gantar: a journey through the land of mirage

Gantar: A Journey Through the Land of Mirage

0

Acknowledgements

Gantar: A Journey

Through the Land of Mirage

Documentation of the NGO: Gantar

By

Siddharth Surana

Indian Institute of Management

Ahmedabad


1

Thank you Sukhdevbhai Patel, founder of Gantar, for introducing me to your

organisation that is doing such a commendable task in one of the toughest

terrains on the globe. Gantar for enduring long interview sessions and patiently

answering all those not-so-wise questions.

Thank you Sheetalben Patel, director, Gantar for your help and co-operation.

I thank all the staff at Gantar, who facilitated my visits to Ahmedabad office as

well as in the field.

My thanks to Mahadevbhai, teacher at Rann School, for introducing the school

and its students to me.

Thank you, Labhubhai Pagi and Family at the Little Rann of Kutchh, for your

help.

Last but not the least, thank you Prof. Anil Gupta of IIMA for giving me this

opportunity to study and document the efforts of Gantar under the seminar

course on ‘Design and Dynamics of Developmental Organisations.’

Siddharth surana

December 4, 2004

Ahmedabad


2

Contents

The Journey ............................................................................................................... 3

Other interventions ............................................................................................... 17

RIGHT TO SURVIVAL ............................................................................................................................................... 17

Intensive Health Monitoring System ..................................................................................................... 17

RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 18

Balghars – Child Rights Centres .............................................................................................................. 18

Learning Centres for Adolescent Girls ................................................................................................... 19

Gijubhai Bal Academy ................................................................................................................................. 20

School Reconstruction ................................................................................................................................. 20

RIGHT TO PROTECTION .......................................................................................................................................... 21

Relief work during earthquake ................................................................................................................. 21

Childline ............................................................................................................................................................ 22

RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE .......................................................................................................................................... 23

Bachpan Sena ................................................................................................................................................. 23

Baal Adhikar Samiti (Child rights committee).................................................................................... 23

Swa Shakti – Mother’s Groups ................................................................................................................. 24

Problems ................................................................................................................... 24


3

The Journey

Way back in 1965, a 5th standard boy in one of the municipal schools of

Ahmedabad found his school too small to provide him all he wanted. This

bright kid had craving for more books, more knowledge, and more space to

experiment his ideas and satisfy his curiosities. The school was not

enough…It offered very limited space for thought and action. A limited set of

text books, a few teachers and limited study hours…This textile worker’s son

remained hungry till he discovered a library in the neighbourhood. This

Mazdoor Mahajan Sangh library offered him a diversity of books,

newspapers and other regular publications. Bright student that he was,

teachers freed him from homework. Using this time, Sukhdev started

expanding his horizons.

In 10th Standard, Sukhdev wrote an essay on his idea of an ideal village to

won the district level prize. This was the beginning of a long journey towards

making desired changes in the socio-political systems. Gradually, his reading

turned mature enough to understand philosophical concepts of civil society.

A break-out of riots in Ahmedabad in 1969 made him delve deeper into

issues affecting society, his reading got more selective, though becoming

more refined. At the same time he joined Vinoba Bhave’s Tarun Shanti Sena

(henceforth TSS) for teenagers. Sena’s volunteers introduced him to

Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of Nai Taleem. He got very intrigued by concepts of

vocational education and village building as opposed to Macaulay’s model

that cuts off the student from his own roots.

Came 1974, the nation was going through political turmoil. A small agitation

against hike in mess bills of LD college hostel spread among the youth all

across Gujarat and metamorphed into a movement against price-rise and


4

corruption. That is when Jayprakash Narayan, national chief of TSS,

propelled Navanirman Andolan. It was followed by emergency in 1975.

Matured Youngsters took charge and became active in the JP movement.

Sukhdev too worked as a student leader. In this era of censorship on press,

his group used to print a secret newsletter and in the darkness of night he

would deliver the copies in thirty odd college hostels. Having a warrant

under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) against him, he had to

work underground, taking shelter in different hostel each night. This

provided him the opportunity to meet like-minded youth and soon became a

member of a group of active youngsters in Ahmedabad.

The dark era of emergency ended with the defeat of congress in 1977.

Having accomplished this mission of ‘second freedom’, as he calls it;

Sukhdev’s group had to take up something new. By then he was a student

of HK Commerce College. The group used to meet at a roadside tea stall and

discuss their ideas. Access and quality of education available to masses used

to be a frequent issue in the meetings. This is when the group in general

and Sukhdev in particular resolved that sooner or later they will work for

education revolution in the country.

After passing out as a commerce graduate he had to look for some

livelihood. “I will be an employment giver, not an employment seeker’’ was

his decision. With four of his friends, he started a catering business. Soon

they got mess contracts of institutions like NDDB, IRMA and Sabarmati

Ashram. Now Known as Sukhdevbhai among the business circle, he became

very impressed with administration skills of Dr V. Kurien. In 1985 he started

a printing press as a side business. In the very first year, the press became

profitable. His contacts with city’s intellectuals and activists fetched him

orders from several institutions. He terminated the catering business.

Sukhdevbhai’s press offered two advantages to the activists: quality printing

work and a meeting place to discuss their views. He used to do ‘at-cost’

printing for a grassroot movement called Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Vahini.


5

Through the activists of this organisation, he was kept updated with new

experiments in the field of education.

During all these years of being engrossed in business, not for a single day

he forgot his larger dream. Each Wednesday, old friends used to meet at the

same ‘chai ki ketli’ to keep alive the dream of doing something in education.

In year 1990 Sukhdevbhai decided that he had done enough for his family

responsibilities. He wound up the printing business and started working in

the field of education with some friends. The group includes Dr Sudarshan

Ayengar (Economist, director, CSS, Surat), Dr Bashir Ahmedi

(Neurophysician, Ahmedabad), Mr Ashok Bhargava (national co-ordinator,

TSS), and Anjana Prasant. Sukhdevbhai was the full-timer whereas others

helped through financial support and resource mobilization. Sukhdevbhai

was member of ‘Janpath’-a network of Gujarat based NGOs. Although he

was the youngest member of this solidarity support group, he had contacts

with all who’s who among Gujarat’s social activists and intellectuals. In

1992, they formally registered their mission as ‘Gantar’.

Gantar is a Gujarati word that stands for a collective meaning for Self-

confidence, Self-respect, Self-reliance and Wisdom. Those familiar with

Gujarati language can easily understand what one means when one uses

this word. Another word Bhanatar in Gujarati represents formal education.

In contrast to Bhantar and Gantar is a process of learning from experiences

through life. “Bhanyo Pan Ganyo Nathi” is a phrase used to describe

someone having only bookish knowledge but no cerebrations over and

above this which could impart him/her with real life wisdom. Gantar’s effort

is to go beyond the limitations of present system of formal education and

provide the child with wisdom and moral strength. The founder believes that

by consolidating the energy of childhood of thousands of underprivileged

children and bringing change in their lives, changes in the future society can

be brought about. Thus the mission commenced with the strength of


6

incorrigible belief, the long desire, one person, entire life, one scooter and

countless children deprived from their basic right to childhood…

To begin with, Sukhdevbhai and friends noticed that there are numerous

children on Ahmedabad’s roads with no permanent shelter. Most of them

have run away from their home for want of better future or to fulfil their

dreams. They work as shoe-polish boy, cleaners, rag pickers, coolies or do

whatever job they find for the day. They found these street boys almost

everywhere and begun by talking to them. These kids are sceptical initially

but once taken into confidence, they become very loyal. However this

confidence building is very tedious and slow process. It becomes further

difficult because these children have no fixed dwelling. Many a times

children with whom Sukhdevbhai and team had spend weeks of relation

building, suddenly vanished from their usual place. Moreover the group

found that there are already some NGOs working for these children. So they

decided to move into an area less touched upon.

Sukhdevbhai and likeminded colleagues formed a study circle that used to

meet fortnightly on 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month. Here they would

discuss issues pertaining to youth children, employment and education.


7

A one-page write was prepared in a week advance and circulated among

regular participants, NGO offices and libraries etc so that the participants

can come with some homework on the topic. A lady called Aminaben

Machiswala and her daughter Usma were regular in such discussions. They

had a plastic recycling unit on Sarkhej Sanand highway where they used to

see children of migrant brick kiln workers coming for drinking water. These

kids had nothing much to do while their parents were working. They had no

education even when their parents did not engage them in child labour.

Aminaben introduced Gantar to this issue.

Sukhdevbhai and associates went to the site and met these kids to find out

that although they were admitted in their village, due to absence from the

school for more than six months, when they went back, they were not

allowed to sit in examination. Thus these students did not dropped out

voluntarily or otherwise but were ‘pushed out’ by the system of formal

education. With an objective of knowing them better and imparting them

with some basic education, Sukhdevbhai and fellows started spending time

Youth

Employment

Education

Children


8

with these kids. They used to play toys and other interesting games, sing

folk songs with them, and simultaneously teach them. Soon monsoon

season came and there was no work at kilns. All the children migrated back

to their native villages.

The kiln started working again in Navaratris. Gantar team went there to find

that there were all new families this time. Not a single kid whom they had

taught earlier was there. Their families had migrated to some other place

this year. All effort put into building relationship with those children went

down the drain. “This won’t work” Sukhdevbhai was quick to realise. He

raised this issue in next study circle meeting. It was decided to do a survey

to find out which all villages these migrant workers come from and how

many children are there without education. The survey revealed that these

families come from 41 villages of Sanand, Viramgam, Dhanduka, Dholka and

Patdi blocks of Surendranagar and Nalsarovar block of Ahmedabad district.

There were 457 children without school out of which 356 were in age group

6-14 (school going age).

Gantar realised that their efforts will be of no use until they build end-to-end

contacts with these migrants. Out of these 41, five villages were selected

containing 30% of these out of school children. Upon interviewing local

people there it was found out that brick kiln workers migrate back to their

villages in June and the next season starts in October. Teenagers don’t have

much work to do in this slack period. Gantar offered vocational training to

them. Through their contacts in Ahmedabad, 25 such trainees were placed

in different occupations from tailoring to electrician and from carpentry to

automobile mechanic. A hostel was given for accommodating them in the

city.

Out of these, 20 completed the program successfully. This was an

encouraging result.


9

In 1994-95 it was observed that in these five villages, enrolment rate in

class 1st is 86%. However, while reaching 7th standard, 61% drop out.

Gantar decided to instigate a 100% enrolment movement called Bhantar

Pheri in a cluster of 18 villages. The theme of this campaign was that ‘if

children can’t come to school, the school should go to children.’ A hand cart

was decorated as a Sarasvati Rath with a model of school containing an idol

of goddess Sarasvati; the entrance of this model school would have a black

board. Whichever village the Rathyatra reaches, the principal of village

school would write the name of his/her school on the board. Then the

procession would walk through the village’s streets in form of a Rathyatra.

It would stop at doorstep of each and every out of school child. The

accompanying school teachers and Gantar people would convince their

parents to enrol their child in school. Once they agree, the name of child is

written on a black-board on the side-wall of the school and he/she gets the

privilege to sit in a bullock cart following the Sarasvati Rath with other

freshly enrolled children. This is a moment of pride for parents too; they join

the procession as it moves further, and the convoy gaining strength. It

concludes at village school premise and ends in a ceremony where the

principal performs a Pooja of the goddess. Slates and pens are given to each

new student. To ensure patronage of local authorities, usually the Sarpanch

of the village is made president of the program and others like Tallati or

secretary of Panchayat are chief/special guests. On the spot birth certificate

were given to the children so that there are no hassles in admission process.

Chances of corruption are also eliminated because the issuing authorities are

doing it in open and transparently.

During this campaign drive, leaflets were distributed, which told people ‘why

to study?’ since the villagers’ approach to education was in general, cynical.

They would always site examples of people who are unemployed or are

doing a modest job. The motivation level for education needed to be

changed from education as a mean for livelihood to education as something

essential for one’s overall development. The leaflets had slogans 'Ma thi


10

sawai dikri, Baap thi sawayo dikro’ 'Daughter ahead of than mother, Son

ahead of father'

Conveying the parents that through education their kids would develop into

more empowered individuals than what they are.

This ceremony was also used for attacking some long-held superstitions.

Some experts would show tricks like producing ashes out of air, putting

coconut on fire by sprinkling water and so on. They would then explain

scientific logic of these ‘miracles’ so that next time people would not fall in

the trap of some guileful Sadhu Baba. This helps inculcate a scientific

temperament in community.

Next day, the team accompanied by few people from this village, would

move into another village and so on. This movement covered eighteen

villages in so many days and a 100% enrollment was achieved in the target

area.

However, the success could not be sustained for long. For one, this intake

increased load on already insufficient school infrastructure and no

proportionate recruitment of teachers was made; as a result, quality of

education suffered. And for the other, the children of migratory workers

migrated with their parents to unknown destinations.

“Okay, we can’t stop migration of workers, but we can stop their children

from migrating.” this was the idea that emerged at Gantar then. There

existed some residential schools but they were already running over

capacity and had no place for new students. “Why not use the houses of

emigrants themselves and turn them into some kind of a community

hostel?” The idea was powerful yet had never been tried. Will people be

willing to eave their kids behind? Who will give their house to be turned into

this hostel? What will happen to the food for children? Who will take care of


11

them? From where will the funds come? These were the questions to be

answered.

The plan that was drafted after considerable brainstorming was like this:

One vacated house in each village will be made into this hostel, after

convincing the owner of the house. Migrating parents will leave behind their

child’s share of grains. Other requirements were to be met through funds

raised by local community itself. A person from the village will be appointed

as a full time caretaker. In addition, there would be a cook to prepare meals

for students. Convincing migrants to permit their house to be used as hostel

turned out to be very easy. ‘Bal Adhikar Samiti’, a committee of village

residents was formed to take care of this community hostel. Village

Sarpanch is the chief of the committee and the local school teacher,

secretary. Whoever wants, can become a member. It raises funds for mess

and other expenses from village community. The motivating factor is that

they are contributing for their own children who are this village’s future.

Thus this programme ‘Bal Rashmi’ emerged as a school support system. It

was supported by CRY. The half-yearly community hostels are running in10

villages of Nal-Sarovar area. This innovation has enormous potential as a

replicable model and the education authorities can implement it to other

areas with similar problem of migration.


12

While talking to these brick kiln workers it was revealed that prior to brick

kilns, many of them used to work at Salt pans in the Rann of Kutch. Why did

they quit that job? The response was that working in salt pans is much

tougher than that in brick kilns. Brick making itself seems a tough job, how

would a job tougher than this look like?

To see the condition of people in general and of children in particular,

Gantar carried out a yatra from Gandhi Ashram to little Rann of Kutchh the

slogan was “Mitha na gangde ajadi, abadi ni navi ladai’ meaning “ we got

Bal-Rashmi The Bal-Rashmi programme evolved while Gantar was exploring possibilities of intervention with children of brick-kiln workers in 1994-95. The issue of migration was vibrant and challenging to deal with. Children of these migrant workers used to come with their parents to Ahmedabad and its periphery for livelihood. The inaccessibility to education facility at work place and inconsistency in education eventually forced these children to get into labour. ‘Bal-Rashmi’ was developed as a model and break-through to break the vicious cycle of exploitation formed due to migration. The programme launched in the villages from where these children used to migrate. In-depth research on the issue brought significant information out and accordingly concept of half-yearly community hostels shaped up. 10 villages of Nal-Sarovar area were selected to demonstrate this model.

It’s dinner time at the community hostel.


13

freedom through salt pebbles, now this is a new fight of people.” This yatra

lasted for eight days, out of which six days in salt pan villages and the Rann.

They prepared a list of 9th/ 10th passed youth who were interested in

contributing towards education in the region. On the last day a Poornahuti

program was organized in which issues/ problem in this area were talked

about with local people. A surprising fact emerged that in times of British

reign there used to be a school in the Rann. However after independence

nothing was done and the earlier schools were closed.

This was because of the fact that this salt rich region was a big revenue

earner for the government back then. Salt tax (the same tax caused

Mahatma Gandhi to call for Dandi March) collected from the region used to

contribute to a third of the total tax revenues. Hence the British were

concerned about development of the area. Health and basic education was

critical for maintaining productivity of work force.

“When there were schools fifty years back, why none now?” the question

troubled Sukhdevbhai. “How long should we wait for the government to

wake up and do something? The children there need it now!!” with this

urgency, Gantar did many follow-up visits through Mr Prashant Rawal who

had the background knowledge of the area having worked in the locality for

some years. It was decided to set up schools in the Rann. The parents were

more than willing to get their children educated. But as a token of

commitment, they were asked to erect a school hut. “You build and then

we’ll come.” All the material e.g. gunny bags, bamboo were provided to

them. The first Rann School started in the Rann near Kharaghoda village of

Patdi block in Surendranagar distt. Nobody could come from outside to

teach so local 10th pass/fail youth were picked up and trained for the

purpose.

The model is entirely different from the government’s ‘informal education

program which in Gantar’s view is ‘poor education for poor people’. In


14

contrast, they provide the children with the mainstream text books and full

time schooling (even more than the specified school time in a setting like

Rann where kids spend almost all their day at school). Each fortnight, the

teachers are given two days of training. At the same time, their feedback is

taken for improvement in the system and future planning is carried out. The

training program is tailor made to the needs. Simultaneously an enrolment

drive was carried out in ten villages of Patdi block and 100 % enrolment was

accomplished.

However, when the students of Rann schools went to their native village,

schools there didn’t accept them and did not allow them to take examination

saying that these students do not fulfil attendance criterion. They enrolled

everybody in first class irrespective of what they learnt in Rann schools.

Parents got annoyed with this. They saw no point in sending their child to

Rann School if he/she remains in the same class after two or three years.

Gantar contacted authorities in education department for intervention but

there was no rule that could favour Gantar. Mr SM Talvi, District Education

Officer was an understanding and helpful officer. He issued an order that no

government schools would deny Rann school students for admission.

Through constant lobbying and advocacy with the government officials at

the state and district level these schools were linked with the mainstream

schools in the village consequently enabling children studying with the Rann

schools to appear for the annual examinations.

However, this increased number of students and hence workload on

government school teachers, who were not happy with this. They started

deliberately failing students on technical grounds such as attendance.

Gantar appealed to director, primary education against this. Through a

circular, he ordered the government schools to count Rann school

attendance towards the student’s overall attendance requirement. A

permanent system was established then. Under this there are two copies of

attendance register. Monthly attendance record of students is sent to


15

respective village school headmaster before 5th of the next month. The

schools are named in local language and names are such that reflect a

progressive approach like Asha, Anand, and Tejas.

Little Rann of Kutchh: A tough terrain The Little Rann of Kutchh is surrounded by the districts of Kutchh, Banaskantha, Mehsana, Surendranagar and Rajkot. It is a unique place. Historically it was a shallow part of the gulf of Kutchh. It is formed through gradual siltation of marine estuary. During monsoon, through the discharge of river and rain waters together with sea water blown up due to south west winds, the rann becomes a vast shallow sheet of water which dries up by October, November leaving a flat surface to provide super highway for vehicles. It’s a flat, salt-cracked vast barren land of mirages and horizons. With an average rainfall of about 310 mm which goes down to just 100 mm in drought years, the Rann is one of the toughest abodes for humankind on the globe. Rains are erratic and every alternate year is the drought year. The climate is hot and dry for most of the year. However, temperature variation is very high ranging from 4° C minimum in winters to 47° C maximum in summers.

Picture courtesy: http://www.indiabirds.com/Images/WildAss1.jpg The salt impregnated Rann is sterile and devoid of any vegetation. Water, soil or air, it’s salt everywhere. Salinity of ground water is three times that of the sea water. Apart from humans the only other animal specie that thrives here is that of wild asses. The fringe and Bet (an elevated island in Rann) areas have prosopis, salvadora as tree vegetation and unique saline resistant grasses like sporobolus, sueda, theglo, allurops etc. form the fodder base for those wild herbivores. The majestic wild asses locally known as Ghudkhar, roaming over mirage waters make it a unique and one of the most fascinating wildernesses of the world. The wild ass sanctuary was established in 1973 covering entire little rann and waste lands of bordering five districts with an area of 4953 Sq. km. The Rann is the only of its kind of land in world where salinity of ground water is three times


16

Visit to Asha: A Rann School

The author visited one of these Rann schools Asha on 21st November 2004. Rann schools are built in a unique manner, wherein the floor of school is about 3 feet below the ground level. It serves dual purposes: for one, it requires less construction material and for another, more importantly, protects the inmates from scorching heat. It’s located amidst little Rann of Kutchh., 22 km from patdi. The school is running for fourth continuous year. New session of the school started on 1st November after the Navaratri season when immigrants come and erect their huts. It has fifty five students in seventh standards. Composition of the classes was as follows. Standard Girls Boys Total 1 6 8 14 2 5 2 7 3 4 6 10 4 0 6 6 5 3 5 8 6 1 6 7 7 0 3 3 Total 19 36 55 The teacher Mahadevbhai is from a village called Mandal, 20 km from the school. He lives in a nearby hut and each fortnight goes to his village on his bicycle. He fetches drinking water every third day from a distance of five km. Upon talking he said that it gets too cold for comfort in the night. Huts made of bamboo and gunny bag don’t give much protection. Living in such tough circumstances, he appeared highly motivated and satisfied with his work. He told that he gets special training at GBA (Gijubhai Bal Academy, more on this in following pages) for whatever subjects he finds tough to teach.


17

Other interventions

Since its inception, Gantar has followed a rights based approach. It has

addressed following rights of the children through its interventions.

Right to Survival

“Every child has a right to live with love, care and affection”

Intensive Health Monitoring System

It is believed that the state is primarily responsible to ensure survival of all

citizens. Basic survival right has been included under the scope of human

rights too. With this understanding Gantar has adopted a complementary

role instead of acting as a service dispenser. The primary role of Gantar

consists of developing inherent systems in the entire programmes across the

board to generate relevant and reliable information on the issues of survival.

This information is processed to develop perspective on the issues with

deferent dimensions. The basic parameters of information include Birth

Rate, Mortality Rate, Cause of death, Quality of nutrition, Child Health

education to Mothers, girl child health education status, preventive action

taken on epidemics and other diseases, status of vaccination, and

knowledge on disaster preparedness. Gantar also provides the referral

While we were talking, Dasharath Labhubhai Pagi a 9th standard student at government school, Kharaghoda broke in. He is a pass out of the same school, and hence has affinity for his alma mater. In his spare time he comes here and helps Mahadevbhai in teaching. The author asked a few questions of general awareness to the students and the responses were at par, if not better than any mainstream village school.


18

services to sick children and also helps in the critical cases to curative

measures at Ahmedabad.

Right to Development

Every child has a right to grow in equal, healthy and exploitation free

environment

Balghars – Child Rights Centres

“Being social is the basic instinct of human beings. The society has

significant role in psychophysical development of a human being. In rural

society, people interact with each other at different platforms such as,

women generally share talks at common water source, for elderly people

there is a panchayat office or market and youngsters generally get together

at playing ground or a shop. The only section of society left without such

unconditional avenue for social interaction is children.

They spend maximum time with their peers only in school, which provides

conditional environment and a structured time span. It doesn’t provide

exposure to the children to partake activities that would build their overall

personality. Balghar is an attempt to address this inadequacy. Healthy

interaction with peers helps build confidence and coping mechanisms. This

was the theoretical foundation behind the concept of Balghar (Children’s

Activity Centre) as Child Rights programme for children. Balghar gives them

an opportunity to empower themselves with their own basic rights. The

programme was also found successful in trauma reduction after the

earthquake.


19

Learning Centres for Adolescent Girls

During the earthquake intervention in Kutchh, Gantar got exposed to issues

pertaining to education in the region. Inadequate infrastructure, human

resource and orthodox societal mindset prevent girls from education. Kutchh

is one of the most backward districts in women literacy. The gravity of this

issue compelled us to intervene with adolescent girls. With an objective to

develop change makers at village level and ensure basic literacy and life

skills to Adolescent girls, Gantar is running 30 Adolescent Girls’ Learning

Centres in Anjar and Bhachau block of Kutchh region. Sakhis, Lady Teachers

who run these centres belong to the same or neighbouring villages. More

than 800 girls are gaining literacy and social learning skill through these

centres.

Balghar Balghar provides space for school going as well as non-school going children to freely interact, play, express their opinions and learn through a joyful medium. This is the place where they can see their ideas take shape. They are the sole mangers and sole decision-makers of this place. Here, they can structure their own syllabus and can decide what they want to learn. This is the place where they get a common friend called Baldost. Baldosts offer coaching to non school going children who are inclined to join school and prepare them for the same. This provides both the children and the baldost to interact even when the community hostels are closed.

A jovial group of kids at Balghar


20

Gijubhai Bal Academy

In view of weak policies and inadequate law enforcement, advocacy on child

rights issues becomes an essential tool for making the state proactive.

Effective advocacy involves in-depth research and a cadre of equipped

people, who can act as advocates for child rights. Unfortunately very few

institutes in India work on this. Gijubhai Bal Academy (GBA) is a unique

attempt of Gantar to address this. GBA aims for building cadre of child rights

advocates through intensive research and training programme. The

academic exercise will also direct the strategies and future programme of

the organization. This institute serves dual purpose for Gantar. One, its

Gantar’s captive training center for its teachers, Baldosts and the like and

the other, it works as a resource centre for government and non

governmental training programs. Such training programs helps Gantar

spread its philosophy among different segments of academia ad

administration. To accomplish that along with specified curriculum of the

training workshop, Gantar instructors like Sukhdevbhai or Prashantbhai take

a session daily on issues of child rights etc. The institute is also involved in

research and making alternative policies on subjects of child rights. The

author visited the place on 21st November, 2001. In GBA campus, they run

Bhantarshala, an informal school for homeless children, who could not

pursue formal education. There are 17 such children who along with

vocational training, would go through informal education for three years and

then would take secondary school examination as ex-students. Vocational

training includes skills like weaving, electrician, bakery, sewing, carpentry

etc. There are six teachers at GBA to take care of them.

School Reconstruction

Villages located on periphery of Little Rann of Kutchh were badly affected by the

quake. Community of saltpan workers mainly populates these villages. Many

schools in these villages had completely collapsed and as these are very remote no

organisation took charge to reconstruct them. Gantar shouldered the responsibility


21

of reconstruction of damaged schools looking at the negative effect the situation

had on education. Gantar has reconstructed 5 schools in Bajana, Patdi, Sali, Odu

and Zinzuwada villages of Patdi Block. Three of these schools are girls’ school and

their colourful and child friendly infrastructure has helped increase enrolments.

Zinzuwada Primary School reconstructed by Gantar

Right to Protection

Every child has a right to get protected in any kind of crises.

Relief work during earthquake

The devastating earthquake of 26th January 2001 had left behind widespread

destruction in the entire Kutchh district and parts of other districts like

Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Patan, Banaskantha, and Ahmedabad.

In this hour of anguish, Gantar took charge with following interventions:

• 24 hours Control Room

Entire team of Gantar got involved in the immediate relief and rescue

operations. Its office was one of the three Control Rooms of Janpath Citizens


22

Initiative (JCI). The supply of relief material to the non-Kutchh areas was

co-ordinated from the Gantar Control Room. Consequently Gantar was

involved in the relief operations in Patdi block of Surendranagar and

Santalpur block of Patan district and provided relief materials like tents,

tarpaulins, blankets, food grains etc. The Gantar teams were able to reach

nearly 3,578 families in 16 villages of 2 blocks. Temporary Shelters made of

iron; cane and canvas were provided to 150 families of Himmatpura and

Naranpura, two worst affected villages in Patdi. Tarpaulins and tents were

also provided to 20 worst affected schools in the region. After the rescue

work, Gantar involved in devising strategies on issues like education,

livelihood, social rehabilitation, and the like.

• Sneh Samudaay– Community of Love

Gantar is active in 18 villages of Anjar and Bhachau talukas of Kutch district

of Gujarat under earthquake rehabilitation project called Sneha Samuday.

This works on community based rehabilitation of the most vulnerable among

the survivors of the Gujarat earthquake – children without protection, single

women and widows, disabled and old people devoid of the care of families.

Chief objectives of the programme are:

• Protection of the rights of the most vulnerable survivors of the

earthquake.

• Ensuring the best possible rehabilitation for these segments of

population based in families and their communities;

• Strengthening caring responsibility in the community and,

• Influencing the state policy with regard to these groups, particularly

in the context of disaster.

Childline

Childline is a national project of the Ministry of Social Justice and

Empowerment (SJ&E); it is 24-hour free emergency phone outreach service


23

for children in need of care and protection. Any child/concerned adult can

call 1098 free of cost and avail of the service at any time of the day and

night. Gantar shouldered

Right to participate

Every child has a right to express feelings and opinions.

Bachpan Sena

‘Gantar’ believes that children have tremendous strength and potential to

develop their skills and personality as noble citizens. However, their

cerebrations and energy require proper channel. Bachpan Sena gives that

platform to channelise this energy in a right direction. The concept of

Bachpan Sena conceived in the programme of Balghar, where children

began to take initiatives in managing their centre. Setting up a formal

structure of a group has ensured equal and democratic opportunity for

leadership. The group received identity, as ‘Bachpan Sena’ The word ‘Sena’

stands for army. The name signifies the force of childhood. This group is not

for routine studies, but for acting in favor of children. Bachpan Sena of some

villages has started playing significant role in the village administration.

Baal Adhikar Samiti (Child rights committee)

No social intervention can succeed without participation of the community.

The area of child rights is new in the context of community participation.

The visibility of community participating in the issues of children is

comparatively limited and restricted to school. The indicators of child

mortality, child marriage, and child labour have historically been paid less

attention as these issues are either related to their economic status or

culture. Therefore, a select group of members of community is formed into

committee called ‘Bal Adhikar Samiti’ The committee functions to build the

perspective on child rights and act as pressure group in the village to work

on the issues of children. The committee plays a role complementary to


24

Bachpan Sena. Members represent all sections of caste, gender and class.

The involvement of teacher and other knowledgeable people helps sensitize

them.

Swa Shakti – Mother’s Groups

This is national level programme promoted by Government of India with the

support of World Bank, objective being financial freedom for rural women.

The programme was running in state for last five years; however Gantar

took the responsibility to implement the programme two years back, with

the conviction that working with mothers would help encourage girl child

education. Formation of women’s group and engaging them in income

generation activities gives an opportunity to sensitize them on their

daughters’ education. Women also talk about domestic violence and other

cultural issues. Gradually, the group gets converted into a forum. The

membership of these groups is restricted to women, whose children are

regular in the school. Indirectly this restriction builds up the appropriate

environment for education.

Problems

In spite of such an impressive track record, Gantar is faced with some constraints, which if relaxed, can lead to much better results.

• Limited Scope

Though Gantar has been very effective with whatever issues it took

up, the impacts of its efforts are pretty localized given its scope of

operations. The founder says that it’s very difficult to mobilize resources

at local level. Dependence on donor agencies is a big constraint in timely

and correct execution of projects.

• Lack of professional staff

Gantar’s roots are in an individual’s volunteer spirit and as it grew big

it has more or less followed the same route of voluntarism where the


25

employee’s motivation is preferred over her professional skills. It has a

policy to develop administrators in-house rather than hiring professional

from outside. Lack of funds to compensate good professionals is also a

governing constraint. However if Gantar can be a little more open to

professionalism can be able to hire better skilled staff at critical positions,

at the same time protecting its values, it would help its cause.

• Communication skills of employees

Almost all of the staff is from Gujarat, not very comfortable with

English which today, has become a language for official communication.

This problem hits more so because of the need to interact with

international funding or professional support providers.

• Absence of documentation

So far, there has been no serious effort to document Gantar’s

background, interventions and philosophy which could help them reach

out to individuals, agencies, and officials with a standard document.

Without this it becomes very difficult for an outsider to guess what this

organization is, what does it do and how can it be of interest for him/her.

Author hopes that this effort helps Gantar in its cause.

**********************************

Contact Details of Gantar

Mr Sukhdev Patel,

Gantar

C-11, Kalpana Apartment,

Besides Bike Auto,

Vijay Cross Roads, Navrangpura,

Ahmedabad-380009

Phone: +91(0) 79-2646 61 57/2640 75 58, 9825012036(Mr Sukhdev Patel)

E-mail: [email protected]

gantar: a journey through the land of mirage

Documents