Community Empowerment > Empowering communities in ~120 villages to ensure food security and livelihood opportunities through a movement initiated and sustained by the people
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Empowering communities in ~120 villages to ensure food security and livelihood opportunities through a movement initiated and sustained by the people
State: Uttar Pradesh NGO: Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan Summary: Sangtin Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (SKMS) is a people's movement based in Mishrikh and Pisawa blocks of Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It emerged in 2005 from Sangtin, a group set up by rural women, to enable them to be bigger stakeholders in the processes of development at all levels. Poor women and men, predominantly Dalit, came together to campaign for access to irrigation waters, employment under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), minimum wages, and fair and lawful implementation of development policies meant to benefit rural peasants and laborers. With an approach of true representation of the rural poor and the issues that affect them, SKMS has built its strength to around 5000 members in more than 90 villages. |
Details:
Addressed social/socio-economic issues such as
Campaigned collectively to:
Addressed social/socio-economic issues such as
- Caste, class, gender based discrimination
- Violence against women, female infanticide, dowry related problems
- Malnutrition, poor access to healthcare
- Identify and train volunteers to organize village, block, regional level meetings to build awareness, mobilize community, and strengthen collective
- Organize protests, rallies to demand government accountability and action
- Provide an open stage where prevalent social issues can be discussed and solved
Campaigned collectively to:
- Gain access to irrigation waters
- Generate employment through NREGA (many times to directly address issues affecting the community, such as building dams to protect against flooding, desilting irrigation canals, etc)
- Get full and fair wages and pension