In collaboration with UGAM Private Ltd., AROEHAN held a public dialogue on employment guarantee and agriculture schemes at Gomghar Gram Panchayat of Mokhada Taluka in Palghar district. AROEHAN Governance activist Bhalchandra Salve introduced the programme and elaborated on the purpose of the public dialogue as a method for people to convey their queries and problems regarding employment schemes and their rights and entitlements for livelihood. A public dialogue goes beyond the standard awareness programmes and allows people to address their queries and struggles in the presence of key stakeholders of public institutions.

Over 118 labourers from various hamlets of Gomghar panchayat were present at the event. Labourers posed serious problems like not receiving wages for over one and a half year despite the remuneration payment being 15 days only. They spoke about pay difference for the same jobs, receiving Rs. 267 instead of Rs. 297 per day, labourers not receiving wages for over 5 musters, wages and scheme related remuneration being delayed for years.

While the MGNREGA Employment schemes guarantee 100 days of work within 15 days of applying for jobs, the labourers had to protest for several days to receive jobs and gained only 24 days of work. While the scheme specifies giving unemployment payment, that money never sees the light of the day, and they are only retorted with the promise of labour work indefinitely. Due to the bureaucratic system, the labourers who largely rely on daily wages are forced to migrate. They move to the closest suburban and urban industrial areas where they are deprived of basic facilities like healthcare, hygiene facilities, rations, and facilities for pregnant women and the education of children.

Many public representatives and government workers including Tehsil officer, Agriculture supervisor and assistant, Employment Officer, Deputy Sarpanch and Foresters were present at the event.

The government workers and stakeholders allayed the queries of the people and gave some preventive measures for delayed wages, including checking the Aadhar card linkage with bank accounts. Recently, the government started online attendance, which can be an issue in remote areas due to lack of network connectivity, no electricity and unavailability of resources. They also elaborated on new schemes focusing of implementation of orchard cultivation, farm ponds, flower cultivation, etc. They acknowledged the limitations of technology and government system due to which wages often get delayed. While difference in payment amount is a concern, they clarified the wages may differ due to the nature of work; for example, wages for excavation of soft soil, rocky soil, and muddy soil can be different. With regard to the delay in wages, they spoke about the funds being diverted towards already delayed payments for other wage workers, causing further delay for them. However, towards the end of the public dialogue, the list of labourers with delayed wages was collated, and the officers assured to resolve the issue would be resolved as a priority.

Science exhibition provides age-appropriate possibilities for inquiry-based learning while also encouraging kids to think critically and inquisitively. Through realistic simulations, it helps mentors and educators to communicate scientific theories and facts. Students can demonstrate their understanding of complex theories and know its practical applications. Among other benefits is also skills likes project management since selecting and committing to a scientific project requires long-term planning, collaboration, and preparation.

With key focus on STEM Education in tribal areas, AROEHAN conducted school level science project exhibition at Dabosa and Eklavya Ashram Schools. Students in Dabosa demonstrated models for the following topics:

1. Satellite Communications
2. Air Exert Pressure
3. Drone
4. Air Conditioning (AC)
5. Wind Energy
6. Solar Energy
7. Oxygen is Necessary for Combustion
8. Hospital Innovations
9. Save the Planet
10. Earth Revolution and Rotation
11. Waste Water Treatment
12. Light Effects
13. Organic Farming

Whereas Students in Eklavya Ashram Schools demonstrated following topics:

1. Drip Irrigation System
2. Same Energy Used in Different Areas
3. Green house Effect
4. Neuron System
5. Plant Cell and Animal Cell Models
6. Types of Motion
7. Satellite System
8. Rain Drop Sensor
9. Drone Making
10. Volcano Model
11. Acid Rain Model
12. Newton’s Law Demonstration
13. Organic Farming
14. Light effects
15. Solar system
16. Dam model

External Moderators were invited to evaluate the projects based on creativity, scientific concept, presentation, and overall impact. The event was attended by the school trustees, principals of higher secondary and primary, teachers, who showed their support and encouragement to the students. Teachers and Higher Management lauded efforts of AROEHAN to incite creativity among students to present complex understanding of physics, chemistry, biology, and technology. Based on the moderation, prizes were distributed among students with aim of motivating and inspiring young innovators.

In association with the Taluka Department of Agriculture, AROEHAN conducted a Wild Vegetable Festival and Culinary Exhibition and Competition in Mokhada. 30 women from 9 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) participated in this event. The Chief Guests at the event were the Chairperson of the Panchayat Committee Mokhada Mr. Yuvrah Girandhale Saheb, Deputy Chairperson Mr. Pradeep Wagh, and members of the Agriculture Department. Along with AROEHAN’s activists, the students and locals from different villages also attended the event.

The SHGs fetched wild vegetables from the forest and cooked traditional recipes while displaying various vegetables on their stall. The winning group displayed over 48 recipes and 24 wild vegetables. The Mokhada Taluka Deputy Chairman, Mr Pradeep Wagh, offered insightful advice to the women’s self-help groups and encouraged them to keep selling them while the government is also working on providing a market for these vegetables. Not only are these vegetables a healthy part of the diet but they also serve medicinal purposes. Mr. Girandhale stressed the need for these vegetables in both rural and urban areas. While there is a community nutrition deficiency in rural areas, people in urban areas are also vulnerable due to the mass consumption of unhealthy foods. Both regions need to include wild vegetables in their regular diet and should take advantage of the availability of these vegetables within the country. Agriculture Officer Mr. Salunkhe guided SHGs about the production and marketing of wild vegetable-based foods and products.

At the end of the event, all participating groups were honoured and the winning groups were given cash prizes. Suhasini Bachat Gat and Panchsheela SHG from Shirasgaon won first and second prizes respectively and Gurukripa Mahila Bachat Gat from Ghatkarpada won the third prize. The other groups participating were Sauli Women’s SHG, Samarth Women SHG, Renuka Women’s SHG, Anusaya Women’s SHG from Gharkarpada, Mogra Women’s SHG from Sakharwadi, and Jaswandi Women’s SHG from Sonarwadi.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), established as an autonomous body in 1929, celebrated its Foundation Day on July 16th, 2024. While agriculture is entering the technology revolution in India, there are various communities especially tribal farmers deprived of various needs for improved and allied livelihood practices. AROEHAN collaborates with farmers and different institutions to integrate farmers’ needs like spheres of crop production, orchard plantation, livestock management, and goat rearing, among other practices. On ICAR’s 96th Foundation Day, AROEHAN conducted a study tour for farmers of Jawhar to Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Kosbad Hill, Dahanu.

Senior Scientist Dr. Vilas Jadhav briefed farmers about Krish Vigyan Kendra (KVK) which is an integral part of the National Agriculture Research System (NARS) that aims at the assessment of location-specific technology modules in agriculture and allied enterprises, through technology assessment, refinement, and demonstrations. Subject Matter Agronomy Specialist Mr. Bharat Kushare talked about utilising modern technology for lower cost of rice production and gave information on nursery cultivation, tray rice, mattress steam, and modern machinery.

Mr. PV Wartha, Farm Manager at KVK, elaborated on techniques like the token method of paddy cultivation, Saguna Rice Technique, Derm Method, Benefits of mulching paper planting – which can help retain moisture in the soil, which reduces the need for irrigation. Mr Ashok Bhoir, PA of Soil Science, gave instructions about orchard plantation, and the farmers were also briefed about bee-keeping for honey production and poultry farming by Mr. Uttam Sahane- an entomology specialist.

KVKs have been functioning as a Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technology supporting initiatives of the public, private, and voluntary sectors for improving the agricultural economy of the district and linking the NARS with the extension system and farmers. 35 Farmers from Nyhale and Borale Gram Panchayats of Jawhar benefitted from AROEHAN’s expedition to Kosbad’s KVK.

When we think of summer in childhood, we remember playing games, meeting friends, drinking refreshments, eating sour foods, listening to stories by elders, road trips and so on. Children in tribal areas do not always have luxury of vacation trips or summer camps during vacation. AROEHAN decided to bring summer fun to them through an initiative called Bal Anand Melava. 21 such camps were held from 15th April to 29th April, 2024 at Zilla Parishad Schools in Mokhada.

In Bal Melava, children were taught to make simple drinks on their own like lemon juice and Rasana. They made them and excitedly shared it with their friends. To ignite their creativity the participants were taught the art of origami and were guided through the process of creating intricate paper hats, boats, and planes. Old newspapers were used for these crafts and children were instructed to ensure zero waste to imbibe environmentally responsible behaviour. They were encouraged to perform local folklore and sing songs in front of their peers as a way to foster confidence. In an attempt to demonstrate the importance of sports in school, we organised a variety of enjoyable, classic activities to encourage physical activity and well-being.

While the study break is important, recreational activities during this period are just as valuable and crucial in poverty-stricken areas to prevent children from being pushed into child labour and domestic work, as they lose touch with their learning capacities. 96 students, between 1st to 7th Grade, were a part of this initiative. The Bal Melava were held in 21 Zilla Parishads in Swaminagar, Bhowadi, Adoshi, Saprewadi, Sadakwadi, Dudhgaon, Dhamanshet, Vasind, Behtwadi, Pendakwadi, Bramhangaon, Bedukpada, Thakurwadi, Amle, Ikharichapada, Bhawaniwadi, Sakharwadi, Dolhara, Shelampada, Kakdoshi and many other places.

AROEHAN is creating public awareness about the silk industry and get government subsidies for farmers. In collaboration with the Silk Development Officer, a study tour was conducted for farmers at Pimpurna village in Dabhosa Gram Panchayat, Mokhada.

In honour of Savitribai Phule on her 127th death anniversary, AROEHAN organised a show of “Vhay, Mee Savitribai”, a one-act play written and directed by renowned theatre personality Sushama Deshpande. “Vhay, Mee Savitri…” presents the story of life and work of the 19th century social reformers Savitribai Phule and Jotirao Phule. Sushama Deshpande wrote this script 25 years ago. She has presented over 2500 shows as a solo-performance at several places in Maharashtra and elsewhere in India. The play is translated in 5-6 other Indian languages. Very recently its English version is also staged.

The show was organised on 10th March 2024 at Mokhada Ashram school.
The play was performed by the brilliant actresses Shilpa Sane and Shubhangi Bhujbal, who are famous popular actors on Marathi television channels. Savitribai Phule and Jotiba Phule are simultaneously played by the actors alongside other significant people in their journey of revolution. The play presents different phases of Savitribai’s life through monologues, actions, and descriptions. While the acting left the audience spellbound, the struggles of Savitri and Jotiba Phule depicted in the play left one speechless. From young Savitri enjoying her childhood to her marriage with Jotiba, the journey towards becoming the student herself and then becoming a pivotal part of women’s education, each act was gracefully carried by actors. Other people such as Sagunabai, Tatya Saheb Fatima Shaikh, Yashwantrao, Dnyanoba Sasane and many others who played a pivotal role in Savitri and Jotirao’s journey were also depicted in the play.
Jotiba Phule and Savitribai were among the first social reformers in pre-independent India who pioneered new paths and opportunities for the socially disadvantaged, including women, Dalit communities, widows and strived to abolish discrimination and unfair treatment of people based on caste and gender.
Ms. Sushma Deshpande accompanied the two young actors to Mokhada for this performance. Nandita Patkar, who performs the English version of the play was also present. After the performance, Sushama Deshpande interacted with the audience. She said that she has tried to make this play as accessible as possible to all and anyone can present this play without her prior permission as Savitribai belongs to all. She told the young girls of the Mokhada Ashram School that one 11 year old school girl from Nandurbar district presents the Pawari version. She asked the Mokhada audience to try and stage the play in the local Adivasi languages.

AROEHAN conducted a ‘Capacity Building of Frontline Health Workers’ workshop for Anganwadi workers across 6 Gram Panchayats across Dahanu. The two-day workshop was facilitated by Mr. Shailesh Dhekale and Mr. Swapnil Vyavahare from SATHI Organisation, Pune. The first day of training was kickstarted by asking participants to introduce themselves by their first name and their mother’s name, to symbolise the bond between mother and child. This was followed by a slew of innovative activities to learn about human anatomy and roles of internal organs.

The facilitators talked about the body growth and associated structures of multiple organs that form the entire body system. AROEHAN Team sang and enacted the song ‘Me Aye Jaduwala’, written by Dr.Mohan Des, with Anganwadi workers which is a whimsical way to remember the crucial information about body parts and also to teach others.

On day 2, facilitators covered various types of germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites), the diseases they cause, and the antibodies and medicines available to treat Anganwadi workers. They spoke of the indicators of identifying malnutrition and how as frontline health workers it can be combated.
During the course of two days, the participants were encouraged to talk about the challenges in their line of work. They raised serious concerns like the epidemic of child marriages, reluctance of the community to take medical help, superstitions, underage pregnancies, systematic challenges to avail necessary schemes to ensure safe motherhood, apathy of some public representatives and government officials, among other concerns.
AROEHAN activists along with Anganwadi workers, performed a play to raise awareness about Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRC) and its importance to combat malnutrition among children. The purpose of such training is to ensure optimal growth of pregnant and lactating mothers and holistic development of young children as well as to expand the capacities of frontline health workers. 36 Angwandi workers were present from Agwan, Ashagad, Asave, Chari Kotbi, Raitali Chandwad and Ranshet Vadhana Gram Panchayats in Dahanu.

दिनांक १५ आणि १६ फेब्रुवारी रोजी पंचायत समिती डहाणू आणि आरोहन संस्था यांच्या समन्वयाने “आमचा गाव आमचा विकास” या विषयावर ग्राम पंचायत सरपंच, उपसरपंच, सदस्य, पेसा ग्रामकोष समिती, ग्रामसेवक आणि ग्राम विकास अधिकारी यांची दोन दिवसीय कार्यशाळा के.एल.पोंदा हायस्कूल, डहाणू येथे आयोजित करण्यात आली.सदर प्रशिक्षणासाठी रिसोर्स ट्रेनिंग अँड डेव्हलपमेंट सेंटर येथून दत्ता गुरव यांना आमंत्रित करण्यात आले होते. ह्या प्रशिक्षणासाठी डहाणू तालुक्यातील एकूण ४३ ग्रामपंचायतीमधील सरपंच, उपसरपंच, सदस्य तसेच पेसा ग्रामकोष समिती सदस्य आणि ग्राम विकास अधिकारी असे एकूण १२८ लोकांची उपस्थिती होती.
प्रशिक्षणासाठी पंचायत समिती डहाणूच्या गट विकास अधिकारी पल्लवी सस्ते, सहाय्यक गट विकास अधिकारी प्रशांत जाधव, सभापती प्रवीण गवळी, उपसभापती पिंटू गहला, ग्रामपंचायत विस्तार अधिकारी संदीप जाधव व संतोष बेलखडे आणि पेसा समन्वयक पंकज धांगडा आदी उपस्थित होते.
प्रशिक्षणाच्या पहिल्या दिवशी दत्ता गुरव सरांनी ग्रामपंचायत पातळीवरील व्यवस्था, कार्य, निधी, यंत्रणा याबाबत माहिती दिली. त्यानंतर गाव गरजांचा शोध कसा पहावा, गाव विकासासाठी कोणता निधी उपलब्ध होतो, गाव विकास योजना निधी, या विषयावर मार्गदर्शन केले.

दुसऱ्या दिवशीच्या कार्यशाळेची सुरुवात आदल्या दिवसाची उजळणी उपस्थित असलेल्या सहभागी यांनी केली. दुसऱ्या दिवशी, गाव विकासाचे विविध आराखडे समजून घेण्यासाठी सहभागी यांचे गट तयार करून त्यांना ग्राम पंचायत विकास आराखडा, समृध्दी आराखडा, स्वच्छ्ता आराखडा, आरोग्य आराखडा, पेसा गाव आरखडा, महिला व बाल कल्याण व ग्रामनिधी आरखडा तयार करायला सांगितले तसेच आपण त्या त्या आराखड्यात कोणती विकास कामे घेतली, निधी कसा वापरला या बद्दल प्रत्येक गटाने सादरीकरण केले.आरखडे सादर केल्या नंतर ह्यावर इतर योजनांचा समन्वय कसा घडवून आणू शकतो याबाबत सोप्या पद्धतीने दत्ता सरांनी समजावून सांगितले.
प्रशिक्षणाच्या शेवटी उपस्थित राहिलेल्या सहभागी यांनी आपले मनोगत व्यक्त केले. काही सहभागी यांनी आराखडा तयार करण्याची पद्धत खूप सोप्या पद्धतीने समजली आणि त्यांचा आत्मविश्वास वाढला असे म्हणाले, आरखडा तयार करताना येणाऱ्या अडचणी सांगितल्या, काहींनी सीएसआर फंड चे नियोजन व त्यांचे अनुभव सांगितले. घोलवड हे महाराष्ट्रातील तिसरे मधाचे गाव म्हणून घोषित केले गेेले त्याबद्दल घोलवड चे सरपंच यांनी आपले अनुभव सांगितले आणि आपण ही नैसर्गिक संसाधनांचा शाश्वत वापर करून आपल्या गावाचा विकास करू शकतो असे इतरांना आवाहन केले. उपस्थितांनी आजचे मुख्य प्रशिक्षक, आरोहन आणि पंचायत समितीचे आभार व्यक्त केले.

On the 15th and 16th of February, AROEHAN conducted a two-day workshop on the theme of “Our Village Our Development”, facilitated by Mr. Datta Gurav from Resource Training and Development Centre at KL Ponda High School. This programme was attended by 128 individuals, including Sarpanch, Sub-Sarpanch, and members of the PESA Gramme Kosh Committee, as well as Village Development Officers from 43 Gram Panchayats in Dahanu Taluka.

On the first day of training, Mr. Gurav explained the arrangements, work, funding, and systems at the Gram Panchayat level. Following that, guidance was given on how to identify village requirements, what finances are available for village development, and how to support village development plans.

On the second day, participants were divided into groups to learn about the various plans for village development. They were asked to prepare the Gram Panchayat Development Plan, Prosperity Plan, Cleanliness Plan, Health Plan, PESA Village Plan, Women and Child Welfare Plan, and Gram Nidhi Plan, as well as elaborate on the development they would like to see in those plans. Each group delivered a presentation regarding their work and how the funds were used. After presenting the drafts, Mr. Dutta described in simple terms how different schemes could potentially be interlinked.

Participants stated that they were able to visualise their aspirations for their villages which boosted their confidence. They also opened up about problems they have encountered while drafting plans for village development and also about their experience with CSR fund planning.  Active participation was seen among participants and their queries were followed through in the sessions. The Sarpanch of Gholvad discussed his experience with Gholwad being named the third honey village in Maharashtra and urged others to strengthen their community via the sustainable use of natural resources.

Panchayat Samiti Dahanu’s Group Development Officer Pallavi Chet, Assistant Group Development Officer Prashant Jadhav, Chairman Praveen Gawli, Deputy Chairman Pintu Gahla, Gram Panchayat Extension Officers Sandeep Jadhav and Santosh Belkhade and Pesa Coordinator Pankaj Dhangda and many others were present for the training.

हा ब्लॉग मराठीत वाचण्यासाठी खालील लिंकवर क्लिक करा -> आमचा गाव, आमचा विकास – ग्रामपंचायत सदस्यांसाठी प्रशिक्षण