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Programme

Tribal self rule - SPREAD works on the issues of governance in the spirit of the Panchayat Raj extension to Scheduled area( PESA).


73rd Amendment Act in 1992 marks a new era in the federal democratic set-up of the country and provided constitutional status to Panchayatraj Institutions.The Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996 has made it mandatory for the States having scheduled areas to make specific provisions for giving wide-ranging powers to the tribals on matters relating to decision-making and development of their community.


It not only accepts the validity of "customary law, social and religious practices, and traditional management practices of community resources", but also directs the state governments not to make any law which is inconsistent with these.


The programme focus on.

  • Advocacy for Operationalization of PESA
  • Capacity building of the Panchayat Raj members.
  • Capacity building of people on PESA.
  • Facilitation Participatory Micro Level Planning for the Palli Sabha & Gram sabha.
  • People’s rights- Right to life, Right to food, right to health, Right to education.
  • Documentation of tribal culture and values.
  • Debate & discussion on tribal identity among the tribal youths.
  • Women participation in panchayatraj.
  • Model Gram panchayat .
  • Social audit & public hearing.

Marginalized People’s Institution Building

Poor people like tribals & dalits face multiple deprivations and exclusion from their rights. They are deprived of land,livelihoods, employment, property, housing, minimum consumption, education, the welfare benefits and dignity and also face social exclusion. These social groups feel the impact of globalization in most adverse ways. These two social groups dalit( 17%) , tribals( 23%) are a significant majority . If there are alliances of these people they can influence the state to protect their rights.


Focus of this programme.

  • Peoples institution building at Village, Gram panchayat and district level.
  • Women groups at village, GP & District level.
  • Capacity building of the people’s institution on rights.
  • Cadre building.
  • Leadership building.
  • Alliances with the like-minded people's institutions at state and national level.
  • Interface & exposure of people's institutions.

Food security and Livelihood security.

Food insecurity is the underlying crisis for the poor tribals. This is causing irreparable damage to livelihoods of the tribals. During natural disasters like continuous rain or famine period the tribals are further pushed into a vulnerable condition. There are four months of food stress. Because of food insecurity & livelihood insecurity the tribals are forced to borrow from money lenders with high interest , migrate to urban places, suffer semi starvation condition and diseases related to severe malnutrition. Women and children are worst sufferers.


The focus of this programme.

  • People’s monitoring of Government Food schemes & right to food.
  • Natural resource management by the community.
  • Community managed Government Public distribution system.
  • Community Revolving fund for income generation.
  • Women self help groups with thrift & credit.
  • Community managed grain banks.
  • Trading of NTFE and other agricultural products.
  • Vocational training.
  • Organic cultivation.

Land rights

Land for others may be an object for agriculture but land for tribals is a part of a larger socio economic structure of society, which is handed over from one generation to another as a source of life sustenance. In the process of land grab by the non-tribals and the state, the innocent tribals have been affected more. In order to meet their dire necessities, the tribals become easy prey to mortgaging their land to non-tribals. With the opening of tribal areas to non-tribal people, land of the tribals has become a marketable commodity. The state in the name of development continues to acquire land, over which tribals have a stake, in a large measure. Land is primary basis for wealth, status and power. Access to land is therefore a critical factor which determines how wealth, power and status are distributed within the society and household. This is more so in the rural areas where land decides power relationship. On the other hand landlessness erodes social status and makes people economically vulnerable and mentally insecure. Land rights for women is a necessary precondition for their empowerment. To women land rights do not just imply control over a piece of object called land but it has tremendous social, cultural and economic implications. It can be a security against abject poverty, a means to access credit, technology and other services, the capacity to challenge male oppression and domestic violence or even can be a symbolic sense of identity, ownership and control are critical in the context of gender.


Focus of this programme.

  • Study of the area on land holding status.
  • Land literacy for the landless people.
  • Land entitlements for landless.
  • Community land mapping.
  • Rights of Forest dwellers on reserve forest area.
  • Land mela.
  • Advocacy for simple land laws for tribals.
  • Land entitlements for women.
  • Developing literature on land laws
  • Lobbying & advocacy for land rights of tribals.

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Current Needs for Immediate Support

Damadar
Name: Damadar Pangi
Village: Gelaguda

1. Damadar Pangi

Damadar is going to school, as every seven-year-old should, but his life is tragically difficult. Damdar has a condition that impacts his disgestive tract, causing a swollen belly and the inability to control his bowels. His condition can be corrected by surgery but he needs medicines which his family cannot afford. SPREAD will take Damadar from his home in Gelaguda village to the district hospital in Koraput for evaluation, but the help of individual donors is needed to provide for tests, drugs and possibly surgical supplies, which are not covered by the health care system.


Current Need: Medical treatment, including transportation to hospital, any prescribed tests, medicines and possibly surgical supplies.


Estimated Cost: Rs. 7,000/-


Radha
Name: Radha Hantal
Village: Kandikiguda

2. Radha Hantal

Radha has no source of income and no BPL card that would enable her to get entitlements to food and other programs for the poorest of the poor. A 32 year-old widow supporting four children, she lost her husband one year ago just after he returned home from a labor camp in Chhattisgarh where he became ill. Now, Radha is dependent upon her brother, but he is has a locomotor disability with his hand, which was damaged in a bear attack. SPREAD will work with her to get her a BPL card and find an income generating activity that she can pursue, but Radha needs help with a roof for her hut in order to protect her and her family from rain and mosquitoes, and a small investment for an income generating activity that will enable her to become self-sufficient.


Current Needs - Estimated Costs

Roof for hut - Rs.2,000/-

Children’s clothing for four children - Rs.3,200/-

Investment for income generating activity - Rs.1,000/-


Subash
Name: Subash Harijan
Village: Ranaguda

3. Subash Harijan

Cerebral palsy and spasms have rendered Subash a quadriplegic but that has not dampened his interest in going to school. He is a very intelligent boy but he faces multiple barriers to attending school. His family is very poor; his father migrates 8 or 9 months of the year in search of work and they cannot afford school materials and even if he could provide them the school teachers would not admit him because of what is perhaps unintentional discrimination against the disabled. Subash is getting benefits as a Child with Disabilities but needs a specialized chair in order to be able to function more effectively and reduce his disability. SPREAD is working with the local teachers to admit him to school but the cost of a chair and school materials are needed to change Subash’s prospects from a life of dependency to a life of productivity.


Curent Needs - Estimated Costs

Specialized chair - Rs. 800/-

School materials - Rs. 300/-


Bati
Name: Bati Pangi
Village: Dhepaguda

4. Bati Pangi

Bati is a twenty year-old Paroja woman who is suffering from a deteriorating condition that is causing loss of mobility and ulcerations on her legs. She cannot flex her knees and pain upon walking prevents her from sleeping. Her circumstances took a turn for the worse when her mother died, who formerly cared for her. Now, she is dependent upon her brother in law but he is in BPL category, has a large family and has very few resources to share. She needs a secure place to live, medical check-ups to slow or cure her condition and support for income generation such as rope-making or other craft. SPREAD will organize the donation of labour to build her a small house but donations are needed for building supplies, a small investment in income-generating activity and potentially medicines and tests.


Current Needs - Estimated Costs

Building materials - Rs. 3,000/-

Investment in income generating activity - Rs. 1,000/-


Harihar
Name: Harihar Pangi
Village: Dhepaguda

5. Harihar Pangi

Harihar is a thirty-five year old Kondha man with locomotor disability that makes him dependent upon the mercy of his elder brother. His joint muscles are fixed and he cannot flex his shoulders, knees, one elbow or his ankles. His dream is to start a small shop but requires a small investment for inventory. SPREAD will support him through the process of acquiring a BPL card and entitlements to food, but donations are required to get him into business so he can care for his own needs.


Current Need - Estimated Cost

Investment for income generating activity - Rs.2,000/-