The social, economic, political and environmental realities in Bhal are undergoing rapid changes with changing forms of exploitation and leadership. Mahiti Trust and the communities are being preparing themselves to face new challenges. The powerful class intervenes even in the execution, utilization of natural resources and government schemes for backward classes. This results in limited participation in business and market by the poor. Since last five years, Mahiti Trust has taken up the work on issues of social injustice like exploitation of women, liquor, gambling, violence, bride price, illegal possession of land, issues related to land titles, deprivation of backward classes from local power system etc. For this, it has set up a “Bhal Social Activists Group (B-SAG)” with the membership of 50 enthusiastic men and women to carry out social justice campaign at the regional level, human rights awareness among people and voice against existing evils.
Women in rural areas face atrocities and suffer a lot more because of their ignorance about legal provisions. For this a Legal Aid and Family Counseling Centre has been set up at our Centre (Dholera) and provides legal aid and counseling. The legal consultants come regularly on 25th of every month. Many people come to the meeting with various issues like domestic violence against women, human rights violation, marital discord, bride burning, torture, illegal possession of land, land ownership issues like cases of inheritance, non registration of legally owned land, non issuing of ownership right in spite of cultivating the land for many years etc. Mahiti Trust also formed and nurtured Bhal Social Activists Group (BSAG) and Mahiti Trust guides and help to solve the problems by counseling or if needed by legal actions with assistance from two legal consultants (advocates) who guide the complainant to take legal action. This is being done through BSAG. A library containing books, booklets, related to various laws has been set up at the centre which has been quite useful to local youth and activists. Moreover, brochures containing information regarding the laws related to police station have been printed. These also have proved fairly useful.
Mahiti Trust has taken up youth empowerment activities since last five years. Initially, Mahiti Trust had focused on women’s empowerment in this area and many issues were handled / solved by women. Women’s leadership also emerged. The moneylenders in this area who had realized women’s strength now stopped exploiting them but continued exploiting men-folk and kept them suppressed. Mahiti Trust’s efforts to bring the marginalized people in this area to mainstream remains incomplete unless the youth in the villages are not made aware and capable. The youth in this area has little of education or awareness and as a result they do not have much courage to raise objection to any kind of exploitation and got into clutches of moneylenders easily. Looking to this situation, Mahiti Trust has been working for formation of youth groups and their capacity building.
So far 30 youth groups in 30 villages have been formed. Total number of members is 1239. These youth groups have a place in their village where they have books, indoor and outdoor games equipment for games like chess, carom board, volleyball etc so as to encourage the youth to pass their free time in good constructive activities and come closer so that an atmosphere of communication created. The village youth use these centers. Some times they organize short picnics with their contribution.
Mahiti Trust makes efforts that youth in every village get involved in youth activities. Mahiti Trust encourages youth in the villages to play cricket besides other games. The objective is to channelize youth energy to the right track because having no activity on hand youth resort to drinking, gambling and other addictive activities which harm their life and they waste their time and money too. Every year, an area level youth cricket tournament is organized.
Mahiti Trust also conducts various trainings to build and strengthen the Life skills of the youth in the Bhal region. These trainings enable the youth to partake in interactive discussions, to conduct presentations, to participate in team activities, build confidence and strengthen their leadership skills.
The current economic situation has provoked Mahiti Trust to take an active lead in providing information on how the youth can go about seeking steady and self-sustaining employment opportunities. Since majority of the youth in this region have not completed more than 7 years in the school and have limited skills outside of polishing diamonds.
Mahiti Trust also disseminates relevant information to improve the livelihood situation of the youth, while continuing to build life skills and uniting the youth. Therefore, Mahiti Trust provides information regarding vocational training institutes which train students (who may not necessarily have completed school) to gain a market demanded specialized skill. These institutes will broaden their skills, improve their livelihood condition, and encourage them to no longer fully depend on employment from the diamond factories, gain a skill in which self employment is possible, minimize the periods of unemployment, and earn a steady income. Mahiti Trust aims to empower the youth to take hold of these opportunities to improve their livelihood conditions and become more confident in the ability for the youth to take the matters into their own hands rather than becoming dependent on others for employment for a lifetime.
Mahiti Trust decided that it was not only important to provide information about vocational training opportunities to the youth but go a step further. When observing and understanding the background of the youth from this region it was obvious that the youth would need more than just information about vocational training opportunities to take advantage of the opportunity and to become a more well-rounded youth. The youth need a helping hand.
Thus, Mahiti Trust made linkages with Vocational Training Institutes to send the youth for vocational training courses such as TV – DVD repairing, Computer Operation, Tailoring, Electric, Electronics, Welding, Turner and Fitter etc. Till the date Mahiti Trust has sent more than 300 youth for various vocational trainings.
Recently, Mahiti Trust started gender gender-sensitive vocational training center at its campus in Dholera. In the last 6 months, a total of 40 school-dropped-out youth have been trained on the Solar Technician Course and placed 27 youths at Tata Renewable Energy Limited.
India's constitution grants rights to all citizens, including equality, freedom of speech, employment, and citizenship. However, the male-dominated society often enforces laws based on male-dominated society rather than parliament's laws. Women in India have committed to eliminating discrimination and reporting on government efforts. The Hindu Inheritance Act of 1956 grants equal rights to wives in husband's property, with daughters having legal rights even in agricultural land. However, patriarchal society views land as a resource of respect, prestige, and power, hindering the implementation of legal provisions.
To address this issue, an intensive program to sensitize the Panchayati raj system has been introduced at the village level. Working Group for Women and Land Ownership – Gujarat (WGWLO) and Mahiti Trust have started joint initiatives in Dholera taluka in 10 villages. Mahiti Trust organizes awareness and legal literacy programs to educate women and men on land ownership, ensuring women understand their land-related documents. Efforts are being made to ensure inheritance rights add women's names to agricultural land and create the identity of women as farmers.
The Bhal region is prone to disasters, and Mahiti Trust has implemented various interventions to address these issues. In 1999-2002, they conducted drought-proofing in five villages, constructing rainwater harvesting tanks and fodder banks. In 2001, they collected wheat flour, food grains, and clothes from communities and distributed them to earthquake-affected families. They also provided temporary shelters and assistance with building materials. In 2005, Mahiti Trust provided rescue, relief, and rehabilitation services, distributing over 600 food kits providing building materials to 250 families, and providing temporary shelters.
In COVID-19 PANDEMIC, using different donors’ collaboration during the lockdown of the pandemic, more than 500 foodgrain kits were distributed to vulnerable families. In the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40 Covid Medical Kits have been distributed comprising Oximeter, temperature measuring for guns, masks, face shields, and Covid 19 medicines. In addition, 400 dry ration kits have also been distributed to the most affected families.
During year (2005-06), Mahiti Trust has implemented Community Based Disaster Preparedness and Management Program (CBDPM) in 15 most disaster-prone villages. The aim of this program was to create awareness among communities to face the disasters like floods, cyclones, drought and earthquake to minimize the damages and if possible, to make preparedness to face disasters. In all the project villages, a disaster preparedness and management committees (DPMC) were formed. The committees consist of members such men, women and local teachers who can assist people in adverse circumstances. They have been imparted trainings on CBDPM. The activities carried out under this program are briefly narrated here. First of all, awareness raising programs were organized in all the 15 villages to create awareness among people regarding the objective of the program. Pamphlets were printed and distributed. These pamphlets separate for every disaster situation explained how disasters strikes, the impact of disasters, measures for pre-preparation along with a list of important telephone numbers which can be useful at the critical times. Trainings of Trainers were organized on Community Based Disaster Mitigation in association of All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI). In these trainings, the participants were imparted knowledge and understanding on the following topics:
The members of Disaster Preparedness and Management Committees were also imparted trainings on First Aid Training in Emergency. The aim was to guide and teach the participants how to provide emergency treatments to victims so as to avoid loss of human life. This training was organized by Mahiti Trust in association of Indian Red Cross Society, Bhavnagar at Mahiti Trust Campus. The trainings included topics like tying bandage on injured hand or on bleeding part of the body, how to tie a sling in serious cases of fractures, giving artificial respiration, brining water out from a drowned person’s stomach. The participants were also given brief explanation on human body system, characteristics of blood and use of first aid kit.
Mahiti Trust with support from UNICEF, Gujarat Office has implemented a project on ‘Protecting the Rights of the Children in Cotton Growing Areas of Gujarat’ in 113 villages of Bhavnagar and Vallabhipur blocks of Bhavnagar district in Gujarat. The main objectives of the project are:
As part of the intervention, the following activities were undertaken in the project villages.
The key achievements of the project for the period August 2013 to December 2013 are as below:
