What is the Veerni Project? In Hindi, veerni means "heroine" or "woman of strength". The Veerni Project is guided by the core belief that women must be healthy and educated in order to to possess the strength to create positive changes in their lives and communities. Since it's inception in 1993, Veerni's mission has been to empower the women and girls of rural Rajasthan, so they can lead healthy
and productive lives, free of poverty, coercion and disease. To this end, Veerni focuses on medical, educational, nutrition, and community development programs, in order to bring about change for women, girls, and their communities. More than aid however, Veerni mobilises these communities of women, to encourage more ongoing change and development in their villages. With this aim, Veerni works towards:
Providing reproductive healthcare and health education to women and girls
Educating about nutrition and treatment of malnutrition
Providing girls with educational opportunities
Setting up income generation schemes
Developing rural communities
Since it's inception, the project has been funded by the Global Foundation for Humanity and administered by the locally based Rajdadiji Badan Kanwar Medical Trust
Why Veerni is Needed
Roughly 15 million people live in Western Rajasthan. Of these inhabitants, seventy-nine percent live in small, underdeveloped rural villages, many of which lack electricity, clean water, proper roads, schools, and medical care. Agriculture and stock breeding are the principle live hoods, making people heavily dependant upon the monsoon. Droughts manifest in the form of crop failure, barren soil, insufficient surface water, and a scarcity of fodder, which results in a loss of livestock. Human development and healthy community life depend on access to education; income; security; availability of food, water, and healthcare; and an environment free of violence. The following statistics hi light why Veerni's work is vital:
- 72% of rural India does not have access to piped drinking water.
69.2% of Rajasthan does not have basic sanitation. In rural Rajasthan, less than 5% of women are literate.
70% of Rajasthani women are married before they reach age 18. Girls who marry by age fifteen often have four children by the time they reach their early 20s. One third of Indian adult women are underweight. Over 47% of Indian children suffer from malnutrition.
2.8 million people in India are HIV-positive. Son preference and a profound bias against girls had led to one of the worlds lowest male-female ratios: 927 woman for every 1000 men
The risk of dying between the age of one and five is 43% higher for girls than for boys
Three to five million female fetuses are aborted each year. Where Veerni Works
The Veerni Project is based in the Jodhpur (or Marwar) district of Western Rajasthan. It is a semi-arid region, facing frequent droughts and harsh climatic conditions, with very limited natural recourses. Marwar is the repository of a rich Indian desert culture, with some traditions that may not be in harmony with current trends of modern society. Though the city of Jodhpur has shown commendable economic progress, the adjoining villages have been left behind. Veerni's goal is to ensure that the social value systems of Marwar villagers are not compromised heel transitioning to more progressive living conditions. It is time for the women who have been deprived of opportunities to take their destined roles in the changing world. Veerni is currently active in twelve villages within a 65-km radius of Jodhpur. In the period of 2096-2008, Veerni's work has reached fourteen villages in the region. How Veerni Works
The Veerni team coordinates health and nutrition programs with social programs like literacy, sewing, income generation, and capacity building. In addition, Veerni arranges extracurricular activities like sports, arts, and crafts. This coordination is integral to the success and sustainability of the projects. Local female and male health promoters are based in each of the villages. As men are still the main decision makers in these rural areas, the importance of involving them is paramount; interactive participation is the key to Veerni's success. It's grassroots approach provides comprehensive health, social, and educational outreach that creates a sustainable difference in the villagers' lives. The supporting tram of promoters, along with teachers, helps the visiting Veerni teams. Additionally, small interest groups made up of women and young boys and girls (Mahilla and yuca Mandals) monitor activities and are supported by the village Panchayat (a village-level, elected government body). The girl's boarding school (hostel) in Jodhpur grew out of the challenge Veerni faced in getting the village girls to attend local schools and education centres. Parents often kept daughters from attending school due to household chores, traditions, and the belief that young girls should be married off at a young age to serve their in-laws. Therefore, the boarding school is vital as it allows these girls to focus on their education without interruption. Self-help groups, education centres, and training in arts and crafts are aimed at making women self-reliant and confident. By earning wages, women are given more power in their households and in their communities. Veerni's comprehensive and grassroots approach is what makes it so successful; by addressing the problem do gender discrimination on multiple levels, a veerni not only tackles immediate problems, but provides long-term solutions for lasting change.
