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Empowering individuals, empowering a community

13:48 Sep 4 2012 India

Description
Children from the village of Nayagaon in India struggled with their education. The issue was not that they did not have a school to attend or that they were absent. In this case, lack of motivation and dedication of teachers and parents resulted in poor teaching and quality of education. Without the involvement of parents and an active Parents and Teachers’ Association, children were falling behind in their schooling.

Community members were aware of the situation, but were not knowledgeable of what they could do about it.

World Vision’s Area Development Project (ADP) engaged volunteers from different communities in trainings on the Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) methodology. The participants were also introduced to both the Right to Information and the Right to Education acts. They learned about citizens’ entitlements and how to hold their government accountable for their rights.

Laxman was the community member from Nayagaon that attended the training. He is a disabled individual that, even after earning a college degree, did not know about his rights and benefits as a disabled citizen. Learning how to use the CVA approach empowered Laxman to seek information about what he and his fellow villagers were entitled to receive as benefits.

Back in his community, Laxman was able to examine the situation of the village school and identify problems concerning teachers’ inappropriate practices. His next step was to take the community’s complains to the Sub Divisional Magistrate at the Block level. Local authorities thus performed disciplinary actions towards those teachers.

As a result, those teachers became more responsible in coming to school and attending to the needs of their students. Staff from the education department have been monitoring teachers’ performance and holding them accountable for their duties.

CVA not only has enabled the community to attain better schooling for children, but has also been a key tool for Laxman to receive benefits.

Before learning about the CVA approach, the 32-year-old lived secluded from community life and could not participate in regular activities due to his physical limitations.

Laxman utilized the CVA approach to learn more about his rights and actually attain them. He did not know, for example, that he could get bus and train passes with a disability certificate. Empowered, Laxman formed a group that teaches other disabled people about their rights and encourages them to speak up and hold their government accountable.

For the villagers in Nayagaon, CVA came as an eye-opening and empowering tool. Laxman regained space in the community and confidence to empower others. Community members have not only acquired tangible changes towards better education and services to disabled citizens, but they have also been equipped with an approach that can serve them to attain better conditions in the long-term.
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Comments
narzary GL (Feb 26 2013)
AGONY OF PBORs PBORS are not able to get the benefit due to slow government protocol unlimited delay with unplanned policy. The Government has publish numbers of page to benefit the PBORS but 80 Percent of the Ex-servicemen is completely unaware or uneducated about the pay commission formulation term and conditions and unable to receive the benefit encrypted in the charter of 6th CPC. They are always in pain of non-responsiveness in adjustment of their pay and allowance after retired from the service. There is a huge gap between the government benefit and the PBORs, some middle men are getting with conspiracy in delaying the protocol. These Middlemen are involving to increase the gap between these two. The unlimited delay period is making the PBORs more hapless and more panic in their old hood injustice done by the Government. Middle men are set free to do like they want. The Food for work done is the direct and basic phenomena of our constitution and also basic rule of the nature. This has consistently violated the rule made by the constitution. All pay commission is meant for giving the entitlement amount to those who serve for the nation. In this case the Government has exploited million ex-servicemen though they have been done their nations security duty very sincerely irrespective to the worst condition of survivability. In comparison to all government civilian employees, they are being treated as the lower cadre citizen though they are pre-termed to sacrify for the nation when they are required by the nation. Thought the civilian people work for the 08 Hrs duty with 6 days week, they are getting sent percent benefit and welfare but the defence people are working and most of the period round the clock, round the year though they are being paid minimal salary. Always willingly and unwillingly with depression also they are force to provide the full dedication whole heartedly work for the nation round the clock round the year until they retire from the service with limited grant of salary. Notwithstanding they are being treated clearly as slave or second class citizen of the country like African are being treated by British. In another word in can be termed as the as “Clear job exploitation” with PBORS openly by the policy. After formation of so many commissions and department to look after the welfare of the defence no benefit is given benefit to benefice PBORs. How sad to say it is? tthough we are under in democratic sovereign, socialist and republic country.
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