Primary Health & nutrition

Awareness programmes are held on health issues, prevention, causes, treatment, hygience, nutrition  and available government schemes.

Child Survival Health Programme

 

Right to Food

EFICOR initiated a project to advocate for various government provisions and schemes in 50 villages each in two locations (Bastar District, Chhatisgarh State and East Champaran District, Bihar State) in January 2008.  Five thousand households predominately consisting of Dalits (scheduled caste), tribals, and many other scheduled castes communities benefited last year.  The three-year project focuses on Advocacy towards ‘Right to Food’ seeking to address improper functioning of systems.


Children attending  Primary School

 

India has made significant progress in food production over the last 60 year but most rural populations still have to deal with the uncertainty of food security to access even one meal in a day.  Scheduled castes and tribes, women, old people and children face more deprivation than others due to lack of purchasing power, depleted livelihood options, social exclusion, and gender inequality.  The schemes and entitlements provided by the state and central governments were not  reaching the rural communities, due to their ignorance and illiteracy, often unable to raise their voice.

EFICOR organized Awareness Building Programs through community organizers (COs) on various government schemes and entitlements in all the villages through skits, meetings, and trainings.  Community based organizations (CBOs) were formed and equipped to mobilize their community on their rights, empowering them to access government schemes and monitor their functions.

There has been a remarkable progress in these communities. Understanding their roles and responsibilities for the development of their villages, the CBOs are encouraging others villagers to join in the development and have started saving money.

Many of the families have started accessing the entitlements and schemes  to the extent of having even two meals a day, through various government schemes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Anganwadi centres (children feeding program), primary schools (mid-day meal facility) and Integrated Child Development Schemes (ICDS).  Besides, in some villages, beneficiaries have accessed employment opportunities under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) program.