Health, Education, Water, Women Empowerment & Local Governance

Efforts made and Future Plans

Health:
• Promotion of traditional health systems
• Conservation, documentation and promotion of traditional medicinal knowledge
• Behavioral changes towards traditional health care system
• Conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants
• Scientific validation of traditional health practices and medicines
• Identification and networking of Gunis ( Traditional health practitioners)
• Advocacy for recognition of traditional health care systems at national and state level
• Capacity building of Gunis & Dais (Traditional birth attendants)
• Intensive immunization and vaccination programmes
• Collaboration and coordination with public health services
• Mass awareness for healthcare and available healthcare facilities
• Provide safe & affordable heath care services.

Education:
• Support non-formal education centers
• Shikshadan and signature campaigns
• Resource literacy among children and adults
• Initiate a new approach based on learning for rural construction
• Design a course material for learning about local resources
• Prepare tools for understanding new techniques and outer systems
• Initiatives for proper understanding of development and their own betterment
• Promote learning through SHG’s
• Education about entitlements / provisions and rights available

Water:
• Promote traditional water management techniques
• Rainwater harvesting and water resource management
• Awareness about water availability and demand
• Promote judicious use of water
• Control excess water exploitation and advocacy to control water transfer to urban areas
• Support Afforestation programme
• Development of drinking water sources
• Food for Work programmes for watershed development

Women Empowerment:
• Promote women organization like Mahila Samajik Vikas Manch (MSVM)
• Women empowerment through strengthening of SHG’s
• Develop management tools and record keeping system for SHG’s
• Special programmes for women healthcare
• Capacity building programmes for traditional birth attendants (Dai)
• Promote women traditional health practitioners
• Support women PRI’s representatives
• Develop a cadre of women leadership
• Ensured women participation in planning , implementation & management of various development programmes

Local Governance:
• Promotion of community organization/organizing Gram sabha as defined by local communities
• Revival of traditional/cultural community management systems
• Identification and strengthening of local leadership
• Establishment of viable community organizations in present context
• Awareness about PRI’s and other local institutions
• Promote local leadership as representatives in PRI’s/local institutions
• Support for various capacity building programmes particularly for PRI’s representatives
• Support for development of a mechanism for monitoring of PRI’s/local institutions
• Support to local institutions for planning, implementation and management of village development plans
• Support for identifying opportunities and accessing entitlements
• Awareness about tribal self-governance through PESA act.
• Facilitation for declaration of self governance
• Advocacy for recognition of declared self governance
• Advocacy/lobbying for policy interventions particularly for local(self) governance
• Networking of organizations engaged in promotion of local governance
• Provide support to movements on various local level issues
• Develop capacities to deal with existing systems and face the problems
• Promote development on the basis of learning about local resources

Other Efforts
• Established a network of 12 organisations of south Rajasthan and working together on food for work programme for watershed development and various other programmes
• JJVS also working on establishment of Rajasthan Tribal People Forum as a common platform at state level particularly for addressing issues of tribal population
• Established and promoted 4 people’s organization / movements around local issues
• A well established base of coordination with government programmes/machinery for successful implementation of health programmes
• Established and institutionalized a national forum and 6 state level forums of traditional health practitioners in north Indian states
• Leading a network of 15 organizations of 12 north Indian states working in the area of traditional health care system
• Successfully implemented various drought relief programmes during severe droughts of year 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003
• Also working on post project execution management of resources

Organizational Capacities:
JJVS have a sound infrastructural base in the form of 4 own offices buildings, 2 training cum resource centers, one fully equipped hospital and a well developed farm spread over 15 acres.
Organization also own 3 four wheelers, 18 two wheelers for successful implementation of various projects.
JJVS developed and retained a solid human resource base. At present 45 fulltime and 10 part time workers with more than 250 volunteers are working with organization. These includes senior social scientists, Environmental scientist, Hydro geologist, Agricultural scientist, Agricultural engineer, Taxonomist, Botanist, Management experts, Ayurvedic Physicians, Financial experts, Computer & Documentation experts and a cadre of 15 experienced grass root workers and support staff. These full time persons regularly supported by senior external consultants