Child Care Center in Anand

3 full-time teaching jobs; increased production time for parents; healthier children with a brighter future

Vera is a small village of agricultural laborers and tobacco field workers. With employment in the tobacco fields as the biggest industry in Vera, the most important issue in the village has been the occupational health hazards prevailing among the poor tobacco workers and their families as well as the lack of child care facilities for the children of these workers. This has forced many parents to bring their children with them to work in the fields, creating various illnesses for the children.

SEWA has supported a child care co-operative in Vera since 1993. It currently provides for 30 children between the ages of 0-6 years old, but is in great need of repair and renovation. The center focuses on the overall development of the children, including their physical and intellectual growth. However, the center lacks funds and needs a partner that will help them provide the children with a healthy, encouraging learning environment, nutritious meals, education field trips, and immunization and primary care. In addition to those direct needs, the center will also help council parents on fostering a healthy learning environment at home. Become the SVC for this project and partner with Vera village to create a positive educational environment for their children.

Village women collecting water

As basic services are provided, people will be spending less time on water collection, walking great distances to relieve themselves, or being threatened by unsafe drinking conditions. For children, this additional time becomes increased attendance in classrooms, For adults, it means more productive time in the fields, or the ability to begin enterprises, like making soap and incense, weaving, performing embroidery, and trading or selling goods.

The inaugural village project for 1Well brings a group of American educators together to partner with Kapurashi, a remote village in northeastern India.  The project will provide the basic sanitation and land development infrastructure Kapurashi needs to improve its productive capacity and escape the cycle of poverty.  Repairing wells and building roof rain water arvesting facilities will increase and improve the available drinking water. Sanitation, toilet facilities, and general cleaning will improve the health of the village. Repairing and building farm ponds and agricultural training will increase the quality and quantity of crops. See the Kapurashi project page at http://www.1well.org/kapurashi.

Salt pan worker's shelter in desert

Sustainable energy source; safety; new source of livelihood

Salt workers live in the desert 8 months of the year. Solar lanterns help them ward off wild animals that damage the temporary shelters, and fend off harmful insects. The lanterns also help them during their nightly activities, such as cook and cleaning. The lanterns charge during the day and provide a sustainable source of light during the night. SEWA has set up a lantern assembly cooperative that sells and repairs the lanterns, creating additional employment opportunities.

Dam

Increase agricultural output for over 2,000 Sedla villagers

In 2001, an earthquake devastated the state of Gujarat in India, including much of the village of Sedla. Among the wreckage was Sedla’s check dam. Rebuilding the dam means more water will be available for agriculture during the dry season. More water means more food for the village and for sale at the market, as well as improved economic development for the village. Contact Matt to get involved and make an impact on Sedla village.

The Mulada well

Rebuilding the well would give villagers access to a sustainable source of potable water, while also improving the health and sanitation of the village.

The well is the source of clean water for the village and needs to be repaired do to damage. Rebuilding the well would give villagers access to a sustainable source of potable water, while also improving the health and sanitation of the village.

Salt pan worker's shelter in desert

Sustainable energy source; safety; new source of livelihood

Salt workers live in the desert 8 months of the year. Solar lanterns help them ward off wild animals that damage the temporary shelters, and fend off harmful insects. The lanterns also help them during their nightly activities, such as cook and cleaning. The lanterns charge during the day and provide a sustainable source of light during the night. SEWA has set up a lantern assembly cooperative that sells and repairs the lanterns, creating additional employment opportunities.

Village woman

Improved sanitation, reduction in disease, increased agricultural output

Guher is an agricultural village in a dry and semi-arid region. The village relies solely on seasonal rainfall as its water source for both agricultural and sanitation needs. Guher, however, currently lacks basic water and sanitation infrastructure. There are no toilets in the village, and thus villagers are forced to walk long distances to go to the toilet. The lack of toilets result in unsanitary conditions and greatly increases the chance of disease. The existing well also requires repair, and farmers are in great need of farm ponds and rainwater collection vessels to improve agricultural output.

This project will provide toilet facilities in addition to roof rainwater harvesting tanks and farm ponds to meet Guher’s sanitation and agricultural needs. This newly constructed water and sanitation infrastructure will also allow for general village cleaning.