STORY OF CHANGE- BACK TO SCHOOL

The economic opportunities provided by industrial development in Ahmedabad, attracted migrant labour from Tamil Nadu to Sabarmati slum. The employment at the railway station of men in loading and unloading the cargo resulted in steady inflow of migrants over a period of 40 years. With the closure of cargo, these people lost source of livelihood and consequential deterioration of financial condition. Children obstruct the women from taking up work outside of home. If they take up a job, it either compromises the well-being of the children or puts additional responsibilities of household and sibling care. These economic pressures combined with cultural integration issues, keep children away from school or result in early drop-out.

There is a Tamil medium school in the area, the children, mostly first generation learners, eventually lose interest in studies as they find difficulty in coping up in a school that lack teachers and infrastructures, to teach a large sized, multi-grade class in a joyful manner. Added to this is the wider issue of integration, the Tamil migrants live a closed life with limited interaction with the locals resulting in poor knowledge of local languages. Language becomes a huge barrier for children as the medium of instruction in most of the local schools are Gujarati and Hindi- which they are unable to follow. The children also have difficulty forming peer group outside their own linguistic groups reinforcing alienation. These factors, coupled with the distance of the school (app 6 km.) make the school unattractive to the children and the parents.

Back to School is based in the premise that education is a fundamental right of the child.  A three year initiative to create and enhance access to quality health and education to children of Tamil migrants in Sabarmati slums of Ahmedabad. In order to protect and secure this right it is important for the children themselves to understand and articulate the same and need the support of the communities and the institutions that can create enabling conditions.  The project facilitates the integration of children with their support groups, through a process of community and institutional empowerment. The project works in close collaboration with Tamil Sangam, the local institution and the school. Back to School recognizes the committed parents of first generation learners towards ensuring a better life for their children and to build on this the project works towards engaging them in the PTA in a meaningful way. In doing this, Back to School converts constraints into opportunities.

Other broader strategic activities carried out under Back to School are to improve the quality of education in the existing schools as a means to increase enrollment and retention Putting all children in the aegis of education in schools, in Bridge camps (help children acquire grade appropriate competencies and mainstreaming them in formal schools) and in vocational training (help children develop skills and capacities). The schools provide a protection to the children from getting into labour. Optimize Schools as agents to promote integration and a culture of pluralism. The program will maintain a balance between the integration of the Tamil children and the preservation and development of their specific cultural identity. The schools will affirm an atmosphere of intercultural acknowledgement and promote increased interaction/dialogue in the school environment. A series of school based extra curriculum activities strategically involving local and migrant children will foster spirit of cooperation and understanding. The schools involved in providing special language classes for the Tamil children through joyful methods (for examples, the popular appeal of Hindi and Gujarati cinema can be used- borrowing ideas from the World Bank supported innovative program to run a  literacy drive using sub titles for songs from the popular program Chitrahaar). Capacitate children to articulate and secure their rights through Bal Sansads- a unique platform that address child rights, local issues, express themselves and at the same time learn about themselves, their duties and their surrounding thus, give them a sense of self esteem and worth.  Various training programs to equip the teachers with skills and techniques to handle first generation learners, in a multi-grade / level environment. Form/ strengthen Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) to enhance the involvement of the families in the education of the children. This will also build interface between two important stakeholders in education. Enhance work participation of women so that the children are not forced to work.  The program will enhance adult work participation rates by creating livelihood avenues for the women by undertaking Income Generation Program (IGP) training for the parents especially mothers.

There is a huge impact of this program on children in the urban slums of Ahmedabad.  With this project various issues like child labour, number of school dropouts, low attendence are curbed, children have gained confidence and are aware of the importance of education. This resulted in increased enrolment rate in the school since children parliament’s   members played key role in the enrollment drive. 650 children started attending school regularly within 30 months time. Quality of education improved. Education continued from primary to high school. Due to various training program children have gained confidence, developed leadership and personality skills and showed an increased interest for education. The clever students help the poor students. Children have stopped child labor, and enjoy school days. Three different groups of Children’s Parliament in target area are formed. They by themselves perform street play, cultural program, health campaign and initiative to take smaller children to schools. 15 members of SHGs took leadership to resolved local issues like Drinking water, Gutter line and ration card. People have realized the important of education and health care in the community. 2 Kishori Mandals (below 16 years) have been formed in the intervention area.

Courtsey: KSSSS, Gujrat

Vendors vow to fight tooth and nail

Guwahati, March 31: About 400 vegetable vendors of Machkhowa refused to vacate the market here today despite the Supreme Court recently rejecting their plea against a 2010 Gauhati High Court order asking them to shift to a new place on the city's outskirts.

Sources said there was apprehension of trouble in the busy market situated along the Tarun Ram Phukan Road here tomorrow with the GMC today issuing a notice asking the traders to vacate the market within 24 hours, failing which they would be evicted with the help of police. The traders, however, have refused to budge.

"We will not vacate the place. We will fight against the GMC order. If a clash takes place tomorrow, the administration will be responsible for any untoward incident," said Khokon Das, vice-president of Machkhowa Vegetable Retail Traders Development Union.

The union told reporters they would not shift to the new market of the Assam Agricultural Marketing Board at Gorchuk near NH 37 as there was no mention of the market in the court order and it was situated 20km from Machkhowa.

The traders demanded accommodation either on the plot of land at Fancy Bazar that will fall vacant after shifting of the Central Jail or on the bank of the Brahmaputra at Bharalumukh.

A district administration official said adequate security arrangements would be made to ensure that nothing untoward takes place during the eviction while the traders' union said they would fight tooth and nail against the drive.

Das said, "Gauhati High Court in its order of 2010 had asked us to shift to a plot of land owned by a private party at Boragaon. But the owner moved the court seeking his land back and the court agreed. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation on March 23 offered that we shift to the agricultural marketing board's market. We refused as the market is for wholesalers and not proper for retail business. People will not come to a market on the outskirts to buy vegetables and we will lose our source of livelihood."

Acting on a PIL filed in 2004, Gauhati High Court had in 2010 ordered shifting of the Machkhowa market to Boragaon but the traders had moved the Supreme Court, challenging the order.

On March 16, the apex court rejected the traders' petition.

GMC commissioner Puru Gupta told this correspondent that all kinds of support would be provided to the traders to shift to Gorchuk. "The AAMB market is well-organised and we can provide space to 400 retailers in the eight-bigha plot. Many sheds have been constructed and some more are coming up. The approach road is complete and there is a platform where they can keep their products and do business. We have discussed with the board and they will provide support," he said.

The market was started in 1989, resulting in huge congestion in Machkhowa and forcing the residents to seek its shifting.

Together with the shifting of the jail, the process for which started today, residents and the administration feel congestion will ease in the busy commercial area.

Better homes, no power, toilet

Guwahati, March 30 2012 : The overall condition of Assam's households has improved according to the census data on housing, household amenities and Assets Census, 2011 released here today but the state still has a lot of catching up to do on the power and sanitation fronts.

The data collected from February 9 to 28 last year with a revision round during March 1 to 5 reveals that Assam has done well in comparison to 1991-2001 census figures but it needs to focus more on parameters such as power and sanitation.

There has been an increase in households with electricity by 12 per cent since 2001, but the overall figure of households covered is still dismal: 37 per cent. Consumption of kerosene stands at 62 per cent.

Similarly, bathing facility has improved by 28 per cent over 2001 figures, but 58 per cent of the households are still without this basic facility. Around 1.3 per cent of the total households use water from untreated source.

Households in lower Assam, north bank and middle Assam face a lot of problems accessing clean drinking water.

"There are a lot of positives, like our sex ratio as well as literacy rate. It would look even better if we could provide electricity and basic amenities to more households ' bathing facility, proper drainage, LPG, electricity are basic amenities," an official said, underlining the need for the Tarun Gogoi government to take appropriate steps to improve the delivery mechanism.

The decade under review has seen a Congress-government at the helm of affairs at Dispur. Gogoi assumed power in 2001 and is into his third term.

Director of census operation, Assam, R.K. Das, formally released the report which had been collected based on demographic data including religion, caste, language, economic activity, migration and fertility, with the help of 65,277 supervisors and enumerators.

The provisional population of 2011 represented a decadal growth of 16.93 per cent during 2001-2011, against 17.64 per cent in the country, whereas the decade of 1991-2001 saw a growth of 18.92 per cent. Similarly, the sex ratio has improved. The number of females per thousand males was 935 in 2001, which rose to 954 in 2011, against 940 in the country.

The effective literacy rate of Assam according to the 2011 census is 73.18 per cent against country's literacy rate of 74.04 per cent.Of 73.18 per cent, male literacy constitutes 78.81 per cent, while female literacy constitutes 67.27 per cent in 2011.

"As far as housing is concerned, a decline has been observed in proportion of households using grass/thatch /bamboo/wood/mud/tiles/burnt bricks as material of roof and wall; whereas, an increase observed in proportion of households using GI/metal/asbestos sheets and concrete as material of roof and burnt brick and stone as material for walls," said Das.

About vehicles used in the state, four per cent households have four-wheelers; 10 per cent households have two-wheelers (scooter/motorcycle/moped); and 55 per cent households have bicycles," said Das.

Though the census officials did not make any observation, the data released ends with Article 25 of the Universal Declaration Of human Rights 1948.

It reads: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

For more detail log on to : http://in.news.yahoo.com/better-homes-no-power-toilet-220404060.html

...Life in metro: shadow of Urban scenario!

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission -in brief

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission is a massive city modernisation scheme launched by the Government of India under Ministry of Urban Development. It envisages a total investment of over $20 billion over seven years. It is named after Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India. The scheme was officially inaugurated by the prime minister, Manmohan Singh on 3 December 2006 as a programme meant to improve the quality of life and infrastructure in the cities.

JNNURM is a huge mission which relates primarily to development in the context of urban conglomerates focusing to the Indian cities. JNNURM aims at creating ‘economically productive, efficient, equitable and responsive Cities’ by a strategy of upgrading the social and economic infrastructure in cities, provision of Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP)and wide-ranging urban sector reforms to strengthen municipal governance in accordance with the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992.

The JNNURM project is a one of a kind project dedicated to the redevelopment of India’s cities. This is quite a unique step considering the planning ideologies of India. Till date India was primarily focused on the development of rural areas. India’s comprehensive network of underdeveloped villages required such development.

As per the 2011 census, India is home to about 1.25 billion people, making it one of the most densely populated areas of the world after China. However it was also estimated that 70% of India’s population lies in rural areas. However urban India is fast growing but sometimes in unplanned ways. India is benchmarked to be the next superpower. India even held a steady growth rate during the recent recession. However, unplanned growth has taken a toll on urban India, especially due to problems in the agricultural sector in rural India. Hence, the rising population due to migration from rural to urban cities as well as other factors have also contributed to the increase of slums in the cities and degradation of cities due to lack of planning has also taken place.

Inadequate infrastructure, rising population rates as well as rising urban poverty are also major causes to the degradation of the cities. Hence the Government of India has taken up the initiative to redevelop the urban towns and cities by developing infrastructure, municipal reforms and providing aid to the State Governments and the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), in order to develop urban India. As per the information in the JNNURM mission brochure as launched by the Authorities, cities and towns account for 30 percent of the country’s population, contributing 50 – 55 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The degrading conditions of the cities have forced the Government to rethink their strategies in order to adhere to the socio-economic objectives of the country.

Mission Objectives

• Focused attention relating to infrastructural services in the context of integrated development is to be covered under the Mission.
• Make efficient and increase self-sustaining capabilities of cities as per the sector proving infrastructural services by securing the linkages between asset creation and asset management
• Ensure adequate investment of funds to fulfill deficiencies in the urban infrastructural services.
• Planned development of identified cities including peri-urban areas, out growths, urban corridors, so that urbanization takes place in a dispersed manner.
• Scale up delivery of civic amenities and provision of utilities with emphasis on universal access to urban poor.
• To take up urban renewal programme, i.e., re-development of inner (old) cities area to reduce congestion

Implementation mechanism

The funds are channeled through state-level agencies, where grants from the Central and State governments are pooled and passed on as grants or soft loans to cities provided that they have prepared city development strategies and that the investments identified fit within these strategies. The mission emphasizes transparency and accountability. It supports public-private partnerships and cost recovery to make service providers financially self-sustaining. The share of grant funding by the central government can vary from 35% in the largest cities to up to 90% in cities located in the Northeast. Most cities receive grants covering 50% or 80% of costs depending on the size of the city.Capacity building is also included in the mission to assist urban local bodies to prepare strategies and projects.

Currently, ten projects are being covered by JNNURM funds pertaining to road network, storm water drains, bus rapid transit system, water supply, solid waste management, sewage treatment, river and lake improvement, slum improvement and rehabilitation, all fall under its scope.

source: Government of India:Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, ca. 2005
            Guidelines:JNNURM Guidelines, February 2009

National workshop on Urban Poverty in India: Whittling or Withstanding

                                        

Let’s bring change to the life of urban poor!

Let’s advocate for the food, shelter, clothing, and education and health needs of urban poor!

Let’s secure the livelihood of urban poor!

Let’s come together to make this change happen!

 1. Context

A National Workshop on Urban Poverty: Whittling or Withstanding  has been organized in the National Capital from 22^nd-23^rd March 2012 as a part of the Golden Jubilee celebration of Caritas India. The two day workshop has accentuated on various aspects of urban poverty and priortising Urban poverty as key concern to addressed by concerned government institutions, NGOs, activists and individuals.

The workshop has been attended by social activists, subject experts, legal experts, academicians, NGO representatives from different parts of India. The inaugural function was chaired by Bishop Lumen Monterio, Chairman, Caritas India. In his address, he highlighted Urban poverty and the ever increasing urban population as the major challenge for the nation. He stressed that there is a need for systematic approach to address the issue and to evolve common strategies. Fr. Varghese Mattamana, Executive Director, Caritas India said that the workshop aims to strengthen Caritas India’s capacities in designing and implementing urban development programmes. Mr. Michel Verhulst, President, Caritas Belgium, Mr. Dominic Verhoeven, Vice Preseident, Caritas Belgium also graced the occasion. Mr. P.U. Francis, Zonal Manager – North, Caritas India made the welcome address and Fr. Frederick D’Souza, Director Designate, Caritas India gave the thanking note for the inaugural ceremony.

The second day saw gave way for a thought shower session wherein all the participants and resource persons were engaged in coming up for a way forward for this issue of Urban Poverty. It was seen after the session that various partnership enhancement, advocacy and networking is quite required to take forward this burning issue of Urban Poverty.

The issues were well discussed in the open discussion and the house recorded the concern for proper judgments on public interest litigations and its implementation. To address the concerns of urban poverty and advocate for the urban poor a blog (http://wittillingurbanpoverty.blogspot.in/) on Urban Poverty  has launched by Bishop Lumen Monterio, Chairman, Caritas India.

At the end of the workshop intended to take the issue forward so that it will mould and supplement Caritas India’s efforts in urban development programmes.

2. Workshop highlights

Facilitation of workshop-on Defining Urban scenario

Mr. Indu Prakash Singh from Indo Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) along with the Caritas India staff has stood as the key resource person for the workshop. He focused on the push and pull factors of the rural to urban migration. Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Director, Housing and Land Rights Network and Ms. Jayashree Satpute made their remarks on judiciary and favorable judgments with regard to homelessness and against evictions. The workshop threw light on different aspects of Urban Poverty ranging from migration to the problem related o identity crisis of these people who are living in the slums. It also took into account of the issue of homelessness in India by Mr. Harsh Mander.

Facilitation of workshop-on defining government policies for urban poor

Ms. Aruna Sundararajan, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA) on Basic services for the urban poor shared her views on dimensions - engagement in housing, health, education, livelihood and credit: policies and schemes. She said that establishing community organizations and community networks among the urban poor are the need of the hour along with the enactment of property rights by all the states.

Facilitation of workshop-on Defining role of media in addressing urban issues

A session by Mr. Raju Sajwanh, from Dainik Jagran, Delhi, reiterated on the need for more collaboration between Civil Society Organizations and Media so that the issues are taken to the larger public and thereby ensure a joint advocacy effort in policy making.  He also made the call for alternative journalism on issues like urban poverty through blogs and websites.

Facilitation of workshop-on solution for migration

Mr. Vinod Pandey from Caritas india has shared the results of Caritas India projects (LIFE & HARIT PRAYAS in Rajasthan & Bundelkhand region) in terms of mitigating migration from rural to urban and reducing the pressure on cities. He has shared that how with the concept of Rozgar Dhaba (employment restaurant) and promotion of sustainable agriculture in Banswara project region migration has reduced to 0% with target households.

...Its a double error: from the point of Left!

National Workshop on Urban poverty in NEWS in Malyalam manorama!

Hope for better houses for urban poor! but is it really for urban poor?

...a web page to address URBAN POVERTY issue!

A national workshop on Urban poverty in India: Whittling or Withstanding has been organized by Caritas India from 22^nd and 23^rd March 2012 at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Okhla, New Delhi and based on discussions at the end of the workshop a web page on ‘urban poverty’ has been launched by the Chairman of Caritas India Most Rev. Bishop Luman Monterio.

URL address of the web page: http://wittillingurbanpoverty.blogspot.in/

Purpose of web-page

Web-page is mainly to address the upcoming concerns of urban poverty and advocate for urban poor perspective policies.

…what web page would be performing?

• At Present the web page is accentuating on various discussions happened during the two days of national workshop.
• It would  be accentuating on various issues in relation with the “URBAN POVERTY”
• It would be providing resources ( policies documents) related to policies on Urban Poverty
• It would be posting discussions and sharing on “Urban Poverty” by different NGOs/individuals/activists
• It would be facilitating counseling and guidance on Urban Poverty by involving experts ( Not now probably in later stage of this web page)

How you can contribute?

• By actively raising the concerns on Urban Poverty
• Sharing the policy analysis (on urban poverty)
• Sharing your work /thought on mitigating Urban poverty and related issues
• Posting your views and comments on web-page articles
• By sharing videos/photos on urban poverty
• Vote for the questions raised on the web-page

Let’s bring change to the life of urban poor!

Let’s advocate for the food, shelter, clothing, and education and health needs of urban poor!

Let’s secure the livelihood of urban poor!

Let’s come together to make this change happen!

Year-long job scheme for urban poor on the cards!

MUMBAI: In a bid to eradicate unemployment from the state, a large part of which has gradually been urbanized over the years, the government plans to introduce an employment scheme that will guarantee jobs for the city poor throughout the year.

"Nearly 50% of the state has been urbanized and a large proportion of the population does not have a job. The government plans to introduce an employment guarantee scheme (EGS) for the urban poor, who are yet to get a job after finishing their education," announced minister for employment Nitin Raut. What is unique about the state scheme is that unlike the Centre's Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which offers jobs for 100 days a year, this plan will ensure employment for all 365 days.

The realization after the national workshop on urban poverty

·         Urban Poverty and Urban population  are the two ever increasing phenomena

·         The existing policies and welfare programmes are going to wipe out the Poor and not the poverty.

·         Social and political exclusion : the slum inhabitants are not even counted in Census

·         Denial of basic rights and entitlements are the end result of social exclusion.

·         Security of tenure is not ensured

·         Migration from rural to urban area are mostly distressed migration and not opportunistic migration

·         Insensitive bureaucracy is one of the major reasons and factors that contribute

·         Loss of social identity is the major challenge faced by the urban poor.

·         Serious identity crisis and drifted economic life cycle makes them to be at the bottom of the heap of sufferings. They are not able to go up in the value chain

·         Urban poverty is not just a spillover of rural poverty. It is different & include psychological aspects like social isolation.

·         Urban poor live in lifelong disaster situations. There is an emergency need to  rethink on what made them to be in this conditions

·         The urban poor are the “CITY MAKERS”. The cities can’t make a single day without them, but their problems are never addressed and attended

                                   "Rights must not be rhetoric but should be implemented"

National workshop on urban poverty in NEWS!

Caritas India has organized National workshop on Urban poverty from 22^nd-23^rd March 2012 at Donbosco, Okhla, New Delhi. The workshop at the end is able to generate urban poverty as a priority issue to be addressed by the concerned government departments, NGOS, activists and individual thinkers. Danik Jagran-a leading Hindi news papers has covered the  workshop, not as an event, but as an issue need to be addressed for urban poor!

http://epaper.jagran.com/story.aspx?id=15986&boxid=102564256&ed_date=2012-03-24&ed_code=4&ed_page=25

National workshop on urban poverty in action!

...key notes from national workshop on Urban poverty in India

A national workshop on Urban poverty in India: Whittling or Withstanding is being organized by Caritas India during 22^nd and 23^rd March 2012 at Don Bosco Technical Institute, Okhla, New Delhi.

 The inaugural ceremony was chaired by Most. Rev. Lumen Monterio, Chairman, Caritas India. In his address, he highlighted Urban poverty and the ever increasing urban population as the major challenge for the nation. He stressed that there is a need for systematic approach to address the issue and to evolve common strategies. Fr. Varghese Mattamana, Executive Director, Caritas India said that the workshop aims to strengthen Caritas India’s capacities in designing and implementing urban development programmes. Mr. Michel Verhulst, President, Caritas Belgium, Mr. Dominic Verhoeven, Vice Preseident, Caritas Belgium also graced the occasion. Mr. P.U. Francis, Zonal Manager – North, Caritas India made the welcome address and Fr. Frederick D’Souza, Director Designate, Caritas India gave the thanking note for the inaugural ceremony.

Mr. Indu Prakash Singh from Indo Global Social Service Society focussed on the push and pull factors of the rural to urban migration. Even though there are many welfare schemes, not even a single scheme really reaches out the slum dwellers. Basic denial of rights and entitlements are the end results of various factors that lead to urban poverty. With the current development approaches Poor are going to be wiped out and not poverty.

On Housing & Land rights

Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Director, Housing and Land Rights Network and Ms. Jayashree Satpute made their remarks on judiciary and favorable judgments with regard to homelessness and against evictions. They stressed on the need for Public interest litigations so as to ensure the right based approach and proper implementation of development programmes.

On Policy for homelesness
The theme Homelessness in India and policy approach was presented by Mr. Harsh Mander. He made his view that the urban poor are those who live in lifelong disaster situations.  Needs to be rethinking of what made them to be in these suffering conditions. He made the call for more temporary shelters like working men and women hostels along with affordable housing conditions.

Ms. Jyoti Awasthi presented the rights in the global context: UN covenants on housing.  Human rights aspect of housing was highlighted and she said security of tenure is more important in ensuring the human rights.

Ms. Aruna Sundararajan, MoHUPA on Basic services for the urban poor shared her views on dimensions - engagement in housing, health, education, livelihood and credit: policies and schemes. She said that establishing community organizations and community networks among the urban poor are the need of the hour along with the enactment of property rights by all the states.

On Migration
Ms. Divya Varma, Ajeevika Bureau made a presentation on the experiences of Ajeevika Bureau on solution, security and support services to rural migrants. Interstate migration problems are never addressed by the government as the focus is on international migration which brings remittance to the country. The major challenges include the social identity of the migrants and the portability of their entitlements like ration card to access the basic minimum services.

On media advocacy

Mr. Raju Sajwanh, from Dainik Jagran, Delhi reiterated on the need for more collaborations between Civil Society Organizations and Media so that the issues is taken to the larger public and thereby to ensure a joint advocacy effort in policy making.  He also made the call for alternative journalism on issues like urban poverty through blogs and websites.

Bipin Rai from Shahri Adhikar Manch and Anand Lakhan from National Forum for Housing and Livelihood Rights shared their own experiences of urban poverty and the challenges they are facing when they tackling these grave issues.

The issues were well discussed in the open discussion and the house recorded the concern for proper judgments on public interest litigations and its implementation. The workshop intends to take the issue forward so that it will mould and supplement Caritas India’s efforts in urban development programmes.