As an integral part of the civil society movement in India Development Alternatives (DA) has, for the last 25 years, significantly contributed towards evolving innovative policies and practices to address the global challenges of poverty and environment. It has complemented the national efforts and programmes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), Right to Information (RTI), and addressed the strengthening of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), rural housing and habitat policies, and community options for water and energy security. It has also made interventions for promoting gender mainstreaming, social inclusion, women’s literacy, sustainable livelihoods, participation of the marginalised in good governance and pro-poor growth.

The Bundelkhand region, the backyard of the two states of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is a poorly developed area with high incidences of drought, leading to poor socio-economic growth and, consequently, significant migration from the region.

Since the last 20 years, DA has been strongly committed to Bundelkhand for ensuring basic needs fulfillment, community institution building, livelihood generation, enterprise development and natural resource management.

It has been realised that a significant way to work towards poverty alleviation is to bring awareness amongst the poor of their rights and the various poverty reduction schemes and entitlements evolved by the government.

The low levels of awareness and poor socio-economic situation envelopes these vulnerable communities in the fold of eternal poverty. To thwart this, DA is working towards changing the social mindsets so as to create a rights-based society that demands responsive, participatory and transparent decision making for good governance.

The Development Services Branch of DA stands for empowering the poor and the marginalised - especially women - through increased access to entitlements which converge with the national mandate of bringing the vulnerable to the mainstream development process.

The large number of women’s Self Help Groups (SHGs) already formed in the region constitute a latent force that can effectively take up the cause of women’s rights. It is important that the capacities of these SHGs are built to work towards the creation of a women’s collective that can be channelised for the socio-economic development of the women in this region.

DA aims to intensify efforts in 60 villages in the year 2009-10 as its commitment to Bundelkhand. Model villages will be developed with basic needs fulfillment, access to energy and habitat services and entitlements.

As the Program Manager of Bundelkhand, I stand proud of my team that has chosen to work in the most challenging conditions and committed their untiring efforts to change the lives of the people lowest on the social rung and helping them to help themselves and lead a life of dignity.  q

Ruchi Kukreti
rkukreti@devalt.org

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