3.
JEEVIKA
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The ‘Livelihood Security Project for Earthquake Affected
Rural Households in Gujarat,’
known as Jeevika, was launched
in October 2002. The project is a seven-year collaborative
effort between the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA),
the Government of India, the Government of Gujarat, the
World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Fund for
Agriculture Development (IFAD), with SEWA acting as the
facilitating agency. Overall responsibility for Jeevika
belongs to the Rural Development Department of the Government
of Gujarat, with IFAD providing a loan through the Government
of India, and the WFP providing food assistance.
Earthquake destroyed our houses not our morale. We
do not require charity-but we need employment-Jeevika
will fulfill our demand of sustainable
livelihood
Monghiben Koli –Adhoi village Kutch district of Gujarat State
Now we don’t want to live
on the mercy of others after each calamity. If we get proper training then we can also fight
any disaster efficiently Gauriben of Kuda village, Surendranagar
|
SEWA’s
Integrated Approach in Jeevika:
SEWA adheres to Gandhian
philosophy of guiding the poor, self employed members to
organize for social change, following the principles of
truth, non-violence, integrating all faiths and propagation
of local employment and self-reliance.
SEWA’s philosophy
embraces a holistic approach to development. SEWA believes that multiple inputs and interventions
are essential for women to emerge from poverty, vulnerability
and years of deprivation.
SEWA’s integrated approach to poverty eradication comprises
of :
i.
Organising
for
collective strength, bargaining power and representation
in committees and boards at district, state, national and
international levels;
ii.
Capital
formation at
the household level through access to financial services
(savings, credit and insurance) to build up and create assets
in women’s name (land, house, work shed, equipment, cattle,
bank balance);
iii.
Capacity building to stand firm in the competitive market
i.e. access to market infrastructure, access to technology
information, education, knowledge, relevant skills (like
financial management and planning). Capacity building is
also essential for women to run their own organisations.
iv.
Social
security
in terms of health care, child care, shelter and insurance
should be provided to combat the chronic and acute risks
faced by members and their families; to enhance their well-being
and productivity and to ensure that sickness or sudden crises
are not a drain on their fragile household economies.
All these four components are required simultaneously
and in a combination that is viable and manageable by the
workers themselves. One without the other does not yield
results.
Organisation
Structure of Jeevika
Project
Review Committee |
|
Project
Steering Committee |
|
Project
Implementation Committee |
|
Kutch
Craft Association |
Banaskantha
DWCRA Mahila SEWA Association |
Surendranagar
Mahila and Bal Vikas Mandal |
|
| We do all the hard work of
producing salt but entire earnings
from it is taken over by the trader.
Hence it is better that we sell the salt ourselves
directly in the market. Jasuben Thakore of Garamdi village, Patan |
| So far, we tolerated all
the disasters thinking that they were nature’s anger
on us, but trainings taken by us after earthquake taught
us that if we make preparations beforehand we can mitigate
the effect of disaster. Laxmiben Dahyabhai from Barara, Patan |
| In very short and blunt way,
I would like to state that if our livelihood is secured,
then we will face any disaster efficiently. Sarojba Sodha from Pithoranagar of Kutch district. |
3.2 PROGRESS
DURING THE YEAR
§
Project became
effective in November 2002.
§
123 villages
identified for implementation in the first year with intensive
focus in 32 villages on land and water management.
§
Micro-plans
prepared in 38 villages
§
Convergence
of resources being done in close coordination with government,
hence avoiding duplication of resources.
§
Project Management
Unit is formed and is closely coordinating with Government
of Gujarat. They
meet twice in a month, i.e. every second and third Saturday
with the Joint Secretary and Commissioner Rural Development.
§
Selection of
agency for baseline survey, process documentation, management
and information system and review of financial systems is
in process and the final selection will soon be done.
§
Hired Technical
consultants for land and water management, livestock and
agriculture, forestry, water, childcare and Jeevanshala.
§
Held series
of four workshops at the central level by the PMU and SEWA Academy.
§
Workshop held
on Fund Flow and Accounting System and on accounting procedures
and systems.
§
Gram Sabhas
were held in 110 first year selected villages.
Prepared detailed micro-plans for 34 villages and
the rest are in process.
§
Annual Work
Plan and Budget prepared at district level.
§
Formed Village
Development Committees. VDC is the focal implementation
unit in every village. VDC
will take the lead in bringing out the village needs, planning
executions of work.
§
Trainings for
village development committee members held
-
29 VDCs participated in the training programme.
-
One talk back
programme through satellite communication was also organized
where about 400 members from 32 VDCs
participated. Government of Gujarat
officials also remained present.
§
Preparation
of training modules is in process
§
Capacity building
and capability needs assessment process is being done
§
Capacity building
trainings were held at the district and village level. Three workshops have been organized with the
VDCs, spearhead teams, district association organization and
SEWA sister organization teams to assess their level of
understanding of the programme.
3.3 COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTRE
(CLC)
For SEWA members, disaster is not an event separated
from normal life but simply the exacerbation of an underlying
vulnerability. The rural area is prone to a wide range of
natural calamities – droughts, floods, cyclones, epidemics
and earthquakes. After experiencing continuous disasters,
SEWA has realized that there is a need for creating awareness
among the poor rural members about disaster mitigation and
preparedness. As a strategy, SEWA has established community-learning
centres (CLC), which serves as the hub for the community
disaster preparedness. All of the activities, planning,
administration, and equipment that forms a part of disaster
strategies are originated from these centres. Coordinating activities from one central location
is not only lead to efficiency, but more importantly, maintain SEWA’s commitment to local
ownership and a holistic approach to community development.
The CLC is also equipped with the Tools and Equipment
Library. Poor and tribal are facing lots of livelihood problems
as they have lost their equipments in disaster or they are
not equipped as they are poor and cannot afford to buy tools
and equipments. Their livelihood suffers because of non-availability
of equipments. SEWA’s experience
says that livelihood is the best solution for the mental
health problems, trauma that could be a result of disaster
like earthquake, drought, flood etc. Thus, SEWA started
tools and equipment library to help members to earn livelihood,
which in turn help them to get out from trauma and shock.
3.4 GRAIN BANK IN AANTARNESH
VILLAGE
Aantarnesh, a village situated on the
boarder of India
is now on the world map because of its Grain Bank. Aantarnesh
is a remote village in the Patan
district of Gujarat state. The popularly known Little Rann
of Kutch starts from this village. During the monsoon, access
to this village becomes impossible because of the overflowing
of Banas River. These are difficult times for the
village people as all modes of transportation are stopped.
Subsequently, they have to face acute shortage of food grains.
The people who suffer the most during
the monsoon crisis are the poorest of the poor in the village.
To facilitate the provision of quality food grains at affordable
rates to the poorest of the poor, a grain bank has been
started in Aantarnesh under the
Jeevika Project of SEWA Rural
Development. The
Aantarnesh Grain Bank is a joint
enterprise of Jeevika SEWA Mandal and the people of Aantarnesh.
Eighty families that have been identified as the poorest
of the poor through village meetings in Aantarnesh
have contributed Rs.1600 to the Aantarnesh
Grain Bank. They are the main beneficiaries of the grain
bank too.
According to the village people, the prices
of food grains at the Aantarnesh
Grain Bank is lower than the market price, hence it is affordable.
In the beginning, 2400 kgs of wheat at Rs.6 per kg, 400 kgs
of rice at Rs.7 per kg, and 500 kgs
of split Bengal Grams at Rs.5 per kg were sold. Within two
months the entire stock was sold with a resultant income
of Rs.10,800. Later, the people
of Aantarnesh demanded Bajri,
as wheat proves to be costlier because of the use of oil
with it. Hence, Bajri worth Rs. 10,000 was bought
from a nearby village called Varahi
Gunj. Within a month the entire stock of Bajri was sold at Rs.7 per kg with a profit of Rs.600.
The development of the Aantarnesh Grain Bank has prompted people from other villages
of Gujarat to visit the
bank and understand its functioning. They have also asked
SEWA for an intermediate initiation of a Grain Bank in their
respective villages.
Babiben Thakor
on Antarnesh Grain Bank
I became a member of the Aantarnesh Grain Bank by contributing Rs.20. Originally, I
am a gum collector but now I am into coal labor.
I get a daily wage of Rs.25 from this work. The presence
of the Antarnesh Grain Bank has made food grains easily accessible
and available in the village itself. Earlier, when
there was no grain bank, I had to go to Varahi
for buying grains. This meant that I had to incur
the loss of wages, as I had to be away for a day and
take leave from my daily labor.
It also meant that I had to pay daily for transportation
and also buy grains at higher prices. Now, due to
the grain bank my day is not spoilt, I can buy quality
grains at lower prices and save some money. |
SEWA
members at Jeevika SEWA Mandal
(JSM) monthly district meeting |
