ASRAYA - A COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVE TO REMOVE DESTITUTION

1. ASRAYA - A COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVE TO REMOVE DESTITUTION ASRAYA – A COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVE TO REMOVE DESTITUTION Kudumbashree, Kerala

2. Background • Strong local governments in Kerala consequent to the Constitutional amendments • Evolution of Community Based Organizations of women within Local Governments • Community space in Anti Poverty Sub Plans of local governments • Kudumbashree - State Poverty Eradication Mission of the Government of Kerala • Community based organisations working in partnership with Local Governments • Excellent outreach and feedback systems • Community role in beneficiary identification • Demand creation for public services and enhanced access • Community based monitoring

3. Community Organization • 3 tier federated structure • Neighbourhood groups (NHG) of women from poor families • Ward-level Area Development Societies (ADS) • Community Development Society (CDS) at the local government level • Registered Society with leadership elected democratically from the lower tiers • 37 lakh families, 2 lakh NHGs, 1061 CDS as of today

4. Destitute families • 2% of the population estimated to be destitute in Kerala • Bypassed by the development effort • Margins of the economy, society and polity • Not a constituency or vote bank • Usual formula of subsidy support inadequate to redress gravity of deprivation • No safety net against risks • Lacking in capabilities to access entitlements to basic minimum services

5. The challenge • Enthuse local self governments to allocate resources and time for the destitute • Enable the community organisation to ensure enduring support and services to the ultra poor • Chanelise community sponsorship • Develop indices and methodology of identification and planning to ensure that benefits are not hijacked or misdirected • Develop and sustain multi disciplinary model of convergence

6. Asraya – Destitute identification and rehabilitation • Programme of the Government of Kerala • Long term Support to destitute families to ameliorate conditions of destitution, and enable mainstreaming • Implemented by Local Self Governments • Facilitated by the Kudumbashree community organizations • Started in 2002-03 • “Challenge Fund” from Kudumbashree, plan funds of local governments, various departments, local sponsorships • Coverage – 904 local governments out of 1057, 70591 families • Financial outlay Rs.401 crores

7. Asraya Plan Preparation • Demand based approach after sensitizing Village Panchayats. • Transparent identification on simple socially acceptable criteria. • Initial short listing by NHGs and house visits for confirmation. • Needs identification through interaction with families. • Documentation of current status and needs. • Preparation of family level plan. • Integration into Village/town level plan.

8. Participatory Identification of destitute • Two level risk assessment • First level – (families falling in at least seven of the following categories) • Landless • Houseless • Without access to drinking water • Without access to toilet • Woman - headed • Unemployed • Belonging to SC/ST • Physically/ mentally challenged person (at least one member) • Illiterate adult member (at least one member)

9. Participatory Identification of destitute • Second level – (aggravating risk factors ) – (families falling in any one risk factor) • Squatter families • Sleeping in public places • Family headed by widow/abandoned woman/unwed mothers living in distress • Those with terminal or Incurable disease • Beggars • Woman victims of atrocities/trafficking • No bread winner in the family

10. Asraya Care package • Food Security – food grains through PDS, supplementary nutrition where needed, cooked food where needed • Health care – Medicines, palliative care, counselling, support for hospitalisation in convergence with RSBY, transportation • Old-age care • Support for obtaining welfare pensions • Provision for permanent shelter - land, house, drinking water and sanitation • Support for education – learning materials, uniform, transportation support • Livelihood support – special support for productive employment

11. Implementation of Asraya • Secretary of the local government as the chief coordinating officer • Convergence of services with other departments/agencies • Additional support sponsored by well-wishers Specific support entrusted to NHG • Monitoring of incremental improvement by CDS • Supervision by committee headed by President of local government

12. Summary of Plans (Sector-wise allocation)

13. Concurrent evaluation and follow up • Assessments conducted at State-level in 2008 • Identified weaknesses in planning and implementation • State-level physical and financial audit of Asraya programme • Regularization of records and accounts • Sensitization of local government leaders and functionaries • “Asraya Revisit” • Revisit and reassessment of Asraya families by trained resource persons • Revised Asraya care package • Formulation of revised guidelines for Asraya • Detailed guidelines for care package services • Clarity on implementation procedures • Exclusive scheme for tribal communities • Special focus on mentally challenged persons

14. Latha, Ramanattukara Kozhikode Chronically ill, deserted by husband Support for treatment of asthma Support for children’s education Regular supply of food grains Made part of a group enterprise producing nutrimix Re-united with husband No longer Asraya beneficiary Vidyadharan,Pallithodu Pathanamthitta Mental illness, thrown out of home Provided treatment in a mental hospital Supported to start a stationery shop Bought an auto rickshaw Wife and children return Experiences

15. Animangalam, Ernakulam Bed-ridden breadwinner, no access path to the house, unable to go to hospital Path built as part of project, regular visit to hospital enabled Family provided employment under NREGS Experiences Nagalassery, Palakkad Seven families of beggars Rehabilitated with new houses Road access to new settlement Employment through NREGS Regular supply of food grains Medical camps & support for treatment

16. From despair To hope

17. New beginnings Narayani,Uduma in front of the field she cultivated Shahina,Karavaram taking medical help

18. Achievements So Far General acceptance of the identification process. Willingness to provide higher order of assistance to identified families Visible empowerment process – slow but steady Progressive access to entitlements • Food Security • Health Security • Social Security • Minimum needs • Economic development Transformation in the attitudes and approaches of officials and elected representatives. Political consensus

19. Key Elements Of Success • Conscious decision to reach the unreached • Transparent criteria for inclusion • Involvement of Community Based Organisation of the poor themselves • Plans tailored to each family • Convergence of existing schemes and services and gap filling • Primacy to care and compassion-more than mere material assistance • Continued support till a threshold is reached • Leadership of local governments and partnership with civil society

20. Possibilities of community based social security under the leadership of Local Governments First Project in the country targeting the excluded poor as a distinct category

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