Vikalp Sansthan

Location: Jodphur Setting: Urban Established: 2004 Staff: Office: 17 Field: 50

Subject Areas

Community Development: Community Empowerment; Community Mobilization/Organization
Human Rights: Advocacy; Poverty, Equality and Social Justice
Education and Youth Development: Social Leadership; Vocational and Life Skills Training; Skill Building; Guidance and Counseling; Leadership Training
Women's Empowerment: Advocacy and Rights; Violence Against Women; Capacity Building

Organization Objectives

Vikalp Sansthan’s mission is to spread awareness and inspire understanding of the problems related to gender based violence, to make individuals aware of their rights as human beings, and to empower young women and men to actively participate in development and social change. Vikalp works in 12 districts of Western and southern Rajasthan, focusing on this region due to its strong social problems including but not limited to a rigid caste system, illiteracy, female infanticide, violence against women, forced child marriage, and dowry. Their long-term vision is to create a violence free society based on equality, peace, and justice.

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Samaj Evam Paryavaran Vikas Sansthan (SEPVS)

Location: Jodphur Setting: Urban and Rural Established: 1996 Staff: 3

Subject Areas

Community Development: Capacity building, Community empowerment, Community mobilization/organization
Environment: Natural resource management, Organic/sustainable agriculture
Education and Youth Development: social, moral and cognitive development,
Human Rights: Advocacy, Poverty, equality and social justice

Organization Objectives

SEPVS is a development-based non-profit organization located in Jodhpur City, Rajasthan that operates in over 73 villages throughout western Rajasthan and the Thar Desert. Through capacity building workshops and trainings, SEPVS works to address the issues of child and dalit rights, women empowerment, health, education, climate change, agriculture, and water resource management, and collaborates with local communities to develop sustainable solutions to these problems. The mission of SEPVS is to empower the marginalized sections of society, particularly low-income people, through awareness-raising, education, and leadership development. In order to achieve its mission, SEPVS pursues the following objectives:

  • To advocate for marginalized communities through promoting education
  • To empower women through livelihood trainings and capacity building
  • To advocate for children and prevent child labor in rural areas through informal education programs
  • To organize multi-sectoral development activities for marginalized communities to bridge the socioeconomic gap between the in India.
Program Information
1. Child Education

Child Labor and lack of access to education are arguably the biggest problems in the Jodhpur district. SEPVS has partnered with CRY India for last 15 years to address this problem.

  • Children’s Rights Program: SEPVS create awareness among communities on quality education. Since the start of the project, SEPVS has reached over 10,000 children to provide access to education and have linked child laborers to mainstream education.
  • Supported over 100 government schools through community partnerships.
  • SEPVS also conducts health outreach programs, health camps, and campaigns to raise awareness on children’s health issues in rural areas.
2. Women’s Empowerment

SEPVS has formed 125 women’s groups and conduct capacity building programs to educate them about their rights. They also encourage women to fight against social injustice in society. This program is being run at block level as a pilot project.

3. Environment

SEPVS is planning to start a new project in the areas of Appropriate Technology, Water Security, Rainwater Harvesting Systems, Conservation, Environmental Planning, Environmental Education, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, and Drought Relief through community empowerment. SEPVS is planning to conduct baseline research and a need assessment in Doriya and surrounding villages to inform the design of projects that approach climate change holistically.

Opportunities
  • Assist in the baseline research and needs assessments in Doriya and write reports based on that research.
  • Based on the results of the needs assessment, help SEPVS in project planning, design and implementation.
Requirements
  • Interest in the environment, community development and/or education.
  • Strong writing/documentation and communication skills
  • Ability to adapt to work in rural villages, even in the hot summer months
  • Strong research skills
  • An understanding of issues faced in drought-prone areas of India
Program Supervisor (All Programs)

Interns will be supervised by Simatharam Pathik, the Founder Trustee of SEPVS.
Note: Responsibilities offered to each participant will be proportionate to their level of experience. Participants who are new to development work may predominantly support and assist current project agendas, while those with much applicable experience may be able to assume greater responsibility. Research projects are strongly encouraged by this organization to support each program’s objective because minimal resources are currently allocated for research.

Working Conditions

Interns will be based in the small SEPVS office in Jodhpur but will frequently go to the main office in Doriya in Balesar Thasll village,100 kms away from Jodhpur to do fieldwork. There is the opportunity for the intern to stay at the SEPVS guesthouse in the village a few days a week to support their work if desired. The new Jodhpur office is very small and without many resources, therefore, it is strongly encouraged for participants to bring a computer with them. Also, few staff members speak English, so a working knowledge of Hindi will be useful in both the office and the field.

Organizational Background

Samaj Evam Paryavarn Vikas Sansthan (The Institute for Social and Environmental Development) came into existence in 1996, when it was registered under the Rajasthan Society Act of 1958. For 15 years, SEPVS has addressed the most salient issues facing the underprivileged in western Rajasthan, including child labor, women's and Dalit rights, education, health, and water resource management. SEPVS aims to build leadership and life-skills in impoverished, Dalit communities, and in women and children, by organizing and sponsoring workshops, meetings, trainings, and seminars. Through these strategies, SEPVS hopes to empower and strengthen communities to fight for their own rights and voice their own concerns and opinions. SEPVS is also active in many networks that function to spread the message of SEPVS's work and facilitate partnerships with other like-minded organizations.

SEPVS website About SEPVS Clients

SEPVS works in Western Rajasthan with marginalized communities members such as women, children and lower-caste community members.

Yuva Prayas

Location: Osiyan, Jodhpur District, India Setting: Rural Established: 2001 Staff: 7

Organization Objectives

Since 2001, YUVA Prayas has worked to empower communities especially women and children to access to basic facilities and to promote a sense of independence and self-worth. Yuva prayas goals are to:

  • Identify and organize women from rural migrants areas into groups for academic and practical education, vocational training programs, and group confidence-building activities
  • To provide quality educational opportunities to rural children
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Gram Vikas Seva Sansthan (GVSS)

Location: Jodphur Setting: Urban Established: 1997 Staff: 7

Subject Areas

Youth & Education: Skill Building, Guidance and Counseling, Leadership Training
Health: Social Development, Food Security Awareness, Nutrition, Personal Hygiene
Women's Empowerment: Skill Enhancement, Building Cooperatives, Women’s Entrepreneurship, Awareness and Training Programs, Capacity Building, Education, Reproductive Health Care and Rights, Career Counseling.

Organization Objectives

JGram Vikas Seva Sansthan (GVSS) was founded in 1997 with the vision of "constructing an exploitation-free society" in India. The organization's mission is to acieve “Social, Economic and Political Empowerment of poor, Dalits (“untouchables”), Children, Women and other Marginalized community through Awareness and leadership development.” In order to achieve its mission, GVSS pursues the following objectives:

  • Promote reproductive health and target HIV/AIDS transmission among marginalized sections of society
  • Provide basic healthcare in rural and urban areas and promote community health by awareness-raising and community health programs targeting women, children, and addressing common health scourges like malaria and TB
  • Provide education and prevent child labor in rural areas through informal education programs
  • Empower women and promote economic independence through Self-Help Groups and vocational training
  • Address domestic conflict and abuse through family counseling and gender sensitization programs
  • Reduce sex-based feticide and gender selection practices through awareness-raising programs and village-based rallies
  • Protect and rehabilitate women and girls suffering from economic distress and exploitation through the provision of shelter and counseling
  • Promote sustainable agriculture practices and provide food security in rural areas through trainings and technical support
  • Encourage inclusion of all sectors of society in village planning and participation through the establishment of Village Development Committees, Village Old People's Associations, and women's Self-Help Groups, and Dalit village-level committees
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Fundación Amanecer

Location: Salta

Organization Objectives

Fundación Amanecer’s objectives are the socioeconomic development in vulnerable populations in the town of Cachi, Salta as well as through out Altos and Calchaqui valley region, based in community participation, communication, commitment and the knowledge brought to their own development.

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Satya An NGO

Location: Udaipur, India Setting: Urban Established: 2004 Staff: 21 Regular; 123 Micro-level Workers

Subject Areas:
Youth and Education: Social Leadership, Child and Adolescent Development, Complimentary Learning, Cognitive Development, Teaching
Community Development: Community Empowerment, Building Social Capital
Health: Public Health, Nutrition, HIV/AIDS Counseling, Adolescent Sex Education

Organization Objectives
Satya (Social work Academy for action and protection of Truth and Yearning for its Anticipation) functions as a resource centre dedicated to the larger goals and objectives of the social sector. In an effort to uphold truth in all its endeavors and to facilitate human development for all strata of society, Satya An NGO operates through a set combination strategy including research, interpretation of findings, design of practical strategies, and effective implementation of their programs. More specifically, Satya directs its programs toward education, health, child welfare, and livelihood generation.

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Jatan Sansthan

Location: Udaipur, India Setting: Urban Established: 2001 Staff: 26

Subject Areas:
Youth and Education: Social Leadership, Teaching, Personal and Professional Development
Community Development: Community Empowerment, Building Social Capital, Social Responsibility
Women’s Empowerment: Women’s Business Support, Gender Equity Strategies, Reproductive Rights

Organization Objectives
Jatan Sansthan:

- Encourages young people’s voices in policymaking and programs across the country by increasing youth participation in decision making, molding youth advocates, facilitating their voice at national and international forums, and engaging like–minded organizations to make young people a collective force
- Works for the empowerment of the poor, socially-excluded, vulnerable, and oppressed in order to improve their social, educational, economic, cultural, and health status
- Undertakes programs concerning health issues faced by the community, especially women, children, and adolescents
- Works to improve the condition of women, promote their equality, and develop their ability to earn livelihoods through the creation and operation of women’s groups
- Conducts both national and international research on local issues affecting people’s potential for capacity enhancement

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Alfa Educational Society

Location: Udaipur, India Setting: Rural Established: 2006 Staff: 4

Subject Areas:
Youth and Education: Skill Building, Guidance and Counseling, Leadership Training
Community Development: Social Empowerment, Gender Equity, Violence Mitigation, Vocational Training

Organization Objectives

Alfa Educational Society was founded with the idea that youth activated by the discussion of social issues will be able to build an intellectual base and be a more valuable asset to society. It works with traditionally victimized communities such as Adivasis, Dalits, and the poor to offer tools and alternatives to empower them to change their own situations. Specifically, it aims to:

- Engage youth in activities that spark and challenge their thoughts on contemporary rural issues, encouraging them to question their basis and develop solutions to them
- Build capacity and provide trainings on several key issues, including gender roles, communalism, media, and government schemes
- Introduce rural girls and young women to new skills and create a forum for idea exchange

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Community Transformation Foundation Network (COTFONE)

Community Transformation Foundation Network
(COTFONE)

Location:Kiwangala (Masaka, Uganda) Setting: RuralEstablished: 2003 Staff: 3

Organization Overview:

Founded by an Orphan himself, COTEFONE is a school, and community development organization that aims to provide a free and holistic education for orphans and other vulnerable children(OVCs) COTFONE provides over 500 orpahsn and OVC with a free traditional education that is supplemented by various other training including vocational skills, health, and hygiene. In addition to these activities COTFONE seeks to assist the guardians of these children, and provides them with a variety of services. This includes a Self Help Group project in which community members pool their financial resources in order to provided for emergency assistance and loans for income generating activities.

Subject Areas:

Youth and Education: education and vocational training for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs)

Health: HIV/AIDS education, malaria prevention, reproductive health education

Community Development: Income generating projects (IGAs), elderly support

Organization Objectives:
COTFONE aims to support underprivileged children and community members to live a better life and to achieve their full potential. The organization uses a holistic approach by targeting the children, their households and communities as parts of their activities. COTFONE’s specific objectives as an organization are to:
• Improve the quality of life of the poor orphans and marginalized members in Kiwangala through the provision of free basic formal education and vocational training with literacy skills
• Improve food security through the introduction of new techniques of farming and other income generating activities
• Provide health education and initiate health care services for general awareness among people about HIV/AIDS and related problems
• Recruit and train counselors and volunteers to take care of persons with HIV/AIDS as well as their children
• Establish Orphans Assistance Scheme, children, youths and older persons recreation center
• Support the elder persons and entire community members through guidance and counseling, income generation by offloading the weight of their grandchildren and providing social services to them

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Step Up Infant and Primary School

Step Up Infant and Primary School

Location:Masaka, Uganda Setting: Semi-Urban Established: 1999 Staff: 20

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1999, Step Up Infant and Primary School is dedicated to educating children in the local community as well as orphans and vulnerable children. Step Up currently has over 500 students enrolled with over 100 students boarding at the school and actively works to ensure that OVC are able to access this education by fundraising to pay for school supplies and school fees. Step Up also provides basic vocational training for its students so that may acquire valuable and potentially profitable skills.

Subject Areas:

Youth and Education: Scholastic support for orphans and vulnerable children(OVC), extracurricular activities, vocational education
Organization Objectives:
• Providing Pre and Primary education to children in the locality including orphans and vulnerable children.
• Teach children according to their ability.
• Provide basic vocational training

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