Our Current Programmes

300 eligible girls will be enrolled in mainstream school

This is the second year programme and to date we have already enrolled 368 girls and 279 boys (total 647). This was possible because using the bridge school as a base we were able to expand our influence to 50 additional villages this year. Last year we enrolled 100 girls at the Devarkonda hostel and mainstreamed 32 girls from the school into the government Social welfare system hostels. Our campaign work has helped us to reach out to remote and needy villages mainly Lambadi thandas which are neglected by mainstream development.

For the two programme years we have enrolled a total of 3395 girls and 3402 boys into local primary schools.

Provide quality education to 300 girls

Once again in addition to the girls enrolled in the bridge school we have reached out to provide quality education in 50 primary schools in Devarkonda and Chandampet mandals. The outreach is to 2466 girls and 2325 boys with a total of 4791 children from classes one to five..

We have provided a series of training inputs to Gramya team as well as 50 government Vidya volunteers (para teachers). This was made possible due to support from Aid-et-Action and our presence in the area. ICCO/Kerk In Actie core support is the base which has helped us to access additional funding and undertake outreach work.

Strengthen women’s leadership to prevent violence against women and girl children in two mandal Samakhyas in Chandampet and Devarkonda mandals

This year we continued to work in the two mandals by organizing campaigns and awareness programmes in the 50 project villages. The campaigns have revolved around Right to Education for children, women’s rights, the need to prevent Domestic violence against women and the need to protect the girl child and girl babies. Staff have regularly attended the Samakhya meetings and shared their insights regarding women’s issues. We have worked together with the leaders from the Samakhya to address problems which women are facing. This year we supported 28 women facing violence. Case studies can be seen later. (Cases recorded later)

An analysis of the cases shows that alcoholism continues to be a serious problem leading to violence. Other reasons are lack of livelihood for men which leads them to torture their wives to bring dowry or simply more money from their parents. Another problem young women face is to be promised marriage and then cheated by their boy friends. Underlying all these problems are patriarchal attitudes and lack of education and assets for women to live on their own. Women continue to suffer severe physical and psychological torture for the welfare of children. Our effort has been to support the local women leaders to take up cases and try to resolve them in accordance with the law. However community justice and patriarchal values have its own logic which are not supportive of women. Our effort is to ensure the leadership of women and the welfare of women by promoting humanistic values and supporting the right of victim/survivors to take their own decisions. The weak legal system adds to women’s woes.

Promote pro women policy changes

Gramya has been consistently monitoring the issue of the cradle baby scheme in Nalgonda district through which the government has made possible for parents to give away their baby girls at Primary Health Centers and maternity hospitals in the state. Our effort has been to demonstrate that families particularly mothers want to keep their daughters if they are provided financial support and more importantly counseling for the male members in the family( husband and father-in-law.)

In addition, we have continued to support the rights of Koya adivasi women to access the Forest Rights Act in three mandals of Bhadrachalam region of Khammam district. This is done in collaboration with ASDS, a partner organization of Gramya. We have intervened in policy debates related to land Rights, Prevention of Domestic Violence and Child rights.

Back to Basics Programme Supported by Aide-et-Action

Back to Basics Programme is an initiative to improve the quality of education in 50 Government Primary Schools. The programme reaches out to 4791 children. It works towards:

Child Centered Learning
Use of Improved Learning Material
Enhancing parent-teacher Intervention
Influencing government education System

Support to Protect Girl Babies Supported by Shakti Shifa Foundation and Others

Support is provided to mothers to keep their girl babies and care for them rather than give them away due to pressures from husband and family. We intervene with families and counsel men to take care of their daughters. We are in dialogue with the government of Andhra Pradesh to change their policy of cradle baby scheme where by families are encouraged to give away girl babies (unwanted due to gender discrimination). This policy forces women to become baby making machines to produce a boy. Each time a girl is born, the family is likely to give away the child. Men and Mothers-in-Law coerce young women to anonymously give away the girl child which violates child rights and the Right to breast feeding.

Developing Tribal Women’s Leadership Network Programme-Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh

We work in Khammam District in partnership with Jagruthi, Centre for Human Activity in Rural Development, Priya Darshini Seva Mandal, Eco Foundation for Research and Training, Vyavasaya Mariya Sanghika Abhivrudhi Samstha and Masses. Support is provided to women leaders and organizations to prevent violence against women in the family and public spaces. Intervention undertaken to prevent misuse of drug trails – HPV vaccine. Developing tribal women’s leadership to access forest rights.

Support to National Campaigns

Gramya provides support to National Campaigns to protect human rights particularly of tribal community in Chattisgarh and Orissa. In addition, we also support the Right to Food campaign and environment protection campaigns.