Social Development

Social Development

Sundrakh village is a typical Vrindavan village. There is no primary health care facilities or qualified doctors in the village. Based on a survey of 272 families conducted by FFLV, we found that the average family size is eight to ten members. Seventy percent of families earn less than fifty US dollars per month. About fifty percent of the population are farmers and depend on the insufficient rainfall, and seventy percent of families depend on the water tank built by FFLV. About sixty-five percent of females are illiterate or had minimal schooling, and ninety percent of the women were married between the ages of thirteen and fifteen. There is no basic health service available in the village. With a view to assist the villagers improving their social situation, FFLV has initiated several ongoing programs around Braj to provide vocational training in sewing, knitting, handicrafts, beadwork, block printing and to assist women in trade and small business. As well as providing basic education in reading and writing, these programs also educate the women in basic hygiene, primary health care, nutrition, first aid, family welfare, prenatal care, etc.

In our experience, we have found that the primary cause of social, financial and medical problems is a lack of information. To rectify this, FFLV assist the villagers in organizing Self-help and Micro-credit groups. This year, eleven self-help groups were formed, bringing the total to twenty-seven groups formed in nine villages. Through active community participation and management, the villagers receive the skills to solve their own problems. In Narayanpur village, thirty-six local people successfully completed a leadership training program. From these candidates four Head Supervisors were selected, each having a number of Family Level Workers and Health Guides to assist them in monitoring and addressing health and social issues in the village. In November 2003, four Early Childhood Development centers were opened. In total, 235 families of Narayanpur benefit from the program.

Self-help groups / Microcredits

Women and girls are the most affected by hunger and poverty. Traditionally, women bear the primary responsibilities in the most relevant areas – food production, nutrition, family planning, primary health and education. Ironically, most development inputs continue to go to men. Traditionally, boys are seen as assets to the household whereas girls are seen as liabilities.

Food for Life Vrindavan gives the poor the tools they need to lift themselves out of poverty, providing opportunity through microfinance. With tiny loans and financial services, we help the poor, mostly women, start businesses and escape poverty.

Quality of Life

During 2006, FFLV Social Development organized six “Quality of Life” seminars. Families from six villages attended the seminars, which were conducted by Dr. Indu Sharma, Education Officer, from the Ministry of Worker’s Education, Central Government. The participants received a financial incentive of Rs.75 per day.

Adult education

FFLV has worked hard in the field of adult education in Vrindavan villages. During 2006, more than 200 women have learned to read and write. Seminars were conducted on health care, cleanliness and hygiene, child care, nutrition, and HIV awareness and prevention. FFLV is also running sixty-seven self-help groups. Ten of these groups have received bank loans for a total of Rs. 250,000.

Food for Life Vrindavan Society has adopted more than 10 villages,
developing them as models.

FFLV is running special projects for the social empowerment of rural people:

• an orphanage
• adult education centers
• health care
• sanitation & hygiene
• vocational training
• personal counseling on legal & social issues
• micro crediting and self help groups (in cooperation with National Bank for Rural & Agriculture Development NABARD and District Rural Development
  
• Authority,D.R.D.A.).

FFLV has plans to work on small-scale income generating activities by training the rural people in various skills that are identified by the communities in view of their local resources and marketability of products like carpet weaving, tailoring, readymade garments, etc., composting, sustainable organic farming, and water harvesting.

Projections for the Future
We are building an orphanage because there are so many homeless children with no one to care for them who should have access to this school as well!. Currently our orphanage has a capacity for 25 children.