Introduction / History

The Musahar are considered one of the lowest of the Dalit groups within India and suffer tremendously from their status in society. Their name is derived from two words meaning "rat catcher" and is likely attributed to them for their tendency to eat rodents in times of dire need. Due their extreme poverty they live far from towns and cities which have proper health care. Nor do they have the capacity to travel to avail themselves of these facilities. The result is a desperate health care situation. Child mortality and maternal mortality are high and the life span is short which is exasperated by high rates of alcoholism among the male population. Much of their condition is a result of their low position in the caste hierarchy. They are considered untouchables and treated with disdain by all other sections of society. Any attempts at economic advancement will be taken away from them or destroyed and they have little or no capacity to retain property rights. Their constitutional rights of education and food subsidies are routinely denied through corruption and caste based policies. They are powerless and voiceless, unable to change their situation alone. Sadly many Musahar women are kidnapped or sold into prostitution in the major metropolitan cities. Without recourse this becomes their new life, oppressed, abused and forced to suffer in silence.

Chanda and Kailash reciting a poem in Hindi on Counting. An event organised by Koshish School for Mushahar Children in Malwabar village, Deoria District, UP on 15th August 2010

After 3 years of work with the Mushahar Community in Deoria district of Uttar Pradesh, the changes are visible. Watch the video where Chanda and Kailash are reciting Johny Johny



Independence Day Celebration 2010 - Malwabar Village

Midday Meal and Health Monitoring

Every day children are getting 200 grams of pulses, vegetables and cereals. Hot meals are cook ed in the School premises with the help of a cook who belongs to the same community and her grand children are studying in the same school. So the quality of food preparation is maintained.

Apart from the Health Camp, a monthly monitoring of the weight and height of the children is been done. The teachers and some senior students have been trained to record the measurement of each child. A pediatrician has been engaged to get a full report of the health and nutrition of the children by providing him the data collected over five months. Dr. Anurag Rai observed that almost all children have protein, vitamin and iron deficiency. He recommended that if the children can get an egg twice a week and a banana twice a week than their nutritional value will increase. Due to lack of resource, this has not been achieved so far.

But the space of the school has been utilized to grow some organic vegetables which are added to the pulses and lentils to make it more nutritious.

Every month on the 25^th, a health monitoring camp is organized in the school premises. The weight and height of the children are recorded in the file and given to the consulting physician. In case a child is found to reduce the weight, immediate treatment from government hospital is given. Last year, almost all students had the sign of anemia but now apart from some students from very poor background, there is a remarkable change in the growth of the children in the area.

Along with Rice and Dal, vegetables like sweet gourds have been introduced in the menu, which the children are really fond of eating. The protein content in their diets needs to be enhanced with introduction of 2 eggs per week and bananas. This would further help the boys and girls grow healthier.

Eight more children have been Mainstreamed

Good News for all!

Eight Mushahar children have been taken into main government school after they successfully wrote their qualifying exams. Photos of all these students will be posted after the next visit. The school area has become lush green with fresh organic vegetables have been grown. Children are coming more regular and more of girls attending the school.With a consistent work of over two years, there is visible change in the lives of the community in the entire area. SDF with support from Humanist friends has arrived at a position which is enumerated below.
The community engaged themselves in numerous activities. All these initiatives were applauded and covered in Media both electronic and print media. The activities were then followed by Van Mahotsav (planting trees) and health check-up camp. With newer employment opportunities for the women and the Self Help group formations, the community is enjoying the Prerna Kendra (Centre of Inspiration) and activities undertaken by SDF in a proactive way.


After 60 years of Independence of India, the community could gain access to Electricity through SDF’s support. Even though the electricity stays for not more than eight hours a day but still the community is not deprived of this basic right. A used donated computer has been installed; the children are really excited to see films in the computer. SDF is trying to mobilize funds to buy invertors for power-backup, so that the youth could gain computer education in the centre.

@Formation of Women’s collective and initiating women economic empowerment programme along with School for Mushahar children in Village Malwabar is some of the achievements of SDF. Enrollment of the children in the school has increased. This means the community has gained the knowledge of the importance of studies in their child’s life. The revolving fund has got 100% return from women in Malwabar and Villages women are in the process of returning the loan (with no interest rates). Women brought piglets or lambs to rear them and then sell it to slaughter houses. Women with their small economic empowerment schemes have found new ways to increase their economic base. The women of the village meet every week and discuss the situation of their families and other issues. Earlier it was hard to bring women out of their preoccupation to talk about their lives, but now the change is that women meet every week and urges the need to initiate vocational skill development programme for them and the adolescents.
They have desired to learn other skills like candle making, incense making, sewing and quilting from rags, making of artifacts, etc. With initial meeting and exploring various alternative economic programmes and raising funds, the staff of SDF would make way to get the infrastructure and equipment to skill women to make candles, incense and other skills, which will then be marketed through Media or through networking sites. The idea is also afloat to get a space in Bhaghoch Market for regular retail sales.

Under the Economic Empowerment for Women, out of the ten women who were given benefits seven women have returned the money so far and the rest will sell their livestock soon and return the money. Now women are seeing the benefits to rear cattle too, apart from piggery. Some of the women have desired to open a shop or take a Cycle rickshaw for their husband’s income. The funds have been extended to four other women.
Out of them,two women Yashoda and Ghiliya brought a rickshaw each for Rs 7,500 in their name and their husbands are plying the Rickshaw. According to Yashoda, as she says her family has got a meaning to their lives, they know how much hard, they have to work to earn what amount of money. Both the families have become very close to SDF activities and volunteer to do work for Prerna Kendra. Both the families vouched to return money in a year’s time. These benefits have relieved some women and her family to work as bondage labour in Brick kilns. The women have organized a number of meetings every week to discuss about the children studying in the school. Enrollment of the children in the school has increased. They have also discussed the problems of some families which as a community they need to help. Most probably the women will form a food security bank in their hamlet, so that they can collectively assist other families in distress.
In the beginning, the children as old as 12 years had no clue about school and education. Koshish was the only school; SDF established it just to mainstream the children to the government school. Today the school has taken a vibrant shape, the children are slowly learning to read and write. Five senior students have also joined mainstream government school this year.

Lights after 60 years of Independence

It is with great pleasure that today (29.10.09) that electricity finally arrived at Koshish School, Prerna Kendra, in Malwabar. One must understand how it look like when the entire Mushahar basti was blacked out, there was no light but at least with great pressure with administration, at least, there will be some light in Prerna kendra at Malwabar Mushahar basti. We hope that with coming of electricity, we will be able to raise our awareness programmes in the village, with more TV shows, films, and cartoons with children. We also feel that now, we will be able to start computer education for the village children in the coming months.

While many of you might wonder why so much noise over it.. yes, it is almost after independence that the Mushahar basti is seeing light in this village. There were some electric poles yet no electricity. They were charged that they do not pay rent .. Our experience with the community shows that they are returning the money taken.. They need sensitivity, respect and alternatives. It is absolutely criminal to say that the poor are bad debtors. While the village Malwabar's Mushahar basti does not have electricity we hope that electricity at our Prerna Kendra will pave the way to bring light to their homes.. We will do alternative preparation of providing solar light to the community. We will definitely need support for solar lights to the village as well as a bio-gas plant for the community.

It is great news. We look forward receiving your inputs.. the future of the mushahar children in Malwabar basti looks bright now.. our struggle continues and we hope your support will continue to be with us. SDF's leader of Prerna Kendra Ms Sangita Kushawaha, has been doing really hard work to bring more children to school as well as mobilise women in the region..

We look forward for your support.

Celebrating Independence Day

On 15th Aug 2009, Malwabar Children were really excited to celebrate and enjoy the Independence Day. The children were given uniforms on the previous day and all of them came with flags in their hands early in the morning. All of them dressed in Koshish school uniform were looking charming kids waving flags and singing patriotic songs. They remembered the Martrys, sang songs for them and vouched to liberate the downtrodden from hunger, poverty and subjugation.

Invite

SDF - Social Development Foundation invite people to participate in its various advocacy and lobbying campaigns. SDF also invite individuals and organizations to support through collaboration, donations and in kind to help us provide support to the people. Please go through this campaign and support SDF’s work in this area. Mushhars need your support. Mushhars are the most marginalized community at present moment....and children can´t wait.

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS

Children (anyone under the age of 18 as defined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child), like adults, have rights to ensure their well-being and safety are maintained at all times. Nation states (countries) have a duty to successfully maintain these rights. Children’s rights are the same all over the world: each country has agreed to uphold and preserve the Convention on the Rights of the Child created by the United Nations.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international agreement that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989; this then became international law in 1990. 177 countries world-wide have ratified (agreed to) the Convention, including the UK which ratified it in 1991. There are only 2 countries in the world that have not agreed to the convention, can you guess which countries? United States of America and Somalia.

Of the 41 articles, there are 4, which are known as the Convention’s general principles and these are:
Article 2: All rights guaranteed by the Convention must be available to all children without discrimination of any kind
Article 3: The best interests of the child must be a primary consideration in all actions concerning children
Article 6: Every child has the right to life, survival and development
Article 12: The child’s view must be considered and taken into account in all matters affecting him or her

Why SDF initiated this program?

In June 2007, SDF along with Uttar Pradesh Land Alliance organized a foot march on Land, Dignity and Freedom from Gughali (Maharajganj) to Chaurichaura (Gorakhpur).The aim was to aware the marginalized landless people about their right over land, resources and dignity. In one such day, the padyatra entered Malwabar, Nautan, Udainagar villages in Deoria dist, where Mushahars were living in abysmal conditions. As part of the program, a Fact Finding Team with local people was constituted and later the result showed there was lack of facilities which the Government was supposed to provide. So there was a need to work strongly in the area, to make the community aware of their rights, and realized that due to lack of basic education, the potential target of exploitation would soon be young children. Thus, SDF came up with the idea of “KOSHISH”.

Challenge

Challenge is to keep the children in the school. Due to poverty, children are forced to work as agricultural labourers to support the family. As they are landless community, it was pertinent to bring in the idea of empowering the women of the community economically. It is now supporting 10 Mushahar Women in Malwabar under the economic empowerment programme by MCKS Food for Hungry Foundation. This resulted in bringing many children back to school and their stayed. Such support have to be extended to other villagers to encourage an overall development of the children and their families.

Aim

The only thing SDF set –out to work towards is to create an environment for these children which is as good as any other child in the world. These children would be integrated to mainstream schooling of the government. Scholarships will be raised for girls and boys in case they pursue higher education. But those who are not too good in studies then road is not closed. SDF with help of some professionals has set-up a training centre in the village which is named as Prerna Kendra. The idea is to give children basic vocational training, so that they can earn better. Besides this, workshops will be conducted include training on leadership development, human rights education, eradication of superstition, etc. To create information centres, libraries in the area, which can then be managed by the children of this village. Not only to bring change but empowering them to become a true Human Being.

About Mushahars

Though there is no specific figures of the numbers of Mushahars in Uttar-Pradesh yet social activists estimate their number at around five lakhs. •The major concentration of Mushahars is in Maharajganj, Deoria, Kushinagar, Mau, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Ghazipur, Siddharthnagar and Varanasi. •The main profession of Mushahars have been collecting forest leaves and make ‘Pattals’, piggery, and catching rats. •Even among the Dalits their number do not attract political leaders to come to their bustees (habitation) and seek vote. •Over 90% of the community remain illiterate and landless. •The community remain thoroughly apolitical and therefore victim of social and political marginalisation and also humiliated and exploited. •In the thick of unemployment and landlessness, many of them have APL (Above Poverty Line) cards. The quality of food grain provided to them is pathetic.