the purpose. children’s education with a focus on girls, The above school age girls were given short Sanghams have gradually put efforts on duration interventions for renewing their their own literacy and certification. This academics and taking admission into positive change gave us the boost to move suitable classes under APOSS. further with targeted interventions as the mood for attaining literacy is set now at All these focused interventions demanded grassroots. However, it was a very for greater convergence and effective challenging task for us at MS as women’s partnership with the respective agencies – priorities for education are different basing RVM (SSA), APOSS, SRC, SLMA. At the on their needs and context. same time, the departments also turned to MS for collaboration, recognizing the In line with these priorities, in the past year, unique and innovative processes adopted interventions were carefully designed and in facilitating women’s empowerment implemented for optimal result. The through education, proactive role of interventions are ranging from mass Sanghams and federations in community mobilization programmes to organizing mobilization towards education, and literacy sessions in Sanghams; from village participatory monitoring of quality
32 Annual Report 2010-11 education aspects in Schools. The various levels – at community, family and introduction of RTE Act 2009 and systemic levels. Some of these are: Raising launching of Saakshar Bharat (National issues and concerns in AMC meetings, Female Literacy Mission) gave an impetus to monitoring the attendance and education the efforts initiated. All these developments committee members, counseling to the demanded a revisit of the ongoing internal family members of children in difficult interventions and making necessary conditions, conducting mobilization modifications in the latest context. activities and proactive participation in badi bata programme. The following pages give a detailed note of all these experiences – both MS interventions and collaborative activities. CHILDREN’S EDUCATION Enrollment & Retention Persistent efforts by Sanghams, Bala Sanghams, Federations and the team members to identify and enroll out of school children into formal schools, hostels and KGBVs have contributed to a great extent in large number of children getting District wise Enrollment Details into schools - in tandem with the District No. of children enrolled government’s focused efforts to achieve Boys Girls Total total enrollment. However, some children Medak 1,300 1,744 3,044 still remained out of school for reasons like Mahabubnagar 1,405 2,625 4,030 social customs, economic factors, etc. Karimnagar 80 62 142 Frequent absence of the child leading to Nizamabad 114 72 186 poor performance at school is also one of Adilabad 407 353 760 the reasons making them potential Warangal 244 184 428 dropouts. Bala Sangham members are Nalgonda - 58 58 trying to help such children by pursuing them to be regular to the school. The girls Srikakulam 1,098 1,214 2,312 who have been dropouts for a long time Vizianagaram 149 212 361 are motivated to join MSKs for bridging Prakasam 7 47 54 and to continue their education. Never- Anantapur 486 498 984 theless, reaching children with special needs Kurnool 1,286 1,321 2,607 is another area that needs to be addressed. Visakhapatnam 17 66 83 Given the situation, continuous efforts are Khammam 10 7 17 made by Sanghams and team members, at Total 6,603 8,463 15,066
Annual Report 2010-11 33 In this process, Vidyasadassulu (village level More such instances from the field reports educational meetings) were held in the indicate the proactive involvement and identified villages where the number of out commitment with which the team of school children is more. These meetings members and the Sanghams have taken up served as forums for interface between the responsibility. In Warangal district, 6 Department officials, elected government schools closed down due to no representatives, teachers, parents and strength were reopened with children children. These efforts helped in enrolling joining back from private schools. In identified children in to schools and addition, 36 schools with ‘zero’ strength different stake holders realizing their were revived, as many children have come responsibilities towards ensuring retention back from private schools and there has and providing quality education. In all, also been an increase in enrollment. The 158 such Vidyasadassulu were efforts are continuing towards ensuring conducted during the year across the retention of all the children in schools. project area with 7,994 participants. In addition to enrollment drives, sessions An interesting instance to mention here is on career guidance and life skills, starting the case of Gudikambali and Mallanahatti of nutrition centers in schools, extra- villages in Kouthalam mandal of Kurnool curricular activities like storytelling, games, district. In one of the Vidyasadassulu, the essay writing, and encouraging children to school teachers raised a concern that some grow vegetables in the school premises were parents are sending their children late to the the other major activities taken up within school, sometimes only in the latter half the schools towards sustaining interest of of the day or taking them home in the children and with major focus on retention. middle of the classes. To bring the children back to school, teachers had to go to their These positive results always inspire us and houses leaving the classes to the elder drive us to recommit ourselves towards the children. They expressed that it has become cause. a routine which is affecting the school Short Term Motivational Camps schedule and disturbing the other students who are regular. Realizing the problem, As reported above, while the enrollment parents agreed not to take their children trend is encouraging, regular attendance is away from school during school hours. still a challenge. This is particularly observed With regard to maintaining timings in the during peak agricultural seasons when school, a resolution was taken that the many children are pulled out of school for teacher goes to each Waada in the morning wage work or seasonal migration. Same is and blows the whistle once; and the children the case of prominent festivals where the should start to school. Now the system is families move out of village for a substantial regularly followed and the attendance has period. These conditions are leading to improved. children losing interest in academics or poor
34 Annual Report 2010-11 performance resulting in potential implementation are the next steps to be dropouts. To address this, residential Short taken up. Term Motivational camps for 7-15 days were conducted to bridge the learning gaps, ADULT EDUCATION during different times of the year. This is a Keeping in view the needs articulated by successful intervention in terms of building the women, literacy interventions are learning levels among the children to attend planned using participatory and innovative age appropriate class and continue their learning methods to facilitate more women education without interruption. Above to join the fold of literacy. The earlier school age children are encouraged to strategies and interventions like key-word continue their education through MSK or approach, literacy sessions in every forum APOSS. where women meet, ALCs at village level, short or long term residential or non This year 45 short term motivational camps residential literacy camps and Short term were conducted at village and cluster levels MSKs have been continued. in 5 project districts. As a result, out of 262 children attending the camps, 153 were It was observed that the literacy sessions mainstreamed in schools and KGBVs. 112 organized in every forum where Sangham children who are above 15 years’ age joined women meet has been the most effective in MSKs (43), Saakshar Bharat learning strategy. At the end of the meeting, key centres (61), Open School (5) to continue words are picked up from the discussions their education further. and literacy session is facilitated to practice reading and writing skills. The MS team Right To Free and Compulsory member plays lead role in this process of Education Act, 2009 learning using locally available material like Another important area for intervention in pebbles, seeds, sticks, chalks, pencils, pens, the past year was ensuring effective etc. Over the years the strategy is proving implementation of RTE Act. MS team to be successful in more and more women members were part of different workshops joining the literacy stream and continuing and consultations held in this regard which further through other literacy interventions. helped in developing understanding on the Literacy Interventions for Women provisions of the Act. MS has been a member of the State level Action Group on RTE and participated in development of Model Rules for implementation of the Act. These learnings are further disseminated at field level. Building awareness among Sanghams and the community on the provisions of the Act and their role in ensuring effective
Annual Report 2010-11 35 Short Term MSK (7-15 days) Literacy Camps (3 days - 1 month) District No. held Members District No. of Participants Medak 7 191 Camps Karimnagar 2 52 Medak 74 2,292 Nizamabad 5 420 Mahabubnagar 35 295 Karimnagar 10 260 Adilabad 2 53 Nizamabad 20 362 Warangal 4 106 Adilabad 59 1,458 Srikakulum 2 26 Warangal 14 1,057 Total 22 848 Nalgonda 31 1,423 Adult Learning Centres Srikakulum 7 675 District No. of No. of Vizianagaram 57 1,707 ALCs Learners Prakasam 6 145 Medak 34 1,064 Ananthapur 22 701 Mahabubnagar 84 2,542 Kurnool 5 152 Karimnagar 134 4,058 Vishakapatnam 4 140 Nizamabad 44 1,978 Total 344 10,667 Adilabad 43 1,056 Warangal 70 1,749 Different initiatives resulted in 19,084 Nalgonda 31 682 Sangham women attaining functional Srikakulum 24 385 literacy across the project districts in Prakasam 32 798 the past year. Kurnool 15 450 Total 511 14,762 Durgamma is an active member of Krushi Samatha Mahila Sangham having Across the project area there have been 50 members in Chelakurthi village, enough evidences of women attaining Peddavoora mandal, Nalgonda district. literacy after joining Sanghams and having She is chosen as education committee continued further to get certification, there member by the Sangham. Being a non by becoming a source of inspiration for literate she felt delicate that she could not others. Many of these Sangham women even sign her name but was chosen for have become members of the resource pool education committee. She strongly and group, some have joined as Cluster intended to become literate before organizers, ALC teachers, Asha workers and advocating for women’s literacy and AWWs. Few of them have also become children’s educational rights. Karyakarthas in APMSS.
36 Annual Report 2010-11 With this strong desire she used to Nalgonda, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, eagerly look forward for Sangham Anantapur, Kurnool and Visakhapatnam) meetings so that she can be part of the and a total of 2,451 women participated. In other districts village and/or cluster level literacy sessions. She could acquire activities were held. minimum basic literacy in just 11 sessions. She further improved her In these events, participatory methods were literacy levels through ALC. She proudly used for experiential sharing along with claims that she is now a literate and can literacy and numeracy based activities, and read newspaper. She was very happy cultural programmes. Intense discussions when she could fill in the application for were held with the women to access Job card under MG-NREGS on her opportunities to enhance their literacy skills own. Durgamma wanted to test her by utilizing Saakshara Bharat centres, Open literacy skills by appearing for Basic School centres, ALCs, etc. District officials Literacy test conducted under NIOS, and from RVM (SSA), Dept. of Adult is now serious to complete Class X Education and NGO representatives through APOSS. participated in these events and responded positively to extend support to the efforts. Being a member of education In these forums the need for convergent committee, Durgamma actively action towards women’s literacy and girls’ campaigns for quality education in education was reiterated. schools. She re-joined her school dropout daughter into school. She now This year, the National level celebration interacts with community as well as of International Literacy Day was held officials with great confidence. at Hyderabad. On this occasion, Saakshara Bharat programme was formally launched in the State. The event “Lack of education is equal to was organized by NLMA. APMSS and blindness… There is no age bar for the Sangham women were also invited learning literacy, we will learn to read to the event. and write and motivate others too…” – Sangham women, Aandra and 497 Sangham women from 8 project Challapeta villages, Mentada mandal, districts and team members participated Vizianagaram district. in the event. Through this, Sangham women could get an opportunity to learn International Literacy Day about the literacy programmes in other International Literacy Day was celebrated states. They could also participate in the with renewed vigor in the project districts. panel discussions and shared their experiences and achievements of being Mandal and district level melas were in the literacy process. organized in 8 districts (Medak, Adilabad,
Annual Report 2010-11 37 Convergent Action for Sustaining Team members participated in State Momentum and National level workshops held for The momentum generated for literacy has strategy development and planning to be sustained through timely intervention Contributed to developing appropriate from various circles. Towards this we strategies by sharing the field continue to focus on need based experiences in women’s literacy convergence with various educational programmes across the project area. Over 25 Team members were identified as the years the convergence at State, District Key Resource Persons to conduct the and field level has resulted in more and more trainings to the District Resource women joining literacy stream and Persons recognition to MS as an important partner 139 Sangham women are appointed in educational planning and implementation. as village level Coordinators and 640 Sangham women as Volunteers Participation of Team members in development of training modules and primers for Saakshar Bharat centers Proposed partnership for Implementation of the programme in 77 mandals Proposed partnership for ToTs in Vocational skills to coordinators A major development in the year 2009-10 Tirupathamma, 25 years, is a Sangham has been the launch of Saakshara Bharat member of Shaikpally village, Hanwada programme as National Women’s Literacy mandal, Mahabubnagar. She is a class II Mission. The Dept. of Adult Education, school dropout. The focused discussions and SRC have initiated several programmes on need for women’s literacy generated in the State both pre and post launch interest in Tirupathamma to continue phases. APMSS has been identified as an her education. She joined ALC and has important partner in all these activities – been a regular learner. Soon she could developing strategies, preparing guidelines acquire literacy and successfully appeared for implementation, designing the for class X examination. She is curriculum, preparation of primers, determined to continue her education resource persons for trainings, identifying and took admission for intermediate and mobilizing volunteers and course under APOSS. Being an educated coordinators, and mobilizing learners. The person in the village, Tirupathamma was specifics are as below –
38 Annual Report 2010-11 the immediate choice for ASHA worker. took admission for Intermediate course When her name was proposed in the which has been introduced for the first time identification of volunteers under during 2010-11. Saakshara Bharat, there was no Details of Sangham women took opposition by any one. She feels happy admission under APOSS: that she is able to give her learnings back to the community as a literacy volunteer.
Open Schooling System The Sanghams’ march towards formation of federations and autonomous functioning has accelerated the demand for literacy among the members. As reported earlier, the autonomous federations are implementing various projects in In Rayalapur village, Kowdipally convergence with different departments. In mandal, Medak district, as a follow up addition, issue committee members to the short term MSK held in the emerging as resource persons, involving in mandal, 3 Sangham women took monitoring at various levels resulted in admission into class X through APOSS more number of women acquiring and appeared for examination. They functional literacy. The demand is now could successfully clear all the papers in shifted from attaining literacy to the first attempt itself. Enthralled by the certification given the various outside success they wanted to appear for opportunities available to them through Intermediate examination, newly different GO, NGO programmes. introduced through APOSS. However, Keeping this in view women are facilitated they were hesitant to take admission as to access the APOSS for continuing their the fee is high and beyond their reach. education and get formal certification. They tried to explore the possibilities It is exciting to mention that the number with the support of the team members of women accessing APOSS has increased and approached MPP seeking his manifold, during the past year. More intervention and support in taking the specifically the number of women admission. Convinced by their appearing for class X examinations has risen commitment, the MPP facilitated to a large extent. This is evident through sponsorship from Lions Club. Thus the the increase in the number of women three women could pay their fee of appearing for class X from 792 to 1,184 `4,500/- and join the course. The MPP and taking admission into different classes from 480 to 715. In addition, 111 women and the management of Lions Club
Annual Report 2010-11 39 Certicifate Issued by NIOS to the Qualified Learners in the Basic Litercy Test
40 Annual Report 2010-11 assured their support in future too for Basic Literacy Test continuing their education. Partnership of APMSS with SRC and National Literacy Mission in organizing Simultaneously, there have also been efforts Basic Literacy Test for neo literates has been to facilitate starting of APOSS learning a great step forward for both the Sangham centres, wherever they are not available, to members and APMSS. The test was meet the demand generated at the field. organized nationally by NLM in collaboration with NIOS through In Konaraopet village of Konaraopet respective SRCs and it was part of the mandal, Karimnagar district, large literacy drive for persons above the age of number of school dropouts and non 15 years. Assessing literacy levels of all neo literate adults is an issue identified during literates who were either early dropouts the field visits. Through various literacy (class/std. 2 or 3) or who attained literacy interventions taken up in the village and through various interventions was the the successful running of ALC, many major objective of this substantial event women could acquire literacy. They were held in the month of August 2010. further encouraged by MS to formalize Reaching to one lakh people has been the their learning, by providing information intended target for the SRC in the state. about APOSS. Women were motivated SRC approached APMSS for partnership to and were ready to take admission. mobilize and organize the test in MS project However, there is no learning centre in area. Considering that it could be an the village to provide them learning opportunity for us also to assess the impact of support. Towards this, the team members various internal educational interventions convinced the Headmaster of the ZPHS and that in the process more women can get to start a centre under Open School basic literacy certification the team members system and subsequently pursued the expressed willingness to take up the task. It issue with the APOSS coordinator. This was also felt that formal recognition to the soon resulted in starting a centre in the acquired literacy skills boosts the confidence village in the year 2009. 18 Sangham of the women and can be furthered through women took admission and appeared for specific strategic interventions. Thus taking Class X examination in the same year. 8 the initiative, we identified and mobilized of them passed in the first attempt itself all the eligible women and men, conducted the test and completed the evaluation of the and the remaining 10 cleared test papers. subsequently. Inspired by this, 96 members took admission in 2010 into The test was conducted in 1,105 GPs of 72 class X. Among these, 45 are women and mandals across 13 project districts. A total of girls, the remaining 51 are boys and men. 53,880 (35,816 women and 18,605 men) persons wrote the exam against 57,209
Annual Report 2010-11 41 reporting year, there were 15 Mahila Shikshana Kendrams running across 12 project districts. Participatory teaching- learning processes are followed in imparting life skills based education to the adolescent girls and this is the strength of MSK. Activities like institutional visits, exposure visits, interactions with officials, skill based trainings, project work, classes on Yoga and Martial arts are some of the important registered persons. This was more than 50% outside classroom interventions for practical of the target of 1 lakh for SRC. This learning. In addition, specific project works mammoth task was possible because of the are given to the girls on identified social concerted efforts of the MS team members, concerns during holidays. For instance, Sanghams, Bala Sanghams, youth, and the identification of out of school children in GP members. their village, finding out reasons for being out of school and mobilizing them by disseminating information with regard to educational opportunities, understanding the food habits, analyzing it in relation to the crops grown locally, availability and access to vegetables, etc. While collecting information makes them feel excited, back in the MSK the discussions facilitated by the teachers makes them further widen their perspective and critical thinking. This process enables them to analyse the issue “Till now there were no instances where from different dimensions with deeper both men and women together ruled the understanding. stage! But now, we feel proud to sit equally with them and write the test… little All these enriching experiences in MSK help hesitant… but feeling good!” – Sangham the girls in negotiating the barriers to their women from Bodabanda villae, education with greater confidence and Yemmiganur, Kurnool continue further. For example, once they graduate from MSK and join hostels or Mahila Shikshana Kendram (MSK) residential schools, they generally had to Reporting MSK processes and outcomes negotiate for better provisions and every year gives us great delight as this work improved living conditions. They could area is full of energy and activity. In the successfully deal with such issues
42 Annual Report 2010-11 collectively by forming working As a result the Special Officer was committees within the hostel similar to the dismissed and a new officer was ones in MSK. appointed. This effort received applause It is evident from the performance of the from all concerned. girls mainstreamed into KGBVs and hostels that they are no less than the regular In this way they are able to spread their students. Their outspokenness, excellence learnings and move a head in the process in co-curricular activities, attempts to raise of empowerment. concerns, and efforts in resolving the issues At this juncture, we are proud to claim that are remarkable. They first try to pursue any while 8 MSK graduates joined the issue within their own sphere, failing which programme as Karyakarthas, one among they do not hesitate to report to the higher them has become Junior Resource Person after authorities. Their leadership qualities are further improving her capacities. Similarly a reflected in building collective strength and total of 2,170 MSK graduates are pursuing facilitating the group to voice against their higher education and as many as 1,232 improper practices and irregularities. To have joined in different jobs. quote an example: Visit to Jail – a humbling experience In Aspari mandal, Kurnool district, 4 MSK girls were joined in KGBV into Nalgonda MSK girls were little class VI. After a few days’ stay in the apprehensive and also excited when they hostel, they observed that many girls are were visiting the district Jail as part of suffering from stomach pain frequently. institutional visit. It was a very different Upon further observation, they realized experience for the girls to go to such place that rice served in the hostel was mix of which is avoided even during general different varieties and not of a good discussions. Same time the prisoners too quality as well. They also found that the felt surprised to see the bubbly young Special Officer used to sell the rice girls as it is unusual for them to get such supplied to KGBV to a priest in the visitors. neighbourhood and used to buy rice from him which is of mixed varieties and different qualities at a very low price. The MSK-trained girls discussed with all the hostel residents and took a collective decision to complain to the DEO. Upon receiving the complaint, the DEO visited the KGBV to enquire into the case and the girls boldly explained the situation.
Annual Report 2010-11 43 The girls were taken around the Karate tournament and won the prizes premises and were explained about besides many appreciations. This built various divisions within the jail. more confidence among them. Relaxed by now, the girls became Similarly two tribal girls from curious to know more about the Mentada mandal, Vizianagaram prisoners. They got the opportunity to district participated in Taekwando interact with some of the prisoners. Championship 2010-11 and won Interesting interactions took place prizes. between the girls and the inmates for nearly about 3 hours. MSK girls enquired the reasons for their imprisonment, facilities in the jail and the works they do during their stay in the jail. The inmates clarified the doubts and explained how and why they are in the jail. Now it’s the turn of the inmates to enquire about the girls and the MSK. The parents of the best performing girls The girls narrated their background, in Yoga were invited to present the explained about MSK and their certificates to their daughters during learnings at MSK. Later they sang songs the parents’ meeting at Warangal and performed dance for the inmates. MSK. It was a proud moment for the The prisoners also joined the girls in parents while it is exciting for the girls singing and appreciated their efforts to to receive certificates from their pursue their education. parents. It was really an amazing experience and 19 MSK girls of 2009 & 2010 thought provoking not only to the girls batches along with 8 MSK teachers and but for the team members too. This 7 team members attended six day exposure helped in breaking their training programme at National misconceptions about the jail and the Institute of Fashion Technology as part prisoners, and in understanding the of ToT programme to vocational realities. volunteers under NPEGEL. These girls would be providing training to Details of some more events that took the other vocational volunteers besides place at MSKs during the year: training girls in schools. For the first time tribal girls from Teachers training programme was Adilabad MSK took part in the conducted to 33 MSK teachers on life
44 Annual Report 2010-11 skill education and teaching learning methodologies with external resource support for more insights. The future plan is to translate these learnings into preparation of TLM and put it into regular transaction in all MSKs. Samatha Mandaaralu - Alumni Forum of MSK Graduates
of presentation. The major areas identified by all the groups for further support from MS are:
learning soft skills like computer applications and spoken English continued support in their further education efforts to address early marriages and Organizing district level alumni forums child labour annually and meeting MSK graduates has been another rich experience at MS. This facilitating provision of year, after a gap of 8 years, two-day state accommodation in the towns for level event was organized on 6 & 7 March college girls 2011 at HLERC, Varni, Nizamabad. It is information on part time employment heartening to report that 1st batch MSK opportunities to meet their educational graduates were also present in the event expenses along with their children and actively Finally, all the MSK girls proposed to participated in the proceedings. Another organize State level alumni forum at least appealing feature was that out of all the once in five years for regular sharing and participants, majority of the girls were planning. continuing their studies and very few were drop outs. In all a total of 824 girls and NPEGEL – a Collaborative Action young women took part in the event. An important development during the year After the inaugural session, the girls formed has been the revival of implementation of into different groups based on their present NPEGEL by APMSS. Earlier, it was position, and shared their experiences, implemented in 96 clusters by MS in 7 achievements and discussed their concerns. project districts for three years, but did not Each group came up with a unique method continue for various reasons. During one
Annual Report 2010-11 45 of the Executive Committee meetings in the past year, while reviewing the interventions for girls’ education, the Chairperson proposed APMSS to be the implementing partner with SSA for implementation of NPEGEL. The plan of action was developed through joint meetings based on the existing guidelines, and NPEGEL implementation by APMSS was revived from November 2010. the Chairperson of APMSS, in easing out The scale of implementation has been 411 the situation, needs a particular mention. mandals across 13 MS project districts The following processes had further helped covering 3050 model cluster schools. In this in streamlining the implementation: new phase of NPEGEL implementation, a special feature is reaching to non-MS area. Common meetings to gain clarity and In seven of the project districts, MS is understanding on the mutual support implementing NPEGEL in the entire areas between RVM (SSA) and district although its own presence is in only APMSS 5-14 mandals. In four of the remaining Appointment of cluster and divisional districts the NPEGEL implementation by coordinators for continued MS is in almost half of the district, while interactions with the teachers, parents, in the other two it is limited to project community and the children mandals and the surrounding few mandals. Divisional level orientations to It was a big challenge to enter in the middle introduce MS programme to the of the implementation year and convince Head masters, MEOs and Sarpanches the major stakeholders – the teachers - of of GPs at the beginning of the the role of MS in the implementation. It programme was another challenge to initiate the Periodical review and reflection activities where funds were already released meetings at State and district levels to MCS’ and activities were already underway. There has been initial resistance Monthly review meetings with MCS from the teachers and the officials at district head masters and MEOs and mandal levels. At some places, district Involving other agencies to provide team members had to face difficult skill based training to the girls, martial situations even to organize initial meetings. arts, theatre, etc At this juncture, the facilitative role played Facilitating Bala Sanghams/School by the State Office team, support received cabinets within the schools and from the State officials of RVM (SSA) and evolving peer educators
46 Annual Report 2010-11 Involvement of Sangham members in a positive environment towards girls’ monitoring and quality issues in concerns and they started looking at schools these issues in a broader perspective We can confidently say that though it was a short period, innovative elements could be brought in reflecting uniqueness of MS in implementation of the programme. It was reflected in child-centered activities like institutional visits, participatory sessions on life skills, wall writings for community mobilization and involving boys in the sessions on child rights. This was possible with the proactive role played by the Sanghams, federations and team members Increased understanding among girls at all levels. With the result, by the end of on adolescence, child rights, the year, the following outcomes are reproductive health and menstrual reflected: hygiene Institutional visits could be made part Improved confidence levels among of the school education. Facilitating girls and increased participation in co- participatory learning methodology as curricular activities part of classroom processes has been initiated. However, this need to be Community mobilization became an formalized and integrated into agenda of Sanghams and federations. transaction of formal syllabus Different methods were used for mobilizing and sensitizing community on the importance of girls education, increasing age at marriage for girls and issues of vulnerability Increased visibility for MS, federations and Sanghams Spreading MS philosophy to non MS areas
Sangham members becoming part of MS identified as State and District Academic Monitoring Committees level Master trainers in Balika Chetana (AMCs) programme (Life skill education programme) of RVM (SSA) As a result of Gender Sensitization programmes to teachers there has been Concerted efforts towards girls’
Annual Report 2010-11 47 education involving various stake Building capacities of the issue holders committees, resource group members and autonomous federations; and It is proved that commitment and able involving them in the implementation leadership and coordination make things of different programmes like possible despite challenges. The experience NPEGEL, Saakshar Bharat instilled greater confidence among us to further utilize the already set enabling Building more convergence and environment to achieve additional linkages at the State and District levels milestones in girls’ education. With Enabling more women to access renewed spirits, we are now planning to education opportunities and appear for reach out to more areas in the coming year. certification exams Future Steps Playing advocacy role in ensuring Continuing the momentum created in quality education, particularly to girls women and girls’ education, the Creating awareness among forthcoming year is crucial for us to communities on RTE Act and substantiate the established ground. In this campaigning for effective context our focus would be on: implementation of the provisions
Bringing more number of women into Advocating for incorporation of child the fold of literacy rights, equity issues and gender to be part of the curriculum, teacher Ensuring quality education in schools education and teacher training through proactive role of Sanghams programmes.
48 Annual Report 2010-11 Building Capacities and Strengthening Networks
Building capacities has been a major mandals, need for developing appropriate thrust area in the programme since strategies in line with the changing beginning. From facilitating women to development trends formed the base for understand their situation, identify capacity building programmes during the concerns and act upon them, the nature of past year. Equal focus was put on capacity building has become more wide- strengthening linkages, networking and ranging to include focused inputs on convergent relations with departments and strategic issues and areas where women have NGOs to mainstream the rich experiences to play a greater role in the process of of MS in facilitating empowerment empowerment. In tune with this, as processes among women and girls. reported in the previous sections, the programme is now in a crucial phase with The past year’s activities in this theme are a diverse field needs, dynamic processes and reflection to the above which are detailed increased networking and convergent further in this section. action. Accordingly the team members and Field Level Capacity Building Sangham women had to be equipped with enough capacities to take along the Changing socio, political and economic processes, without compromising on the contexts; and different stages of the direction of envisioned goals of the programme become the base for identifying programme. and planning input/capacity building sessions at field level. Accordingly different The result has been reflective in 28 mandal programmes were designed to cater to each level federations evolving as autonomous category - Sangham, issue committee, institutions and taking forward social mandal resource groups, federation bodies agenda of women. In these mandals the and Bala Sanghams. Trainings, workshops, focus was on building their managerial brainstorming sessions, ToT programmes, capacities and strengthening network exposure visits were the major capcity relations. Same time, in 22 mandals the building forums, While the content was cluster resource pools are emerging into broadly issue based, thrust was on mandal level resource groups thus the understanding the issue with gender emphasis was on building capacities on perspective and the need for strategic respective issue along with institutional functioning. planning for wider dissemination. Simultaneously the diverse field needs like Health Trainings role change of MS towards advocacy and The trainings on this theme are largely a lobbying, programme expansion to new continuum to the previous years’ efforts.
Annual Report 2010-11 49 General health, reproductive health, in addressing anaemia many of the anemia, nutrition, seasonal diseases, herbal Sangham members have started growing medicines, sanitation and hygiene formed vegetables and fruits in their backyards for the content for the trainings imparted to their regular consumption. In addition, they the health issue committee members of the are ensuring effective service delivery from Sanghams. Simultaneously, roles and the village level health care providers. For responsibilities of the issue committee instance, in Srikakulam district, in 60 members, the need for roping in different villages the health issue committee village level health care providers like AWW, members are ensuring that NH day is ANM, and GP for effective delivery of observed regularly and nutrition health services were also focused. These trainings education is provided to the participants. were conducted phase wise at village, cluster or mandal level using appropriate participatory training methods. In all, such trainings were held in 12 districts and 9,026 members participated. The outcomes of these various programmes are almost instantaneous and reflected in the actions of Sangham members. For example in Vizianagaram district alone, about 198 women from 38 villages, who earlier were of the view to undergo All the 38 Sangham women of hysterectomy operation, have contacted Kurrampalli village, Kanagal Mandal, gynecologists immediately after Nalgonda District received training in attending trainings on reproductive health preparation of herbal medicines. Having issues. They are now using medicines and understood that kitchen ingredients, do not see the need for hysterectomy at this local herbs and shrubs contain rich stage of their health condition. medicinal values, they began preparing herbal medicines and using them in their Similarly, the number of women taking own families. The positive results second medical opinion, accessing PHC for enthused them to initiate herbal their health needs has also been steadily medicine centre in the village. This was growing across the project districts. More discussed in the Sangham and decided number of Sangham members are now to contribute ` 10/- each to build corpus ensuring that milk, fruits and vegetables like to start the centre. papaya, leafy vegetables, sprouts etc are Around the same time, a ToT was included in their diet. With increased organized at state level on health and knowledge on nutritional diet requirements
50 Annual Report 2010-11 herbal medicines to which these women cases during the past year and are being also attended. They learnt further details followed up periodically. about institutionalizing the centre viz. collection of raw material, preparation and processing, need for arranging suitable equipment, maintenance of records, etc. Equipped with more information and with improved confidence, the women opened a centre in the house of Mutyalu, health resource person of the Sangham on 28 March 2011. Four other health committee members have joined Mutyalu in managing the centre regularly. In addition to the above, during the past year, the issues of female foeticide, declining Trainings on Gender and Social Issues sex ratio, acid attacks on young women, abuse against adolescents also formed Since the beginning of the programme, the content of the trainings to equip the issues of social and gender inequalities are members with necessary inputs in line with on the forefront of Sanghams’ agenda. The the changing trends and the alarming crime actions of Sanghams in addressing these rate within the state. Same time, the earlier issues gained them identity as conflict efforts made to establish linkages between resolution bodies or Nyaya committees. As these committees and the district Nyaya stated in the previous years’ reports, mandal Seva Sadan were continued this year too level Nyaya committees were formed in the towards ensuring regular support from the federation and MRG mandals and are department and recognition to the already working as redressal forums. On members as paralegal volunteers these lines, capacity building to the Nyaya committees has been a regular process in Nature of Cases Addressed strengthening their initiatives. Periodical Divorce trainings were conducted on legal literacy, Women’s property rights counseling skills, gender, documentation Dowry and other relevant subjects. Simultaneously, Alcoholism focus was also on evolution of support systems at various levels for sustained and Extra marital relations effective functioning of Nyaya committees. Disputes arising from marriages where With these inputs the Nyaya committees parents are not supporting of 6 project districts could resolve 491 Early marriages
Annual Report 2010-11 51 The Nyaya committee of Nellikuduru family on the false allegations they made mandal, Warangal district has earned on Jyothi’s conduct snatch so as to away recognition by successful and amicable the property. Further continued sittings resolution of the case of Jyothi. of the Nyaya committee and efforts by the Sangham lead to change of name on Jyothi lives in Madanaturthi village and land patta back to Jyothi’s name along has two small children. At the time of with share of the marital property. her marriage, her parents gave some land in her name towards dowry. After her Now Jyothi cultivating in her land and husband’s death she continued to live in educating her children with her own her marital home along with the kids. earnings. She is happy that the Nyaya But her marital family members began committee came to her support and harassing her saying that she has extra proved that the allegations against her are marital relationships and that her baseless. conduct was bad. They even complained to the Sarpanch and caused for a village Particular mention here must be made of level meeting wherein GP members, the traditional Nyaya panchayat – Rai VRO and other village elders resolved Centre in Adilabad district where women’s that the conduct of Jyothi is bad and participation used to be almost negligible. therefore, she should transfer all the land Through continuous and strategic and property in her name to her mother- interventions Sanghams could break this in-law in the interest of minor children. tradition and became members of the Rai The documents were also changed by the Centres as mentioned in the previous years’ VRO accordingly. reports. The trend continued in the past year too. By the end of the year, the At this juncture, Jyothi appealed to the representation increased to 20 in about 6 Sangham to support her. After careful centres. One Sangham woman became Upa analysis, the Sangham members Sir Medial (next to the President) in Savathi immediately referred this case to the Rai Centre of Wankhidi mandal. mandal level Nyaya committee, given the complexity involved in it. The Nyaya committee members enquired about the earlier proceedings and consulted GP and the local elected representative as to how the resolution was made permitting her in-laws to acquire Jyothi’s property. They questioned its legal validity explaining them the legal rights of Jyothi on the marital property even after her husband’s death. They also warned her
52 Annual Report 2010-11 In order to further strengthen this initiative, finally settled the case saying that she can emphasis was put on regularity of the live separately as per her wish. It was also meetings; proper documentation of cases resolved that Gopal should register 5 received and improved capacities on laws acres of land in the name of the child to and rights of women. Accordingly input be born, making mother as guardian. sessions were conducted on counseling, documentation and legal literacy to the Rai All the villagers in the jurisdiction of this Centre members. With the result, the male Rai Centre were surprised to hear this members are also making efforts to keep judgment as never such decision had in mind the specific needs of women while been made by the Rai Centre in the addressing cases. The case of extra marital interest of a woman. They appreciated relations settled by Jhari Gonduguda Rai the sensitivity of the members for their Centre in Kerameri mandal of Adilabad bold decision. district is a clear reflection to this. Inputs on Panchayati Raj Issues Gopal, a married person from Jhari Gonduguda village had extramarital At the time of furmulating the Annual Plan relationship with19 year old Parvati of itself, keeping in mind the forth coming the same village. He almost deserted his PRI elections, in the ensuing year, (2011- pregnant wife, Rukmini, who has no 2012) extensive voter awareness campaigns means to support herself. Rukmini and intensive capacity building programmes complained about this in the Rai Centre. for EWRs and issue committees were In the subsequent session, both the planned. The objective was to take note of parties were called for and their the achievements and challenges faced by arguments were heard by the Rai Centre them during their tenure and their readiness members, five of whom were Sangham for re-election. women. After negotiations, the Rai Centre resolved the case saying that Gopal has to leave Parvati since he is already married and moreover, his wife is pregnant. They also resolved that Parvati can marry as per her choice. However, Rukmini was not happy with this judgment. She appealed that her husband’s behavior is not good and that she does not want to live with him any However due to different political more. Convinced of her arguments and developments in the state and regional the details narrated by her, the Centre disturbances, the trainings or other
Annual Report 2010-11 53 interactive sessions planned could not be and sharing of expertise between the conducted. Nevertheless, regular cluster districts in a more congenial manner. level GP meetings, trainings and workshops Inter district support mechanisms also were held. Emphasis was laid on could be evolved through this strategy. maintaining marriage registers regularly, These meetings were held half yearly in playing proactive role in providing all the districts and were found to be infrastructure facilities and in ensuring effective for citical reflection on the effective access to provisions of MG programme progress. Given the NREGS by the wage seekers. effectiveness of this strategy it was MS Team Capacity Building decided to continue it as a regular procedure. Regular review, reflection, thematic meetings at district and state level have Strengthening the Modules always contributed a lot to assess the In line with the changing contexts and field capacity building needs of team members needs the existing modules for capacity and plan trainings/input sessions building of Sanghams, issue committees, accordingly. In line with this, in the past Bala Sanghams, federations and MRGs year too different exercises and short input were reviewed and refined. Fresh modules sessions formed part of the internal were developed for issue orientations and meetings besides specific issue based Training of trainers with the involvement training programmes organized at different of Issue core team members from the DIUs. times of the year. Similarly a two-day workshop was also During the past year, the formation of held to review the curriculum frameworks internal sub committees within the and modules of all existing literacy interventions including MSK with programme like programme sub Education core team members and committee, purchase, finance and identified MSK teachers. Need was felt for construction sub committees helped in modifications in view of the new regularizing the systems and procedures developments like Saakshar Bharat and and contributed to improve managerial RTE Act. Accordingly, changes were also skills of team members. Particularly, the made in the corresponding training programme sub committee, constituted modules of the team members and MSK with representation from State Office, teachers. two other project districts, internal DIU and field level team held district level Perspective Building meetings and reviewed the plan, Building perspective of team members is a outcomes and challenges. It also contributed to mutual exchange of field continuous process keeping in view the need level innovative experiments, strategies for refreshing the information, updating knowledge on changing global develop-
54 Annual Report 2010-11 ment trends and identification of the Development Institute (RDI) in the possible priority areas for fresh context of the new developments in interventions. External resource support is the State and inclusion of land taken for giving these specific inputs. In line development of marginalized communities under MG NREGS.
Workshop on MRG/DRG
As already reported in the chapter on Institutional processes, there has been lot of brainstorming on the processes of consolidation in Warangal and Nalgonda districts in view of the new strategy of MRG. Simultaneously, the need for bringing together all the resources and strengths of autonomous federations in with this three important workshops were the form of DRG and create further held in the past year. support structures to aid their A three-day workshop was organized autonomous functioning informed the on Understanding Gender in need to gain greater clarity on DRG and changing context for about 35 team MRG by the team members. Taking this members from all levels. The main into consideration, two-day workshop focus was on discussing the emerging was organized in the month of April, trends in development at different 2010 with select team members from levels- micro and macro, its impact on different levels. gender issues. Discussions also included the topics of : the role of MS in this changing context and the need for MS to play a greater role in advocating for more gender sensitive programmes at macro level by networking with other organizations and agencies working on similar issues. NRG members Ms. Kalyani Menon Sen and Ms. Kameshwari Jandhyala facilitated this workshop.
A two-day orientation on land rights Brainstorming was done largely on the was held to the identified team village, cluster and mandal level structures members, with the support of Rural
Annual Report 2010-11 55 of resource pool and resource group, role districts of Gujarat to visit MS and representation of Waada Sanghams, programme and Kutch Mahila Vikas Core Groups and issue committees. Sanghatan. The specific learnings from Another discussion point was on the need here include the commitment and the for a mandal level coordinating body systemic activities taken up by Naari keeping in view the autonomous adaalats, women enterprise functioning of the MRG. Recollecting development, and processes of field-level processes and discussion points documentation raised by Sangham women, the group came to consensus on having an executive committee similar to that of the federation model and opted for registration of MRG.
All these learnings were further transacted at district level. Apart from these need based capacity building activities, regular internal training programmes were conducted for team members. In addition, induction trainings were organsied to the new team members who joined the programme at 8 team members from different levels various levels. visited Assam state. They participated in State Level Consultation on Girls Exposure Visits Education held in Guwahati and Exposure visits to other MS states and visited field level programme in the programmes outside State organized every districts of Darrang and Goalpara. The year contribute a lot to widen the scope of visiting team gathered information on learning among team members. Back home the process of federation women these learnings and experiences are generally conducting Data Exhibitions, shared and translated into strategies with monitoring effective implementation certain modifications to suit the local of various government programmes context. On these lines, two exposure visits besides understanding about the were organized in the past year. One batch programme in greater detail. went to Gujarat and the other to Assam. The specific learnings from these visits have The data exhibitions and systemic been: documentation planned during the current year by the district team and the federations 9 team members went to reflect translation of these learnings to the Surendranagar, Muli and Kutch field.
56 Annual Report 2010-11 Advocacy, Networking and Convergent with the MoU led to bringing in more Action number of mandals into this fold in the Going by the increased public private extension period for the year 2010-11. partnerships in development field and the Presently it has been operational in 68 need to mainstream the learnings of MS, mandals of 12 project districts in collaboration with local NGOs and the more thrust was put in the recent years on Department. As reported earlier, the APNA strengthening convergent action, network formed by the department for collaborative partnerships with different effective GO, NGO participation in Government departments and NGOs and implementation of the provisions of taking up advocacy for girls’ education and MGNREGS has become further active women’s literacy. While the periodic during the reporting year. The regularity of mandal-level interface forums between the meetings at mandal, district and state level Sangham women and the officials contributed to raising and resolution of contributed to greater access to the schemes many field-level issues without taking much and services by women and to resolve their time. concerns, the convergent actions with the departments brought in greater visibility to the programme and the autonomous federations. The past year’s initiatives were a continu- ation to the above and lead to long term partnership with the departments as listed below. Department of Education There has been a great convergence with Chinna Tulugu village is situated 3 Km. programmes under department of away from the mandal headquarters, Education –SSA, SLMA and APOSS in Gara in Srikakulam district. MS started terms of collaborative partnerships for girls’ working in this village since 2004 and education and women’s literacy. These were after much facilitation; Sriram Mahila discussed in greater detail in the chapter Samatha Sangham was formed in this Pathways to Education. village with 30 members. The women Department of Rural Development - were quick in getting information on and MGNREGS accessing the provisions available under The positive experiences during the different schemes and programmes. They previous years in effective implementation went on to gather information on MGNREGS programme in accordance MGNREGS and took up works.
Annual Report 2010-11 57 However, their payments were delayed. In Vizianagaram district, 125 Though they made efforts to enquire Sangham women from 25 villages got with the field assistant and APO (Mandal working tools. level officer) also, they did not get their In Anantapur district, 25 physically issue resolved. In this context, the challenged persons go wage works women decided to raise this in the under MG NREGS mandal-level wekly meeting. In the Wall writings taken up in the districts following meeting, they voiced their to prominently display and propagate concern before the MPDO, who helpline number of MGNREGS immediately directed the officials to enquire into the case and ensure payment to all the wage seekers before the monthly state-level meeting. Thus they not only got the wages, but were instrumental in payments to all the wage seekers of 17 other Panchayats in the mandal whose payments were also delayed.
In addition, as part of the MoU activities Regular participation in APNA network in the extended period, the Department also meetings helped in bringing field level issues requested APMSS to take up identification like ensuring minimum worksite facilities, and appointment of Aayahs under development of land belonging to SC and MGNREGS on pilot basis. This has been ST families, regularization of delay taken up in 10 mandals of five project payments and settlement of medical bills, districts. Women who are single, old and/ allocation of works to persons with special or physically disabled and belonged to SC/ needs and single women, etc. to the notice ST communities were identified and the of the Commissioner, Rural Development lists were submitted to the concerned and evolve new strategies. officials. Subsequently these women were appointed as Aayahs. Another major development under MGNREGS in the State has been the State’s The other important achievements decision to include development of lands recorded in the field include: belonging to SC and ST communities under Ensuring all those in need get job cards shelf of works. In this connection, the and are provided works - about 2,638 Department came up with the idea of persons got job cards and many more preparing land inventory of the lands accessed works. belonging to SC and ST families across the
58 Annual Report 2010-11 state. APMSS was approached to take part watersheds Ringanguda, Kautaguda and in the process of developing land inventory of Waudam in Asifabad mandal of Adilabad all the lands belong to SC and ST families district since 2007 with technical support in its project area. Since the issue is very close from WASSAN and financial assistance by to MS ideology and part of the programmatic NABARD. Crossing initial hurdles we are interventions it was taken up in 14 mandals able to visualize clear outcomes at the field- of 10 project districts by appoiniting one level in all the three watersheds during the mandal coordinator per mandal in support past year. Complete involvement of one of the district team member. Federation DIU team member, support from other members from autonomous federations in related departments like ITDA, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar horticulture, animal husbandry, agriculture districts were identified for village level etc. contributed towards reaching the surveys. present stage. The survey focused on identifying land problems belonging to SC and ST families, listing out landless families among them, identification of assigned lands which are not fertile and far off from the villages and identification of lands which are allotted to them but are not in occupation. Subsequently identification of persons was taken up to develop their land under this programme. For instance, in Dampur village under Formation and strengthening of Shrama Ringanguda watershed, one farmer’s land Shakthi Sanghams (SSS) in the villages was allotted for farm pond. In the previous with wage seekers was also another recent rainy season, it was filled to the extent development introduced by the State that it caters to the needs of the entire towards effective implementation of village’s cattle wealth. Similarly, in MGNREGA. MS team members took up Demmadiguda and Metiguda villages this task with the same vigour and as a result under Waudam watershed, people used to 37,680 SSS were formed in 12 project go to Asifabad to work in the cotton mills districts. Building their capacities is past of as they do not find enough employment the coming year’s plan. in their village. But once the watershed NABARD – Implementation of works are completed, they claim that they Watershed programme are getting regular works in the village itself and the money earned could As reported in the previous year, water shed supplement their income from agriculture. programme is being implemented in three
Annual Report 2010-11 59 Also they felt that with this additional level committee and District-level (Karimnagar and Warangal) Committees. income from watershed they are able to invest capital to buy bullocks, fertilizers The district administration of Nizamabad and pesticides. constituted district-level committees with GO, NGO partnership to work towards effective implementation of various Acts related to girl child trafficking, domestic violence, early marriages, sexual abuse, rape, etc. and on implementation of RTI Act. Considering APMSS experience of working with women and girls at grassroots it was invited to be a member in all the committees. Future Steps In addition, poultry was taken up as part The multifarious roles played by team of livelihood enhancement in four members at all levels within the villages of Ringanguda watershed area, programme points to the continued thrust and plantation of fruits, herbal plants, on building capacities of team members, fodder trees under agro-horticulture was issue committees and federations to take taken up in all the three watershed areas. forward the envisioned programmes. On these lines our coming year’s focus would MS in State & District level Committees be on
In the past year, Dept. of Women Continued capacity building to team Development, Child Welfare & Disabled members in accordance with the Welfare has launched, Integrated Child changing roles and new developmental Protection Scheme (ICPS) in the State. trends Committees were proposed to be formulated by the Department both at Capacity building to issue committees, resource pool and resource groups to State and District levels as part of its play the role of pressure groups in implementation. In this context, given the influencing change experience of facilitating women’s empowerment for such a long period, Expanding scope of convergence and APMSS has been approached to take part net working for effective advocacy for in the consultations. In addition, APMSS women and girl friendly policies and has been nominated as a member in State- programmes.
60 Annual Report 2010-11 Expanding Horizons of Community Sensitivity
The process of facilitating women’s sector the programme had to reflect and empowerment requires focused inter- set the direction for necessary role change. ventions with them, both collectively and Thus, while continuing with grassroots individually. With this understanding MS implementation, during the past year the has from the beginning been designing and emphasis was also on playing advocacy role implementing women centered strategic at District and State levels for recognition activities. This effort resulted in establishing to the federations as institutions for collective strength and solidarity among partnership programmes with different marginalized women which in turn agencies; and for mainstreaming MS contributed to women utilizing their own philosophy and approach into existing spaces for better status. Gradually these government and non-government Sanghams have emerged as pressure groups; programmes. and federated to evolve as advocacy bodies Keeping in line with this changing scenario, for women entered policies and planning. the scope of the activities has been widened, All these processes created an enabling not limiting to the Sangham or the Waada, environment for women and girls at family but expanding to the entire Mandal and community levels. However, it was covering all the habitations. In the process, realized that working with men and boys all the village and mandal-level institutions, is important to create a sensitized cadre in and prominent local leaders were also support of women’s efforts towards involved. Particularly, awareness generation empowerment. In this direction, for past programmes on various rights, Acts and few years MS has been working with this provisions, services and schemes are taken group at different levels - Bala Sanghams, up in campaign mode. In addition, youth groups, family members and the educational and sensitization programmes community. With this intervention MS’ are also organized on a large scale reaching reach has become wider and its sphere of out to non-MS area. influence has expanded. These enriching experiences of working with different sections of society helped in building layers of leadership at field level. It is envisaged that this leadership would contribute in sustaining the positive change and taking the movement towards the goal of women’s empowerment. In this context and the changing milieu of the development
Annual Report 2010-11 61 In order to disseminate appropriate and Priority Issues for Campaign qualitative information on a wide range of Issues identified for campaigns are more or issues, the issues identified by Sanghams as less similar across all the project districts priority issues/mandal-focus issues are given since they are the core in facilitating preference. The methodology adopted has solidarity and collective strength among been greatly participatory with use of women sanitation, HIV/AIDS, age at enough audio-visual aids besides displaying marriage, organic farming, superstitions, pictorial material. Demonstrations held, anaemia etc. are some of the issues identified wherever applicable, also served the purpose by Sanghams, Bala Sanghams, Resource of drawing attention of many and Groups and federations. Given below is an prompting them to think on the need for over view of the different activities held in bringing/adapting change. the past year: In this context, to reach out to the entire Sanitation village with a specific focus on women, Hygiene and village sanitation continued Grama Sadassulu / Mahila Sadassulu to be one of the thrust areas for the (Village-level meetings) are planned as the Sanghams across the project districts. This strategic forum to discuss common issues has been identified as priority issue for and concerns and disseminate information focused intervention in Srikakulam, for awareness generation on a large scale. Vizianagaram, Nalgonda, Anantapur and These Sadassulu proved to be successful Prakasam districts. Spreading awareness on forums in involving the entire community the need to enhance personal and in taking action on the identified issues, viz, environmental hygiene, role of community child labor, early marriages, dowry, and GP in village sanitation formed the core sanitation, HIV/AIDS, seasonal health of various activities held at different periods ailments, migration, etc. Observation of throughout the year. The outcomes seem special days is another strategy followed in quite enthusing, indicating the positive spreading the concerned messages on a wide environment for bringing change. To quote scale through interactive forums at different a few examples: levels. The key objective of these activities is creating a positive and supportive environment for women to raise their concerns and work towards resolving them. The activities during the past year are largely in the above mentioned directions that are in continuation to the earlier years’ efforts. We go into further detail about all these activities in the following sections/pages:
62 Annual Report 2010-11 In Srikakulam district, village Age at Marriage sanitation has been one of the focus Even after constant efforts from different issues in all four project mandals. In quarters of the society the low age at the past year, various interventions like marriage is still a concern. Though a Grama Sadassulu, FGDs, rallies and positive change has been witnessed in the cleanliness drives were held involving attitudes of the families they are still under the entire village. Consequently, in 51 the influence of strong socio-cultural norms villages 1344 households are accessing when it comes to daughters’ marriage. safe drinking water, 1,201 families in Given this scenario, for the past few years 141 villages have started using latrines we attempted to create sensitization among and 700 families of 20 villages are village elders, religious leaders and the maintaining cleanliness in and around general community. Taking these efforts cattle sheds. forward during the past year, wide-spread In Prakasam district, village-level campaigns were organized in the project committees came forward to take districts. As reported in the previous chapters, responsibility of sanitation in two Sanghams, federations and Bala Sanghams villages as a consequence to the wide have taken ownership of this campaign as a spread awareness programmes on regular intervention and are spreading sanitation. Water logs were closed with awareness on legal age at marriage. the support of GPs in 14 villages and bleaching powder is periodically sprinkled in the drains to avoid mosquito menace. Realizing the importance of ISLs in maintaining village sanitation as well as in addressing women’s health and vulnerability issues, 155 families of 3 villages in Anantapur district applied for ISLs and got sanction. Presently, the construction activity is under way. In Chintadavalasa village of Mentada While doing this campaign it was observed mandal, Vizianagaram district there are that in Munipally and Kowdipally mandals five families rearing pigs for of Medak district, despite the intervention livelihoods. After the intensive many such early marriages were continuing campaign on sanitation and health, to take place. Responding to the situation, realizing the consequences of keeping intensive awareness drives were held in 30 pigs around their homes they made identified villages of these mandals. Besides necessary arrangements to keep their holding village-level meetings, performing pigs outside the village. Kalajathas and wall writings were also taken
Annual Report 2010-11 63 up as part of the drives to sustain the momentum generated through the campaign. Automomous federations have partnered in this effort by deputing kalajatha members and in facilitating village-level meetings. About 8,350 people participated in these events. As a result of these campaigns, in 10 villages the villagers took responsibility of ensuring prevention of early marriages therein. behaviour in the same. At the same time,thrust was also put on encouraging Similar large-scale campaigns were held in pregnant women to undergo HIV-testing all 6 mandals of Kurnool district in which for early detection and to enable prevention about 2,986 people participated. As a result, of transmission to the child. As a result about 8 early marriages have been postponed many of them are coming forward to test during the past year in the district. In these their HIV status. However, it is observed efforts one has also to mention the active that stigma is still attached to women going and timely support extended by concerned for HIV test. Another area that needed officials of the police, ICDS and of the focused intervention is the continued GCDO, RVM (SSA). stigmatization of people living with HIV, These positive responses from the field and their vulnerability to isolation and violence. timely action by the related departments In this direction in the past year, the give us boost to continue the campaign with campaign aimed at sensitizing villagers on more vigour and attempt to bring change the stigma and HIV-related violence on in such deep-rooted social issues entangled women, and also the need for care and with traditional factors. support to HIV-infected and affected people. HIV / AIDS Various forms of campaign were used to Realizing that the issue of HIV/AIDS needs create awareness and facilitate change – a more critical intervention, a conscious Kalajathas, candle light memorial rallies, effort is put on spreading awareness on Arogya Sadassulu (Village-level health sensitive issues related to HIV/AIDS for the meetings), stalls in market place, shandies, past few years. One has to note that due to jatharas etc. were some to quote. Sangham various programmes and activities taken up women, Bala Sangham members, health by GOs and NGOs, awareness on the issue committees, youth, school children and has been percolated to the villages. Keeping representatives of village-level government this in view, MS’ campaign was done with institutions were involved in these a focus on persons in the age group of 15 - activities. In addition, special sessions are 45 years given the tendency of high risk taken in KGBVs, schools and hostels to
64 Annual Report 2010-11 disseminate information on spread and high risk behaviour. Village-level prevention of HIV, stigma attached to committees were evolved to ensure regular PLHAs and their families and handling follow up along with Sangham and PRIs.
Details of Activities are as Follows:
District Nature of Reach No. of Specific Outcomes Activity Participants Medak Village-level 45 villages 4600 All Pregnant women in campaign in 3 mandals 15 villages got tested Mahabubnagar Awareness Identified 764 All pregnant women in campaigns, villages in 3 villages got tested Rallies 7 mandals Adilabad Trainings, 5 mandals 742 137 issue committee workshops members trained, during Pregnant women HIV/AIDs week and youth got tested during the campaign in Bhimni mandal Nalgonda Village-level 2 mandals 619 85 Sangham women, trainings, camps, 50 youth and 105 village-level pregnant women meetings were tested Srikakulam Camps, rallies, 4 mandals 1083 240 members in 30 stalls villages got HIV tested Vizianagaram Sangham 63 villages 1937 issue - trainings committee members Anantapur Village-level 8 mandals - 235 pregnant women meetings, stalls, and 73 Sangham Health meetings, women got HIV tested Sangham meetings Kurnool Village-level 38 villages 1375 616 persons got Campaigns, HIV tested youth trainings, stalls Khammam Campaigns 7 villages 520 Pregnant women in 3 villages got HIV tested
Annual Report 2010-11 65 Prevalence of HIV/AIDS is highly immediately started taking treatment. reported in Gurrrampodu mandal of Thus the agenda of HIV/AIDS is now Nalgonda district. Therefore the shifted from the Sangham to the village. Sanghams of this region identified it as a Similar instances are reported from other priority issue for campaigning across all villages also as a consequence to these villages of the mandal. Accordingly, campaigns. Condom outlet boxes were various activities were held with the kept in 9 villages. objective of creating awareness in the entire village on the spread of HIV/AIDS Other Mandal-level Focal Issues and need for prevention as also to address The other mandal focus issues identified issues of stigmatization and violence for extensive awareness campaigns include against women and PLHAs. Use of TB, Filaria, flourosis, chewing of tobacco condoms has been widely discussed and (gutka), organic farming, superstitions, etc. demonstrated in all the village level These are addressed through specific and meetings. During one such Grama locally appropriate interventions such as Arogya Sadasslu held in Mosangi village, organizing convergence meetings, the villagers along with PRI members, workshops, village-level trainings, camps youth and Sangham women decided to and demonstrations. Wherever need was maintain condom outlets (boxes) in the felt, information was given on various village at public places for easy related provisions and schemes. As a result, accessibility to every one. Same time, there has been increased awareness among they also discussed about ensuring regular the community and they are taking supply of condoms in these outlets. appropriate measures to address their Immediately they shared responsibilities concerns. The field reports coming from among themselves, arranged for condom outlet boxes. Another village-level different project districts indicate this. To meeting was organized to set up these quote some examples: boxes with the specific agenda of letting In Adilabad district, chewing of every one in the village know about the tobacco products, particularly gutka presence of condom outlets. Periodically has been an important concern the outlets are filled with condoms with identified by the Sanghams and Bala the support of PHC. After this it is Sanghams given its hazardous effect on observed that the issue of HIV/AIDS and health. To address this, intensive the need to check its spread are openly awareness drives were taken up in 4 discussed by people without any mandals of the district. Convinced of inhibitions. Consequently 12 pregnant the harmful effects of chewing of women underwent HIV tests. One of tobacco or gutka, 86 children, 24 them was found to be positive and Sangham women and 102 men
66 Annual Report 2010-11 stopped the practice. While in ten Special Days villages chewing of gutka was banned, Observation of special days formed another in another ten villages alcohol kilns important strategy to communicate focused were completely shutdown. messages to a wider audience and sensitize Prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) has the gathering on the need to take action. been identified as mandal focus issue This has been adopted every year as a regular in two mandals of Srikakulam and activity that results in mobilizing large constant awareness camps are number of people from different sections conducted at various points of time to (including State department officials) and spread the messages of prevention and spreading information on the particular cure. As a result, in four villages, 188 issue in detail. In the past year too, specific TB patients are regularly visiting DOT days are observed across the project districts centres and taking treatment. through various events held at different levels (village, cluster, mandal and district). In Nalgonda district organic farming was identified as focal area for intervention in three mandals. Accordingly different activities are being taken up to encourage women and men to use techniques of organic farming in cultivation. The farmers claim that use of bio pesticides and
This year, girls in Nalgonda MSK observed all special days as a celebration. The teachers held small sessions on each special day on the objective behind naming the day as special and the need to understand and take measures to address/promote the issue. Different events were held to mark “No Plastic Day” vermi-compost has actually helped in on 12 September 2010, “Inter-national increasing the yield by at least 10%. Ozone protection Day” on 16 September, Earlier, they used to collect and sell “Conservation of Wild Life Day” on 3 neem seeds but now they are keeping/ October 2010, “National Legal Literacy storing them for use in their own Day” on 9 November 2010 apart from fields.
Annual Report 2010-11 67 the regularly observed special days like Bujarampeta village of Kowdipally mandal, Environment Day, Teachers Day, Child Medak district. As the organizers began to Rights Week, Girl Child Day, etc. The speak on importance of nutrition, the villagers girls participated in the discussions with told them that they already knew it through enthusiasm and shared their views openly. Mahila Samatha and demanded for new information. This prompted the organizers Another interesting incident worth reporting to arrange competitions on the subject. They here is that UNICEF organized a village- were surprised to get appropriate answers level event on health and nutrition in from most of the participants. Appreciating connection with World Food Day in them, prizes were distributed.
A Glance at Major Events held across Project Districts: Special Day Nature of event held Expanse No. of participants in major events
June 5 World Village-level meetings 14 districts 2192 persons Environment Day
September 8 Village, mandal, 14 districts 1329 persons International district-level melas, Literacy Day workshops, rallies, meetings, state-level conference
October 16 Village-level 22 villages 1781 persons World Food Day demonstrations, across 5 mandals meetings, in Karimnagar Traditional Food and in 4 mandals Jataras, stalls of Warangal
October 15 Village and 4 mandals 406 children Global mandal level in Adilabad and teachers Hand Wash Day events covering School children and teachers
March 8 Melas, mandal 14 districts 1730 women International meetings, Women’s Day workshops
68 Annual Report 2010-11 Future Steps areas that still need focused As reported above, the efforts of working community level interventions with women and the rural community for To involve issue committees and many years and the impact of development federations/MRG in the campaigns trends resulted in creation of positive/ given their sensitivity and enabling environment in the villages. There responsiveness in dealing with issues is growing demand for specific and concrete information on wide range of issues. In this To further strengthen the capacities of context, awareness generation and Sanghams and federations to become sensitization on various social issues is the a resource base in the villages that can need of the hour. As such our future take along with the processes of initiatives in the theme would be: women’s empowerment.
To assess what information has already To ensure accountability from the reached the villages, what changes are community and sustainability of the already brought in and to identify the change processes already initiated.
Annual Report 2010-11 69 Samatha Gender Resource Centre
Over the years, Samatha Gender Resource Centre (SGRC) is concretizing itself into a research and advocacy unit of APMSS, while continuing its efforts towards mainstreaming gender into different initiatives of both GO and NGO. The past year has been full of activity at SGRC. It include perspective building on Gender for various organizations and Departments, taking up evaluation studies, Secretary (PE), the Chairperson of APMSS, partnering in developing training material, on 25th January, 2011. This campus is extending support in translation work, etc. presently used to run an MSK and to In this process, the participating team organize different residential programmes members could gain experience in for women and Bala Sanghams. We are developing and administering research tools envisaging that this centre will soon and methodologies. These learnings are become a hub of educational activities. taken into the regular programme. The other major activities of SGRC during Another important development in the the past year are reported below: year gone by has been setting up an educational resource centre for women and Preparation of Community Based girls. SAMSKAR, a non profit organization Activity Kit working with children and women on education and empowerment issues in During 2008-09 and 2009-10, SGRC Nizamabad district for over a decade has implemented an action research project on consolidated its activities in the recent past. ‘Gender Just Families’ in seven project The organization proposed utilization of districts in collaboration with CARE-India, its campus for educational activities AP. Given the positive outcomes of the through APMSS. Subsequently, a formal project (reported in the previous year agreement has been entered into by both Annual Report), CARE-India has come up organizations for a period of 7 years. It is with the proposal of developing a named as Hemalatha Lavanam Educational community - based activity kit for scaling Resource Centre for Women and Girls up the initiative and mainstreaming the (HLERC), in memory of the legendary learnings into ICDS. The kit is prepared social reformer Ms. Hemalatha Lavanam. for helping the Anganwadi Worker (AWW) The centre was inaugurated by the Principal in sensitizing men and family members on
70 Annual Report 2010-11 their role in prenatal and postnatal care and child care. Different interventions, methodologies and tools were detailed in kit and was field tested in Warangal and Nizamabad districts. The finalized kit was released through a dissemination seminar organized by CARE India, AP. The seminar was chaired by the Principal Secretary, Department of WDCW&DW, who appreciated the effort and opined that this kit will be very useful in creating a MS team. KFAW will also be bringing out supportive environment at home and a shorter version of this document in neighbourhood level for women. She also Japanese language for the benefit of local suggested supply of the kit to every readers. Anganwadi Centre (AWC) for regular use. Developing a Matrix of IEC Material Process Documentation of the Journey on Mother & Child of Mahila Sanghams to Federation – Case of Makthal Mandal, SGRC extended consultancy support to Mahabubnagar New Concept, a resource agency in Hyderabad, to review and compile the Kitakyushu Forum on Asian women, existing material (IEC and training) (KFAW) an organization working on available in the state both with go and women’s rights and empowerment issues NGOS on reproductive health for its in Japan has approached the SGRC project on Developing Communication expressing its interest to document the Strategies for Mother and Child health. As journey of women from Sangham to part of this assignment, print, audio-video federation, in English. The objective is to material was collected from various share with Japanese women the unique processes involved in the emergence of a departments and agencies both at state and federation of grassroots women’s collectives district levels, including APMSS, and the working with a social agenda for women’s same was compiled as a thematic detabase empowerment the documentation was in matrix from categorizing all the availeble done by a senior researcher from KFAW meternal into different forms - print, audio, and SGRC coordinated this process. visual, posters etc. besides showing the Methodologically in involved documenting agency where it is available. Through this the institutional processes of Sangham, assignment we could also explore possible cluster and federation levels through linkages with likeminded organizations in interactive sessions, review of reports, addition to accessing different forms of records, documents and interactions with material for internal usage.
Annual Report 2010-11 71 Evaluation of IKEA Project addition, Bhumika Women’s collective and Educational Resource Unit partnered with APMSS together conducted session on SGRC in evaluation of the project working gender perspective building for trainee on ‘Girl child labour in cotton fields’ judicial officers at A.P. Judicial Academy. implemented in Kurnool district through All the above experiences not only helped Unicef with the support from IKEA. The us in widering our reach but also contributed project is meant to bringing girls working in developing strategies for advocacy with in cotton fields into formal schools, these agencies in achieving women’s provide educational support and ensure empowerment. quality education. The study was done in Study on Micro Finance Institutions 16 schools across 4 mandals of the district. (MFI) The methodology included community- level interactions, classroom observation, Taking into account the different challenges interviews and group activities with faced by women in repayment of loans children besides workshops with parents, taken from MFIs, an internal situational teachers, officials and project implemen- analysis was conducted across the project tation team. area to understand the impact of MFIs on women. It was taken up in 386 villages of MS team members from different levels 12 project districts. Besides Focus Group of different districts formed the research Discussions (FGD) in the Sanghams, team. This helped them to get familiarized random sampling method was adopted to with designing and administering various interview 1,366 Sangham women by using research methodologies and tools. It also a questionnaire. It was observed through contributed in understanding the systemic the study that women are facing double issues enabling and disabling access to burden, forced to work two shifts to repay quality education by children in primary the loans, increased instances of violence and schools. Since the evaluation has been done abuse at family level; and mounting in the project mandals, it also gave scope pressure from their own SHG in view of to develop appropriate strategies and plan delayed or non-payment. It is planned to of action for further interventions. take these observations to a wider forum for analytical discussions with different GO Gender Perspective Building and NGO agencies working on financial During the past year, different Government empowerment of women and livelihoods. agencies approached SGRC seeking training Translation of Tool Kit support to build perspective on gender amongest their functionaries. Consequently, As reported in the section on Documentation, gender sensitization sessions were held to Best Practices Foundation, Bangalore has Headteachers, language pundits and Group developed a tool kit on Gender Education I officers from different Departments. In for Men and Boys based on the experiences
72 Annual Report 2010-11 of MS states of AP, Karnataka and Kerala. mainstreaming participatory appro- It is further developed in regional language aches for women’s empowerment. and SGRC took up this assignment. Designing and conducting studies in Future Steps the context of new developmental All the above experiences clearly inform the trends for evolving suitable strategies future direction for the SGRC to further for interventions and advocacy. widen its scope of activities. Now that an Developing appropriate material for educational resource centre is also in place advocacy, campaigns and trainings. concrete plans are being evolved for optimal utilization of the centre. The future plans Team building according to the new include: role envisaged for SGRC.
Reaching out to diverse groups for Capacity building of the team building gender perspective and members to suit the changing needs.
Annual Report 2010-11 73 Documentation
Developing innovative, need-based critical analysis of the outcomes and strategies and interventions to suit uniform reporting. The JRM conducted the ever changing socio-cultural context is towards the end of the year further a continuous thrust area of APMSS and contributed in reviewing existing database, the entire process is regularly documented documentation and reporting mechanisms, at various levels right from field to State. with a critical focus on participation of most In the past year too, efforts were made to marginalized women in various programme document processes and outcomes besides interventions. regular reporting mechanisms. During the past year various need-based As reported in the previous year, Results material and modules were developed Frame Work for MS programme has been internally. Besides, the experiences and revised through consultations between MS initiatives of the programme were also States, NPO and DFID for capturing the reported in the print and electronic media. quantitative and qualitative outcomes of The details are reported below: the interventions. Taking this further, in the Journey of Sangham to Federation past year, the NPO facilitated state-level – a flier on autonomous federations, workshops to build understanding on the first prepared in 2006-07, was updated Results Framework and integrate into the in view of more federations attaining MIS systems. Subsequently orientation autonomy and formation of district sessions were conducted for all the district level network of federations. It is team members. These workshops helped prepared in Telugu and English the team members in quantifying the languages. A booklet on federations - Samanvitham (a collective journey towards sustainability) was brought out on the occasion of state level vision workshop with federations. It contains an overview of the processes and activities of autonomous federations. On the occasion of state level alumni forum of MSK girls, a booklet - qualitative information by developing Samatha Mandaaralu - Mahila suitable data formats. This has also helped Sikshana Kendram Girls was in systematic collection of information, compiled with updated information on
74 Annual Report 2010-11 number of MSK girls graduated batch- formats developed in line with the wise, across the project districts. Major Results Frame work were used for data achievements over these long years collection from all project villages. along with objectives and curriculum Data entry and compilation was done followed in MSKs are also part of the through an external consultancy. Data content. analysis was done jointly by the agency A special report was published in and MS. This process helped us in Down to Earth magazine with the title identifying gaps in filling the data at ‘Menopaused 20-somethings’ in grassroots level and in facilitation by Vol. 19, No.2, June 1-15, 2010, district teams. Presently this is being capturing the outcomes of the study streamlined. on early hysterectomies and further In view of the launch of Saakshar advocacy efforts taken up by APMSS. Bharat in the state, a detailed survey 1 TV, a regional channel has done an has been done in all project villages to episode on the findings of the study understand the literacy status of all on early Hysterectomies and the individuals in all age groups. The same subsequent action. It was telecast in the has been consolidated and used for form of interviews on the day of its designing interventions as per the needs inauguration. of the age groups. It is used to enroll the out of school children into age- The paper on SHGs: Women appropriate classes after providing Empowerment – What Colour & necessary academic support and to What Form presented by SPD in a mobilize the non-literate women to national conference at Andhra take part in the literacy interventions University held in the previous year has of MS as well as Saakshara Bharat been selected and published in The programme. Indian Journal of Social Work, Vol. 71, Issue – 4, October 2010. Need-based documentation and material preparation is taken up by the Baseline and Mid-term surveys were districts in tune with the field-level taken up in the mandals as per the age demands. In this regard, Srikakulam of the programme and the district came up with a small booklet information was consolidated at on Legal Literacy and Women’s Rights. district-level along with analytical Similarly Nalgonda district has report on the findings. Same time, in developed a pamphlet on the the autonomous federation mandals importance of informing to the end-line surveys were taken up along enumerators during the census 2010 with process documentation. the details of persons with special Sangham and village information needs, for distribution as part of
Annual Report 2010-11 75 awareness campaign on inclusion of to dedicately take up advocacy role with persons with special needs. the rich experience of working on girls’ All the news items and press clipping education and women’s empowerment for were systematically filed to keep a almost two decades. Towards this there is a record of the media coverage of the need to develop relevant audio-visual programme interventions. documents reflecting the innovative strategies, processes and outcomes. Hence, In continuation to the previous years’ the following are planned in the coming consultations, Best Practices year. Foundation, Bangalore (BPF) has documented the processes of Documenting successful and best autonomous federation in the form of practices for replication a case study and developed a toolkit Developing short films on unique and on Gender Education to men and boys innovative initiatives like short term as a best practice. In this context, there MSKs, mobilization of children in have been series of interactions and difficult situations into mainstream workshops at different levels with MS education, etc. team, members of federations and Bala Sanghams. The toolkit was field-tested Bringing out small booklets on core before presenting the final version in issues and interventions in the form of the dissemination workshops held at resource material Delhi. Preparing training modules and Future Steps learning material in tune to the So far MS programme has not made a changing role of the programme as well concerted effort to create public or as the development context organizational awareness about itself as an Taking up studies on new forms of autonomous development sector entity in violence against women and adolescent the State. It is now time for the programme issues.
76 Annual Report 2010-11 Participation in Seminars & Workshops
Team members from different levels of 5th & 6th May 2010 through a the programme have attended various workshop held in Jubilee Hall, seminars and workshops organized by Hyderabad. On this occasion, APMSS NGOs and Government during the past made a presentation on Strategies for year. The participation gave scope to share Women’s Empowerment – MS the learning and present papers from the experience. SPD and Resource Centre field experiences. It also helped in interface, Coordinator participated in this two- interaction and exposure to different areas day workshop. of development work. WASSAN organized regional meeting RVM (SSA) in collaboration with on Land problems and Local related UNICEF organized a workshop on issues on 12th June, 2010 at Warangal. Accelerating Girl’s Education on Two DPCs and three DRPs from 5 30th April 2010 at Bangalore. Resource districts participated in this meeting. Centre Coordinator and DPC from Department of School Education and Nizamabad district participated in this Literacy organized a workshop on The workshop and presented Mahila Issue of Gender and Equity on 14 Samakhya experiences of facilitating – 16 July, 2010 at Gurgaon. It was girls’ education along with SPDs of attended by one DRP from Nizamabad MS Karnataka and Kerala. DIU. Karavan for A Journey across India Panel discussion on Government in Support of the Women’s NGO Collaboration was conducted Reservation Bill reached AP and a by APMAS at Centre for Economic meeting was held with the Karavan and Social Studies, Hyderabad on 14 activists and press on 2 June, 2010. The July, 2010. SPD attended this event was organized by Asmitha discussion and shared the initiatives Resource Centre for Women. Resource taken up by APMSS for networking Centre Coordinator participated in this and advocacy at various levels. meet. Regional Consultation on National Dept. of WDCW&DW, Government Curriculum Framework for Adult of AP launched AP Society for Literacy was conducted by NLMA Protection & Empowerment of and coordinated by State Resource Women and Children, ICPS and Centre on 31st July 2010 at Hotel Release of Standards of Care for Hampshire Plaza, Hyderabad. SPD Trafficking children in the State on and Resource Centre Coordinator
Annual Report 2010-11 77 participated in this workshop. While different States. It was organized by sharing MS experiences of facilitating Best Practices Foundation for two adult women’s literacy through various days, on 15th & 16th September 2010 strategies including short term camps at Vishwa Yuva Kendra, New Delhi. certain recommendations were given One day southern regional meeting on in the areas of strategies for Building Alliance of Civil Society mobilization, methodology for adult Organizations in Andhra Pradesh literacy and themes to be incorporated was held on 8 October, 2010 at in the curriculum framework. Tirupathi. It was organized by State Programme Director attended a IPACHA India and DPC, Anantapur workshop on Civil Society, participated in it. Governance and Public policy in SPD and Resource Centre Coordinator A.P. on 3 September, 2010 at CESS, participated in the seminar, Stake Hyderabad. It was organized by holders’ Consultation on the Draft Institute for Social and Economic A.P. Children’s Act, organized by Change, Bangalore and Centre for Department of WDCW&DW, World Solidarity, Hyderabad. Hyderabad on 11 November, 2010. National celebration of International One DRP from Warangal participated Literacy Day was held in Hyderabad in a two-day workshop on at Shilpa Kalavedika for three days Sensitization Programme on from 6 – 8 September, 2010. It was Implementation of PWDV Act, jointly organized by NLMA, SRC and 2005 conducted by NIPCCD on 18 Dept. of Adult Education, Govt. of & 19 November, 2010 at Bangalore. AP. On this occasion, Saakshara Bharat APD attended a workshop on Programme was formally launched in Designing a Road Map for Rural the State. In this forum on the first Resource Informatics Centre day SPD facilitated the panel organized by WIPRO Ltd. on 22 discussion on the theme “Empowering November, 2010 at National Women through Literacy”. 497 Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Sangham women and team members Hyderabad. from seven project districts and State Nirantar Resource Centre for Gender Office participated in this event. and Education organized two-day SPD, Resource Centre Coordinator, workshop on Literacy Indicators on Resource Centre Consultant, DPC, 24-25 November, 2010 at New Delhi. DRP, JRP from 3 districts participated SPD attended this workshop and in the dissemination workshop of the shared the indicators developed by tool kits developed from the best APMSS internally to monitor progress practices of MS programme in of literacy interventions.
78 Annual Report 2010-11 Three-day national workshop was held Two-day National Consultation on Case study Compendium at with Civil Societies from Southern New Delhi. It was organized by NPO Region on Women Constituencies and Best Practices Foundation, for inputs for XII Five Year plan was Bangalore from 26-27 November, held on 18, 19 December, 2010 at 2010. SPD, APD, DPC, Nizamabad, Chennai. Resource Centre Coordinator DRP from Mahabubnagar and one attended this meeting. federation member from Medak State Level meet on Campaign attended this workshop. against Child Labour was held on 30 Resource Centre Coordinator participated December, 2010 at Hyderabad. State in the consultation conducted by Consultant participated in this meeting Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) organized by CACL-AP Chapter. on Sexual Harassment at Workplace One day State level consultation was held Bill on 27 November 2010 at Sundarayya as part of Purple Ribbon Campaign Vignana Kendram, Hyderabad. against Violence Against Women on Report Card on Gender, Equity 31 December, 2010 at hotel Grand and Education - Report on South Minerva, Secunderabad. It was organized Asia was released and a Public hearing by SWARD (an NGO) and Resource was conducted by Asmitha Resource Centre Coordinator, State Consultant Centre on 30 November 2010 at Sunda- and two DRPs from Medak and rayya Vignana Kendram. Resource Centre Nizamabad districts participated. Coordinator participated in this event. SPD and State Consultant participated DRPs from Medak, Nizamabad and in a workshop conducted by Bhumika Mahabubnagar districts took part in a Women’s Collective on 29 January, 2011 rally organized by Bhumika Women’s at Hyderabad on Sexual Harassment Collective on 2 December 2010 at at Work Place. Hyderabad to condemn the move on Department of School Education and Amending IPC Section 498A. Literacy organized a three-day workshop APD and one State Consultant on Equity and Gender, from 15-17 attended a seminar on Impact of February, 2011 at School of Ancient MGNREGA on Migration held by Wisdom, Konnamangala Palya, NIRD on 10 December, 2010 at Bangalore. APD participated in this Rajendranagar, Hyderabad and shared workshop and presented APMSS MS experiences. experiences.
Annual Report 2010-11 79 Visitors
We are proud to report that every year of work, get new ideas for strengthening APMSS becomes a platform for the activities and widening the perspective. learning for different national and The following is an account of visitors from international visitors. In the past year too, different places – from MS states and non people from diverse fields visited APMSS MS areas/organizations during the past year. project districts, interacted with autonomous federations and team Ms. Moina, reporter of ‘Down to members. The main focus in all these visits Earth’ magazine visited Hanwada and has been the federations and their Devarakadra mandals of Mahabub- autonomous functioning towards nagar district to understand and report addressing women’s concerns and child the reasons for depletion of ground rights. Moreover, the processes involved in level water and its impact. sustainability of the federations working Team members and Sangham women with social agenda are an area of learning from MS Kerala visited Medak, for many organizations and individuals, Mahbubnagar and Nizamabad districts including other MS States. The continuing to learn about autonomous federations organic linkage between APMSS and the – structure, functions, networking and federations is another notable feature and experiences of autonomy. key area for the visitors to witness and Team members and Federation appreciate. women from MS Karnataka visited Besides, placement of students of social autonomous federation of work from different universities as interns Mahabubnagar and Medak districts to has become a regular feature. The students understand the autonomous are placed for 45 days to three months in functioning of federations, strategies the respective project districts for practical followed for building support systems learning and hands on experience in the and handling projects independently field. They are given assignments basing on by the federations. their interest and specialization of the Three members from Rural subject. Development Institute, (RDI) Hyderabad visited Kowdipalli mandal The visits by individuals, organizations are of Medak district and Gangadhara of great importance to us also as it creates mandal of Karimnagar district to an opportunity for mutual learning and know the experiences of women critical reflection on the processes. At the Sanghams taking up collective farming same time the team is exposed to new areas and land lease activities.
80 Annual Report 2010-11 Six members from RDI, USA visited learn about different livelihood Tekmal and Andole mandals of Medak activities taken up by Sanghams. As district to understand how women are part of their visit they interacted with collectively addressing issues of their Sangham women and learnt about concern, emerging as alternate redressal collective farming and activities taken forums and working on accessing their up by Sanghams as part of the pilot rights, particularly land rights. for effective implementation of SPD, MS Kerala visited Andole MGNREGA in collaboration with mandal of Medak district to under- WASSAN. stand the functioning of autonomous Four students of Social Work from federations. Telangana University, Nizamabad district were placed in Nizamabad to 25 member team from Ethopia visited do their internship. They studied the Koheda mandal of Karimnagar district initiatives of MS and documented the through Basix livelihood school to experiences of Sangham women.
One student of Social Work from Ambedkar University, Srikakulam has been placed for a three months concurrent field work at Srikakulam DIU. Two Social Work students from Maha Raja PG College of Social Work, Vizianagaram, have done their block field work for a period of one month.
Annual Report 2010-11 81 Audit Report
82 Annual Report 2010-11 Annual Report 2010-11 83 84 Annual Report 2010-11 Executive Committee Members
S.No. Name & Designation Membership Status 01. Smt. Chandana Khan, IAS., Chairperson Secretary to Government, Dept. of Primary Education, Government of A.P. 02. Smt. Suparna S. Pachouri, Nominee of Dept. National Project Director, of Education, GoI, Mahila Samakhya. Ministry of HRD 03. Sri. R. Satyanarayana, Member Commissioner & Director, School Education, Government of A.P. 04. Sri. Janardhan Reddy, Member Director, Adult Education, Government of A.P. 05. Smt. M. Kavita, Member Deputy Secretary, Dept. of Panchayat Raj & Rural Development, Government of A.P. 06. Smt. V. Usha Rani, IAS., Member Director, Dept. of Women Development & Child Welfare, Government of A.P. 07. Sri A. Sudhakar, Member Deputy Secretary to Govt. Department of Finance Government of A.P. 08. Sri. S.K. Ray, IAS., Member Financial Advisor, Department of Education, New Delhi. 09. Smt. Deepa Dhanraj, NRG Member 268, 5th Cross, 3rd Main, Ist Block, Koramangala, Bangalore - 560 034. 10. Smt. Geetha Nambissan, NRG Member Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi - 067.
Annual Report 2010-11 85 S.No. Name & Designation Membership Status
11. Prof. Fatima Alikhan, GoI Nominee on EC 8-2-580, Road No.8, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. 12. Sri. D. Roshan Kumar, Member SEEDS, D.No. 4-16-25/3, Bandlamudi Complex, Near Andhra Bank, Amaravathi Road, Guntur - 500 002. 13. Dr. Sagari R. Ramdas, Member Anthra & Yakshi, B 228/229, Sainik puri, Secunderabad – 500 094 14. Smt. K. Anuradha, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU - Medak. 15. Smt. B. Padmaja, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Mahabubnagar. 16. Smt. D. Laxmi, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Karimnagar. 17. Smt. G.Sarita, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Nizamabad. 18. Smt. V. Suvarna, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Adilabad. 19. Smt. G. Jayasree, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Warangal. 20. Smt. B. Malleshwari, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Nalgonda. 21. Kum. S. Satyaveni, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Srikakulam. 22. Kum. D. Ratna Jyothi, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Vizianagaram. 23. Smt. Nagalakshmi, DRP, Member APMSS, DIU-Prakasam. 24. Smt. B. Kumuda, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Anantapur.
86 Annual Report 2010-11 S.No. Name & Designation Membership Status
25. Smt. T. Rajeshwari, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Kurnool. 26. Smt. M. Nirupama, DPC, Member APMSS, DIU-Visakhapatnam. 27. Kum. Kanaka Durga, DRP, Member APMSS, DIU-Khammam. 28. Smt. Mathura Bai, MK, Member APMSS, DIU-Medak. 29. Smt. Parvathi, MK, Member APMSS, DIU-Nalgonda. 30. Smt. P. Prasanthi, SPD, Member Secretary APMSS, State Office.
EC Meetings held
25th June 2010
8th November 2010
10th March 2011
Annual Report 2010-11 87 Addresses of District Implementation Units
A.P. Mahila Samatha Society A.P. Mahila Samatha Society 12-13-485/5, Nagarjuna Nagar, H. No. 5-7-190, Beside Petrol Bunk (Old Statusbar), Tarnaka, Secunderabad. Prakasam Bazar, Nalgonda - 508 001. Ph. No. 040-27150233 Ph.No.08682-244085 Email : [email protected] Email: [email protected]
A.P. Mahila Samatha Society A.P. Mahila Samatha Society D.No.1-19-MIG-2, Survey No.653, H.No. 5-1-592, Ganesh Nagar, IPI, Vivekananda Colony, Vizianagaram. Sangareddy, Medak Dist. Ph.No.08922-223143 Ph.No.08455-276916 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] A.P. Mahila Samatha Society A.P. Mahila Samatha Society Plot No. 17, (Upstairs), Lakshmi Nagar, 8-2-14, Sri Rama Nilayam, Laxminagar Colony, Visakha 'B' Colony, Srikakulam. Opp: Padmavathi Colony, Petrol Bunk Back Side, Ph. No. 08942-221235 BSNL Network, Mahabubnagar - 509 001. Email: [email protected] Ph.No. 08542-270171 Email : [email protected] A.P.Mahila Samatha Society Opp: N.S.P. Office, Addanki Road, A.P. Mahila Samatha Society NSP Colony, Darsi, Prakasam Dist. 7-2-991, Ponnam Complex, Ph.No.08407-254565 Mankamma Tota, Karimnagar - 505 002. Email: [email protected] Ph.No. 0878-2224071 A.P. Mahila Samatha Society Email: [email protected] H.No. 6/1458E, CB Road, Guntakal, Anantapur Dist. A.P. Mahila Samatha Society Ph.No.08552-229858 5-6-109, Near Mathrusri Junior College, Email: [email protected] Vidyanagar Colony, Kamareddy - 503 111. Nizamabad Dist. A.P.Mahila Samatha Society Ph.No. 08468-220008 H.No.1/1153, Geeta Nagar, Email : [email protected] Behind Somappa Memorial Hall, Yemmiganur, Kurnool Dist. A.P. Mahila Samatha Society Ph.No.08512-255151 D.No. 26-1-6/1, Vadagam Balabasti, Email: [email protected] Behind Deccan Gramina Bank, Calltex Area, Bellampally, Adilabad Dist. A.P. Mahila Samatha Society Ph.No.08735-222730 H.No. 3/94, Street No. 7, Sharada Nagar, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam Dist. Email: [email protected] Ph.No. 08924-231026 Email: [email protected] A.P. Mahila Samatha Society H.No. 2-5-684, Near DIG Bunglow, A.P.Mahila Samatha Society Opp: eden Function Hall, Subedari, Plot No. 27/P, Jaya Nagar Colony, Hanmakonda, Warangal. Ballepalli (Post), Pandurangapuram, Khammam. Ph.No. 0870-2578998 Ph.No.08742-254373 Email : [email protected] Email: [email protected]
88 Annual Report 2010-11