Utthan Development Networking and Advocacy Effort

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Utthan Development Networking and Advocacy Effort

• Promoting gender equity, womens empowerment,
  communal harmonyCoordinators Bala, Chandrika

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Background

• Bhal Region in Ahmedabad
• Issues
• Shortage of drinking water
• Large wasteland areas(50 uncultivable)
• Government Indifference
• Exploitative socio-economic structure
• Poor health and education
• Migration

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Gujarat State Map
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NGO

• Utthan started in 1981
• From ASAG, an action committee evolved a plan for
  development of Bhal Region for the government
• Utthan started from the ASAG committee
• Bridging information gap between village people
  is the step towards solving major problems and
  developing equitable society

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Two tiered NGO structure

• Utthan State level resource group
• Provides support structure
• Evolves block level plans
• Techical resources
• Mahiti Local Volunteer Group
• Made of local community
• Implemented block level plans
• Creating social pressures for solving issues

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Womens empowerment

• Solving womens issues and creating a framework
  for womens involvement in decision making
  process
• Drinking water Pani Samiti, Watershed
  committees
• Self Help Group Mahila Samiti
• Health and awareness camps Mahila Samiti
• Building bridge between community and government
  Gram Sabhas, District Officials, Panchayats

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Women Empowerment (Contd)

• Involve men in the womens empowerment
• Yuvak samiti
• Provide a forum to engage in issues of the
  village
• Draw the positive energy of the youth towards
  social development and communal harmony

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Successes

• 75 out of 108 villages became water self
  sufficient
• Reduced migration in the villages
• Pressure on local municipality to support local
  watershed
• Money lending system in the region was
  successfully dismantled.
• Women engaged in electoral process

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Utthan from 1994

• Mahiti became self sufficient in 1994
• Tribal Development Program (Dahod)
• Coastal Area Development Program (Bhavnagar,
  Amreli)
• National and International engagement

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Utthan Core values

• Equity a commitment to work for an end to
  caste, class, gender other forms of
  discrimination.
• Honesty a commitment to openness
  transparency, and to end dishonesty and
  corruption.
• Secularism a commitment towards building a
  culture of secular democracy and mutual respect
  for all religion.
• Team Work a commitment to participation and
  team work.
• Individual Freedom a belief that everyone has
  the right to be free from excessive controls,
  through acting within a responsible framework.
• Excellence a commitment to work efficiently and
  effectively, and to constantly strive to improve.

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Utthans interventions

• Natural Resource Management
• Gender Equity and Empowerment
• Health and Sanitation
• Networking and Advocacy
• Disaster management

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Proposed Program

• Goals
• Gender equity in access and ownership of water
  resources
• Womens empowerment through capacity building
• Communal harmony
• Networking and advocacy
• Process Documentation

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Proposed Program

• Where
• 15 villages in 3 districts
• (Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dahod)
• Activities
• Year 1 Planning, Demonstration, Awareness
  Building, Committee Formation, Leader building
• Year 2 Capacity building, planning, training
• Year 3 - Implementation, need-based training and
  identification and evolution of institutional
  framework
• Documentation and communication material

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Networking Advocacy

• Network village institutions and NGOs,
  governments and international bodies
• Media advocacy Use mainstream media to promote
  equity and communal harmony

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Budget

• A Program Activities
• Training and capacity building
• Training workshops Rs 50,000.00
• Advocacy meetings Rs 60,000.00
• Melas, Exhibition Rs 50,000.00
• Media Comm. Doc. Rs 40,000.00
• Resource Persons Rs 15,000.00

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Budget

• B. Salaries TA/DA
• Coordinator Rs 96,000.00
• Research Doc. Asst Rs 72,000.00
• Field Officer Rs 60,000.00
• TA DA (3 Persons) Rs 36,000.00
• C. Administration(10) Rs 47,900.00
• Total Rs5,26,900
• 11,454

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Proposed Indicators

• Representation of issues in caste panchayat
• of women in various administrative structures
• Levels of women involvement in decision making
• Asset ownership
• Water security