Women's Organisation for Socio Cultural Awareness (Wosca)

Women’s organization for Socio-Cultural Awareness (WOSCA) is a voluntary organization which was born on 20th December, 1993 with the commitment to ser Read moreve the underprivileged people. It was registered under the Society Registration Act XXI of 1860 in the year 1993-94 and under FCRA in the year 2000. Since its inception, WOSCA is taking up need-based programs primarily in the areas of livelihood, income generation, health, child rights, environment conservation, and human resource development. Under WOSCA, 'Life-Lab' was started in 2013 as a science program for government schools. In the past five years, 'Life-Lab' project has worked with more than 250 schools across seven states with the support of fourteen corporates. At Life-Lab, we make science education fun and engaging for children by building the capacities of teachers. Our intervention has led to an increment of 42.3 % in children's science scores (in th

Vision - WOSCA visualizes a society full of peace, joy and happiness where there will be no poverty, ignorance, diseases, suffering, hunger, exploitation, injustice and which will be saturated with solidarity, integrity, fraternity, nationality, non-discrimination, brotherhood and prosperity.
Mission - Transformation of thoughts in to deeds through participatory actions, people’s organizations, participatory learning and working together for human resources management.

WOSCA has 27 years of collaborative working experience with national donors, international donors, corporate donors and Government. WOSCA has achieved different milestones in governance and livelihood improvement, facilitating safe access to health and education for women and children, protecting rights of children and empowering the marginalised women and preserving the environment and culture in keonjhar district of Odisha. Following are the major achievements of WOSCA.

Governance and Livelihood.

• 1139 elected representatives including 630 women have improved governance knowledge and improved service delivery in 94 Garm Panchyats of keonjhar district.
• 4432 tribal including 1280 PVTG (Juanga) families in five blocks of keonjhar district enhanced their livelihoods through WADI development and converging the public benefits from government schemes.
• Rain water management facilitated under MGNREGA in 116 villages of six blocks and 6360 families improved their crop production (60-130%) through land development and water conservation measures.
• 16755 families got access to land under forest rights ACT through facilitation of land rights.
• 4368 people got access to benefits under Public Distribution system and 3122 old aged and differently abled people got access to pension schemes though tracking of public benefit schemes in mobile phone based MIS.

Health and Education.

• 2640 women and 8241 children (0-24 months) improved their nutrition status through proper facilitation of Infant, young child and mother nutrition in keonjhar district.
• Village Health and Nutrition Day (VHND) strengthened in 6 blocks of keonjhar district through effective facilitation and trainings to duty bearers.
• 1839 individual latrine (IHHL) facilitated and 7 villages made open defecation free.
• 2200 children adopted safe drinking & hygiene practices though construction of hand wash platforms and safe drinking water provisions.
• 756 mother got delivered in maternity waiting home and counselled for proper child feeding.
• 3450 drop out and 742 left out children (6-14 years) developed access to formal education through facilitation of education campaign, parent counseling and residential bridge course.
• 5200 children (standard 6-10) improved science learning through LiFE lab kits and 1280 children (10th standard) got improvement in marks through scholarship for books and special tuition.
• 1763 anganwadi centers (AWCs) in keonjhar district provided with play cum educative learning materials and 64 schools provided with activity kits and learning materials.
• 424 youth including 217 girls improved their employable skills and engaged in formal employment sectors.

Women empowerment and Child rights.

• 854 SHAKTI BARTA women trainer developed on strengthening health and ICDS service delivery in 286 gram panchahys of keonjhar.
• 574 Self Help Groups facilitated in Keonjhar district covering 7553 families and 60% groups are engaged in income generation activities and improved their livelihoods and wellbeing.
• 7600 families made aware on child rights and child protection in keonjhar district.
• 125 village level child protection committees (CPC) formed and strengthened. 41 cases of child abuse have been reported and perpetrators convicted, 36 child marriage delayed or stopped and 45 orphan children rehabilitated.
• 143 child labour rescued with the help of DCPU and CWC and rehabilitated educationally.
• 86 child clubs formed and strengthened and members participated in village development activities.
• 257 children in difficult circumstance have been rescued by child line operation and rehabilitated in families and child care homes.

Conservation, Climate Change, preservation of environment and culture.

• 7658 families made aware on Infrastructure Climate Resilient Works under MGNREGA.
• 90% Infrastructure development plan prepared focusing on Climate Resilient Works.
• 64 plans are linked with MGNREGA, OLM and ITDA developmental schemes
• 846 SHG members trained on ICRG activities
• 80% Livelihood convergence ensured in 32 GPs building the lead from the assets created under MGNREGS.
• 70% Agriculture based micro enterprises set up under NRLM with all forward linkages.
• Around Rs.12,000/- to 15,000/- additional income accrued to each household in Rabi & Khariff season due to the works implemented through MGNREGS.
• 152 forest protection groups formed and strengthened in scientific harvesting and NTFP collection.
• 3249 acres of waste land developed under MGNREGA and WADI plantation of horticulture crops taken up.
• 424 families using alternative solar energy for cooking and 160 tribal families adopted solar ventilator and light in poultry units.