fora

 - a sharing note published by NAVA (Networking Alliance for Voluntary Actions). NAVA is network of a small group of NGOs initiated in 1990.

e-journal version of fora re-appearing from 2014.  Vol: 1  Issue: 1 (January 2014)   www.navaindia.in

Edit

Fora, started several years ago lasted for 20 issues. Each issue printed on foolscap paper, about 4 pages, physically mailed by book-post. Indeed quite a process, and, ofcourse expensive for a small initiative like NAVA, doing it with own resources, not funded by any donor agency!

As the days passed by, communication became IT dependent, but affordable, for a surfaced once again ! This time as e-journal, with least financial implications. While friends share their spare in keying in, and e-mailing it, the process is bearable. Let us hope for the best. We once again request our network friends to share their events and happenings so that we will be happy to spread across .

Girl Child:

A Consultation

Our network partner Swadhina organised a consultation on the occasion of National Girl Child day on 27^th  January, 2014 at their Kolkata centre. Some of the key issues discussed are shared here:

National girl child day is celebrated every year on 24^th of January as a national observant day for the girl child. It is celebrated to increase the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society. Inequality about girl child is a vast problem which includes many areas like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, owner, child marriage and so many. It enhances the meaningful contribution of the girls in decision making processes through the active support of the parents

                                                                                                          

India is a party to the UN declaration on the Rights of the Child in 1959. Accordingly, it adopted a National Policy on Children in 1974. The policy reaffirmed the constitutional provisions for adequate services to children, both before and after birth and through the period of growth to ensure their full physical, mental and social development

UNICEF (2005) report on the state of the World’s children reported that 63 percent of children of India  go to bed hungry and 53 percent suffer from chronic malnutrition. The report says that 147 million children live in kuchcha houses, 77 million do not use drinking water from a tap, 85 million are not being immunized, 27 million are severely underweight and 33 million have never been to school. It estimates that 72 million children in India between 5 and 14 years do not have access to basic education. A girl child is the worst victim as she is often neglected and is discriminated against because of the preference for a boy child.

According to the United Nations paper on the girl child out of the 130 million children not in school, almost 60% of them are girls. By the age of 18 girl children have received on average 4.4 years less education than boys. In India, the Ministry of Human Resource Development showed the average enrolment rate of girls, ages 6-14 and 14-18,as 93.47% and 61.5% girls drop out   of school before completely class-xii

Women Farmer’s Meets:

Swadhina:

Swadhina has taken up a project co-sponsored by SARRA ,supported by ILC (International Land Coalition)  aiming at mobilization of communities in advocating, accessing and realizing government policies and schemes; active engagement of communities in the formulation of land and related laws and reforms, when opportunities are available, and for which, members have capacities. This work has been undertaken in 4 villages in East and West Singbhum districts of Jharkhand.

Four Women Farmer’s Meets have been held in the months of December 2013 and January 2014.The topic of these four meets was: Women, Land Rights and Land Laws. Each of the programmes included the following components: A brief about the project, presentation about land rights and land laws with the help of a series of Flash Cards, group discussion on the problems in successful implementation of land laws and land schemes, quiz on social knowledge, Flash Card presentation on Women’s Rights and Empowerment. Different land related laws and bills like the Hindu Succession Act, Forest Rights Act, Women Farmer’s Bill, Tribal Succession Act etc were discussed in detail. Each of the programme was interspersed with tribal songs rendered by local women.

On 8^th December 2013, the meet was held at the Geruala High School premises in Bondih region. Altogether 60 participants were present in the meet. On 17^th December 2013 the meet was organized in Ulujhari village. 38 participants were present in this meet. In the Bonkuchia region a meet was organized at Bonkuchia Tant Ghar on 5^th January 2014. 92 persons attended this meet. Another meet of women farmers was held at Geruala High School on 23^rd of January 2014. 56 participants graced this occasion.

Staff Orientation:

Participatory Methodology

SCDP- Samadi Community Development Project is a rural development project initiated  by CNI-Durgapur Diocese under the dynamic leadership of its young Bishop Rev. Dr. Probal K Dutta,  On invitation of SCDP a two day staff orientation programme was conducted by a 3 member NAVA team consisting of Diptendu Mukerji, Supta Mukerji and Smriti Sarkar. Held at the conference hall of the Diocesan House from 15 January, 2014 this programme had discussions on theries related to participatory methodology. The practical session had real-life evaluation exercises on a few project components of SCDP  through a participatory method. Staff members of the project from Samadi, Balurghat and Barikul attended the programme.  

fora is brought out by NAVA (Networking Alliance for Voluntary Actions) 34/C Bondel Rd. Kolkata 700019, India

Web: www.navaindia.in  E-Mail   nava@activist.com  34/C Bondel Road, Kolkata 700019, India  Tel: (0091) 33 22870934 / 40010407

Editor: Diptendu Mukerji (NAVA)   Associates: Srichandra (Swadhina),  Smriti (Grihini)