UNIQUE SELLING POINTS(USP)
UNIQUE SELLING POINTS (USP)
1. Gender Resource Centre:
Women’s work, leadership and contributions positively impact social, economic and environmental progress. But we live in an unjust world where gender inequality remains pervasive and human rights, especially women’s human rights are violated with impunity and effectively hold back women around the world. Despite a growing focus on gender at all levels stark gender disparities remain, including unequal access to land, resources, opportunities and decision-making power. While working in the community READ has been realised the gender discrimination and violence against women and girl in the operational areas, therefor READ initiated Gender Resource Centre (GRC) at Ramanaguda Block of Rayagada Dist to address the issues of Gender based violence and discrimination. The process of GRC model initiated by the community with the facilitation of READ where women representative from Self Help Group has been selected each member in 90 operational villages of READ who are being recognised as Gender Vigilance Representative of the villages and 15 members of a panchayt come together as Gender Vigilance Committee like wise there are 90 members represents 6 grampanchayt of Ramnaguda block as members of Gender Resource Centre (GRC) who play a pivotal role to address the issues of gender through GRC with Community led approaches. To enhance the capacity of the member READ imparted training on gender concept, gender rights, laws and provision of women judiciary system of handling gender issues and gender inclusion in socio-economic and political platform. Presently the GRC Centre is functioning with the facilitation of Gender Coordinator along with other 90 members of the block.
Objectives: To conduct regular review and planning meeting among GVC member at GRC. To generate awareness among the community, CBOs, PRI and Government duty bearers on gender rights, equality and gender respect. To identify gender based issues at the village level and resolve at the community or GRC level Support victims/survivors and parents with Family Counselling for reintegration and self-respect. To organise interface among all stakeholders and initiate gender based issues collectively.
2. Integrated Livelihood Resource Centre:
Livelihood and food security is one of the important thematic area of READ where it focuses organic agriculture based livelihood and alternative income generation livelihood. In fact READ has been directly supporting the marginal farmers, single women headed family, Self Help Group, Widows SHGs and poorest of the poor famers through capacity building training, workshop and exposure along with chash and kind support to increase agriculture and income of the family.
READ realised that, the training and cash or kind support is not enough alone to increase the quality production and income of the family rather practical demonstration and experiences is equally important to enhance capacities of the farmers, so READ has initiated a integrated livelihood RESOURCE CENTRE at kerandigua in Ramnaguda Block of Rayagada District where various type of organic agriculture demo plot generated along with alternative livelihood option like goat rearing, fisheries, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, nursery and climate adoptive crops are being grown. The prime aim of the development of RESOURCE CENTRE is to establish an exposure spot for the community to learn innovative ideas on agriculture and income generation activities so as to apply in their practical field to enhance livelihood and food security.
3. Farmers Producer Company (FPC):
READ has been working for sustainable livelihood and food security through agriculture based and alternative income generation activities. Presently there 90 farmers’ committees constituting 1350 in 6 gram panchayat of Ramanaguda Block in Rayagada District have been functional effectively with regular review and planning and monitoring of livelihood activities. In course of time, the farmers realized that the ownership over production as well as marketing has inadequate because of the intervention of outside traders and middle man as a consequence the farmers are being exploited by them and not able to access fair benefits out of their production. Hence the farmers decided to establish a Producer Company in their region, by which READ has been facilitating to establish the same therefore the process of 2 FPC has been initiated as of 2020-21.
4. Livelihood Resource Persons:
The Livelihood Resource Persons (LRP) are the key resources for the community towards agriculture and alternative livelihood. READ has promoted a group of resource persons consisting of 30 members who were being trained in different capacities such as organic agriculture, line paddy plantation, preparation and use of organic liquid manner, goat rearing, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping etc. presently this group is active at villages who imparted knowledge and skill to household and farmers to undertake different livelihood activities.
5. House Mother (Widows) dignity Initiative:
People have experience with promoting and strengthening women’s self-help groups in their locality in the development sector, but there are certain groups of people or individuals who have been excluded from mainstream development society due to the stigma attached to the community and individuals. The Housemothers (WIDOWS) among them is one who thrice jeopardizes in terms of women, widows, and so-called lower caste group. To bring them into mainstream society READ has developed and strengthened the widows’ self-help groups and enhanced the capacity of the members towards income generation activities. Presently there are 111 nos. of widows self-help groups from Gajapati and Ganjam districts, that have actively functional and the mothers are engaged in different income activities and are earning at least Rs.12000 to Rs.15000 per annum out of their production, also able to live a life with dignity in the community.
Cross Cutting initiative
Mother and Child Health Care: About 95% of the operational area of READ is based in rural remote and inaccessible. The tribal community mostly depends on traditional health healer (Dhissari) and traditional birth attendants (Dhai) for treatments. The poverty, lack of knowledge and information, low heath infrastructures, low coverage of immunization among mother and child and inadequate intake of nutrition, all contributes to increasing in infant and maternal mortality rate in the area. To address the issues the team READ closely working with ASHA and Anganwadi who are also being part of SHGs and GVCs. In fact, the team has no direct intervention but they reach out with a lot of health information, and schemes and made aware the community to access the benefits. The team also counsels pregnant and lactating mothers for regular attendance and participation in VHND to access immunization and other nutritional benefits. Apart from these the community are made aware to depend on medical and health institution like CHC, PHCs and district medical in order to free from blind believe practices and bring back the healthy environment of the mother and children in the community.
Child Rights and Protection: We have committed for promotion and protection of rights of the child where children enjoy freedom from all forms of exploitation, abuse and in human treatment, encouraging the child happiness, security, mental health and emotional development through safeguarding principle that denotes ‘do no harm’. The organization mandates all its employees and visitors to follow the principle of Child Rights and Protection guild line which has been brought into in a policy framework while working with the organization and part taker of organizational initiatives. We have adopted certain strategies for the promotion and protection of rights of the child such as (i) awareness generation at community, among teachers, parents, SMCs, Mothers committee and members of Panachayati Raj Institution, moreover among employee of the organization. Our prime focus is to no child should remain without school. Hence READ has undertaken the child rights and protection is one of the cross cutting intervention in its operational area.
