SARTHI - Social Action for Rural & Tribal In-Habitants of India

Context

SARTHI Social Action for Rural and Tribal In-Habitants of India (SARTHI) was established in August 1980 as a branch of the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC), Tilonia, Rajasthan. SARTHI was registered as an independent organization in July 1985.

SARTHI is a grassroot NGO, with 32 years experience in rural development. SARTHI has developed a good rapport and reputation with those it has worked with in the tri-junction area of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.  Bheel Adivasi, the tribal pockets in these localities, are generally poor and underprivileged groups, having been neglected, made vulnerable and exploited by society for many years.  The status and experiences of women are traditionally severe, and they are often totally suppressed in a male dominated society.  SARTHI, in apprehending the situation, developed an approach oriented around the needs-based services of Health, Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Women’s Empowerment. 
Website:
www.sarthigodhar.in
Area of Work:
Gujarat, India
Contact Person:
Nirmal Kumari

Approaches to implementing Community monitoring/accountability

Gradually SARTHI has moved to rights based approach from a service delivery model. As per the need of the area and requirement of the people, SARTHI decided to focus on awareness of the people about their rights and entitlements and to create models for macro policy advocacy to influence the agenda in traditional system of health for tribal especially women through  strengthening and forming of Community Base Organization (CBOs). So at present we are working with the CBOs such as women Self Help Groups (SHGs), Village Development Committees (VDCs), Village Health and Sanitation Committees and the various issue base cluster level informal group/federations. These institutions are now having enough exposures to work with various government programs. These group are also working as a pressure group for proper implementation of government schemes at village level. These groups meets monthly  and quarterly base to review the program and how it can be more effectively monitor and supervise by the community level. These CBOs are also taking steps towards active participation in the Gram Sabhas and encourage the women for active involvement in Panchayati Raj.

Results and lessons

The approach of SARTHI has been to mobilise the tribal communities and make them aware about their rights and entitlements by forming and strengthening their Community Based Organization (CBOs) such as women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Village Health & Sanitation Committee.  These CBOs raise various issues that are the root causes of the disempowering and marginalisation of the tribal community of the area. The local resource persons were identified for providing issue-based awareness to the CBOs (VDCs, SHGs, VHSC etc) were identified and the leaders were trained on related issues like  Health, NREGA, Food entitlements, right of women to own land,property and health etc. By regular meetings with the SHGs, we also found that there are some more deprived women who are not getting support from Government Schemes and society. These CBOs raises the issues of women with particular focus to the issues of single women, women and land right etc.

SARTHI strengthens these CBOs through capacity building, skill based trainings and sensitising workshops, involving them with their issues and continuous process regular meetings and contacts.

The most significant achievement of the SARTHI has been to organise the rural and tribal women to take up their issues such as of gender, violence against women and girl child, land and property right for women to improve the economic condition, sensitization men regarding the reproductive health, health, active involvement of women in Panchayat, Gram Sabhas, legal aspect for women right etc.