Activities

Health Awareness and Services

Rural
In an effort to address community health issues in the Rapar taluka, SAMERTH has been providing access to health services as part of its Community Health Programme (CHP). The CHP provides pathological laboratory services through a community health centre, assistance to locals through roaming medical vans, education on health awareness and illness prevention, and linkages for locals with government supported medical programmes/schemes. In an effort to build the capacity of the community, SAMERTH works to prepare Community Health Workers (CHWs) by training locals on how to provide health assistance for minor ailments to their respective hamlets/villages.

Livelihood Promotion

Rural
The programme works to improve agriculture productivity by constructing micro-water sheds that promotes indigenous knowledge along the Little Rann of Kutch. Over the years, SAMERTH has built numerous ponds, check dams, and dug wells, in addition to treating existing water-channels and harvesting rain water for drinking purposes. In an effort to encourage agricultural sustainability, the usage of bio manure and water conserving technologies such as sprinklers and drips is promoted. SAMERTH supports village level institutions in the creation of seed and grain banks to alleviate the impact of recurrent drought. Capacity building training programmes for families and stakeholders teach techniques of operation and maintenance of water harvesting structures.

Rural and Urban
The formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their ownership is the corner stone of the livelihood promotion programme. SHGs enable members to set up a savings and credit system as means to supplement ones income and decrease indebtedness. It is through a SHGs accumulation of capital that inter-group lending can take place, thus allowing funds to circulate in order to support micro-entrepreneurs. SAMERTH also imparts various vocational trainings linked to the local market to members of SHGs. SHG

Child Rights and Education

Rural and Urban
SAMERTH works closely with the community and government to promote early child care and development. The primary effort engages communities to collaborate with the government in streamlining and providing better education services. The thrust of the work is to implement integrated child development schemes.

Rural
SAMERTH runs seasonal hostels for migrant workers’ children living in Kutch.

Urban
In the city of Ahmedabad, SAMERTH runs pre-primary schools and libraries, offers after school coaching classes, engages with parents through Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) meetings.

In partnership with Setu Developmental Intervention Centre, SAMERTH provides speech, special education, and occupational therapy for children with special needs. kids

Access to Social and Economic Rights

Rural
SAMERTH has formed village level committees to train tribals, dalits, and other minority communities on existing constitutional and legal resources. Supplied with information about the various welfare schemes designed for their development, the programme works to empower these excluded and marginalised communities by directly engaging them with Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). We have been able to lobby with various departments to do the following:

Electricity connection
Enrollment of children in schools
Public distribution cards
Water facilities
Land entitlements
Inclusion of poor in Below Poverty Level (BPL) lists
Death and birth registration

Urban
SAMERTH actively engages with various departments of the government in getting people their respective entitlements in terms of food supplies through the PDS system, electricity connections and access to civic amenities.

Research and documentation

The research team within SAMERTH conduct surveys, investigate particular issues, document processes and reflect upon problems affecting a given area.

A study on promoting livelihood of the Koli community of Rapar was undertaken and completed in 2001.
An examination on livelihoods status was carried out in the city of Ahmedabad and Vadodara following the communal riots in Gujarat.
SAMERTH, in association with Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai supported renowned anthropologist Dr. J.J. Roy Burman in conducting a study on Hindu - Muslim syncretism and humanistic forays in Gujarat.
An impact assessment was undertaken for British High Commission, Delhi on the promotion of peace-building work in the North East of India.
An investigation was undertaken to understand issues of the Baiga community, a backward tribal population living in Chhattisgarh.
A study on “Migration Pattern and Incidence of Victimisation of Trafficking Among Communities” was conducted in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh and unveiled that the victims of missing persons and trafficking were in fact allured by different jobs in the cities and towns.

Conflict Resolution and Peace Initiatives

Urban
SAMERTH works to develop respect and tolerance in the minds of children from different religions and cultures by conducting peace modules and quiz competitions in schools around Ahmedabad. Moreover, SAMERTH’s specializes in providing trainings on conflict transformation and peace building.

Humanitarian support and preparedness

Rural
SAMERTH has been providing humanitarian support adhering to the international aid-giving guidelines provided by SPHERE during emergencies. In 2001, following the earthquake in Gujarat, SAMERTH provided relief to 6215 families in Kutch, constructed 967 semi-permanent shelters and supported construction of 600 permanent houses, provided agricultural implements, and distributed tools and equipments to artisans to restore their livelihoods.

Urban
In 2002, after the communal tensions in Gujarat, we worked in the relief camps of Ahmedabad and supported 700 families to restore their livelihoods. During floods in 2006, SAMERTH distributed food kits to 810 families living in low-lying areas of Vejalpur-Juhapura.