Gram Chetna Kendra (Non-Governmental Organization) has been working passionately for the past 30 years with marginalized communities on development issues in Rajasthan, India. Gram Chetna Kendra was formed in 1986 by a group of socially conscious individuals under the leadership of Mr. Om Prakash Sharma and was registered under the Rajasthan Societies Registration Act in 1989.Very familiar to the immense needs of Rajasthan's rural poor, the members of this group decided to combine their unique knowledge, talents, skills and experiences to address the pressing issues that the individuals were facing in terms of development. Over a couple of decades of intervention, GCK has constantly been facing new challenges.The organisation was able to identify some major issues in the project areas and launches activities and projects in order to help the most marginalized sections of society. In short, the identified recurring issues faced by the communities are:
- Gender discrimination
- Low education status and lack of quality education
- Tradition of Child marriage
- Child labour
- Malnutrition among children, women and adolescent girls
- Female foeticide and infanticide
- Lack of proper and complete immunization of children and women
- Unemployment and lack of livelihood opportunities.
- Insufficient health service facilities and infrastructures
- Degradation in indigenous and cultural practices
- Increase in the use of to***co and alcohol
- Decreasing ground water level
- Impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems as a result of environmental degradation
- Migration of youths and children
- Lack of safe drinking water and increase of fluoride contents in water
- Lack of youth friendly services and recreational facilities
