Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) - Community based institutions

Women's Federations

Women's federations play a critical role in women's empowerment. Based on the context and needs, these federations have taken up several activities for the benefit of their members. The following major activities have been taken up by various women's federations promoted by AKRSP(I):

Major interventions in Women's Federations

Majority of the federations are ensuring schemes and entitlements for their members. Federations have ensured Rashan Cards, Widow Pensions, Elderly Pensions etc. for eligible members of the federations.
All federations liaison with block and district level government offices for ensuring basic services like drinking water, sanitation and supply of rations.
Federations in South Gujarat are working on land titles for women.
One federation in Coastal Gujarat is working on domestic violence and other domestic disputes for ensuring legal justice for their members.
Federations help their members in getting economic benefits like saving accounts, bank credit, agriculture activities and micro enterprises. Several types of micro-enterprises have led to economic security for women.
Several federations helped their members get flagship insurance schemes promoted by the government.

Self Help Groups (SHGs)

Women Self Help Groups are engaged in ensuring financial services for their women members. A large proportion of SHGs have also taken up micro-enterprises as livelihood activity either as a group activity or supporting individual members. SHGs have also played an important role in motivating their members in taking up sanitation activities at household level. By the end of year 2016, the total number of SHGs promoted by AKRSP(I) reached over 4500 with morethan 55000 members.

Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Village Organisations (VOs)

Village development committees and Village Organizations are designed to work on the holistic development of villages particularly in tribal dominant regions where villages face challenges on several fronts. VDCs have membership of both men and women members with equal representations while VOs have only women as members. These platforms often work very closely with Panchayat and government grassroot service providers at the village level to resolve critical problems in the village.

Canal Irrigation Management Societies (CIS)

Participation of farmers in the management of canals is critical to effective and efficient use of water from medium and larger irrigation schemes. Canal irrigation management societies play important roles in equitable distribution of irrigation water, repairs and maintenance of canals, crop planning and collection of water charges.

Watershed Development Committees (WDCs)

Watershed Development Committees coordinates the watershed works at village level in addition to ensuring norms around the management of natural resources within villages. These committees have faced severe shortage of resources during recent years due to change in government policies on watershed management works.

Goat Rearing Groups (GRGs)

Goat rearing groups are platform for goat rearing households, particularly women, to learn best practices of goat rearing, collectivize the efforts on getting inputs like preventive veterinary services, and feeds etc. and better prices for goats. It is planned to evolve these groups in producer's organizations for providing stability to the initiative. Two producers companies have been formed in Madhya Pradesh: these companies will focus on goat rearing and poultry related services for their members.

Farmer Producers Organisations (FPOs)

Farmer Producers Organizations are slowly beginning to provide important services to their members. The focus of AKRSP(I)'s work is on building governance and business capacities of these farmers organisations. Marketing of commodities like groundnut, pigeon-pea and cotton, supply of poultry feed, supply of poultry chicks, supply of quality agri-inputs and supply of organic manures and pesticide received good response from members of these producers companies.

Drinking Water and Sanitation Management Committees (WATSAN Committees)

Management and maintenance of drinking water and sanitation infrastructure post construction is very critical for continuous access of these services. Drinking water and sanitation committees are playing an important role in facilitating social norms around sustainable use such infrastructure. These committees also help to liaison with Panchyat and other departments wherever required. Monitoring the use of toilets built under Swachh Bharat Mission is a continuous activity for these WATSAN committees.

School Management Committees (SMCs)

School Management Committees are Right to Education Act (RTE) mandated committees for community participation in ensuring compulsory and quality education of children. AKRSP(I) is working on strengthening these committees so that they can play an active role in the education of children at thevillage level. SMCs are encouraged to participate actively in various school development activities like planning, budgeting, enrolment of children, retention of children, infrastructure maintenance and grievance redressal.

Community Based Institutions