Thursday, October 23, 2008

Organisation's Profile

Profile of the Organisation
Sumitra Samajik Kalyan sanstha
Sumitra Cottage
Block – Rath
District – Hamirpur
Uttar Pradesh – 210431
Ph No – 05280 – 223102
Phone number- ०७६८2-242139
Fax No – 05280 – 223268,223102
www.sumitrasansthan.org
sumitra.sansthan@gmail.com
www.sumitrasansthan.blogspot.com
Registered under India Society Act, 1860 – Reg. Number – 473 / 1993
Registered under 12-A and 80-G
FCRA Registration Number – 136480014 / 2000

Programme Office:

Sumitra Samajik Kalyan Sansthan
old chhatrasal takij,mahal road
District – Chattarpur, Madhya Pradesh

About Sumitra Samajik Kalyan Sansthan

Sumitra was initiated by group of social activists & professionals with a mission to stride social, economic and political change in the lives of people. It has started its operation in early 90s and contributing in the developmental processes with a vision to build a society where all people can gain access to education, health care, credit, and livelihoods opportunities and where all people can realize their full potential.

Sumitra Samajik Kalyan Sansthan (SSKS) is registered under India Society Registration Act, 1860. Sumitra is aiming for entitlement realization of potential & eligible community group. Sumitra is working for developing the competencies of poor community groups through awareness, capacities building, hand holding support and follow up process. Sumitra also developing access of entitlements in favour of poorest community groups by influencing state systems, delivering mechanism, facilitating interface meeting and making redressal system responsive through regular on going monitoring of the status of entitlement obtained / not obtained and following up continuously.

Sumitra follows rights mode and service mode of work in such a way that community groups can exercise their rights & entitlements with dignity & self-respect. Sumitra strongly work for empowerment of socially & economically underprivileged community groups with inclusion & gender perspective.


Key Strategies…

• Organizing & Capacitating Community Based Organizations

• Mass Mobilization & Awareness Generation

• Linking the local issues with Collective Campaign process

• Promotion of GO – NGOs partnership and Institutional Linkages

• Promotion of Good Governance

• Policy & Media Advocacy

• Promotion of Networks & Alliances


Core Competencies …

• Self Help Movement by promotion of Self Help Groups, Federation & Cooperative structure

• Promotion of Need Based and Local Resource Based Livelihood

• Promotion of Micro Credit & Micro Enterprises

• Women Empowerment & Gender Development and Entitlement Access

• Mass Mobilization & Campaigning around Food Security, Drought and Livelihood issues

• Promotion of Self-governance through PRIs strengthening

• Child Rights with focus on dalits, minorities & girls child

• Education Rights with focus on girls & dalits children

• Health Rights - Reproductive & Child Health / HIV & AIDS

Key Contribution and achievements in the past....

In the last 12 years, Sumitra has made satisfactory progress in enhancing the potential of poor & marginalized community groups, addressing the food security, drought issues, livelihood, domestic & women violence, NREGA, Entitlements & Social Security Benefits issues and forming & strengthening of community based structure including Self Help Groups. During its course of intervention Sumitra has benefited larger poorer community groups and impacted in their lives. Following are the key achievements of the organization, which Sumitra has gained due to encouraging and overwhelming support of the community groups & leaders, service providers, line department functionaries, administrative functionaries, media functionaries and like minded NGOs / CBOs groups...

Self Help Movement

• Formed 242 SHGs with 3282 Members with total saving of Rs 13,17,530 and trained them on basic SHGs management & micro enterprises including on farm & off farm income generating activities –

• Several Women started income generating activities as well as livelihood promotional activities through SHGs / Federation – Sumitra has mobilized Rs approx 70,00,000 for Micro Credit promotion

• Organized women members and federated them under Jan Adhikar Manch in Rath, Gohan, Sarila, Muskara block of Hamirpur district – Jan adhikar Manch 2600 members, who are carrying forward the SHGs / Federation movement in block of Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh under DRDA SGSY programme

• On regular basis, Sumitra works as Resource Organization and imparting training programme on Self-Help Groups for DRDA, Hamirpur. Sumitra has provided two days Basic SHGs Management training and Seven days skill development training to SHGs members with the support of DRDA, Hamirpur

Livelihood Promotion by Sumitra – Environment Friendly

• Providing wage opportunities to 30 person in Business of Brick Making through organization promoted Resource Centre working for construction and selling of PAMET – Paryawaran Mitra Et – a livelihood enhancement programme facilitated by Sumitra in sustainable manner
Water Conservation & Management Initiative by Sumitra

• Developed water-harvesting structure with community participation in Bara Gram Panchayat of Gohan block of Hamirpur district. This structure is providing irrigation facility in 2 bigha of agriculture land. Sumitra has also constructed ponds with community contribution in Bara Gram panchayat in common land and developed community managed system for water sharing to poor and weaker families

Poorest Area Civil Society programme...

• Formed Cooperative of SHGs with 210 women members in Nawgaon block of Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh under PACS programme implemented as partner CSOs of Indcare Trust funded by DFID, UK – Sumitra has formed 42 SHGs under PACS programme in Nawgaon block of Chattarpur district

• Increased the pace of realization of rights & entitlements among community groups – increased accessibility of government programme / schemes & Social Security & Food Security schemes

• SHGs taken up the implementation of Mid day Meal programme and enhancing their income on sustainable basis

• Facilitated in formation of Sumitra Jan Shakti Manch in Nawgaon block of Chattarpur district of Uttar Pradesh representing 1000 members and asserting collectively

OXFAM supported Campaign on Women Violence, Gender Development & Women Recognition as Farmers

• Raised high level of awareness on domestic violence and women & gender development by being a members of SAMAAN network supported & facilitated by Oxfam India Trust in 66 villages of Hamirpur District and raised 50 cases related to domestic violence and exploitation, in which 12 has come to logical end of justice

• Raised awareness among youth & adolescents on women violence by joining WE CAN campaign of Oxfam India Trust with the support of school and college management

• Supported AROH campaign of GEAG, Lucknow for recognizing women as farmers – the campaign was supported by Oxfam India Trust

• Mahila Kisan Hit Adhikar Yatra with the support of GEAG, Lucknow funded by Oxfam India Trust

Drought, Livelihood, Food Security & NREGA Mobilization Campaign under Apda Nivarak Manch supported by ActionAid India & other groups...

• Played Supportive role in strengthening of Apda Nivarak Manch in Hamirpur district and addressed drought, migration and livelihood issues with inclusion perspective – Apda Nivarak Manch is being facilitated by PARMARTH and it is alliance of diversified stakeholders working on drought, food security and livelihood issues

• Rojgar Guarantee Haq Yatra with the support of Parmarth & funded by ActionAid India in 7 blocks of Hamirpur district & two blocks of Nawgaon block of Chattarpur district

• Drought & livelihood campaign under the banner of Adpda Nivarak Manch in 15 gram panchayats of Rath, Gohan and Sarila block of Hamirpur district of Uttarpradesh

• Sumitra has taken up the issues of farmers’ suicide cases and starvation death cases and builds pressure on local, block, district and regional level functionaries for better implementation of government programmes

NREGA Mobilization with DRDA support...

• Implementing NREGA awareness programme with the support of DRDA, Madhya Pradesh in 105 villages of 75 gram panchayats in Nawgaon block of Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh

Education Programme...
• Implemented Bridge School programme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan with the support of District Education Department – 120 children has been mainstreamed with education after completing bridge course
• Contributing in making two Bal Mitra Village – Toka Bakari in Rath block and Karandi in Gohan block of Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh – Bal Mitra Village Programme is supported by BBA group
Health Awareness Programme

• Created mass level awareness on HIV / AIDS issues with the support of SHGs / Federation members and liasioning with district health departments

• Played supportive role in immunization drive and making service providers responsive

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Programme

• Implemented Awareness generation programme on water, sanitation & hygiene issues and constructed toilet with the support DRDA, Hamirpur

• Mobilized community groups around water and sanitation resources

Liasioing & Networking...

• Sumitra is liasioning with Brahamanand Agriculture University and seek their support in different agriculture promotional training programme and other related activities

• Sumitra work in close coordination with block, district administration and build up institutional linkages

• Sumitra mobilized media groups, political groups and other civil society groups and seek their solidarity for cause promotion

Dalits Rights & Mobilization

• Worked with Manual Scavengers community and rehabilitated 50 families form the occupation in Hamirpur district by joining GARIMA ABHYAAN campaign of ActionAid India – Garima Abhiyaan was a campaign for a dignified rehabilitation of person involved in manual scavenging

• Mobilizing dalits groups around their rights / entitlements and developing community cadre in regular programme of the organization

Geographical Areas - Sumitra is working in Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh. Sumitra has reached to 6000 families in 110 villages of 70 Gram Panchayat of 8 blocks in two districts. At present, Sumitra operate from Rath, Hamirpur. Sumitra is also running programme office in Nawgaon Block of Chaatarpur District of Madhya Pradesh.

Organizational Approaches as growing organization...

Sumitra is uniquely positioned to be able to carry out the livelihood promotion of people by supporting PAMET – PARYAVAARN MITRA ET through Resource Centre. Currently, this livelihood intervention is providing wage employment to 30 people (all are belongs to SHGs families) and doing business of Rs 15,00,000 yearly.

In the past, Sumitra has worked for enlarging poor people’s choices and making developmental processes more democratic and participatory. Under PACS programme it has widen the choices of the poor by capacitated them around their rights & entitlement. The result being strengthened capacities of people’s groups to secure their rights and entitlements. The intervention has also legitimized the community based structure of SHGs / Federation.
Sumitra believes that collectivization of women members can get legitimacy through registration of a federation. This will also help the organization to develop their managerial capacities and transfer the management of the programmes as sustainability & exist plan. Accordingly Sumitra has formed 42 SHGs with 882 members in the PACS programme and registered Cooperative named Sumitra Adoyogig Sahakari Samiti (cooperative) with 210 members. Sumitra has also played facilitation role in formation of Sumitra Jan Shakti Manch with 12 governing body members and 1000 members, which is people’s organization. Sumitra Jan Shakti Manch came up as a result of Civil Society Organization action in the field and in particular building the capacities of the people to take appropriate action for their development. It is creating access to rights / entitlements and linkages with welfare schemes / social security benefits. It is also putting the development need of the village, and participating in gram Sabha meeting.

Sumitra’s promoted SHGs is currently managing Mid Day Meal programme and earning income by undertaking MDM programme in respective primary school. It is providing regular source of income to SHGs members. SHGs were also instrumental in taking up the NREGA programme in their respective villages.

The organization has worked with the community groups like Manual Scavengers, who comes in the lowest social ladder and rehabilitated them with dignity. This is matching with organizational approaches of working with socially excluded community groups with focus on person livening with HIV / AIDS, Person Living with Disability.

The organization has effectively contributed for the well being of the community groups in the past and now growing as professional organization. The organization is building the organization as secular transparent, credible and accountable or all its activities.

Promotion of GOs – NGOs partnership

• Sumitra belief in leveraging funds and entitlements for the poor and excluded community groups from the state. In this direction, Sumitra has implemented following government programme and benefited large number of poorest community groups...

• Partnership with DRDA, Hamirpur – Sumitra with the support of DRDA, Hamirpur has under SGSY programme in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh and formed SHGs. Sumitra has also provided training to SHGs member with the Support of DRDA, Hamirpur.

• Sumitra is implementing NREGA Awareness Programme with the Support of DRDA, Chattarpur

• Sumitra has constructed toilet with the support of district agency

• Sumitra with the support of District Health Department worked on awareness generation on HIV / AIDS issues

• Implemented District literacy programme of Zila Saksharta samiti (District Literacy Programme) and literate women under Total Literacy Campaign and Post Literacy programme in 100 villages of Rath, Gohan & Muskara blocks and three urban centres in Rath, Gohan & Sarila of Hamirpur District of Uttar Pradesh.
Contribution as Network / Alliance Member as well as partner

• Addressing women atrocities as one of the Network Partner of SAMAN, Bundelkhand – SAMAN is a issue based Networks of NGOs / Activists working in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh

• Sumitra intervention as network partner of SAMAN helped in Reducing Atrocities on women & adolescents in Hamirpur district. Sumitra has approached 66 villages and created mass awareness on domestic violence and women atrocities issues. It has undertaken 50 such cases and addressed 12 cases to its logical end.


• Sumitra was also associated with WE CAN campaign and sensitized youth & adolescents on Women Violence issues. In this campaign Sumitra has targeted colleges / school and organized series of meeting and

• Carried AROH CAMPAIGN for recognizing women as farmer in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh. AROH is a campaign for respecting the women contribution in agriculture and safeguard their rights & entitlements. The campaign is being supported by Gorakhpur Environmental Action Groups, Lucknow and funded by Oxfam India Trust. Sumitra has actively supported AROH campaign and mobilized women farmers around the issues.

• Addressing Drought, Food Security, Livelihood & Migration issues as strong advocator of Apada Nivarak Manch – Sumitra is supporting as one of the stakeholder in Apada Nivarak Manch in Hamirpur District. Sumtira is supporting the Campaign on Drought & Livelihood issues of Apda Nivarak Manch and contributed by undertaking different activities in Gohan, Rath and Sarila Block of Hamirpur District. Apada Nivarak Manch is a loose NETWORK of diversified group / individual for addressing the drought & livelihood issues and securing explicit objective. It is facilitated by PARMARTH with the support of diversified range of stakeholders in Bundelkhand Region.



• Sumitra has witnessed the different programmatic activities under the banner of Apda Nivarak Manch and addressed the issues of drought, farmers’ suicide, starvation death issues in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It has strength the Apda Nivarak Manch intervention in 15-gram panchayats of Gohan, Rath and Sarila block of Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

• As network partner, Sumitra has improved the economic base of the community groups by mobilizing NREGA – Sumitra was one of the strong network partners of ActionAid International India in implementing Rojgar Haq Abhiyaan Yatra. Sumitra has covered 8 blocks in Chattarpur and Hamirpur District and brought momentum in NREGA programme. The villagers started getting Job Cards and Wage Work under NREGA. The community groups also started demanding and asserting their rights with exclusion & gender perspective.

• Improving the social and economic status of Manual Scavenger community by undertaking the GARIMA ABHYAAN as campaigning process – Garima Abhiyaan was campaign promoted by ActionAid International India for a dignified rehabilitation of person involved in manual scavenging. Sumitra has carried the GARIMA ABHIYAAN Campaign in Hamirpur district and rehabilitated 60 Manual Scavengers families.

• Mainstreaming education by facilitating BAL MITRA VILLAGE concept of Bachpan Bachao Abhiaan Network – Sumitra has undertaken two villages of Hamirpur district for mainstreaming education and children’s’ rights under Bal Mitra Village Campaign.

• Election Watch Campaign – Election process is foundation for good governance. Sumitra has participated in Election Watch Campaign in Hamirpur District as network member and worked effectively for awareness generation for better electoral process.



Way forward....

Sumitra is in a position to guide and enable sustainable livelihood promotion for the community groups by its Resource Centre and Strong Membership Based of SHGs / Federation. The organization will progressively work in networks and alliances striving to create synergy and solidarity to take the work forward. In the coming days we will engage with specific categories of socially excluded poor people and their movements.

• The organization will keep supporting the issues based campaign on Food Security, Drought, Livelihood, Women & Gender Empowerment, and Women Farmers with focus on socially & economically poor people

• Take up drought and livelihood campaign independently and build pressure on government machinery for effective implementation of NREGA / Drought Prone Area Programme and other Drought Relief Packages

• Strengthen the SHGs / Federation movement towards sustainability and facilitate local resource and need based livelihood promotion and income generating activities. The organization will collaborated with Micro Finance Agency for catering the local demand of micro finance for the socially and economically poor households. The organization will also supplement the financial services to poor households with livelihood and enterprises support services. The organization will also look forward for social security of the poor community groups by promotion of Micro Insurance.

• Findings out new opportunities for strengthening its Water, Sanitation & Hygiene campaign, which was earlier limited to awareness drive and construction of toilet with the support of district administration. The organization will take up integrated water resource management issues, water-livelihood linkages, links between poverty and water with exclusion and gender perspective. Sumitra intends to foster inter sector dialogue at block level and district level with education, health, nutrition and other departments such as forestry.

• The organization will strengthen the governance process by mobilizing PRIs members and functionaries and organizing transparency exercise under the leadership of Community Based Organization / Women based Institutions

• Intensively carry forward the HIV & AIDS Awareness drives and empower person living with HIV and AIDS to protect them from violence, freedom from stigma and discrimination

• Strengthening is base of Mass Based Movements for accessing services –Health, Drinking Water, Education, livelihood, credit and hold the state accountable for non-accessibility of basic services by the poor and excluded through social audit, public hearing etc

• Strengthen the GOs – NGOs partnership in newer approach and strategies. The focus will be given more on building institutional linkages and demanding transparency & accountability with service providers, line department functionaries and administrative forces

• Promotion of girls’ child education and making school functional and enabling children who are presently out of school for social, cultural, economic, and political reasons, to enroll in formal schools and engage in learning

• Strengthen womens’ collective to challenge social processes, laws, institutions at the local and district level and linking them with existing women’s movement

Other than programmatic intervention, Sumitra will also build the capacities of staffs and volunteers associated with the organization.


Details about Project / Campaign

Title of the Project / Campaign Project Area Support Agencies Duration
Empowerment of rural poor through livelihood support programme in Bundelkhand Area 17 villages of 10 gram panchayat of Nawgaon block of Chattarpur District of Madhya Pradesh DFID, UK – as partner CSOs of lead organization – Indcare Trust, New Delhi Jan 2006 – December 2007
WE CAN Campaign Hamirpur District Oxfam India Trust, Delhi Jan 2002 continue till date
SAMAN NETWORK programme Hamirpur District Oxfam India Trust, Lucknow May 2001 – April 2007
AROH Campaign 20 villages of Rath & Gohan block Oxfam India Trust, Lucknow through, GEAG, Lucknow 2005 - continue
Capacity Building of SHGs members Sarila block, DRDA, Hamirpur 2005
Capacity Building of SHGs All seven block of Hamirpur DRDA, Hamirpur 2006
Capacity Building of SHGs Members Muskara block of Hamirpur DRDA, Hamirpur 2007
Apda Nivarak Manch Hamirpur district ActionAid India, Lucknow through Parmarth, Orai 2005 - continue
NREGA Rojgar Haq Yatra Hamirpur & Chattarpur District ActionAid India, Lucknow through Parmarth, Orai 2006 - 2007
NREGA – IEC programme 110 villages in 75 Gram panchayat of Chattarpur district in Madhya Pradesh Janpad Panchayat, Nawgaon, Chhattarpur 2006 - 2007
A Campaign for a Dignified rehabilitation of person involved in manual scavenging Rath town, Rath block & gohan block of Hamirpur District ActionAid India, Lucknow 2005 - 2006
Promotion of NSB Ghohan block of Hamirpur District CMO, Hamirpur 2005
Residential Bridge Course Programme Muskara & Gohan block of Hamirpur district District Education Department, Hamirpur Nov 2006 – April 2007

Jan 2008 – June continue
Total Literacy Campaign & Post Literacy Campaign Rath, Gohan & Muskara block and three town areas of Rath, Gohan & Sarila District Literacy Department, Hamirpur 2000 - 2005