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Organisation
Apart from fully utilizing the existing health infrastructure of Zilla Parishad (District democratic institution of government of Maharashtra) intersectoral co–operation and networking of non–governmental agencies and private agencies involved in health and developmental activities have been Raison De’tre of the project.
Each village has at lest one Mahila Mandal. There are in all 74 Mahila Mandals already established in the area out of whom 62 are already registered with the Charity Commissioner and have received Rs.1,000/– as grant for initiating community activities.
A limited research staff consisting of a Social Scientist as the Project leader assisted by two Medical Social Workers located at headquarters Pune, Community Welfare Workers (CWWs), in all 16 in number, and 2 Field Supervisors (FSs), are the grass root level workers working for the project. The CWWs and FSs are locally recruited staff with limited education (up to 10–12 years of schooling) who receive stipend (honorarium) of Rs.500/– and Rs. 700/– respectively. They received extensive training initially and have been getting orientation training on various activities taken up from time to time. The CWWs and FSs are the back bone of the project and they are the interface between the community and the health care organization. They are as facilitators.
Developmental activities Promoting
- Primary and adult education
- Non–formal education activities
- Free legal aid centers
- Organization of group effort like “Shramadan” (voluntary labor) towards construction of public wells, approach road, cleaning of wells/ponds etc.
- Raising kitchen gardens by individual families.
- Raising medicinal plants
- Putting up smokeless “Chullahs” (domestic stoves)
- Avoiding early marriage.
