Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

The Scheduled Castes (Dalit) constitute more than 70% of the total population of Orissa as per census 2011. Pana, Dom, Ganda, Ghasi, Hadi, Kandara, Bauri, Gokha, Dhoba are treated most socially and economical backward schedule castes in Odisha. These sub caste are socially untouchable, socially, economically, culturally and politically backward and marginalized as compare to other groups in Odisha.

The problems among the poor dalit communities are
-Caste disparities and Dalits treated Untouchable at community level
-Lack of voice at community level mainly in gram sabha and palli sabha
-Gender discrimination and sexual harassment at working places
-Poor productive asset holding among dalit communities
-Dalis having poor knowledge & information on livelihood options
-poor land occupancy and working as a agricultural workers and lits Considered -Borrowing from informal sources in most cases
-High migration to metros and cities and influenced by HIV/AIDS
-Pay exploitative rates of interest
-Poor dalit women participation in local self governance
-Low enrollments and continued high drop-out rates among dalit communities
-Low levels of educational achievement among dalit children

What is your project and how will it help?

Objective: Empowering Poor Dalit Communities through Sustainable Livelihood Enhancement in Remote Rural Villages of Ganjam, Odisha

Purpose: Improve skills of unemployed youth, adolescent girls and women through vocational and skill training

Results:
1. Skill and vocational training for adolescent girls who’ve dropped out of school, unemployed youth and poor women

2. Building Relationships with Industries, Financial Institutions and Marketing agencies for placement, financial and non financial services support.

Activities undertaken:

1. Development of training curriculum and pedagogy
2. Conducting community assessment to select beneficiaries for the trainees
3. Selection and Initial contact with Training partners
4. Conducting vocational training on tailoring to 10 adolescent girls
5. Conducting vocational training on mobile repairing to 10 poor youth
6. Conducting vocational training on welding to 10 interested youth
7. Conducting skill training on four wheeler driving to the 10 poor youth
8. Conducting vocational training on electrical to the 10 poor youth
9. Conducing skill training on Poultry Farm to 15 SHGs members
10. Conducting workshop on Dalit Rights to access livelihood entitlements
11. Building linkage with financial institutions, vendors, marketing agencies
12. Placing trainees in various organizations for self employment
13. Establishment of micro enterprises for income generating activities
14. Registration of Poultry women Self Help Cooperative for marketing, financial and non financial services
15. Conducting Impact Assessment by using external consultant

Expected Outcomes:
-10 adolescent girls on tailoring, 10 poor youth members on mobile repairing, 10 poor youth on welding, 10 poor youth on driving, 10 poor youth on Electrical and poultry farm will be trained and placed.
-At least 80% persons will be placed in various industries and companies.
-At least 30 Micro enterprises will be established for income generation.

How can other people partner with you on your project?

People can partner in our project by proving funding and joining in DJMV (Divya Jyoti Mahila Vikash) as volunteers.

Please detail the resources that you need.

The total financial requirement is Rs. 621,000 (~USD11,150) – towards entire project cost for one year. Maximum resources will be applied toward empowering dalit communities.