P roje ct ADHAR Making a Difference to Children and their Communities Bolangir, Orissa
Bhoipali is a tiny village in Bolangir in Western Orissa.
Issues in the area Drought Inequitable land distribution Migration Displacement & lack of rehabilitation Lack of access to government services has left it severely poverty-stricken
The inhabitants live in difficult conditions, are deprived of their basic needs and have fewer means to survive.
All the 92 families – a total of 458 people - living in the village, are among the poorest people in the entire region.
Most of the families are either working as daily wage labourers, or growing crops on small plots of land that do not yield enough to get by.
Shyam’s Story
Shyam’s family is among the ten poorest families in the village. They do not own any land.
His father, Chandra, works for a mere Rs. 4000 a year making as little as Rs. 10 a day for the family of five.
Constant hunger however took its toll and Chandra gradually became too unwell to work.
His wife Jhara earned about Rs. 20 to 25 a day by working as a daily wage labourer to fend for the family.
Because of a faulty selection process of the district’s below-poverty-line families, this near-destitute family did not own a BPL Card.
They could not access any of the government’s services for the poorest, not even to subsidised food.
Shyam has two sisters Sebati and Ketaki. Sebati had never gone to school. Shyam and Ketaki were enrolled, but could not attend regularly, given the family’s debilitating poverty.
The villagers of Bhoipali had no way out‌
This is where Project ADHAR stepped in. With the help of CRY and ADHAR, Bhoipali was identified as one of the most neglected villages in the area.
The first step was to connect families like Shyam’s to the Antyodaya Scheme.
It provides 35 kilos of rice per month, at a subsidised rate of Rs. 3 per kg.
Project ADHAR sensitised villagers to apply for work at the Gram Panchayat Office.
The Sarpanch then allocated them work under the NREGS (National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme).
30-40 people worked every day on a road construction. They got Rs 100 each per day.
Slowly, with better governance, the village Panchayat, now takes into account the rights of the poorest.
Public Health Centres that were not working earlier now open twice a day. The facilities have been upgraded, under newly appointed, trained, health workers.
Every Wednesday, children are immunised free of cost, so that no child dies of preventable diseases.
The government-run nurseries or anganwadis are now hubs of activity for children below five years.
There is a children’s club in every village ADHAR supports. - Shyam is an active member in his club. - Each children’s club has 15-20 children.
They discuss issues of child’s rights, child development, school development, health, sanitation etc.
During holidays they meet for yoga, song, dance, debate, drawing, essay writing and many more activities.
The club engages in micro-level planning on village development, including planning for all rights to be made available to all children.
Their conclusions are ratified by village elders and the plan is then presented to the village Panchayat and other elders.
In one such decision, a children’s club recommendation made possible for a school to get a drinking water tube well.
In other places, children’s clubs have mobilised support to ask for improved school buildings and for the appointment of new teachers.
As a result of all this, the number of children enrolled in school has jumped up.
Shyam has finished his Std. VII exams and looks forward to join High School.
A higher secondary school now caters to children all around so that no one has to stop studying after Class 5.
Today in Bolangir, The basic rights of people are restored Adequate work keeps them from migrating Good governance through the Village Panchayat accounts for the Rights of the poor Health Centres are made functional Anganwadis run effectively Children’s Clubs ensure children’s welfare
But the journey onward continues with Project ADHAR…
CRY’s Involve me nt Looking for villages where change is needed most Making sure the local NGO is equipped to handle the challenges Building better citizens in the villages Lending a voice to the demand that every child has every right
Project ADHAR has impacted the lives of 87,000 children.
This project has brought about lasting change in their otherwise neglected lives.
It made possible for the right to childhoods to become true.
It imparted childhoods free from want.
Project ADHAR ensures childhoods that realise the potential of each child.
Join us and the day every child will have every right, won’t be far.