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Integrated Slum Development Programme …...
Shodh has initiated grassroots-level action programmes in Netaji Subhash Jhuggi Jhopri Cluster, settled on the embankment of Shahadara Drain along Sector 16, Noida, a satellite town of Delhi. This integrated development programme is being run in the basti of approximately 4,500 jhuggi dwellers for about three years.
We believe that all research should translate into and strengthen action at the grassroots for enhanced empowerment of the target communities. Action programmes will be initiated targeting livelihood, health & education, infrastructure upgradation, shelter, environmental improvement, etc. through community mobilisation and participation.
Non-Formal Education (NFE) Programme
Two Non-Formal Education Centres 'Shodh Shiksha Kendra' have been established in the basti, providing Bridge (for non-school going) and Remedial (for school-going) education to more than 200 children. Girls comprise almost 50% of all kids. As part of the Nutrition Programme, all children in the Shodh Education Centres are provided with a banana daily. “Chhutkan ki Library” and creativity development centre have been initiated to promote learning through fun among the basti children. A total of 114 children from our NFE Centres have been enrolled into mainstream education with our intervention over the last 2 years.
 
Chhutkan ki Library (Children’s Library)
After successful running of Shodh Shiksha Kendra, it was decided that the children should be availed a library that is meant for them and is at their doorsteps. It took a bit of planning and organization to select the books that were congruent to the objectives of Shodh Education Centres. The library is named as ‘Chhutkan ki Library’ so as to give it a touch of belongingness to the children who are yet to shed off the rural lifestyle. In many parts of rural Bihar and U.P. a small kid is called ‘Chhutkan’.
Issuing of books shall begin from October after proper stamping and cataloguing of the books. The children also need to be trained to maintain a discipline for smooth functioning of the library. It is aimed to suggest and issue books that are appropriate to the development needs of the particular child. It is hoped that some day the children shall run the library themselves.
Health and Hygiene
 We have organised health and hygiene meetings with the community, among whom many are TB affected persons. From time to time the community is provided information and also individual counselling for motivating the patients and their family to take appropriate treatment from the DOTS Centre in the District Hospital. However, few community persons seem to be receiving treatment not from the recommended government hospital, but instead consult their trusted doctors (or rather quacks), who do not have any of the basic medical qualifications and keep duping their patients.
All children coming to Shodh Education Centres are also being given classes on broad causes, symptoms and preventive measures for various epidemic and communicable diseases like dengue, malaria, cholera, typhoid, etc. Information booklets published by VHAI are circulated among the children from remedial classes, who can read and understand well. The children are then asked to present on a given topic to the rest of the class followed by a detailed discussion aided by the teacher. Shodh has also tied up with specialist doctors for free check up of all the students at our Centres and also other kids from the community.
Livelihood Enhancement Facilitation
An “Employment Resource Centre (ERC)” has been created so that the community can avail information on options related to gainful employment. Primary target are the youth of the community. The Shodh ERC assists towards aspiration and personality development, facilitating training, providing categorised information specific to different levels of qualification and experience, etc. Primary target are the youth of the community. A list of youth visiting the centre or being contacted by Shodh that gets regularly updated is generally available at the centre. The list also details out the profile of the youth in terms of educational qualification, present occupation, vocational skills, their aspirations, etc. The resource centre would also assists towards facilitating vocational training, micro-enterprise development, SHG formation, etc.
The Resource Centre right now operates as an Information Centre for gainful employment opportunity for the youth of the community. At a later stage, once the Employment Resource Centre is successful, it would be developed as a Community Resource Centre that would address all the issues of the community. It is difficult to inform all the youth in the community regarding the functions and benefit of the resource centre. However, the resource centre has been initiated and people who have the information are looking forward to a well maintained and fully operational centre. Regular news magazines were subscribed in the resource centre that include a daily news magazine and weekly employment magazines like the Rozgar Samacharpatra of the Publications Division (Govt. of India) and private ones Freeads and Admag. Some relevant information on training and employment opportunities are compiled and pinned up on notice board. We have been, till now, successful in getting 10 youth employed in the industries in Noida on fixed monthly salaries. Though it is not a placement cell, yet we are always watchful of any opportunity that might help the slum youth.
Environmental Sanitation
As part of the integrated community development programme, Shodh has rigorously pursued awareness and sensitisation of the squatter community towards better sanitation conditions of their living environment through various community meetings and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). As a step forward, Shodh is in the process of organising the community for initiating upgradation in the existing environmental conditions of the basti in the form of an efficient and participatory Solid Waste Management (SWM) system. Appropriate SWM practice would be developed as a model that may be replicated in other substandard settlements.
A rapid assessment survey has been conducted in the community alongside several meetings to appraise the community’s acceptability and willingness to pay for waste collection. The response has been very encouraging and hence, Shodh is in the process of tying up with the Noida Authority for collaboration.
Adult Literacy Programme
The community folk themselves identified the need for initiating an Adult Literacy Programme and kept demanding that it be started at the earliest. Though it took us a bit of time to plan and organize the programme, it is expected to interest more and more people in due course. In a few months we shall be able to reach a 25 person batch for the adult literacy classes, catering to more and more women and working adults.
Community Awareness & Participation
Several community meetings have been held right from the initiation of the programme. The meetings are conducted to orient the community with its development needs, their non-access to the basic minimum services and the efforts by Shodh to organize the community and move towards radical development. The vicious circle of urban poverty makes the community to lead a dejected life where the only issue they are worried about is their livelihood. Lack of opportunities, lack of education, wages/income disproportionate to the amount of labour input, deteriorating health conditions and addiction to liquor, etc. puts the community in a tense situation. With such conditions they are unable to or are not willing to exercise their minds over development issues.
In all the meetings education is the issue that is addressed first, only due to the fact that education appeals very easily to the community even though they may not be persuading any student to go for higher education. In the meetings the community was briefed about the education centre, its concept and requirement. Once, the issue of education is discussed, other development issues such as health & hygiene, sanitation were brought forth. In all the meetings the community is encouraged to identify itself, the various issues that need attention in the basti.
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SHODH - Sustainable Development Initiatives