Srijan Foundation (SF)
SF is is a Jharkhand based non-profit NGO formed by a group of socially committed young professionals in 1995 and formally registered in 7th February 2001 under the Indian Trust Act 1882. Since inception, SF has been working directly with the community, particularly with women and children, struggling with poverty, social exclusion and gender injustice. Keeping them in the focus SF is working for the all-round development by ensuring their rights within the human rights approach.
SF carries out its activities around its thematic areas-
1. Women Empowerment & Gender Justice
2. Child Rights and Protection
3. Health
4. Sustainable Agriculture & Livelihood Promotion
5. Capacity Building, Networking & Advocacy
VISION
To create an egalitarian, empowered and self-reliant society.
MISSION
To build the capacity of the community in general and the grass root organizations, in particular, to take up the responsibility to further enhancing the capacities of the most marginalized and vulnerable sections for their empowerment and self-reliance.
OBJECTIVES
- Promoting and protecting rights and entitlements of children with demonstrated intervention models of child protection and care.
- Facilitating gender justice, promoting and protecting rights and entitlements of women with dignity and participation of women in all spheres of life for an empowered, gender sensitive and violence-free just society.
- Creating models of sustainable agriculture and livelihood options to improve quality of lives of the poor marginalized and excluded.
- Promoting collective action among CBOs and Civil Society Organizations by building capacities and technical expertise to effectively address the issues affecting the lives of women and children, both at grassroots and policy level
- Developing capacities of SF for efficient and effective functioning to become a centre of excellence on gender, child rights and protection and livelihood in a systemic, transparent and accountable work culture.
GOAL
To facilitate the process of creation of an inclusive and equitable development of the most marginalised, vulnerable and socially excluded communities (particularly women and children) in the state of Jharkhand by building capacities of CBOs and Civil Societies, the creation of development models and articulation of demands and realisation of the rights of the target communities.
SF Key Strategies and Approaches:
1. Inclusive Approach: We work in villages with diversity in its geography (hard to reach areas), population, socioeconomic, cultural and religious characteristics. Through intensive community mobilization process, we include marginalized and excluded section of the community like PVTGs, SC/ST, LWE affected area, coal mining areas, etc.
2. Community Engagement: We believe in keeping the community at the core. Hence all our activities are focused on mobilizing the Community to ensure active participation and sustainable change. Area-specific strategy for community mobilization for particular specific sections of the community, caste, tribe, gender, geographical area, vulnerability factor, challenges etc. are developed to ensure mobilization. Participation and sensitization of larger communities using the platform of Gram sabha, cultural platform etc. One to one approach to interacting and communicate with relevant stakeholders to seek their support and active engagement in the project. Group-based approaches such as orientation, sensitization and awareness generation, meetings/discussions with the key stakeholders like SHGs, CBOs, etc. establish rapport and create better space for community intervention. Community mobilization techniques used are participatory need assessment, community meetings, interaction with community-based groups, FGD, video shows, nukkad natak, IEC distribution, identification and capacity building of peer leaders.
3. Rights-based Approach: Our programs and activities follow Human Rights-based approach where we work inclusively for vulnerable communities such as migrants, Children in need of care and protection, Female sex workers, etc.
4. Peer-Led Approach: We also believe in Peer-Led Approach and hence develop a cadre of well informed and capacitated Community Peer Leaders who function as change agents in their communities ensuring the sustainability of the change.
5. Capacity Building Approach: All our programs include numerous capacity-building approaches such as training, workshops, exposure visits, meetings etc. for the broad range of stakeholders at various levels.
6. Engagement of Multi Stakeholders: Our programs and activities engage multiple stakeholders at various levels from the village – Block – District-State level such as Frontline Workers, CBOs, Local self Government, Line departments, NGOs, Media etc. for networking, linkage building, avoiding resource overlapping and promoting replications of models developed.
Additionally, SF believes in a community-based approach through which it prepares a need-based project by ensuring community share and involvement. The responsibilities of community groups and organization are laid down prior to the implementation of the project activities. Beneficiary groups are formed to ensure regular review, monitoring, and analysis of the project initiatives. After the finalization of the project, it believes in handing over the ownership of the activities implemented. This helps in community-based monitoring and management of the activities done. Regular review and analysis are made at organizational and community level.