Creating and nurturing vibrant partnerships to achieve the sustainable development goals in tribal regions of Western India

#SDGAction40115

Description

VAAGDHARA will create and nurture vibrant partnerships with community institutions working on behalf of the poor in tribal regions of western India, with the aim of inculcating appropriate scientific and indigenous technology and knowledge to achieve sustainable livelihoods and realization of true childhood for their children.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

The following programmatic strategies will be adopted to carry out this initiative:• VAAGDHARA will spread its work in more locations, it will form and nurture vibrant community institutions such as self-help groups of women (SHGs), federations of SHGs, school management committees, etc. It will help poor and tribal access government programs and projects which are meant for their development, and explore their ultimate potential to develop their own work on sustainability. • VAAGDHARA will continue piloting innovative livelihoods initiatives to generate knowledge and develop appropriate technology for the local context. It will feed the knowledge and technologies to policy makers and strive for better interventions (programs) and enabling policies for integrated development of poor and tribal. • VAAGDHARA will also support other grass root organizations to implement integrated development programs in other tribal areas where VAAGDHARA may not implement directly- such as resource support organizations for sustainable integrated farming systems, and horticulture development programs.• VAAGDHARA will not be a hard core activist organization, rather it will organize people to leverage the government programs and also put pressure to get their rights. We will aim for constructive collaboration with government and other mainstream institutions without losing the focus and intensity of people’s concerns.• VAAGDHARA will develop local development resource pool thus it will identify local people from the community it works with, build their capacities and involve them in development initiatives.• VAAGDHARA will promote the adoption of appropriate technology (simple yet scientific technology) which will be specific to the local context and which community can adopt easily. Adequate care will be taken while selecting the technology that there is no adverse impact on the local climate and people are able to manage the adverse impact of climate change. For example, preference will be on use of compost manure and Integrated pest management & integrated nutrition management in agriculture over chemicals.

Capacity

VAAGDHARA has learnt that strong community institutions are indispensable for sustaining any development intervention. Different institutions will be formed and nurtured, including various stakeholders at different levels. Community resource persons and community leaders will be developed at local level to manage the interventions/initiatives, and they will be trained on managing community-based organizations. These institutions and individuals will pass on the message to their respective communities and will involve maximum number of people in this initiative to achieve the goals and targets. VAAGDHARA has also decided to develop a local resource pool, thus it will identify local people from the community it works with, build their capacities as per the decided goals and involve them in development initiatives to reach the maximum number of people. All the above mentioned institutions/ initiatives will be governed by our organization’s team members and volunteers.

Governed

In order to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030, VAAGDHARA has a strategy to promote and nurture vibrant institutions working on behalf of the poor such as self-help groups (SHG), SHG federations, farmer producer organizations, etc., who will be sensitive towards child development and can also work on livelihood, education, health, and nutrition. These institutions will be the key for the sustainability of interventions. VAAGDHARA will play the role of a catalyst and facilitator for institutions and networks of communities in remote and resource fragile regions so they start their journey towards sustainable development.VAAGDHARA has experienced team members and subject experts who are skilled in providing trainings on various subjects. Those team members and the subject experts will impart training to the above-mentioned stakeholders, including volunteers. Training of trainers will also be done, considering the reach of the initiative. Apart from this, piloting of innovative livelihoods initiatives will be carried out to generate knowledge and develop appropriate technology for local contexts. The organization will also support other grassroots organizations willing to implement integrated development programs in other tribal areas where VAAGDHARA may not implement directly, and will act as a resource organization to them.

Evaluation

Recently VAAGDHARA has conducted a study with tribal children and youth to prioritize multiple visions of the world they want and to arrive at a key set of priorities based on an understanding of what they already have and what they aspire for. Participatory Research Process has been carried out with youth and children. The study brings out the top aspirations among youth which mainly includes the following -• Livelihood Development – (a) Need of Dignity Survival Allowance (b) Need for Crop Insurance(c) Regular employment under NREGS• Better Heath Care – Hospital services with specialist doctors and medicines.• Shelter Right – Availability of pucca houses• Better Education – Good Education should be provided along with employment • No discrimination between castes during socialization.• A fair and accessible system for provision of food and availability of nutritious food.• Availability of regular and long term employment.• An Honest and Responsive Government• Availability of clean water, toilets and bathrooms at household level. • Clean environment and Air• Women should have power to make decisions on personal issues in the family.• Freedom of Speech and Demonstration Top aspirations among children are as follows:• End discrimination between indigenous and non-indigenous people.• Access to electricity for all households.• Above Poverty Line (APL) households should get electricity connection at subsidised rates. Establishment of agriculture centre in village providing access to information as well as other inputs like seeds• Toilet facilities for all households• Good hospital in vicinity for easy access to quality health services • Schools up to 10th standard in vicinity of villages so that both boys and girls can easily access education• Better facilities for drinking water in vicinity of households resulting in less drudgery for girls • Good roads in villages • Provision for buses and other vehicles for better access to education for children • Better infrastructure in schools for sitting and availability of other facilities such as fans and drinking water.• Playground in school as well as in the village and provision of sports equipment.• Access to jobs for educated youth.• Adequate teachers in schools particularly for subjects such as English, Mathematics and Sciences providing for quality education

Partners

VAAGDHARA, community-based organizations, federations

SDGS & Targets

Goal 4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

4.1

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes

4.1.1

Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex

4.1.2

Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)

4.2

By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education

4.2.1

Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex

4.2.2

Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex

4.3

By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university

4.3.1

Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex

4.4

By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship

4.4.1

Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill

4.5

By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations

4.5.1

Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated

4.6

By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy

4.6.1

Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex

4.7

By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

4.7.1

Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment

4.a

Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all

4.a.1

Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service

4.b

By 2020, substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States and African countries, for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training and information and communications technology, technical, engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries and other developing countries

4.b.1

Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study

4.c

By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States

4.c.1

Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

2.1

By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

2.1.1

Prevalence of undernourishment

2.1.2

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

2.2

By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

2.2.1

Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

2.2.2

Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

2.2.3

Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)

2.3

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

2.3.1

Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size

2.3.2

Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

2.4

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

2.4.1

Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

2.5

By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed

2.5.1

Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities

2.5.2

Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

2.a

Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries

2.a.1

The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures

2.a.2

Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector

2.b

Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round

2.b.1

Agricultural export subsidies

2.c

Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility

2.c.1

Indicator of food price anomalies

Goal 1

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

1.1

By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day

1.1.1

Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location (urban/rural)

1.2

By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

1.2.1

Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age

1.2.2

Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions

1.3

Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable

1.3.1

Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable

1.4

By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance

1.4.1

Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services

1.4.2

Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure

1.5

By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters

1.5.1

Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

1.5.2

Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)

1.5.3

Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030

1.5.4

Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

1.a

Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions

1.a.1

Total official development assistance grants from all donors that focus on poverty reduction as a share of the recipient country's gross national income

1.a.2

Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health and social protection)

1.b

Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions

1.b.1

Pro-poor public social spending

Goal 3

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

3.1

By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births

3.1.1

Maternal mortality ratio

3.1.2

Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

3.2

By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births

3.2.1

Under-five mortality rate

3.2.2

Neonatal mortality rate

3.3

By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases

3.3.1

Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age and key populations

3.3.2

Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population

3.3.3

Malaria incidence per 1,000 population

3.3.4

Hepatitis B incidence per 100,000 population

3.3.5

Number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases

3.4

By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being

3.4.1

Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease

3.4.2

Suicide mortality rate

3.5

Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol

3.5.1

Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders

3.5.2

Alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol

3.6

By 2020, halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents

3.6.1

Death rate due to road traffic injuries

3.7

By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes

3.7.1

Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods

3.7.2

Adolescent birth rate (aged 10-14 years; aged 15-19 years) per 1,000 women in that age group

3.8

Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all

3.8.1

Coverage of essential health services

3.8.2

Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health as a share of total household expenditure or income

3.9

By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination

3.9.1

Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution

3.9.2

Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene (exposure to unsafe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All (WASH) services)

3.9.3

Mortality rate attributed to unintentional poisoning

3.a

Strengthen the implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries, as appropriate

3.a.1

Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use among persons aged 15 years and older

3.b

Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all

3.b.1

Proportion of the target population covered by all vaccines included in their national programme

3.b.2

Total net official development assistance to medical research and basic health sectors

3.b.3

Proportion of health facilities that have a core set of relevant essential medicines available and affordable on a sustainable basis

3.c

Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States

3.c.1

Health worker density and distribution

3.d

Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks