We are passing through a very tough and unpredictable phase in our life right now. Drastic changes are taking place in society at a rapid pace.

Despite Covid 19 still staring at us, RDSWS feels proud to present its report of 2019-20. RDSWS has been focusing on tribal-Dalits, Women, and children in its programmes – rightly so, since they are the poorest and vulnerable groups within CG

During the 2019-20 inancial period, RDSWS achieved many results through various projects. RDSWS as you all aware works among groups living in the most remote and harsh geographical variations in CG.

Be it food security, children’s education, maternal and child health, vocational training, and livelihoods – projects funded by Misereor, KNH, and German Caritas, Kindermissionswerk, Indian Caritas, Karl Boehme have done very well!

Through Misereor-supported project, over 3900 families have accessed women-related and welfare schemes which can offer security in today’s pandemic times. With the guidance of project staff, 63 women federations at their panchayats obtained mostly women-centric entitlements - health, education, drinking water, child labour bathing ghats, pensions, equal wages, livelihood -through convening Mahila Gramsabhas. PLFs also mobilized loans and grants worth Rs. 31,70,000/ from NRLM for 66 SHGs’ income generation programs (the women groups helped the poor and the immigrants during COVID 19).

KNH project implemented at Basna, reports on how through project-activities linked their target groups with government schemes such as PM Kissan Man dhanyojna, and from Agriculture-department got sprinklers, seeds and seedlings. They have improved health and hygiene conditions and nutritional intake through promoting kitchen-gardens among villagers in their 10 intervention areas. They have supported income generation activities such as goat rearing, petty-shops, collective organic farming. The Basna project also helped 834 people get jobs under MNGREGA

Another very interesting and useful programme was teaching village women how to operate tablets to avail government services – ambulance, ire brigade, opening bank accounts.

Under food-security for Baigas, a project supported by German Caritas through Indian Caritas, 10 villages around Rengakhar in Bodla block helped over 583 PVTG Baiga households to get basic legal documents like - 1240 ration cards, Aadhar cards (276 Baigas) and helped 300 families get tap-water supply under Nal Jal Yojna. The staff also have encouraged traditional nutrition-rich millets like kodokutki. The special achievement of Baiga project is Baiga Pradhikaran president at Kawardha is closely working with RDSWS to get land Patta, obtain community forest rights in Bodha – 47 and setting up Millets- grinding machines

Education- Projects:

Education in CG needs greater attention. The truth of the matter is that education is imperative for rural families as they are struggling to keep their children safe and rebuild their lives.

Right now nearly 1500 children due to Covid 19 are unable to get proper education under our KINDER Mission Coaching centres, NEG-FIRE, KNH and Sponsorship programmes.

The Education-projects moreover are disturbed due to the digital divide, lack of mobiles, irregular electricity and internet in the rural areas where RDSWS operates. Meanwhile, the children taken out of schools are exposed to violence, trafficking, child labour, child marriage. However, the projects report on how they helped the children before Covid 19 who are deprived of quality education and helped many to fulfill their true potential.

Lesson learnt:

Connecting Tribal like Baigas and Dalit communities, we work with, to a wider portfolio of Government entitlements stimulates resilience and more sustained impact on their lives.

Securing food, health, and basic income under Governments’ welfare schemes reduce vulnerability, mitigate chronic poverty, and nurture inclusive growth for the marginalised and excluded. By integrating social protection and helping households access welfare schemes, our projects emerged stronger as the reports show.

Future Activites

COVID 19 pandemic and the resultant lockdowns have been a wake-up call. In the past, our programmes leveraged a limited set of flagship schemes—predominantly MGNREGS and PM Awas or pensions. But social protection which works at a universal scale is the need of the hour.

Anything less than 100 per cent Government schemes or entitlements coverage in our project areas would mean that we have left some households at risk. In future, the project-staff will prioritize support to households through a targeted set of schemes based on their speciic vulnerability profile and to each family.

PLF leaders and CLA leaders, Volunteers should be trained to assess household gaps in the reach of government schemes, support people through the application process, and help with facilitating the administrative process of receiving entitlements.

COVID 19:

RDSWS delivered a ‘minimum threshold’ of food security in cash and kind to over 72761 persons including trans genders, lepers and immigrants who faced hunger and risks during Covid 19 pandemic across parishes, slums in Raipur Archdiocese.

I thank very sincerely all the donors – Indian Caritas, Misereor, German Caritas, KNH, NEG-FIRE, Australian Caritas and Karl Boehme for their timely financial aid thus enabling RDSWS to realize its mission.