Swayam Shikshan Prayog

http://www.sspindia.org/



History

“Since its inception in 1998, with its headquarters in Mumbai, SSP has spread across eight districts in Maharashtra and two districts in Gujarat. Recently, after the Tsunami, SSP started working in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts of Tamil Nadu. SSP now partners with 2,777 self-help groups (SHGs) and self-governed apex federations comprising 39,806 women members in 824 villages.”



Mission

“To build and enhance core social, economic and political competencies of grassroots women's collectives and communities with the aim of bringing the rural poor, women and communities from the margins to the mainstream of development.”

Activities



SSP has been working in the field of disaster mitigation, Women’s empowerment in local self governance, ,credit and savings facility, water and sanitation, improving health infrastructure with local management, nutrition programs etc…



Sakhi Federations: SSP initiated Sakhi federations to address the developmental needs of rural women and their families. These federations are managed by women leaders who assess the risk, screen loans and disburse credit and collect repayments.


CBHMF in Sakhi Federations: SSP facilitated Community Based Health Mutual Fund in its Sakhi federations in Latur Osmanabad and Sholapur from February 2006.

Objectives

This was with the objective of providing access to quality health care to those for whom the burden of disease is high and the capacity to cope with the same is less. Moreover it was realized that 30-40% of the loans that the women were using were being used on financing health care.

Results

Around nine hundred families have enrolled themselves as HMF members in the three districts up till May end. As the program started in Feb 2006 it will take time to spread and gain momentum .Also being agriculture based area enrolments are directly affected with people’s capacity to pay in a certain time of the year. Moreover the epidemic of Chikungunia has severely affected operations and efforts are more focused on providing relief to people

Specific context



In Latur when the epidemic of Chikungunya spread about 300 members availed the network services of Manjara Charitable trust hospital and got treated in mere 100 rupees with two days of medicine while the treatment outside cost the people anything between 4000-6000 rupees"

Also there was a prevention campaign where the people in the villages were informed through posters and pamphlets and were guided to network hospitals for good treatment at affordable rates. Also part of this campaign and a preventive measure was burning of neem leaves simultaneously in all the hoses at the same time to drive away the mosquitoes and awareness on not keeping water stored for more than 24 hrs.

Future Plan

Geographical areas of intervention

Presently the HMF project is being piloted in 15 select villages in three districts of Osmanabad, Latur and Sholapur with three federations with a target of 1000 families each in each district by year end with an up scaling plan of adding two more federations by August 2006.

Administrative details

Swayam Shikshan Prayog
Room # 20, 1st Floor,
Shahaji Raje Municipal School
Opp: Parleshwar Society
Shahaji Raje Road
Vileparle (East),
Mumbai 400 057
India

Tel : 91-22-55841388
Tel/Fax: 91-22-26820905
Email: sspindia@vsnl.net

Success story

Tai was among the first members who came forward to enrol in the Mutual fund in Sholapur. She paid the contribution for herself and her husband but has never fallen ill as of date. She said that this is more as a security cover for all than only for me.



Swayam Shikshan Prayog

http://www.sspindia.org/