Activities

Unity, Empowerment, Progress – SEWA's Commitment.

Awareness On Adolescent Health

Adolescent health is crucial for physical, mental, and social well-being. But unfortunately, this issue is overshadowed and neglected in our country. To address this, the government initiated an innovative Adolescent Health program, focusing on comprehensive support, education, and healthcare access. We have participated in this program under the guidance of CHC Sindhekela and over 50 villages were covered. SEWA, collaborating with health administration, conducted awareness activities to educate stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of adolescent health for a healthy transition to adulthood and reducing future Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR).

Water Conservation Campaign Under JJM

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Govt. launched project, aims to promote water conservation and responsible usage, ensuring safe drinking water for every rural household by 2024. SEWA, in collaboration with Star Youth Association, BBSR, and RWSS, conducted numerous awareness activities in 4527 villages across Balangir, Kalahandi, Subarnapur, and Nuapada districts in Odisha. These campaigns focused on encouraging the adoption of water-saving practices, farm ponds, rainwater harvesting, and effective water management. Village Water Sanitation committees were formed, creating Action Plans and social mappings to sustain water conservation efforts. SEWA’s ongoing collaboration aims to save every single drop of water and create awareness among communities to ensure a lasting impact on water preservation.

Pay My Bill Campaign

The SEWA organization, with support from OXFAM, BBSR, conducted awareness camps in various locations within Muribahal & Titilagarh Block. These sessions engaged community members, grassroots volunteers, and village-level workers from different departments. The primary focus of the “Pay My Bill” campaign was to educate and empower people with information on their rights and benefits from various government schemes. Participants were encouraged to understand their rights, for demand generation for “Pay My Bill” benefits. This initiative directly impacted beneficiaries, enhancing their access to government-provided facilities and services.

Awareness on RTE Act

Our constitution has emphasized on free and compulsory education for all and it has clearly mentioned the Act in Right to Education for the children. Inspite of major area of concern and implementation of so many project and programmes there are number of students still out of school and many of them are prone to child labour. Further due to lack of community participation and community ownership the elementary education has dropped to a greater extent. So with a view to educate and aware guardian & the members of School Committees at the village level the organization arranged 150 numbers of awareness meetings in different schools of Ttitlagarh & Muribahal Block by the support of BGVS, BBSR during the year under report. In the awareness camps the following points were emphasized.

Right to Education Act what, why & need & Scope & Activities under the act
Equal access to education without discrimination
Role of Parents & Guardian and child protection.
Regarding the alarming figure of drop out & non-starter of the area & probable solution to overcome the situation.
Enhancement of enrolment figure of girl children, checking of dropout rates and keeping the retention cent percent.
Ensure quality education, Health & nutrition and other support of the Govt.
Procedure to ensure community participation & ownership & regular advocacy & networking.
Role & responsibilities of SMC members, teachers, cluster coordinators & other functionaries for promotion of primary education.

Seminar On Child Education

Due to lack of information and knowledge, lack of motivation of parents and lack of community participation elementary education has dropped to a greater extent. So the community and parents should be made aware and motivated of their roles and responsibility towards promotion of educational status in the area. Hence to universalize elementary education in the area the SEWA organized 5 numbers workshop for promotion of Child Education at Muribahal & Sindhekela of Balangir districtduring June 21. In the workshop the parents, educated mass of the area, NGO people and SMC members along with some teachers were invited to the seminar to discuss on the following matters.

Regarding the alarming figure of dropouts & non-starters in the area.
Enhance of enrolment figure of girl children.
Motivation for parents especially of the poor cross-section of remote concern.
Checking of dropout rates and keeping the retention cent per cent.
Procedure to ensure qualitative & qualitative teaching in the classroom.
Procedure to ensure community participation & ownership.

Programme For Transgender

Though there have been notable advancements in recognizing and supporting transgender individuals, challenges such as discrimination, and mental health disparities still persist. Hence to help the Transgendered to grow develop and progress with the other section of the society and to support for the Nation building Self help approach is the viable means to cater their urgent need of them. So in order to empower the transgendered of different areas of Bargarh district in the socio-economic sectors the identified transgendered of the area were organized in a proper way and SHG were promoted among them by taking 10 persons for each SHG. In this context, as much as 20 numbers of SHGs in Bargarh district

were promoted by the organization SEWA from its own endeavour by involving the transgender. Steps are being taken to link the groups with some credit sources in order to help them to take up income-generating activities. Further to capacitate them for management & maintenance of SHG capacity building training was being organized in the area. Besides capacity building for their sustainable livelihood, some skill development training on different suitable trades such as tailoring, agarbatti & candle making & phenyl preparation training was provided to the group.

Legal Literacy Camp

Even after 76 years of independence, women are regarded in some societies as a piece of commercial goods to be kept at home. Nowadays the security of women especially women on work sites is characterized by low pay, long hours of work and lack of job security women and adolescent girls are missing or kidnapped from the workplace. Women of the weaker section are ignorant of the legal rights and privileges in this male-dominated society. Thereby the women suffrages discriminated against a lot. So to literate the female with their legal rights & privileges 20 nos. of legal literacy camps were conducted by SEWA under Muribahal Block during the year under report. In the camp, the women were educated and made aware of the following legal rights and Acts.

Right Acts relating to Hindu Marriage Act, dowry & property right act.
Acts relating to Sexual abuse & harassment
Consumer Acts & Wage Act
Domestic violance Act,

In the awareness programme experienced Advocates and legal experts were attend as Resource Persons.

Edp Training

A good entrepreneur can develop in economical sector. So to develop the entrepreneurship quality of the SHG & youth leaders the organization SEWA organized twonumbers of training programme during Nov. 22 & Jan 23 at Muribahal & Titilagarh Block. In the training the participants were enriched and acknowledged with the following techniques.

What is entrepreneurs
How to develop a business
Marketing quality control study, linkages and exposure
How to deal with the consumer
The procedure of packing

To train the groups the IPO & other resource persons were attended the camp.

Training Of Youth On Plumbing

For the development and empowerment of the youth in a targeted manner the organization SEWA executed training programs for the unemployed youth on plumbing for providing self employment opportunity to the youth of the area in this connection training programmes were organized in different locations of Muribahal & Titilagarh Block by inviting 200 nos. Of unemployed youth of the area having interest in this vocation. Trainers on the vocation were invited to the camp to impart their valuable guidance and training. The participants were also motivated to take up the vocation as income-generating activities in the area for their future course of action.

Swachh Bharat Abhijan

Due to improper sanitation, people are suffering a lot so far their health and hygiene is concerned. Nowadays people are so callous that they do not hesitate to throw waste here and there which has not only put an adverse effect on the environment but also created a damaging bearing upon the beautification of the village environment. Again piles of waste have the worst impact on human health and hygiene so to aware people relating proper sanitation arrangements the organization SEWA conducted 30 numbers awareness meetings and rallies in different villages of Muribahal & Titilagarh Block in Balangir District during the year under the report. The people were encouraged to install and use Toilets on massive scale. Further they were aware of some waterborne and airborne diseases.

Again the participants are motivated to make the water source clean and take tube wells or boiled water for drinking purposes. However, IEC materials on sanitation were also distributed among the people to enhance their knowledge further on proper sanitation arrangements. The SHG members and Housewives of the area were oriented on the management of household and village waste. They were also made aware of the worst effects of these solid wastes and the need to be managed of these wastes. Use of household dustbins was promoted among housewives. This activity was taken up during June, July and August 22 in the area.

Plantation

Most of our populations particularly the illiterates and those who are living in tribal areas are not aware of the consequences of slashing the trees near human habitation. Even most of our civil society members like, PRI Members, Youth Club Members, women SHGs do not understand the gravity of the fact. So with a view to aware the rural mass on the importance of plantation the organisation SEWA celebrated the Banamahotsava at Ghantabahali on 6th of July 22 and had taken plantation activities in the school campus at the wasteland of the area and on the roadside of the village by taking the active support of the volunteers, youth, students and SHG members of the village along with the staff and numbers of the organization. The community and local CBOs were encouraged to take care of the plants. However, the organizations people also visited the area from time to time to see the growth of the plants and to provide proper guidance to the people regarding healthy growth of the plants.

Sensitization On Flagship Programmes Of Govt.

Many people especially the poor villagers of remote concerns are completely unaware about the Flagship Programmes implemented by the Govt. in rural areas through different schemes and amount allocated for each programme as per the budget estimate and sent to all concerned. So with a view to sensitize the rural people including PRI members, SHG Leader & youth the organization SEWA organized 10 numbers of awareness camps in different G.P. under Titilagarh & Muribahal block during the year under report.

Officials from line & PR Department were invited as RPs to explain the details of the schemes and process of utilization of funds. Some of the programmes that have been emphasized during the workshop are OLM, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Kalia Yojana, Shramik Kalyan Yojana, BSCY, MGNREGA, SGSY, PAY, SBM, Rural Public Distribution System, ICDS, GKS and many other programmes. IEC materials on the above programmes were distributed among the participants. Moreover, the participants were made aware intensively of different PRI systems, women’s participation in PRIs and the development of weaker sections.

Awareness On Gender Equity

Gender Equity is essential for creating a more just and inclusive society, where everyone, regardless of their gender can thrive and contribute fully to their communities and workplaces. It refers to the fair and treatment of individuals of all genders focusing on achieving equality in opportunities, resources, and outcomes. However, it is noted that there has been progress in the last few decades but it has not yet taken the desired shape. Many challenges remain. The women are still tortured and harassed and maintain a low profile in the male-dominated society. So realizing the ground reality the organization SEWA during the year under report conducted some awareness activities in Muribahal & Titilagarh Block

by the support of OXFAM, and BBSR regarding gender equality. The communities were educated regarding the importance of women in development & growth. They were encouraged to support the female of their family, in their community to grow up. Further, a district-level workshop was also organized at Tapoban Academy Titilagarh by inviting teachers, advocates, students, potential stakeholders, and officials of the line department of the district. More than 50 participants participated and give their valuable suggestions on the topic.

Orientation On Integrated Farming

Integrated farming (also known as mixed farming) is a farming system with simultaneous activities involving crops and animals. Essentially, the crop residues serve as feed to the livestock and fish, and in turn, the wastes from the livestock and fish serve as fertilizer for the crops. An integrated farming system involves the integration of two or more enterprises with the best use of available resources to satisfy the maximum needs of the owner which leads to an increase in productivity per unit area, efficient recycling of farm wastes, better utilization of resources, generating employment, reduce the risks. So, understanding the fact the organization SEWA carried out 4 numbers of orientation camps for the farmers of Haldi, Bitabandh, Malisira & Tentulikhunti G.P. of Muribahal Block. In the camps, 100 numbers of farmers were orientated regarding integrated farming.

Sensitization Of St/Sc

Inspite of Govt. the greater area of concern for the development of ST/SC people the achievement in the sector is still far behind as per expectation. Due to over-concentration on agro-based pursuit and no or less emphasis on farm and farm activities the poor people are subjugated to chronic poverty. So to enhance the economical status as well as social well-being of the ST/SC people during the reporting period the organization SEWA carried out the following activities in its operational area. Awareness activities were taken up in ST & SC populated 5 numbers of villages under Titilagarh Block to sensitize the ST/SC regarding the beneficial schemes and schemes specially meant for ST/SC of the Govt. that have existed in the area. A Health checkup camp & health awareness camp for the Children of ST category were organized at Parasara. The ST people of different villages of Titilagarh Block were made aware of the welfare activities of the Govt especially meant for them.

Agricultural Activities

One of the largest economic sectors of our country is Agriculture and more then 80% people of the country are engaged in the agricultural sector in either way. But due to recurring drought, lack of knowledge on modern and improved cultivation over-concentration on only paddy, maximum utilization of chemical fertilizer etc the marginal formers and poor agricultural labourer suffer a lot in their economic sector and at times without having any supplementary source of income they used to migrant to different unknown and exotic places to earn their livelihood. The area of operation of SEWA is also not far different from the situation rather the agricultural labourer, small and marginal farmers are in acute

poverty due to situation of the area mentioned above. Hence to train the farmers of the area the small and marginal farmers of Ghantabahali, Haldi and Malisira G.P. of Muribahal block were invited to the orientation camp on January 23 at Haldi where the farmers were provided the cultivation procedure of different types of vegetable, sunflower & other oil seeds and its harvesting along with marketing. In the camp 35 numbers of farmers attended and were provided training by the R.P. from Agricultural Department. However, some vegetable plants were also supplied to the participants. The local V.A.W. invited to the camp to impart his valuable training on the topic. Further the organization also taking interest in different agricultural activities for the fund rising of the organization.

Promotion & Sensitization Of Farmer’s Producer Group

In the current market trend there is huge demand of paddy, vegetables, & sunflower, groundnut mustard, Harida etc. Inspite of potentialities of soil conditions, local availability of organic fertilizers, rivers water for irrigation the proposed project area is suffering a lot in agricultural sector & huge human resources facing unemployment across the year, it can be converted in to a grand success with a little coordination, technical and monitoring support, finance and mobilizing the target groups towards promoting agriculture as well as non-agriculture sectors in enterprise mode through a series of awareness and action activities.

The activity aims at providing livelihood support to identified farmers by creating business/ entrepreneurship platform with the help of infrastructure support through a governance relationship between the farmers & the trader. Hence looking to the need to develop & promote Farmer Producer Group organization. SEWA organized some awareness activities in its operational area for the farmers. The main aim of FPO is to ensure better income for the producers through an organization of their own. Small producers do not have the volume individually (both inputs and produce) to get the benefit of economy of scale. Besides, in agricultural marketing, there is a long chain of intermediaries who very often work non-transparently leading to the situation where the producer receives only a small part of the value that the ultimate consumer pays.