asraya - a community-based initiative to remove destitution asraya – a community based initiative...
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ASRAYA - A COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVE TO REMOVE
DESTITUTIONASRAYA –
A COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVE
TO REMOVE DESTITUTION
Kudumbashree, Kerala
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Background• Strong local governments in Kerala consequent to the Constitutional
amendments
• Evolution of Community Based Organizations of women within Local Governments
• Community space in Anti Poverty Sub Plans of local governments
• Kudumbashree - State Poverty Eradication Mission of the Government of Kerala
• Community based organisations working in partnership with Local Governments
• Excellent outreach and feedback systems
• Community role in beneficiary identification
• Demand creation for public services and enhanced access
• Community based monitoring
Community Organization
• 3 tier federated structure• Neighbourhood groups (NHG) of women from poor
families• Ward-level Area Development Societies (ADS)• Community Development Society (CDS) at the local
government level
• Registered Society with leadership elected democratically from the lower tiers
• 37 lakh families, 2 lakh NHGs, 1061 CDS as of today
Destitute families
• 2% of the population estimated to be destitute in Kerala
• Bypassed by the development effort• Margins of the economy, society and polity
• Not a constituency or vote bank
• Usual formula of subsidy support inadequate to
redress gravity of deprivation• No safety net against risks
• Lacking in capabilities to access entitlements to basic minimum
services
The challenge
• Enthuse local self governments to allocate resources and time for the destitute
• Enable the community organisation to ensure enduring support and services to the ultra poor
• Chanelise community sponsorship • Develop indices and methodology of
identification and planning to ensure that benefits are not hijacked or misdirected
• Develop and sustain multi disciplinary model of convergence
Asraya – Destitute identification and rehabilitation
• Programme of the Government of Kerala
• Long term Support to destitute families to ameliorate conditions of
destitution, and enable mainstreaming
• Implemented by Local Self Governments
• Facilitated by the Kudumbashree community organizations
• Started in 2002-03
• “Challenge Fund” from Kudumbashree, plan funds of local
governments, various departments, local sponsorships
• Coverage – 904 local governments out of 1057, 70591 families
• Financial outlay Rs.401 crores
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Asraya Plan Preparation
• Demand based approach after sensitizing Village Panchayats.
• Transparent identification on simple socially acceptable criteria.
• Initial short listing by NHGs and house visits for confirmation.
• Needs identification through interaction with families.
• Documentation of current status and needs.
• Preparation of family level plan.
• Integration into Village/town level plan.
Participatory Identification of destitute
• Two level risk assessment• First level – (families falling in at least seven of the following
categories)
• Landless • Houseless • Without access to drinking water• Without access to toilet• Woman - headed • Unemployed• Belonging to SC/ST• Physically/ mentally challenged person (at least one
member)• Illiterate adult member (at least one member)
Participatory Identification of destitute
• Second level – (aggravating risk factors ) – (families falling in any one risk factor)
– Squatter families – Sleeping in public places – Family headed by widow/abandoned woman/unwed
mothers living in distress– Those with terminal or Incurable disease– Beggars– Woman victims of atrocities/trafficking– No bread winner in the family
Asraya Care package
• Food Security – food grains through PDS, supplementary nutrition where needed, cooked food where needed
• Health care – Medicines, palliative care, counselling, support for hospitalisation in convergence with RSBY, transportation
• Old-age care• Support for obtaining welfare pensions• Provision for permanent shelter - land, house, drinking water
and sanitation
• Support for education – learning materials, uniform, transportation support
• Livelihood support – special support for productive employment
Implementation of Asraya
• Secretary of the local government as the chief coordinating officer
• Convergence of services with other departments/agencies
• Additional support sponsored by well-wishers
Specific support entrusted to NHG• Monitoring of incremental improvement by CDS• Supervision by committee headed by President
of local government
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Summary of Plans (Sector-wise allocation)
10%
8%
2%2%
6%
2%
11%44%
4%
5%6%
Food
Health
Pension
Education
Drinking water
Sanitation
Land
Shelter-new
Shelter-upgradationEmployment
Others
Concurrent evaluation and follow up• Assessments conducted at State-level in 2008
– Identified weaknesses in planning and implementation• State-level physical and financial audit of Asraya programme
– Regularization of records and accounts• Sensitization of local government leaders and functionaries
• “Asraya Revisit”– Revisit and reassessment of Asraya families by trained
resource persons– Revised Asraya care package
• Formulation of revised guidelines for Asraya– Detailed guidelines for care package services– Clarity on implementation procedures– Exclusive scheme for tribal communities– Special focus on mentally challenged persons
Experiences
Latha, Ramanattukara Kozhikode
Chronically ill, deserted by husband
Support for treatment of asthma
Support for children’s education
Regular supply of food grains
Made part of a group enterprise producing nutrimix
Re-united with husband
No longer Asraya beneficiary
Vidyadharan,Pallithodu Pathanamthitta
Mental illness, thrown out of home
Provided treatment in a mental hospital
Supported to start a stationery shop
Bought an auto rickshaw
Wife and children return
Experiences
Animangalam, Ernakulam
Bed-ridden breadwinner, no access path to the house, unable to go to hospital
Path built as part of project, regular visit to hospital enabled
Family provided employment under NREGS
Nagalassery, Palakkad
Seven families of beggars
Rehabilitated with new houses
Road access to new settlement
Employment through NREGS
Regular supply of food grains
Medical camps & support for treatment
New beginnings
Shahina,Karavaram taking medical help
Narayani,Uduma in front of the field she cultivated
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Achievements So Far
General acceptance of the identification process.
Willingness to provide higher order of assistance to identified families
Visible empowerment process – slow but steady
Progressive access to entitlements
• Food Security
• Health Security
• Social Security
• Minimum needs
• Economic development
Transformation in the attitudes and approaches of officials and elected representatives.
Political consensus
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Key Elements Of Success• Conscious decision to reach the unreached
• Transparent criteria for inclusion
• Involvement of Community Based Organisation of the poor
themselves
• Plans tailored to each family
• Convergence of existing schemes and services and gap filling
• Primacy to care and compassion-more than mere material
assistance
• Continued support till a threshold is reached
• Leadership of local governments and partnership with civil
society
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Possibilities of community based social security under the leadership of Local Governments
First Project in the country targeting the excluded poor as a distinct category