| SEWA
has been organizing salt workers since 1990. Currently around
15,000 salt workers have been organized by SEWA in Surendranagar
district of Gujarat. Based on a study conducted by SEWA
on the living and working conditions of the salt workers
, the major interventions for salt workers based on their
immediate needs are :
(1)
Operating 35 child care centers for the children, where
around 1440 children are attended to from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00
p.m.
(2)
Operating a Mobile Health Van that visits the salt workers
on the site as well as villages. The health van provides
curative health services, referral services as well as immunization.
(3)
Support for tools and equipments to the salt workers: SEWA
has set up a tools and equipments library from which the
salt workers can have access to the needed tools and equipments.
(4)
Support for revolving fund : Each salt worker from a Group
is provided with a revolving fund of Rs. 35,000/- to undertake
salt production.
(5)
Technical inputs : SEWA in collaboration with Commissionerate
of Industries, Government of Gujarat has set up a testing
laboratory for salt workers to periodically test the salt
crop at intervals to ensure quality. SEWA in collaboration
with Centre Salt and Marine Research Institute also provides
technical trainings to salt workers.
(6)
Market linkages : SEWA Gram Mahila Haat , the marketing
organization provides market linkages to the salt workers.
Salt
Farmers of Santalpur Taluka Field Study of Their Working
and Living Co-ordination
Set up in early 1999, SGMH aims to protect rural artisans
from market exploitation and to provide them with a platform
to market their traditional goods.
It provides marketing facilities; managerial and technical
support services and working capital assistance to District
Associations, which are federations to rural producers groups.
These services have boosted the production capacity and
marketability of products of rural producers and have enabled
them to earn a regular minimum supplementary income of Rs.
2000 per month.
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