OUR AREAS OF INTERVENTION
Women Empowerment
In adherence to our prime objective, empowerment of tribal women has been one of our important focus areas. Out of our total target population, the female population constitutes 51 percent. We have formed 110 Self Help Groups in 50 villages and provided them regular training on group governance and dynamics, accounting and book keeping, prioritization of needs and inter-loaning, as a result all 110 SHGs have been benefiting from Savings and deposit schemes and their total savings have reached to Rs. 119885/-. For their outstanding performance all the SHGs have been undertaken in 2019 by Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) and being supported for income generating activities. Now the income generation of the families of SHG members has improved due to adaptation of different income generating activites.
Combating child marriage and promoting skill development of girls
Child marriage is prominent among santhal tribes. Because of social pressure and traditional practices in their community neither they wait for marriage at appropriate legal age nor do they encourage the same. As a consequence maternal mortality rate, child mortality rate and acute state of malnutrition are high in this community. To address these issues AAT has been working with the Community heads and SHGs and counselling and encouraging stopping child marriage practices in the community.
In the current year with the support of Girls First Fund (GFF) we have been implementing a project in 20 villages of Ramgargh Community Development block to mitigate child marriage and promoting skill development of girls. Some of the key activities and achievements of the project highlighted as followings-
We have formed 20 Kishori mandals associating 600 adolescent girls in 20 villages and counselling them on ill effect of child marriage and empowering them through regular trainings and meetings to defend child marriage practices in their community.
We have provided life skill training to 395 adolescent girls between the age group of 14 to 18 on communication skill, creative and critical thinking, problem solving, reproductive health and child protection mechanism to enhance their potentiality and decision making capacity.
To identify and promote sport talent foot ball matches were organized for girls.
26 girls are linked with Din Dayal Kaushal Vikaash Yojna and 263 girls are linked with Sukanay Samruthi Yojna.
Community sensitization is being done through film shows to prevent child marriage.
214 births have been registered to ascertain age to protect children from child marriage.
200 adolescent girls are given vocational training on tailoring, food processing, mushroom culture, bamboo craft etc…
Livelihood (micro-entrepreneurship)
Our intervention in the realm of livelihood during this year has been limited to mere training and capacity building of tribal women on different lucrative micro enterprises.
With the support of National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Develpment (NABARD) we provided training to 150 women on Kadknath poultry bird breeding under Livelihood entrepreneurship development program (LEDP) and 30 women on Jute craft under Micro-Entrepreneurship Development Program (MEDP)
Health and Nutrition
Health and nutrition in tribal community has been one of one of our important concerns. With the support of FYF we have been closely working with ICDS at grass root level from improved health facilities especially of pregnant women, lactating mother and children. We are providing trainings to the Anganwari worker and Sahiayas for improved service delivery. Trainings for women are also being conducted to improve their knowledge on nutritional health. In the project village we identified 15 undernourished mothers and supported them to improve nutrition intake. We also referred 9 severely malnourished children to Malnutrition Treatment Centre (MTC) for their better treatment.