But to just exist is not enough. And it is this belief which drive us at the Astitva Pratishthan. Started in 2003 by a group of inspired young people, who after having worked in their own villages and with various other organizations, decided to dedicate their lives to the betterment of the rural poor. From education, health, agriculture, employment to water conservation, they decided to tackle ev
ery problem. And they began with the motto – Education is life and life is education. Today, the volunteers of the organization focus on enhancing the knowledge of the people to in turn enhance their life condition. THE MAJOR ACTIVITIES ARE:
• Education
• Science and Technology Center
Education-
1. Astitva Gurukul-
Every year thousands of people from various nomadic tribes migrate to place all over Maharashtra. They don’t stay at any one place for more than 8-10 days. This means no stability or continued education. Which is why, in year 2004, Astitva started a school for these tribal children. And they became the first generation from their families to attend school. While working with them the volunteers realized that many of them were orphans or had single parents and so did not receive any guidance at home. Apart from this, many were victims of child labor due to their poor economic condition. Also, most of the parents, usually widowed mothers, were HIV +ve. This meant that they receive absolutely no support from their families or community. So, to address all these problems, Astitva started “GURUKUL” – a residential school where these children could get all round development. At the moment Gurukul has 50 students studying in classes from 1st to the 7th standard after which they are enrolled in schools nearby villages. Facilities such as computer education, a library and sports activities are being provided to them.
2. Science and Technology Center-
Rural Development Project-
(A) Camps, Seminars – In rural areas, Astitva is not just working for school going children but drop-outs as well. During vacations volunteers organize science camps, health camps, personality development camps etc for these children, Apart from this, camps for adolescents and competitions for students and teachers are also being held. (B) Health – Velhe has a difficult hilly terrain and also records some of the highest rainfall in the district. Having a tough life, people encounter many health problems here. The Primary Health Centre made available for 31 villages is not adequate. And since the area is remote and secluded people have not been getting proper treatment. This is why, Astitva volunteers have been working tirelessly towards increasing the awareness of health and hygiene. (C) Self Help Group and Self Employment- Astitva’s volunteers believe that if the key to a family’s development is the woman of the household. Empowering women can empower a whole society. Hence, Astitva has started SHGs in many villages. Women put aside some amount of money to start their own businesses. Since farming families here are completely dependent on the monsoon and can reap only one crop a year, these businesses provides the necessary extra income. Astitva provides production and marketing training to these self-employed women and hope that this will spur development in the valley. (D) Diploma in Basic Rural Technology-Over the years we have observed that the drop-out rate is exceptionally high in high school as young people go to the urban areas to find jobs. But due to less education and without any vocational skills they only get labor intensive jobs. Astitva has started a Diploma in Basic Rural Technology for these drop-outs. This is a residential course and the main subjects are-
• Engineering
• Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
• Energy and Environment
• Home and Health
This course aims at achieving the following-
• Increasing self reliance among youth
• Helping the youth learn production and marketing techniques
• Inspiring the young people to become entrepreneurs
• Village development through modern technology
• Utilization of local resources
• Increased awareness about health, hygiene and environment
