Our Projects
JALABANDHU PROGRAMME
To create a system for regular maintenance and timely repair of water sources, thus allowing rural communities to gain sustained access to safe water along with to provide a business option for local unemployed youths who are capacitated to repair all kinds of tube wells and other sources of water, the programme has been implemented in three blocks of South 24 pgs. Viz. Budge Budge 1, Budge Budge 2 & Kakdwip.
After sixteen months running of the programme, 38 Jalabandhus (Mobile Mechanic) are working across 25 GPs and have repaired almost 569 hand pumps till date. Now the Jalabandhus have a monthly income of Rs. 4500/- to Rs. 5500/- in average whereas the women Jalabandhus (4 among 38) are intensively working in their respective GP areas.
Block and Panchayat level provided excellent assistance by providing official orders from block level to all Panchayats to solve payment related issues; Panchayats have provided trade licenses to the Jalabandhu which ensures the acceptance and sustainability of the Jalabandhus. Even from minister level (Sunderban Development Minister) the programme received much appreciation being a cost effective and beneficial model for the community and it is conceptualized to replicate the model in other blocks of the district too.
Programme Highlights
• 45 Water users Committee have been formed out of which 17 have opened bank account which ensures the community ownership over the water points.
• 4 women Jalabandhus are working actively among which one has received a cheque of Rs. 92000 from B.D.O. office as her payment for last six month.
• Till date 569 hand pumps haven repaired by the Jalabandhus.
• Out of three blocks, B.D.Os of two blocks has issued official order to the Panchayats for proper working of the Jalabandhu.
• 15 Jalabandhus of Budge Budge 1 & 2 have got plumbing training as per their field demand.
CASE STUDIES FOR : JALABANDHU
Rina Paik
Rina Paik – This is the story of an ambitious woman.
Rina Paik, a house wife of Bapuji Gram Panchayat, is a mother of two girl child. Her husband is a private tutor in village. Since her marriage, she always possessed to be an economically independent woman along with a craze to do work for community. Surprisingly, she always had a quality of leadership also.
After marriage, she joined in Community Health Care Management Initiative (CHCMI) group as a group leader and started to work with the objective of the scheme for community development.
In 2012 she selected as a Jalabandhu in Kakdwip Block. From the very beginning she seemed to be a very energetic and struggling woman to have a strong urge to do something at her own effort. This mother of two girl child has showed her immense involvement and proved herself as one of most successful Jalabandhu.
She has repaired 17 hand pumps in last three months with a team effort and earned Rs. 8700/-. She becomes very much popular at community level which also helped her to make community ownership by forming WATSAN committee.
The lady is now full of her heart’s content and hopes to make her business more & stronger in near future.
She formed almost 22 WATSAN committee with her active community interaction and involvement. Even now BDO has opened a file with memo number for her for the transaction of her huge payment which Rs. 92,000/- till date. She also has applied for government contract license to get more work for wider income.