Shramika Vikas Kendram (SVK)

Background:

Shramik Vikas Kendram (SVK) was formed in 1992 to undertake development work in Mahabubnagar district. Initially the Project Holder received a fellowship in 1994 from the MV Foundation to work for tackling the root causes of child labor. The organization was further supported by the South Asia Poverty Alleviation Program of UNDP to carry out women’s development activities at Peddakothapalli Mandal. CRY support was initiated in 1997, with a view to work towards eradicating child labor and enhancing livelihood options for the families in Peddakothapalli mandal and Kollapur mandal. SVK also made use of the support received from the DRDA [District Rural Development Agency] and NCLP [National Child Labour Program] in its effort of elimination of child labor in the operational area. The Project Holder, Mr. Y. Laxman Rao hails from Kollapur mandal in Mahbubnagar district and has played a lead role in the student’s movement in the district. He also has experience of working on child labor issues through the MV Foundation.

Situation:

Currently the operational area of the CRY partnered intervention extends over 174 villages of Peddakothapally, Veepanagandla, Kodair, Panagal and Kollapur mandals of Mahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh. Agriculture is the primary means of livelihood in the area as agricultural laborers constitute almost 27% of the total population. However, land holding pattern is highly skewed in favor of the upper caste communities – 60% land with Reddy’s and Velmar’s who comprise only 17% of the population while only 10% land is owned by scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) communities who make up almost 35% of the population. The area is drought prone. Irrigation facilities are scarce and dysfunctional. This has resulted in depletion of the ground water table and consequently agriculture is rendered unproductive. Wages are also discriminatory and unequal – based on gender, caste and other discriminatory factors. Thus most of the people from the area are compelled to migrate to Hyderabad and other states in search of alternate livelihoods.

In terms of social parameters, the SC & ST communities are subjected to degradation, humiliation, abuse and neglect. Untouchability is a common practice in the area. Child labor, child marriages and caste and gender based discrimination are rampant. With increasing awareness, tendency of the community to employ children has declined – but much needs to be done to completely eradicate child labor. In this backdrop, SVK aims to mobilize the rural poor on issues related to community empowerment with special focus on creating access to education and skills and enhancing their economic standard of living and to facilitate community level planning and implementing of development programs.

 

Objectives:

• Eradication of child labor and Universalization of elementary education.
• Empowering women socially, politically and economically
• Health care of women and children by ensuring regular delivery of health services at village level
• Promoting collective action among the community towards their holistic development
• Improving the livelihood of the rural poor.

Review:

Through the review period, SVK has emphasized on awareness building and subsequent mobilization of community collectives with a view to enable them to interface with local governance institutions to ensure activation and smooth functioning of basic health care and education services. SVK followed a 3-pronged strategy for implementing the planned programs – mobilizing community collectives through knowledge dissemination, mass awareness building and pressure building on the local Panchayat level institutions. 

Achievements & Impact:

• 358 more children were removed from the workforce.
• 1 more village (adding to the 11 already achieved) was made free from child labor.
• No incidences of child marriages were reported.
• 483 families were prevented from migrating for alternate livelihoods.
• 100% enrolment status was achieved in 1 more village – in addition to the 11 in which such status was already achieved.
• Child Rights Protection Committees (CRPCs) were formed in 47 new villages
• Girl Rights Protection Cells (GRPCs) and Women’s Rights Protection Cells (WRPCs) were activated and strengthened in 31 villages. Necessary orientation, on child rights and human rights, was provided to all members of such Committees.
• 54 groups of unorganized sector laborers were activated and strengthened.

SVK has emerged as a successful organization in the Telengana region of Andhra Pradesh and an important force behind the evolution of the regional alliance in the region. Besides strengthening CRPCs, SVK has also promoted the Farmers’ Sanghams (Farmers’ collectives) and Coolie Sanghams (Unorganized sector workers’ collectives). Because of its strong links with grass root level communities and alignment with rights approach, SVK has the potential to influence other organizations and forces in the region to build up a holistic child rights movement.

Plans:

• Reducing the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 12 to 10.
• Community mobilization and participation to ensure birth registration of 80% children (new born + elder children) at the Panchayat level.
• Strengthening CRPCs, GRPCs & WRPCs.
• Community monitoring of 50 of the 219 ICDS centres to ensure appropriate delivery of services.
• Campaign against child labor – 200 children to be removed from the workforce.
• Ensuring minimum support price from the government for 4 commodities to reduce the debt burden on farmers and strengthening Farmers’ Sanghams.
• Mass campaign against child marriages. Empowering women’s and adolescent girls’ groups to work against child marriages.
• Formation and strengthening of the unorganized sector workers’ collectives in 50 villages.
• 100% enrolment of children in schools to be ensured in 10 more villages.
• Campaigns to demand proper rehabilitation of displaced families in Veepangandla & Kollapur.
• Mandal level campaigns against caste and gender based discrimination. 

Budget Summary (January to December 2009)

Budget heads	Budget (USD)
Right to Development	4,554
Right to Survival	15,481
Right to Protection & Participation	13,205
Administration & Advocacy	12,294
Total Approved Budget	45,534