Majority World - Gram Vikas
Photo assignment for Majority World for STARS Foundation: Gram Vikas
Gram Vikas’ founders came to Orissa in the early 1970s as student volunteers to serve victims of a devastating cyclone. Their extensive activism and relief work motivated them to form Gram Vikas, which was registered on January 22, 1979, and currently serves more than 3,89,333 people in 1196 habitations of 25 districts in Odisha.
Through its direct outreach programmes Gram Vikas works in 943 villages across 23 districts covering 59,132 families of which 39% are adivasis, 14% are dalits and the remainder are from general castes, mostly poor and marginal farmers. The work is concentrated in the South and South Western parts of the state and two districts in the north.
According to the census data available (2001) Orissa has a population of close to 37 million, of which 88% live in rural areas. Despite its natural advantages, average per capita income is only 73% of the national average, with 47% of the population, around 17.8 million people, living below the poverty line. Poverty is significantly worse in the western and southern districts of the state, which have a higher proportion of adivasis and dalits. Health and education facilities function poorly, communication and transport are underdeveloped, and local resources are grossly under-utilised. Adivasi and dalit communities together form about 39% of the total population (Scheduled tribes - 22.5% and Scheduled castes - 16.5%). Constitutionally bracketed as 'scheduled', people belonging to these sections of the society have been deprived for centuries and even today find themselves at the bottom of the rung in economic and human development indicators. Literacy rates in rural areas is 58% (71% for males and 44% for females) as compared to the state average of 63% (76% males and 50% females). High rates of infant mortality and maternal mortality contribute to the image of being a poor and backward state. 80% of the instances of morbidity and mortality cases in rural areas are caused by water-borne diseases. Less than 7% of rural households have access to safe sanitation, less than 20% of rural population has access to protected water and no more than 1% to piped water supply. Orissa has less labour opportunities for female population – the total women workforce representing only 31%. More than 70% households have no electricity connection.
Read MoreGram Vikas’ founders came to Orissa in the early 1970s as student volunteers to serve victims of a devastating cyclone. Their extensive activism and relief work motivated them to form Gram Vikas, which was registered on January 22, 1979, and currently serves more than 3,89,333 people in 1196 habitations of 25 districts in Odisha.
Through its direct outreach programmes Gram Vikas works in 943 villages across 23 districts covering 59,132 families of which 39% are adivasis, 14% are dalits and the remainder are from general castes, mostly poor and marginal farmers. The work is concentrated in the South and South Western parts of the state and two districts in the north.
According to the census data available (2001) Orissa has a population of close to 37 million, of which 88% live in rural areas. Despite its natural advantages, average per capita income is only 73% of the national average, with 47% of the population, around 17.8 million people, living below the poverty line. Poverty is significantly worse in the western and southern districts of the state, which have a higher proportion of adivasis and dalits. Health and education facilities function poorly, communication and transport are underdeveloped, and local resources are grossly under-utilised. Adivasi and dalit communities together form about 39% of the total population (Scheduled tribes - 22.5% and Scheduled castes - 16.5%). Constitutionally bracketed as 'scheduled', people belonging to these sections of the society have been deprived for centuries and even today find themselves at the bottom of the rung in economic and human development indicators. Literacy rates in rural areas is 58% (71% for males and 44% for females) as compared to the state average of 63% (76% males and 50% females). High rates of infant mortality and maternal mortality contribute to the image of being a poor and backward state. 80% of the instances of morbidity and mortality cases in rural areas are caused by water-borne diseases. Less than 7% of rural households have access to safe sanitation, less than 20% of rural population has access to protected water and no more than 1% to piped water supply. Orissa has less labour opportunities for female population – the total women workforce representing only 31%. More than 70% households have no electricity connection.
