Sampark Samaj Sevi Sanstha

Sampark Samaj Sevi Sanstha is a non-profit organisation, established in 1987 as a branch of SWRC, Tilonia and later it got formally registered in 1990 Read more as a society under the Madhya Pradesh Society Registration Act 1973 under the leadership of Mr. Nilesh Desai. The choice of the area was made based on the nature and intensity of exploitation of the tribal community and relatively no developmental interventions in the area. The work started by studying the survival needs and strategies of the people. It respects knowledge, experience, science and technology of tribal community and local society. Equity, participation and optimum utilization of resources are key beliefs of Sampark. Incidentally, these are the very basis of tribal culture. Mr. Nilesh Desai, Founder of Samaprk started with the Mission of facilitating a process through which the disadvantaged and powerless would organize them for a just and sustainable social order so that they could be empowered to develop their quality of life, resources, culture and esteem through a participatory and non-violent method. Sampark is a strong believer of Gandhian thought of “Gram Swaraj” and its initiative are towards strengthening the village economy. For attaining these goals, Sampark follows a strategy, which combines Satyagraha and Nirman. The organisational efforts are more confined to village development where it tries to strengthen by emphasising on “Goan Ka Pani Goan Mein”, “Goan Ka Beej Goan Mein”, “Goan Ka Paisa Goan Mein” & “Gaon Ka Jhagda Goan Mein” and making it more participatory. village-level groups have been formed, who are part of decision-making processes. For making the villages self-reliant, the barefoot model has been adopted where various service groups have been formed like Pashu Mitra, Pashu Sakhi, Swashthya Saheli etc., further for reducing the villager’s dependency on others Gram Kosh, Seed Bank, promotion of organic farming etc. have been initiated.  Prestigious magazine  The Week  designates Sampark Founder and Director Nilesh Desai as Man of the Year. We profusely thank  The Week  for this honour. ( https://www.theweek.in/theweek/specials/2018/12/14/lighting-up-the-darkness.html) Strategy: Sampark's vision provides a continuous sense of direction. Its mission shows it what it is trying to do through its endeavours. But it is through its strategy that it reflects on 'how' it is to actually go about working with the people and operationalising its objectives. Sampark's strategy has been evolving itself over 20 years of field experience. It has kept itself in touch with the pulse of the people, thus accommodating their 'felt' needs while keeping their 'actual' needs in mind. Initially, Sampark gets involved in the time taking the process of forming a relationship with the people. The discussions resorted to for this help it understands the people and wins their trust. Based on issues of concern, it organises street play campaigns. These help it to make the people better understand the problems they face and their root causes. Elaborate discussions are held to raise their consciousness levels and to motivate them to do something about their situation. Beliefs: The organisation believes in the essential worth of traditions and culture, and the dignity of life that the present social order is unjust and inequitable and that certain communities have been unfairly marginalised that despite the deprivation they may have suffered, the people have the inherent ability to assert their position in the society and determine their future that Sampark can only facilitate their efforts. And it is to this end that Sampark strive to bring in changes by promoting traditional lifestyles based on simplicity and collective living, by promoting traditional systems of medicine and ways of healthy living, by brining alternative systems of learning, by facilitating access to alternative livelihood means, by facilitating access and control over common property resources, and by mobilising the people towards asserting their rightful position in society Towards these goals, Samark follows a strategy, which combines Sangharsh and Nirman: Sangharsh to create critical consciousness and mobilise the people to question the existing social order and struggle for a just position in society. Nirman to support the endeavours of the people for the development of their resources and for improving their resources and for improving their state of well being. Sampark Buniyadi Shaala Sampark also runs a residential school for tribal children. Sampark Buniyadi Shaala is modelled based on Mahatma Gandhi's basic education method . Sampark Buniyadi Shaala up to the 10th class at Sampark Campus providing quality education to tribal children. In addition to the prescribed Madhya Pradesh State Board syllabus, the children learn about their own local livelihoods and culture and get skill training. The children, thus, receive a localized education that makes them sensitive to the situation prevailing in their area and the ways in which local problems can be solved. Buniyadi Shala is a humble answer of Sampark to the extremely sorry state of education in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in remote Adivasi areas. The Right to Education assuring eight years of schooling to all children is there on paper but the reality is quite different. The poor people, who find it difficult to make ends meet as it is, are rarely able to spare the money for the education of their children. Therefore, it devolves on the Government to provide free schooling to poor children. In remote Adivasi areas, the Government does not provide for the education of children adequately. What it does is appoint some guest teachers on an ad hoc basis. Each year at the start of the academic session in June advertisements are given asking for applications from prospective teachers. By the time the whole process of selection is over it is about October. So a single teacher per school is appointed in November and she is retained till March when the examinations are conducted and then the teacher is laid off resulting in only five months of teaching in a year. Supplementary Education Programme: This programme covers 10 most educationally backward villages where the children had very little knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic. A total of 295 children joined the education programme initially in 2013 but as the impact became visible more children have joined and presently 1512 are enrolled. In addition to routine teaching, other activities are conducted in the school so that children can be attracted and inspired. A positive environment is created through leadership development, organisation of bal panchayats (children’s forums) and workshops, bal mela (children’s fairs) and field visits for entertainment and mental development of children. The parents are kept informed of and involved in all these activities. Teachers’ training is given due importance and held regularly. Parents’ association meeting, creative letter writing workshops, sports competitions and science, mathematics and language workshops are held. Adolescent group meetings are also held.