Background

This project was implemented last year  in Lesliganj and Panki Districts of Palamu, Jharkhand State. The project is the outcome of two decades of grassroots experience of AID-India, Palamu, Chapter. This is a drought prone area. Palamu District is one of the very poorest districts identified by the Government of India with very low development indicators.

The project is addressing the following problems :

• Low access to basic education (48%)

• High rate of drop-outs (75%)

• Gender bias in basic education (50% gender gap in enrolment)

• Income poverty among 74% of the families

• Lack of utilization of available water resources

• Low access to health services (8.67%) and high disease burden with death rate of 18/1000.

• Lack of effective community organizations to deal with their problems.

The target groups of tribes and untouchable  families are :

• 1633 tribal and 1532 untouchable community families for livelihood components

• 3144 boys and 2906 girls for basic education.

• 4648 families for health.

• 21,769 persons (half women and girls) are the prime beneficiaries.

• Other participants include village leaders and government employees.

The project formally commenced in June 2002 and  is to be completed by 31 May 2006.

Activities

The results and achievements were :

• Capacity building, promotion / strengthening of people organisations

• Basic Education Activities

• Basic Health Activities

• Soil and water conservation activities and soil conservation measures

• Water Conservation Measures

• Soil and water conservation activities and soil conservation measures

• Livelihood empowerment training (training for employment)

• Community organization achievements

• Education sector achievements - enrolment

• Education sector achievements - dropout and retention

• Education sector achievements - quality of education

• Education sector achievements - school management and infrastructure development

• Education sector achievements - student's health

• Education sector achievements - linkages

• Health sector achievements

• Livelihood outcomes achieved

Objectives

The goal is for the total empowerment of 4648 poor families to reduce poverty  through basic education, health for all and livelihood improvement. The purposes of the project are:

• 1633 tribal and 1532 dalit families and their organisations to be given capacity for increased food and fodder production and for livelihood (jobs, food, etc) security.

• Increased access to basic education from 48% to 100% with 20% reduction in gender and social gaps in basic education.

• Improved health with 10% reduction in malaria, water borne diseases, malnutrition, anaemia, reproductive disease burden and 10% increase in contraceptive availability among 4648 families, with increased access to health services from 8.67% to 25%.