ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016
DIGAMBARPUR ANGIKAR
(AN ORGANISATION FOR INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT)
VILL & P.O: DIGAMBARPUR, VIA: KASHINAGAR
P.S: DHOLAHAT, BLOCK: PATHARPRATIMA
DIST: SOUTH 24 PARGANAS, PIN - 743349
Email:
Mobile No: 9830568630
FROM THE DESK OF THE SECRETARY
Dear President, Members, Guest Invitees and Volunteers,
Greetings; Digambarpur Angikar acknowledge the support of all the partners including government agencies and departments from national to local levels, corporate and other civil society actors in our journey towards sustainable development. Digambarpur Angikar's experiences have also reaffirmed that vibrant institutions can play a key role in mobilising communities and spurring participatory processes. These institutions and the community members driving them can become catalysts of change. In fact, institution building has now emerged as a key area of work focusing on federation of women's Self Help Groups, farmer's clubs and other community based organisations for education and protection. Aligned to our focus on disadvantaged socially excluded population, our work with women, children and the community has also grown. The initiatives on education and reducing child labour have also been promising. Digambarpur Angikar intends to focus child trafficking from the vulnerable areas in South and North 24 Parganas in the coming years. Digambarpur Angikar has also sought to consistently build in environmental considerations in all its programming. This is essential since the areas we work in remain susceptible to disasters and climate change impacts. The organisation is now gradually moving towards a deeper understanding of disaster risk reduction measures and integrating the same across sectoral initiatives. We hope to continue working together towards a brighter and a more hopeful future! Ultimately, convergence of resources and actions is the foundation of development.
I convey my sincere thanks to all volunteers, members, associates and well wishers, support partners, staff personnel and community people, panchayat members and government officials who are extending helping hands to us for the noble causes.
Thank you and with best wishes,
Swapan Kumar Mandal
Secretary, Digambarpur Angikar
Email:
Mobile: 9830568630
ABOUT DIGAMBARPUR ANGIKAR
Digambarpur Angikar was established in the year 2000 by a group of dedicated social activist of Sundarban region with a view to undertake relief and rehabilitation as well as development initiatives for empowerment of women and children and other vulnerable sections of socio-economically backward SC/ST/OBC/Minority communities. Since inception the organisation has been involved in the rural development and social action programmes for establishing women and child rights in the Sundarban region. Among the other major activities of the organization are child education, child care and protection, sustainable livelihood development, water and sanitation and environment conservation.
Legal Status:
Registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act XXVI of 1961; No S/24043 dated 26/07/2000
Registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act, 1976 of the Govt. of India; No 147110596 dated 29.01.2003
Registered under section 12A and exempted under section 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961;
Registered u/s 52(2) & 4 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) under PWD Act, 1995 of the Govt. of West Bengal;
License under the West Bengal Women’s and Children’s Institutions (Licensing) Rules, 1958;
Membership:
Digambarpur Angikar has been admitted to the membership of Credibility Alliance for good governance of Voluntary Organizations.
The organization has also been provisionally empanelled for thematic areas – education, livelihood, environment with the National CSR Hub (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).
Vision:
Digambarpur Angikar visualizes an egalitarian society where people irrespective of caste creed religion can enjoy their basic human rights with equal access to resources for quality in life and livelihood.
Mission:
It is our mission to strengthen the empowerment process of the most vulnerable women and children so that they can realize and protect their basic human rights.
Goals:
•Develop the livelihood status of disadvantaged people in rural communities;
•Promote empowerment of women and child rights;
•Strengthen care and protection of vulnerable children;
•Mobilize community people and make them aware of education, health and livelihood opportunities;
•Provide access to health services and promote the adoption of better health practices;
•Facilitate sustainable livelihoods development through training on agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts;
•Strengthen self help groups and other community based organizations;
•To stop discriminating factor based on caste, creed, sex, clan and colour.
Primary Activities
• Study cum survey and need analysis through participatory processes;
• Community mobilization and promotion of grassroots Community Based Organizations;
• Capacity building, skill up gradation, entrepreneurship development of women, youth, artisans through trainings, demonstrations and exposure visits;
• Income generation and savings initiatives among Self Help Groups;
• Promotion and protection of Women & Child Rights;
• Rehabilitation through education and livelihood development programme for empowerment of women, widows and girls at risk;
• Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS and promotion effective reproductive health practices;
• Watershed management and environment conservation;
• Land shaping and rain water harvesting;
• Water and sanitation Programme, Total sanitation Campaign and construction of IHHL, School Toilets, ICDS Toilets;
• National Environmental Awareness Campaign;
• Establishment of productive market linkages;
Fields of Initiatives of the Organisation:
• Awareness & Education
• Child Care & Protection
• Health
• Women & Child Rights
• Livelihood
• Environment Conservation
• Water & Sanitation
EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Children in natural calamity prone Sundarban region account for more than one-third of total population, and yet their rights are violated every single day. Our efforts over the last decade have been to restore to Sundarban’s children their rights. In the current context of Sundarban region, where children’s rights have low priority and violations are significant, it is clear that our actions need to be more focused and must bring about lasting change for children.
We have made remarkable achievements in providing Education support to underprivileged and marginalized children over the last decade. Our education and child protection interventions are focused for children in the rural Islands of coastal South 24 Parganas district. We have continued to emphasize focus on the educational modules through which our teaching system is based and on creating a stress free environment for the children to enable them to learn and grow without fear or prejudice. Our focus being on children who are deprived of a formal education, we have devised a 'stepping stone' model of crèches, pre- primary and primary education, where children who have never attended school, can be tutored through our preparatory courses. Once completed, they are seamlessly inducted into the mainstream formal education system. Our education modules also support children who may have been into formal education earlier but have discontinued their pursuit of education due to poverty, disinterest or discouragement.
A great deal of emphasis is laid on making these children confident and self aware, such that they are able to resume their education pursuit in the formal schools. We understand that the success of these strategies is based on having skilled teachers, motivators and counselors. Teachers are trained periodically to incorporate contemporary knowledge in their teaching learning transactions and staff are continuously encouraged and supported to devise strategies and methods to bring an overall improvement in the quality of education and learning achievements of the children.
Sitaram Jindal Foundation, New Delhi, has been continuing donation support for purchase of educational materials for the poor and needy children.
A rural library - Angikar Rural Library has been functioning since 2003. More than 3200 books, rare books and manuscripts are preserved in the library.
Brief information of education centres run by the organization is given below in tabular form.
Table – I
Sl. No / Type of Education centre / Locations / No of Students1 / Creche / Digambarpur Angikar own building
Village & P.O: Digambarpur, Block: Patharpratima, Dist: South 24 Parganas / 25
2 / Creche / Digambarpur Angikar own building
Vill & P.O: Ramnagar Abad, PS: Dholahat, Block: Patharpratima, District: South 24 Parganas / 25
3 / Creche / Sarbahara Club
Vill+P.O.-Rajrajeswarpur P.S.Patharpratima Block- Patharpratima District-South24 Parganas / 25
4 / Creche / Near the house of Chitta Ghora, Village+P.O. Ramnagar Abad, PS: Dholahat, Block: Patharpratima, District: South 24 Parganas / 25
5 / Pre primary education centre / Kakdwip, South 24 parganas / 30
6 / Pre primary education centre / Ghutiary Sharif, South 24 parganas / 30
7 / Pre primary education centre / Canning, South 24 parganas / 30
8 / Angikar Kishalay Niketan - Primary education school / Village & P.O: Digambarpur, Block: Patharpratima, Dist: South 24 Parganas / 167
The organization has also purchased land and building at Canning,Ghutiary Sharif and Kakdwip for running preprimary education schools for children of socially excluded community.
CHILD CARE AND PROTECTION
Even after 67 years of independence of India, 47 children out of every 1000 live births die every year before reaching their first birthday. Only 50% of children between the age of 6 and 14 go to school. And every second child is malnourished. The critical 33% of our country- children- do not have a voice as they do not have a vote.
Digambarpur Angikar has been running a Home under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 for 50 girls at Digambarpur, Patharpratima block in South 24 Parganas district. Two cottage homes for 50 girls are also located atDigambarpur. The Dept. of Women & Child Development and Social Welfare, Govt. of West Bengal has sponsored the Homes. These homes are managed and supervised by the Lady Superintendants who resides in the home and other project staffs. Inmates have been provided with proper care, shelter, accommodation and nutritious food, education, health care, recreational support and vocational training on tailoring, soft toys making and Computer Training.
Brief information of Homes for Girls run by our organization is given below in tabular form.
Table – II
Sl. No / Type of Home / Locations / No of Inmates1 / Amar Bari -Cottage Home / Village & P.O: Digambarpur,
Block: Patharpratima,
Dist: South 24 Parganas / 50
2 / Amar Bari - Home under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 / Village & P.O: Digambarpur,
Block: Patharpratima,
Dist: South 24 Parganas / 50
AWARENESS & TRAINING PROGRAMMES
Awareness building is the pre condition for sustainability of any programme. Our organization has been striving for awareness building on following various issues. We have also conducted vocational training for rescued women and girls. Sundarban region is disaster prone area. So we have conducted disaster management preparedness training for youth. The activities information is given below in brief.
Table - III
Sl. No / Activities / Locations / No of beneficiaries1 / Awareness on disability / Patharpratima / 50
2 / Awareness Child Trafficking / Namkhana, Patharpratima / 81
3 / Awareness on social evils / Patharpratima / 62
4 / Awareness Diabetes, Malaria
TB, Anemia / Patharpratima / 48
5 / Awareness on RCH / Kakdwip / 50
6 / Vocational training for
Rescued Women & girls / Patharpratima, Namkhana Kakdwip / 30
7 / Disaster management
Preparedness training / Patharpratima, Namkhana / 60
WOMEN & CHILD RIGHTSPROGRAMME
SecuringRights of Women & Girls
Women and girls who live in rural Islands in Sundarban region have a particularly difficult life with limited choices. Due to lack of education and opportunity, many find themselves married in their teen-age years and it is clear that this practice condemns girls to a downward spiral of dropping out of school, teen-age pregnancy, dependency, abuse, and malnutrition. The region Digambarpur Angikar serves, like many in rural India, suffers from illiteracy, child marriage, and poverty. Under this situation Digambarpur Angikar was started their work for securing the women rights and girls rights in the year of 2006 in the remote Island villages of Sundarban of South 24 Parganas. More than 20000 women have become empowered with power of knowledge and capacity for securing rights of women and girls at 204 villages under 24 Gram Panchayet of 4 Blocks (Patharpratima, Kakdwip, Namkhana, and Mathurapur – I) of South 24 Parganas district.
Major Achievement:
Table – IV
Sl.No / Name of Entitlement / Target / Achieved1 / jobs under MGNREGA / 19,905 / 18,810
2 / ICDS made functioning / 111
3 / PDS made functional / 78
4 / Old Age Pension / 71 / 22
6 / Widow Pension / 28 / 12
7 / Janani Suraksha Yojana / 454 / 450
8 / Indira AwasYojana / 84 / 84
9 / New Ration Card / 141 / 53
10 / Ownership of Land - Patta / 56
11 / Rally on Beti Zindabad / 4 / 4
12 / Refresher Para Legal Training / 1 / 1
13 / IWD & Fornight Day Celebration (Beti Zindabad) / 1 / 1
14 / School Campaign against Child Marriage / 1 / 1
15 / Leadership Training through Social Action School / 1 / 1
During the reporting year emphasis has been given on awareness and sensitization programmes on various social evils and child rights has been organised for increasing the awareness level of the community on social evil like Child Marriage, dowry and Child and girl trafficking etc.
LIVELIHOODS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
The poor are poor, because they do not have an appropriate livelihood, nor do they have the skills and opportunities to access livelihood options. Inflation, climate change and a host of complex social and economic factors make the poor even poorer and Digambarpur Angikar has learned that prior to addressing livelihoods, it is important to make families food secure. This understanding has been translated into the many interventions undertaken by Digambarpur Angikar for rural island communities in Sundarban region. Women of targeted families are initially supported through various interventions such as integrated pond based farming, raised bed plantations, back yard poultry, improved agricultural practices and small businesses etc. to improve their food security status. Thereafter, these families are provided intensive training and hand holding support including access to credit and markets to establish their livelihoods.
Brief information of Livelihood development for Women conducted by our organization is given below in tabular form.
Table – V
Sl. No / Type of Activities / Purpose / No of beneficiaries1 / Zari Craft training for rural Women under Swabalamban Scheme / To equip unemployed women and girls with skills on zari craft for livelihood development. / 50 women and girls
2 / Soft Toys training for Rural Women under Swabalamban / To equip unemployed women and girls with skills on soft toys making for livelihood development. / 50 women and girls
3 / Strengthening of Fisher Women Collectives in Sundarban region / The purpose of the project is to enhance overall empowerment of fisher women including equip them with knowledge on rights and entitlements, developing their collectives and supporting them to pursue better livelihoods. / 20 vibrant fisher women collectives incorporating 5000 fisher women in Sundarban region
4 / Socio Economic Empowerment of Tribal people at Sandeshkhali / To ensure sustainable livelihoods of tribal and scheduled caste people of 11000 families with dignity at Sandheshkhali I block in North 24 Parganas district, by enhancing access to and control over resources, carrying capacity of resources responsive, accountable, transparent administrative and self-governance institutions, improving performance of government programmes, increasing access and influence over product and service markets, enhancing mobility and access to information and creating a strong and vibrant service demand system and service standards with new opportunities. / 11000 tribal women
5 / Livelihood development for women’s SHG through flood tolerant paddy cultivation / The goals of the project is to improve livelihood of poor women farmers of self help groups of flood prone villages at Patharpratima block in Sundarban region through equipping with capacity and skills on eco-friendly flood tolerant paddy cultivation. / 300 poor women farmers of 30 self help groups
6 / Empowerment of Women through Livelihood Development Nutritional gardening / The purpose of the project is to improve household food security and alleviate micronutrient deficiencies as well improve livelihood development through nutritional gardening / 100 tiger widows and destitute women
7 / Ambedkar Hastasilpa Vikash Yojana Programme / To provide skill training on zari, embroidery and jute handicrafts for sustainable livelihood development of women artisans. / 600 artisans from Patharpratima, Kakdwip and Mathurapur I blocks in South 24 pgs.
HEALTH PROGRAMME
Targeted Intervention Programme for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among FSWs: Advocating positive changes through health awareness in local communities has always been a priority for us. The poor in particular are often burdened with infirmities which get complicated further through neglect and ignorance while many abstain from seeking health care and treatment due to poverty and societal misconceptions. Addressing the health needs particularly those of Flying sex workers is a priority and although the core targeted health interventions are focused in the operational areas of at Ghutiari Sharif and Canning in South 24 Parganas district. All programmes have a health component, particularly for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS/STDs, which contains both awareness enhancement as well as health services. The achievement of the activities of the project Targeted Intervention Programme for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS among FSWs is given below in tabular form.
Table – VI
Sl. No. / Activity / Achievements01 / Regular contract FSWs through outreach / 3602
02 / Counseling FSWs & their Sexual Partner / 1210
03 / Sexual health counseling / 1180
04 / Pre & post test counseling / 207
05 / Hot Spots, DIC Level Meeting & Skill Dev. Sessions / 72
06 / Condom Promotion (Demos., distr. & SM) / Free 17528 / S. marketing 98845
07 / STI Screening / 380
08 / STI treatment / 29
09 / ICTC / 217
10 / VDRL / 380
11 / Sensitizing & Advocacy / 4
12 / Community Event / 3
13 / Special event Health camp / 2
14 / IEC Developed / 8000 pcs
15 / IEC Distribution / 8000 pcs
16 / Referral services ICTC / 600
17 / Referral services VDRL / 600
WATER & SANITATION
Healthy Living for Everyone at Patharpratima Island
In-spite of rapid economic development witnessed over the last few decades, the country and the state of West Bengal continues to lag behind in terms of people with access to safe drinking water and sanitation. While access to potable water has increased, the quality of water is not always assured and even though various schemes and programmes have been initialed both by the Government and Civil Society, most communities are unawares about water quality issues. Similarly in sanitation, in-spite of the Government of India's Total sanitation Campaign and currently the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan, over half the population continue to defecate in the open. It is only recently that drive to have separate toilets for boys and girls in all schools has been initiated, thousands of children go to school every day which do not have any provision of drinking water and sanitation.