Ibtada

Ibtada is an endeavour to mainstream the deprived women of Mewat region of Rajasthan by organizing, educating and empowering them. It visualises a society where poor and deprived social groups are economically, socially and politically empowered to take part in development processes and have equal rights and access to resources that abridges poverty, deprivation and discrimination.

Major Interventions:

Communication based Women Institutions: These institutions empower women - to change power relations in their family and in the society, to foster decision-making power among women, to enhance their degree of control over resources and provide them space for visibility and collective action. Ibtada’s three tier Institutional architecture (SHGs, Clusters and Federations or Manch) forms the base for implementing different programmes of Financial Inclusion, Livelihoods, Girls Empowerment and Rights & Entitlements.

Members of the SHGs are provided regular training for strengthening their management skills in running the institutions. In addition to information about better agriculture and animal husbandry practices, women members are also chosen and trained for different roles such as Community Resource Persons, Sakhis (Adhikaar, Krishi, Pashu, etc.) that helps them earn supplementary income. A Special Saving provision is made to cover expenditure during festivals and special occasions without affecting the groups’ saving. A fund by the name of Rahat Kosh has also been mobilized to provide financial support to the family if an SHG member or her spouse meets unforeseen death

Entrepreneurship Program: Ibtada works continuously with them to help them start and grow their business. Local exposure visits to nearby markets and shopping districts are organized along with regular workshops around business accounts and finance. Financial assistance is also provided with the help of the Self-Help Groups and Federations in their villages. Women are trained to adopt package of practices which helps increase production, reduce diseases and pest occurrence and minimise cost of production. An energy saving conservation project under UNDP small grants program is also initiated through mode of bio gas plant so as to reduce fuel wood consumption.

Education: The NGO has initiated a unique project of directly placing its trained motivators in government schools to make the teaching-learning process more responsive and effective. This would help improve school environment, teaching learning processes and community participation in Government schools, monitor grant utilization. It also promotes Taleem shalas which reaches out to girl child for providing them formal education. Initiatives like life skill building, resource centres, computer training and career counselling build confidence, provide exposure, awareness, and hone leadership skills of young girls to negotiate better with the challenges of life.

Additionally, Village level Adhikaar Samitis are formed in each village as a forum to raise community issues and put forth demands. Women are encouraged to lead in mobilising members, provide knowledge, and take collective action from the community to fight social issues and demand accountability from government.