Jai Bheem Vikas Shikshan Sansthan

Background:

Jai Bheem Vikas Shikshan Sansthan (JBVSS) came into existence with an objective to provide quality education to the children of deprived and marginalized communities. In 2001, Jai Bheem took on programs to eradicate atrocities, discrimination and violence against labor, women and children through the Dalit Rights campaign in Shergarh and Balesar blocks of Jodhpur district. The organization has been actively involved in 34 gram panchayts of Shergarh and Balesar Block of Jodhpur district in Rajasthan since 1992. It initiated its activities towards ensuring basic rights of the Dalit community through the collective forum of Dalit Adhikar Abhiyan. The Project Holder, Mr. Tuslidas Raj, is a well known dalit activist in the region and was a member of the Bahujan Samaj Party. He left the political alliance due to differences in thought and action towards ensuring dalit rights.  He is a well known figure in western Rajasthan and been vested with responsibilities to take up dalit issues across the region by the Dalit Adhikar Network.

Situation:

Jai Bheem works in 13 slum clusters covering 3 wards of Jodhpur city and 24 villages in Mandore block of Jodhpur district, Rajasthan. The operational area is part of western Rajasthan characterized by arid desert topography and scanty rainfall. Soil of the district is classified mainly as sandy and loamy. Livelihood is caste based in this area. While the SC’s are more into agriculture and mining labor activities, the Bhils (ST’s) are the most economically deprived and dependent on natural resources. The Rajputs, Brahmins and Jains (general caste) are into business.  Due to lack of any other alternative sources of livelihood in the village, people are forced to work in inhuman conditions in stone quarries, mines and in nearby industries as laborers. The mining industry employs the largest number of labor when compared with any other industry in the area and more than 90% of the mine workers are dalits. The social system of the area is full of inequalities. Caste, creed and gender based discrimination is still practiced in this area. Intense famine conditions make lives of dalits and other backward communities miserable, due to unemployment and poverty.

The status of child rights is dismal. The parents are not aware that birth and death registration is a legal requirement and have not taken action on it. As a result, none of the new born children have been registered. Immunization is very low in the area. Schools are malfunctioning and depend largely on the mercy of the teacher. Irregularity and inadequate infrastructure are key concerns of the educational system in the villages. The employment of children in quarries and mines, which comprises approx 15% of the unorganized workforce, has severe effects on childhood and cases of abuse. Jai Bheem aims to organize vulnerable and marginalized sections of the society, especially dalit and women so they can improve their quality of life.

Objectives:

• Promote leadership among the dalit community (men and women).
• Formation of a union of the mine laborers of Jodhpur District which would advocate for the implementation of their rights.
• Generation of awareness in women about their fundamental rights so that they could come forward to participate in development process.  
• Ensure implementation of rights of children in the area through awareness generation in the community, family members, teachers and other people who directly or indirectly influences the lives of children.
• Formation of women’s collectives, including Dai’s to advocate for their issues

Review:

The Project has clear identification of the most marginalized communities and have the potential to analyze the core issues and its linkages with larger rights pertaining to the mine workers. Taking into account the fact that JBVSS works with mine workers, they understand the micro and macro factors responsible for the plight of the mine workers.  The training and capacity building of the mine workers has been included and the role of the community representatives in the programmatic components like achieving 100% birth registration, immunization and retention has been included in the annual plan.

Achievements & Impact:

• 44 new births were registered.
• Tracking of all pregnancies and ensuring safe births through trained dais and ANM’s.
• No reported case of child mortality.
• Conducted base line data of 1500 households and 1000 mine laborers surveyed in eight villages of Keru and Beru Panchayats.
• Collected information on out of school children from village level committees and contacted concerned parents and informed them about the importance of education.
• Started engagement with the Village Education Committee.
• Organized a workshop on the common school system.
• Initiated leadership development processes for mine laborers.
• Prepared an awareness brochure on the rights of mine laborers with a view to spread awareness on the status of mine workers and their rights.

Jai Bheem Vikas Shikshan has been working to ensure the rights of mine laborers, specifically focusing on dalits and tribals. Its intervention has initiated a process to improve the situation of child rights in the area. In such circumstances, an attempt was made to create opportunities and spaces for children of the region through JBVSS. The plan includes coverage of the most disadvantaged children focusing on the rights to protection and participation. 

 

Plans:

• 50% of all the new births will be registered and will get certificate in the 10 target village of Beru Panchayat.  
• Tracking all the pregnancies and ensuring births through trained dais and ANM’s.
• Advocacy on fundamental right to health at the Block level.
• Develop strategy to mainstream all the children in the government school of the entire 10 villages in Beru Panchayat.
• Activation and strengthen the primary school and Panchayat Education Committees in 10 villages.
• To ensure 75% enrollment in government schools in 10 villages.
• Block level network meeting of Mining labor Union on advocacy of mining labor.
• Strengthening the Union on their labor rights, against bondage, towards issues of social security & health rights.
• Formation and strengthening of Bal Mandals (children’s groups).

 

Budget Summary (January to December 2009)

 

Budget heads	Budget (USD)
Right to Development	905
Right to Survival	2,714
Right to Protection	3,619
Right to Participation	201
Administration	2,614
Total Approved Budget	10,053