Projects - Fida International

Shalom Community Development Project

Gandhi once said that India may be found in her villages. Most villages in India, however, find no place on the map and no mention in the newspapers. For all practical intents, they are forgotten by the outside world. Neevagaon is just such a village in Allahabad District of Uttar Pradesh but locally, it was well known for the frequent and intense bursts of crime that ravaged its quiet lanes. This is where the Shalom Community Development Project was started in 2004. Neevagaon’s large population and myriad social divisions along the lines of caste, religion and gender presented challenges at many levels. There was the danger of project interventions alienating or being rejected outright if they did not find resonance with the people. We had to proceed with care. Recognizing the urgent need for holistic development in this area, the project tackled the problem at its root. Crime invariably has its twisted beginnings in lack of education. The project started Anand Badi, a free school for 30 school dropouts. Today, more than 70 children come to learn at the school. In a region where women are typically backward and disempowered, the uneducated women formed a group and approached the local teacher to begin adult education classes for them as well. Some young people have now finished with their basic education and are learning English from one of the trainers. Education is not enough to ensure low crime as many youth turn to illegal means because of lack of employment. The project is focusing on building capacity in terms of income generation skills as well. The youth are being given training in skills such as driving, computer training, battery making, and mobile phone repair, and many of them are now employed and supporting their families. The project also supports and encourages various micro-enterprises in the area. The other significant problem in Neevagaon was lack of awareness about basic hygiene and healthy practices. Thorough and repeated sessions by the Community Health Educators have resulted in some changes. People are now cleaning their drinking water, using common methods of disease prevention, and keeping their surroundings clean. In a major undertaking, the main drains of the village were cleaned. They had not been cleaned for nearly 50 years and were an obvious cause of poor health and disease outbreaks in the area. These intensive efforts have begun to bear fruit. During a recent outbreak of encephalitis in north India, the village escaped with only three cases, none of which were fatal, despite being designated a high-risk zone. The project is also working to create awareness about HIV/AIDS, the ill effects of alcohol and drug abuse and gambling, social and fundamental rights, and the environment.