A proposal note : Safai Kamgar Parivartan Sangh, Mumbai
The organization Safai Kamgar Parivartan Sangh (SKPS -Sweepers Association for Change) is a brain child of Ramesh Haralkar, who himself was a sweeper in BMC for 10 yrs and later promoted to a painter. With the help of his friends, he ventured this organization in 1976 with a strong desire to help the sweeper community living in a very miserable condition; miles away from education, civilization and health. In spite of the job security in BMC (BombayMunicipal Corporation)sure source of income, this community continued tolive in a wretched manner because of the lack of education & awareness and influences of the caste system. Needless to mention that the people who work as sweepers come from the scheduled casts.
Ramesh Haralkar; who himself comes from the scheduled caste had to struggle a lot to bring awareness in the community as well as in the media & affluent class of the society about the causes of the miserable life conditions of the sweeper community & the potential remedies. His efforts started came in light when media (newspapers & All India Radio) started giving coverage to what he was saying. The organization registered under ‘Societies Registration Act 1860’ in 1998 started actively initiating various programmes of welfare of sweepers and their families. SKPS has seen the most heinous activity of manual scavenging; therefore immensely worked for the betterment of manual scavengers.
SKPS started analyzing the issues of these sweepers. The caste-ridden shackles immerse generations after generations. They continue to work helplesslyin inhumane condition, which has given rise to alcoholism, drug addition, gambling etc; all supplementing to the worsening the condition of their family life. Family members stay as the dumb and blind sufferers. Because of the illiteracy & ignorance among the workers and their age-old shameful work, their children remained deprived of the elementary education. As a result large number of the youths remained uneducated and unskilled, hence incapable of shifting to any other work. Thus, the vicious cycle goes on.
On this backdrop, the first thing SKPS started was working immensely for providing the quality elementary education to the children of the sweepers. They are running Eklavya Abhyasika (evening study centre)free of cost at two places viz Parel & Sion – Koliwada for the students going to class 1st to 10th from the sweepers’ & also other poor communities. As the time progressed, it created great impact on its targeted group and the number of students rose from 20 to 200. These study centers are placed in the rented classrooms of BMC schools. At present, around 200 – 250 students come to each study center. 10 youth volunteers at each center regularly come to guide the students. 2 persons take care of the arrangement, cleanliness of the classrooms etc.A token amount of Rs 500/- is paid per month to these 20 volunteers + 4 caretakers at the study centers as the honorarium. The yearly rent of Rs 50,000/- is paid to BMC. The study centers have created positive changes; e.g. children have developed liking for going school, reading books, studying. Their parents have started realizing the importance of education & so on.
Pratham, an NGO supports this work to some extent. Other than these two study centers, SKPS provides legal help & right advice to the sweeper employees for the accident claims & other securities at work places under the programme “Nivada”.
Under “Nivara” programme, SKPS has resolved the controversial case of an employee who has been allotted resident provided by BMC after a long struggle of 40 years.
Under “Maher”programme, SKPS has organized several awareness workshops for sweeper women on family planning, hygiene, health, nutrition, and legal aid. The organization also helped several poor women to get substitute job after the demise of their husbands.
Under“Nidan”programme health - related issues of the workers were addressed through organizing camps. Their work condition is such a foe to their health that just working amidst of the hazardous disease germs like tuberculosis, typhoid, and dengue and especially AIDS which is most prominent in this community.
SKPS now wants to introduce Computerlearning andEnglish learning in their Eklavya Abhyasika, in both the study centers.
They need resources for
1)Purchasing computers –
10 computers - 5@ each center@ Rs 30,000/ = Rs 3,00,000/- + internet
connection to one computer at each center 8,000/-
(one computer can be shared by 5 children and a batch wise schedule can be drawn that each child gets opportunity to learn & use computer )
2)Honorarium to the computer teachers –
10 teachers*2,000/- per month=20,000/-*12 months =Rs 2,40,000/-
3) Increase the honorarium of volunteers & caretakers presently working by at least
Rs500/- per month – 24* 500 = 12,000/- per month * 12 months = 1,44,000/-
4) Honorarium to the English teachers –
4 teachers (2 at each center)* 2,000/ =Rs 8,000/- per month *12 months =
Rs 96,000/- (batches of children will be made for English learning)
5)Purchase computer related, English speaking & other books = 5,000/-
6)Maintenances of computers – Rs 15,000/- per month
Thus for around 500 students
Sr no 1 (Rs 3, 08,000/-) is one time investment for computers.
It comes to Rs 616/- each student for computer learning.
From Sr no 2 to 6 (around 5,00.000/-) is yearly requirement.
It comes to Rs 1,000/- per student per year for getting guidance in computer, English learning, & routine studies.
Pratham will continue to share its part i.e. around Rs2,00,000/- per year.
1