Projects handled

• Sakhya (Combating Violence against Women) 1997-2003:

  Ford Foundation’s support strengthened Manch’s work for prevention of gender based violence. Manch conducted awareness events on the issue in many cities and towns in Maharashtra. In Maharashtra, there was a series of murder of young women out of one sided (as against mutual) attraction. The issue was largely discussed with youths in Maharashtra to stress on the right of girl to say no. A rally was organised in Pune, for which Bollywood actor Amir Khan was present. He condemned such acts of violence against women and mentality behind it. He gave a pledge to youths to accept and respect the right of the girls to say no.

• Nirmal Vasa (A pledge for health) 1998-2001:

  While working in urban areas, Manch was aware of need to work in rural and tribal areas. Hence, a project was undertaken to generate awareness as well as capacity building of health workers from within the community. With the support of McArthur Foundation, we started working in villages near Alandi and tribal villages in Ambegaon block of Pune district. A programme called ‘Nikopa’ (Healing/Cure) was undertaken to have a dialogue with adolescent students on changes experienced during adolescence, sexuality education and value education.

• Youth for Change:

  In continuation with the earlier health project, Manch undertook a project to mobilize tribal youths in the areas of village governance and development. This project enabled us to develop and conduct sexuality workshops with youths.

• Aaple Pani (2003-2005):

  Manch participated as implementing agency in this rural water supply and sanitation project of Maharashtra Government. We worked in seven villages of Pune district on social processes. The work was fruitful in the sense of participation of women and other deprived sections in the process of planning as well as reduction in drudgery of women. Some villages opted for schemes such as roof water harvesting.

• Arise (All Round Improvement in School Education – 2015-2021) :

  With the help of Tech Mahindra Foundation, we worked in four Zilla Parishad  schools (District level government schools) of Mulshi block. Imparting constructivist pedagogies, strengthening of school committees and community extension are the domains of intervention to develop school as a fully functional institution. Katkari Khelghars (A place to play for Katkari children. Katkaris are a particularly vulnerable tribal community in the area.) were operational in at these four villages and we have continued it even after the project ended.

• Hero’s Academy(working with youth – 2016-18):

  ITVS (Independent television service) support enabled us to take ahead the work done during Samajhdar Jodidar (An understanding partner) project. A structured process of dialogue was implemented with youth groups for three months, in which they used to identify a task in the interest of women and girls in villages. Hero academy felicitated the youths on completion of task and award them a certificate.

• Study on Female Genital Mutilation/cutting in India(2017-18):

  Few communities in India still practice female genital mutilation. Speak out for FGM is a group working to raise awareness against it. Speak out for FGM and Manch conducted a study of survivors of FGM. It was supported by Maharashtra Foundation and Manion’s Daniel.

• Yardi Vasti Sahbhag Prakalp, Bhavani Peth-Pune (2021-2023):

  This was a project funded by Yardi Software Company aiming to improve conditions of the local community in relatively poor urban area. We worked in the urban community of Bhavani Peth for three years. Our effort was towards capacity building of community mobilisers to work on the core programme areas such health & nutrition, maintenance of community toilets, vocational training and education. Community mobilisers came from the same community where they go back to work with their neighbours. We could reach to 8000 families through different interventions. The work provided us a lot of learning with respect to the urban communities. It will be helpful in designing any future indicatives in urban communities.       

• Surviving Violence – Everyday resilience and Gender Justice in rural urban India (2021-2023):

  This research was conducted in three states of India, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Manch and IIT-Bombay conducted the research in Maharashtra. Queen Mary University, London and University of Oxford were the partners in this project supported by The British Academy. Manch conducted a total of 150 interviews of domestic violence stakeholders such as survivors, lawyers, medical practitioners, protection officers, police and community members in rural, semi-urban and urban sites in Maharashtra. The research report and other resources can be found on https://www.survivingviolence.org/.

  
  

• Research project on trends in agriculture tenancy practice in Mulshi and Maval blocks of Pune district supported by The Nudge Foundation (2023):

  Dr Girija Godbole was a lead researcher for this project. This was a study undertaken to understand the agriculture tenancy pattern with reference to women and farmers belonging to underprivileged categories of the society, such as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Core program area and projects

• Katkari Development (since 2000):

  Manch first came in close contact with hardships faced by Katkari community around year 2000 while working in Ambegoan block on a rural health project. Katkari is one of the primitive tribes in Maharashtra and they are recognized as a ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group’ (PVTG). This erstwhile forest dwelling community was engaged in making Kaththa (or Kaat in Marathi, katechu in English). The term ‘Katkari’ itself is reminiscent of their occupational identity of bygone age. British policies restricted their access to raw material from the forest, which led to the loss of their traditional livelihood.

  Katkaris were compelled to shift their base in search of work. But with lack of education and no skills to survive in the mainstream society, they mostly earned their livelihood from seasonal wage work such as agriculture labour or labour on brick kilns. Pressure of constant search of work led them to migrate temporarily. Hence, despite coming closer to village communities, Katkaris are mostly living on the edge. They lack awareness on having necessary documents, identity proofs. The legal battle for two years gave a way to get caste certificates for them in Pune district. If Katkari children complete education, they can have better life. With this objective, Manch initiated Khelghar for Katkari children.

• Katkari Khelghar:

  Description for this activity can be seen below under ‘Projects in Hand’.