Project proposal

1. The title Water, health and education for women and children of Thar 2. Location 6 villages of Osian block in the Thar Desert 3. Duration Two years 4. Target population Nearly 1,8 women and children living in the !ro"ect villages

5. Background Western #a"asthan geogra!hically falls in the arid region of $ndia% With a !o!ulation of &' million !eo!le it is notably the most densely !o!ulated arid regions of the world% The average annual rainfall of the area is 1 (& mm )* to 8 inches+% The rural !o!ulation of the area is de!endent largely on rain fed agriculture for its livelihood% ,owever, with recurrent failures of rains and subse-uent cro! failures, drought has become a chronic feature of the area% There is acute shortage of drinking water as a result of which the community also suffers from serious heath threats, !oor sanitation, !overty and other com!licated socio( economic !roblems% .ocially, the biggest im!act of lack of water could be seen on the female !o!ulation and on children of the region% /rocuring water is considered to be a household task, and it is the women and the girl child who are involved in !rocuring water% 0or this !ur!ose they need to walk miles everyday in the hot and harsh climate 1% $t is also this reason which is res!onsible to a large e1tent in the de!rivation of the girl child from education% 2ack of water and fre-uent droughts !resent ma"or challenges in the region and im!act the socio( economic status of the region severely% 0urther, the dry conditions and lack of water !ose severe health challenges !articularly im!acting women and children% $n a recent health analysis conducted by the $nde!endent 3ommission on Develo!ment and ,ealth in $ndia and 4oluntary ,ealth 5ssociation of $ndia, ma"or $ndian states have been surveyed and accordingly the districts of the states are classified under a different 4ulnerable ,ealth $nde1 )4,$+% 5lmost all the districts of #a"asthan .tate and all the 1& districts of the Thar Desert were found 6very vulnerable7 in the above analysis7&%

5ccording to 8#54$. studies, water(fetching(e1ertion in the Thar Desert contributes significantly to high !revalence of anemia and $nfant and 9aternal mortality% & ,ealth for the millions, 4oluntary ,ealth 5ssociation of $ndia, :une & *

8#54$. has been focusing in the areas of drought mitigation and im!roving the living conditions of women and children in the region for a number of years% Over last two decades, it has done commendable work in many villages in develo!ing drought !re!aredness models% The region is -uite large though and 8#54$. needs to e1!and the work further ; continuously, and it also reali<es the need of brining women into focus of its !rogrammes% 5bout 8#54$. 8#54$. was established in 1=8' by a grou! of social activists ins!ired by the 8andhian !hiloso!hy of social service% $t was felt that develo!ment and organi<ation of a variety of !rogrames at the village level was necessary in order to offer real solutions to !roblems faced by the !eo!le of the Thar Desert% 8#54$. now works in over eight hundred villages of Thar desert covering :odh!ur, :aisalmer and >armer, Nagaur and >ikaner districts% The organi<ation follows an integrated a!!roach focusing on sustainable develo!mental !rogrammes for alternative rural reconstruction and also mobili<es emergency relief in times of crisis% The !rimary a!!roach is aimed at working directly on social rehabilitation and not "ust monetary assistance thus !romoting self(reliance in village communities% 6. Need o the proposed project 8#54$. efforts focusing on water security, healthcare and education have benefited the rural communities to a very good e1tent over the last &* years% ,owever, the region is vast and 8#54$. enters new villages every year to e1!and the coverage of its work% The !ro!osed !ro"ect will aim on benefiting si1 new villages, which have not been covered by 8#54$.? activities in the !ast% The activities of the !ro"ect will focus on ensuring water security, better healthcare and education% !. "#jecti$es $nitiate the !rocess of community develo!ment in si1 villages of the Thar Desert Organi<e women through formation of .elf ,el! 8rou!s @nsure water security in !ro"ect villages by construction of water storage tanks $m!rove health conditions of women and children through health education and !rovision of health services .!read literacy among children with a s!ecial focus on girl children

%. Proposed acti$ities Baseline sur$e& o project $illages $n the beginning, the !ro"ect villages will be surveyed by the !ro"ect team, which will assist in getting the baseline !icture of the area% /#5 meetings will also be organi<ed &

along with the base line survey% The findings of base(line survey will be com!ared with the outcomes of the !ro"ect at its com!letion to gau<e the im!actAchange% 'or(ation o )el *elp +roups Women will be the center of the !ro"ect% Therefore, the control of the !ro"ect at the village level will be in the hands of women% .elf ,el! 8rou!s ).,8s+ of women will be formed in all !ro"ect villages% These 1 (to(1B(member(grou!s will not only set u! their own funds, but will also !lay im!ortant roles in !lanning, im!lementation and monitoring of !ro"ect activities% .,8 members will meet once in a month to discuss the !rogress of the !ro"ect% The !ro"ect will also organi<e several skill building worksho!s for the .,8s% The .,8s will also set u! their own small(scale, income(generating units with the hel! of funds generated by them and through the vocational trainings !rovided to them by the !ro"ect team% 8#54$. has been facilitating the formation of .,8s over C years now and has successfully formed over * .,8s till date% ,onstruction o -ater storage tanks .taankas) 5 taanka is an underground tank for harvesting rainwater as well as storing water% $t is a traditional method of water storage in dry areas% $t ta!s and stores rain water from a local catchment( natural or artificial% When the stored water is e1hausted, the taanka is used to store water trans!orted from outside on cattle cartsA tractors% Thus taanka is an im!ortant element of water security in arid regions of Thar% 9ost im!ortantly, it !rovides great relief to the women and girls from everyday(water(fetching(drudgery% Dnder the !ro"ect, 8#54$. intends to build eighteen taankas in the si1 villages% These will benefit 18 !oor households com!rising of nearly 1B !eo!le% "rgani/ation o 0N,1 i((uni/ation and (edical ca(ps The 8#54$. medical team, consisting of a doctor, !aramedical staff and village health workers will !rovide health services during s!ecial outreach medical cam!s in the !ro"ect villages% The cam!s will !rovide 5N3 services to women and immuni<ation to women and children% These cam!s will also cater to the general !o!ulation% These will include screening, treatment of minor ailments, referral to health centers and follow(u! of the !ersons treated earlier etc% During these cam!s, the health team will also conduct health and hygiene awareness sessions for the community members% $t is !ro!osed to organi<e 1& medical cam!s under the !ro"ect benefiting nearly 6 !eo!le% )etting up schools or children

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2ack of educational facilities in a number of Thar Desert villages still is a big challenge% Dnder the !ro"ect, 8#54$. aims to set u! two schools in remote areas of the !ro"ect villages% The schools will be set u! at community !laces and the !ro"ect will !rovide the su!!ort in the form of teachers? salaries and teaching materials% $t is ho!ed that the construction !art of schools will take !lace later with the su!!ort of other donors% 5lso, the recurring e1!enses of schools will be born by local community after the !ro"ect is com!leted% These two schools will aim on enrolling 1 children in its first year% The number of children will increase gradually in the schools every year% Project e$aluation The !ro"ect team in collaboration with the .,8s formed under the !ro"ect will study the im!act of the !ro"ect through a sim!le evaluation% The findings of the base(line survey will be com!ared with the outcomes% The re!ort of the evaluation will be shared with ma"or stakeholders including //$% 2. 34pected outco(es 0ormation of at least 1& strong .,8s which will lead the !ro"ect initiatives further after the !ro"ect is com!leted 5t least 6 income(generating units set u! by .,8s 18 taankas !roviding year(long water security to over 1B !eo!le $m!roved status of health of the !o!ulation through !rovision of medical services to 6 !eo!le and through health education among the community% Two schools set u! !roviding education to 1 students being girls children with at least B E

2. 5(ple(entation arrange(ents1 (onitoring and reporting The !ro"ect team will com!rise of 1 !ro"ect coordinator and 1 field worker% $n addition, a !rogram coordinator from 8#54$. office will be given the res!onsibility of im!lementation, monitoring and re!orting of the !ro"ect% 9onitoring of the !ro"ect will be done by means of a /erformance $ndicator Tracking Table )/$TT+ which will ensure the timely com!letion of the activities% 5long with this 8#54$. will !re!are half yearly u!dates and annual re!orts of the !ro"ect% 9onitoring will also be done by the .,8s at their own level, with the 8#54$. team%

16. )ustaina#ilit& and 7eplication The activities of the !ro"ect focus on water, health and education which are the basic needs of the region% Therefore, the community will actively !artici!ate in the !ro"ect% 5ll the interventions of the !ro"ect are locally suitable, sim!le and cost effective% With !ro!er care and maintenance, the structures and initiatives can be sustained as functional over the long run% 9embers of .elf ,el! 8rou!s with enhanced ca!acities should be able to carry on the !ro"ect work in future% 8#54$. has ade-uate e1!erience of working with the community in region and will be able to find good su!!ort% 11. Project #udget .all igures in 5ndian 7upees8 Particulars .alary of a !ro"ect coordinator )6 E+ ; ', .alary of a field worker ; *, Travel ; &, 1 &* months >ase line survey 3a!acity building worksho!s for .,8s ; & F 6, 4ocational trainings for .,8s ; & F 6, @1!osure visit for .,8 3onstruction of taankas 18 F 1B, 1 &* months 1 &* months 0(ount C&, =6, *8, 1 , 1&, 1&, 1 , &C ,

Organi<ation of 5N3, $mmuni<ation and 9edical cam!s ; C&, 1& F 6, .u!!ort to schools ; & F &,B @valuation 8#54$. administration ; &, Total 1 &* months !er month for &* months 1& , B, *8, !!51666

9ear 1 #udget

Particulars .alary of a !ro"ect coordinator )6 E+ ; ', .alary of a field worker ; *, Travel ; &, 1 1& months >ase line survey 3a!acity building worksho!s for .,8s ; & F 6, 4ocational trainings for .,8s ; & F 6, @1!osure visit for .,8 3onstruction of taankas = F 1B, 1 1& months 1 1& months

0(ount '6, *8, &*, 1 , 1&, 1&, 1 , 1'B,

Organi<ation of 5N3, $mmuni<ation and 9edical cam!s ; 6 '6, F 6, .u!!ort to schools ; & F &,B 8#54$. administration ; &, Total !er month for 1& months 1 1& months 6 , &*, 46!1666