Background Information about ARD

Background Information about ARD The Academy of Root Development is a non-government Voluntary Organisation and Charitable Trust that is actively engaged in social service to poor and marginal communities in Gaya District, Bihar, India. The Vision of ARD: The Academy of Root Development aims to bring equity and opportunity to rural villages in Bihar, India. To create a society without poverty, illiteracy, sickness, child labour or gender and social inequality. The Goal of ARD: To create self-governing communities and associated organisations for poverty reduction through achieving basic rights, basic education, health security, gender and social equality and livelihood security for the poor. The Trust is working for the village communities, especially for landless and marginal farmers. A major problem in the area is the forced migration of people to towns and metro cities in search of work. ARD Trust is working to improve economic conditions to enable people to achieve sustainable employment and the opportunity to remain within their own villages. The organization's overall philosophy is oriented towards sustainable development through organizing women and youth groups in the target area, and judicious use of government resources for the larger benefit of the people. The organization plays a strong catalytic role at the grass root level, delivering programmes where importance is accorded with social as well as economic inputs, and mutual linkages for integrated development. ARD has been declared the nodal agency by DRDA Gaya to implement SJSY project in Guraru block. Background of the Project Area: Guraru block is 35 km distance from the district headquarters. The block consists of 12 Panchyat with a total population of 112,270. Train is the main communication to this block. During the rainy season from June to September there is no proper communication to district headquarters. The rigid cast structure suppresses the women who come from marginalized sections, socially, economically and politically. The block is completely affected by class movement and is Naxal dominated. The socio-economic status of the scheduled cast population is much more pathetic than others and the condition of the populations of the Mushar, Passi, Paswan and Beldar communities is even more dire. The child and youth mass, both male and female, seasonally migrate to Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Banaras, Ludhiyana and other states searching for employment. Malnourishment among women and children is a major problem. Implementation of this project creates a positive hope to change the qualitative betterment of living standards of the rural masses. Project Introduction: The project is aimed at bringing poor rural women together around the common activity of saving and credit, and through their regular interaction, facilitate the establishment of informal groups. The groups select their own leaders and these leaders represent the problems of their respective groups. The choice of saving and credit as the rallying point was primarily for two reasons: (a) it was found to be a good tool for community organization and consolidation, and (b) it gave members of these poor families immediate relief from the exploitation of money lenders. Objectives of the project : , To improve the quality of life of poor rural women and their families through increased access to health, nutrition, education services and productive assets. , To establish an effective alternative credit system for working women in rural areas. , To enhance the income level of women producers in the rural areas by ensuring higher returns through improved access to credit, enhanced productive skills and access to markets. , To increase women's income and their control over that income. , To build the capacity of poor rural women to undertake activities contributing to the above-mentioned objectives through institutions collectively owned and managed by them. Achievements of the project: , Out of 12 Panchyat, 6 Panchyat have been selected to implement this project. , Staff recruitment has been completed in the presence of the project coordinator. , Two day's Staff Orientation Programme has been conducted by project coordinator to enhance the staff skills. , Village level meeting has been organised in 16 villages. , 12 groups have been formed in this month and 8 infinitive group have been formed. , To implement this project, several stages of sharing have been done with panchyat representatives, block officials and DDC Gaya. , Individual passbooks and ledger books are in process with computer press. , Project launching workshop attended by the Member of Parliament for Gaya has been fixed for 15th July, 2005. , 12 Women's Self Help Groups have been formed in this block under this project, involving 148 women in the programme. , Total amount of Rs.1875 has been saved under this project. , Group has been formed after 4 to 5th meeting. Concept of Self Help Groups: Empowering women by organising them is necessary to overcome exploitation and to create confidence for the economic self-reliance of rural poor, particularly women, who are mostly invisible in the social structure. Saving and credit activities of Self Help Groups have been identified and adopted as a means to achieve the goal of empowering women. The most deprived section of the society who are generally considered to have no surplus money to save are the target populations of the programmes. Despite this, through this programme they are patterned to curtail something from their day to day expenditure and to keep it in reserve for emergency. Saving and credit activity however is importantly envisaged as a tool to organise the community and this organised community will act as a co-partner of government mechanism. This force is designed to respond to the multiple dimensions of poverty, material and non material in a democratic, peaceful and flexible manner. The poor community, organised around women's group, can expect to receive the administrative and legal support to which they are entitled with channels open for redressing grievances at the local level itself. Role of Groups: Group formation is seen as crucial to the empowerment process as women draw strength from members. The group provides (a) confidence and mutual support for women striving for social change, (b) a forum in which women can critically analyze their situation and devise collective strategies to overcome their difficulties, (c) a framework for awareness raising, confidence building, dissemination of information and delivery of services and for developing communal self reliance and collective action, and (d) a vehicle for the promotion of economic activities. The project Self Help Group (SHG) is the appropriate people's institution, which provides poor women with the space and support necessary to take effective steps towards greater control of their lives in private and in society. The essence of SHG is that it lays the foundation for self-reliance through building up an institution which has the capacity to continue the development and empowerment process for women in the future. Self-Help promotion attempts to raise the choice level of the poor by building up an institutional frame work that is in tune with their capacities of self administration and better geared towards serving their needs. In the past, efforts were not made to stimulate the capacity of the rural poor to help themselves. Savings and credit is an important entry point for the activities of SHG as it requires the active participation and commitment of all members. It provides them with the opportunity to exercise control and participate in decision marking. It also fulfills the short term needs for consumption and emergency purposes and later to the provision of credit for productive purposes and removes them from exploitation from the clutches of money lenders. The self-help group is seen as a dynamic institution, which builds on the resources and management skills of the members and their increasing confidence to become involved in issues based programmes.