WIN

WOMEN OF INDIA NETWORK

FINAL REPORT – OCTOBER 2012

CONTACT

CRISTINA MARICH, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

TEL. +41 (0)21 341 41 00 FAX +41 (0)21 341 41 01 EMAIL CMARICH@IFPD.ORG

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I. INTRODUCTION

The WIN project in Mumbai, which has been actively and successfully supported by IFPD between 2001 and 2012, focused mainly on women and children; it dealt with health, including sexual and reproductive health, education, training and income generating activities. IFPD's local partner organization in Mumbai was the Center for the Study of Social Change (CSSC)1. WIN was based on a pilot project, which was initiated in the slums of Mumbai (Bombay) in 1964. It focused on providing women living in slum settings with the means to better handle their responsibilities and meet their own and their children's needs. To this effect, health care information and services (including reproductive health), vocational training and income generating activities were considered essential and complementary implementation tools. The main objective was setting up a combination of services – with health centres serving as "entry points" – that resulted in improving the situation of families living in extreme poverty through empowering women.

The services of WIN health centres included information on health issues and medical care (diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses, gynaecological supervision, pregnancy checks, etc.), prevention of health deficiencies and sexually transmitted diseases, access to contraceptive methods, infertility and reproductive health counselling, immunisation and medical supervision of children, as well as information on hygiene and nutrition. The staff of health centres consisted mainly of doctors and health workers. The doctors contributed to the project on a voluntary basis. They took turns to man the centres. Each health centre also employed 2 to 4 health workers, who were recruited among the female slum population. Health workers were duly trained before they started their field activities and were given continuous in-house training. They earned a modest salary. Thanks to their knowledge and salary, their status among their families and the community improved significantly; health workers thus became important role models for many other women. Health workers played an essential role within the project as they were responsible for information dissemination, education, and raising awareness among families in a decentralised way, i.e. outside the centres. Each health worker looked after approximately 250 – 300 families. The activities of health workers were not only focused on health and medical issues but also dealt with issues related to the social and economic status of women and girls. Through interacting with families, they aimed at encouraging parents to send their

1 CSSC is a registered voluntary Indian organization with extensive experience in the field of health

and development, which designed and managed the WIN project.

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girls to school, and at promoting the vocational training of adolescents and women (tailoring, embroidery, jewellery making, etc.), as well as the creation of income generating activities and savings groups. They thus made an essential contribution towards strengthening the position of women and providing them with the means to manage their own and their children's life in a more autonomous and responsible way. The WIN project exemplified the requirements of a comprehensive approach to poverty reduction:

• WIN assisted the most vulnerable: women and children. • WIN was based on a local strategy focusing on the real needs of target communities. • WIN involved the active participation of beneficiaries. • WIN was aimed at the crucial role of women in the context of social and economic

development. • WIN was an extremely cost-effective project. • WIN had a significant potential with respect to its impact on beneficiaries as well as

its replication on a large scale. Furthermore, WIN's objectives were in line with the majority of the Millennium Development Goals (education, women's empowerment, maternal and infant mortality, etc.).

II. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WIN PROJECT – 2001-2012

Project implementation was the responsibility of CSSC, while IFPD provided the required funds and technical assistance. Between 2001 and 2004, funds were made available to open the first three health centres (slum clinics). In 2004, IFPD created a sponsorship system in Switzerland to finance additional clinics and set up various additional services such as home visits carried out by health workers, informal education sessions, training modules for staff and beneficiaries and income generating activities. IFPD's sponsorship system was designed as follows:

• IFPD's staff and friends contacted several persons among their private and professional networks who might be interested in the WIN project and in putting together a group of people (the size was variable) willing to sponsor a health centre. Sponsorships were also obtained from individuals, clubs, companies, and other organisations.

• Groups/individuals/entities that accepted to sponsor a

health centre committed themselves for a minimum period of 3 years, in order to facilitate a sustainable development of the various services provided through the WIN project. Groups/individuals/entities wishing to withdraw their support after this period were replaced by new donors.

• Each group/individual/entity committed itself to

contributing 6,500 CHF per year to cover the annual costs of a WIN health centre. Donations made to IFPD are tax deductible (certificate delivered on request).

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• IFPD served as an intermediary between donors and the WIN management in

Mumbai. The Foundation also organised project visits for donors interested in witnessing the concrete impact of their support.

Between 2004 and 2011, 25 health centres were opened in the project area. Some of them had to be closed down due to slum rehabilitation schemes and were replaced by others. At the end of 2011, 18 health centres were in operation. Initially, it was estimated the each centre would receive an average of 1,000 patients, women and children, per year. After a few years, this initial estimation was surpassed; in 2009 for example, an average of 1,368 patients per centre was recorded. The absolute record stands at more than 2,000 patients in 2010 for a centre that opened its doors in May 2005. However, due to changes in the population density and the availability of new options for medical care in the area where WIN was active, the numbers of patients per clinic have been decreasing over the last two years. Sponsorships for WIN health centres also covered other project components, in particular:

• INFORMAL EDUCATION SESSIONS: they were aimed at informing women and girls on various issues affecting their daily lives, at enabling them to improve their living conditions, increasing their knowledge, strengthening their position within their families, and encouraging them to participate in decision-making processes about their homes and their children. The topics presented were extremely varied – examples:

o Health: general health problems, women’s health, health and development of children, health and development of adolescents, sexual and reproductive health, etc.

o Society / Economy / Environment: self-help and savings groups, income-generating activities for women, right to food, public health, waste management, water management, superstitious beliefs, etc.

The number of classes and participants has been steadily and significantly rising over the reported project period.

• TRAINING SESSIONS FOR STAFF: health workers were initially trained in dealing with various health and social issues, undertaking home visits, conducting surveys, interacting with women about family planning and their children's health. Between 10 and 20 future health workers were trained each year. Health workers also received continuous training on a variety of subjects, depending on their needs and the needs of beneficiaries; examples: savings schemes, managing family budgets, patients' rights, domestic violence, legislation against sex selection, prevention and treatment of burns/anaemia/hypertension, diagnosis of basic sight problems, etc.

• VOCATIONAL TRAINING COURSES FOR BENEFICIARIES: WIN offered training courses in various fields for women and girls wishing to earn a (modest) salary and contribute to the family income while gaining some degree of autonomy and an opportunity to develop their skills. Examples: tailoring, cosmetics, Mehendi (traditional henna painting), making of jewellery / cloth toys / flower garlands, painting on cards / wall hangings, etc.

• SELF-HELP AND SAVINGS GROUPS: WIN staff actively encouraged the formation of self-help groups among slum women. The goals of these groups are focused on building

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and supplying joint savings accounts, and on creating joint income generating activities. Members can request a loan from their group according to their needs (business, education, housing, medical expenses, etc.). These groups started commercial activities such as: sewing/embroidery/recycling of old saris, canteens / snacks / food supplements for children, stationery, basketwork, manufacture of soaps / incense sticks / spices, etc.

Between 2001 and 2012, IFPD has made the total amount of CHF 839,000 (approximate amount due to exchange rate fluctuations) available to CSSC for the implementation of the WIN project.

III. A NEW INITIATIVE

The latest addition to WIN services has been developed at the premises of a WIN health centre called Radhe-Ratna that opened in April 2010. It is sponsored by Juniper Hotels Pvt.Ltd, a Mumbai based business. The initiative is aimed at optimizing the use of the premises and offer activities targeted mainly at children and young people with a view to improving their chances of building a better life for themselves outside the slums.

Children playing Scrabble Children reading and learning

The pilot project started on 1st February 2011 and focused on providing children a space where they could read at their leisure. Initially, this service operated for 2 hours on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Success soon proved to be overwhelming and a new Children's Activities Centre (CAC) was thus created and moved to premises dedicated specifically to its services. The CAC became operational in two shifts for five days a week, except Wednesdays and Sundays. Children residing in the slum are encouraged to read story books at the Centre, participate in book based creative activities and play board games in order to develop their analytical skills. Drawing and hobby classes have been started on Sundays to enable children to unfold their creative abilities in a constructive manner. Children participating in activities offered by the CAC are charged a modest fee to give them a sense of value regarding these activities.

IV. ASSESSMENT OF ACHIEVEMENTS

IFPD's financial support to the WIN project was formally terminated at the end of June 2012. Development projects come to an end when:

1. The reason for the project ceases to be a problem.

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2. If the problem persists:

a. When the Government has taken over the functions of the project; or

b. If this proves to be insufficient, when the partner organisation has the capabilities and means to further carry out the functions of the project.

IFPD’s involvement with the CSSC project was dependent on changes that took place over the more than 10 year period during which the two organisations collaborated in the WIN project. There have been considerable slum clearance and redevelopment projects in the area where WIN was operating. A significant number of persons have been relocated or have moved voluntarily to other parts of the city. The Government has opened two large modern polyclinics in the slum area where WIN was active (Bandra); these clinics attract a great number of patients and thus replace to a significant extent the medical services previously offered by WIN health centres. CSSC has the technical and professional capacity to continue project activities, if required. According to Dr Ramesh Potdar, WIN's executive director and honorary secretary of CSSC, he has been able to secure sufficient local funding to maintain the project without IFPD's support. IFPD considers that its collaboration with CSSC has been successful and has benefitted a sizeable portion of the population of Bandra. The implementation of the project has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to provide targeted services to the slum dwellers in a cost-effective way. Sponsoring a WIN health centre represented an affordable, direct and personal way to grant women and children in the slums of Mumbai an efficient and useful support. WIN sponsorships allowed donors to take part in well-targeted activities that benefitted the population in a concrete and efficient way. WIN focused on providing women living in slum settings with the means to better handle their responsibilities and meet their own and their children's needs; this was achieved through health information and services, non-formal education and livelihood enhancing activities. The attendance figures of the clinics clearly indicate the success of medical services implemented by WIN, which met the needs of the local population, and filled an important gap in the medical infrastructure and health facilities available for underprivileged people. Participation in informal education, vocational training and the promotion of self-help groups showed that the WIN project responded to real needs among the slum population. Thanks to the success achieved over the past 10 years, and to the credibility which a Swiss Foundation confers to a development project in the eyes of local stakeholders, Indian donors became aware of WIN and its significance, and grew increasingly supportive of the project. CSSC has the financial means as well as the professional and technical capabilities to continue to provide these services to the population in need in its area of action.

V. TESTIMONIALS OF WIN BENEFICIARIES

In November 2011, Ms Anne Headon, member of IFPD's Board of Trustees, travelled to India to visit the WIN project in Mumbai. She met with several women who benefitted from the WIN project and was able to interview and photograph them. She compiled the interviews and photos in a book, which is entitled: PORTRAITS OF WOMEN – IFPD-WIN PROJECT – BANDRA-MUMBAI.

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Some excerpts of Ms Headon's publication are listed below.

KAUSAR, interviewed on 24 November 2011 How did you come in contact with WIN?

I heard about WIN from a friend. She told me they were given courses of Mehendi. I thought it was interesting because Mehendi is a way for us to make a little bit of money, especially during the wedding season. If you do a bridal Mehendi, you can make up to 1,000 RS. You can also work in halls and beauty parlour. I took the 3 months course and really liked it. When I was finished, WIN offered me to become a vocational trainer so I am training young girls now. How has WIN impacted your life?

WIN has given me a job and a source of income. I have been working as a vocational teacher for the last two years. I go to the centre every afternoon apart from holidays and my daughter stays with my mum. I make 1,200 RS per month and I am the bread winner of the family. We need RS 3,000 to run the house. I do other Mehendi jobs to earn the rest. I also enjoy helping the other girls to learn. I feel that I am an example for them. What is the single most important thing WIN has done for you?

WIN has given me a job and skills to support my family.

ARCHANA, interviewed on 24 November 2011 How did you come in contact with WIN?

My mother in law worked for the local WIN Clinic. First, she was a health worker, then she got promoted to be a Junior Supervisor for the health workers. She is the one who took me here when I arrived. How has WIN impacted your life?

I come here when a need medicine or when my children are sick. I also did all my antenatal and postnatal check-ups at the WIN Clinic. I come here around once a week to speak to the doctor, get something for my family, have a chat. It is closer and cheaper than

the big Hospital. Here, I pay 5 to 10 RS to get three days of medication. At the big hospital, that would cost me 150 RS. What is the single most important thing WIN has done for you?

Give me and my family access to cheaper medical treatment.

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RAZIA, interviewed on 25 November 2011 How did you come in contact with WIN?

The health workers of WIN who are doing door to door came to visit our house and inform us about what they do. How has WIN impacted your life?

In three ways: first I benefited from the NNP program (Nutrition Program for mothers and babies) for my two boys. Secondly, I get free medical service from WIN. Thirdly, we adopted family planning and managed to space out the pregnancies and control the size of our family.

What is the single most important thing WIN has done for you?

The family planning component – spacing out the children

VANDANA, interviewed on 25 November 2011 How did you come in contact with WIN?

Through the other health workers. After my fourth child was born, they proposed me to follow a health worker training. It was in 1997, I was 26 years old. My husband was very supportive. I have been a health worker for WIN since then and work every afternoon except holidays between 2 and 6 pm. I make 1,700 RS per month. How has WIN impacted your life?

WIN has given me economical, social and intellectual confidence. Before my training, I didn’t want to go out of my house, even to go to the market. Now I have a job, I am recognized by the

community and I travel around. What is the single most important thing WIN has done for you?

Self confidence These testimonials speak for themselves and represent the most significant evidence of WIN's success as well as an unquestionable proof of the project's positive and lasting impact on the lives of its beneficiaries.

VI. FUTURE IFPD PERSPECTIVES

IFPD is very pleased and satisfied that it was able to bring its collaboration with CSSC and its support to the WIN project to a successful conclusion. IFPD as a development NGO strives to contribute actively to the elimination of poverty among the most vulnerable groups in developing countries, within the context of the Population, Development and Environment (PDE) paradigm. IFPD promotes and supports

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community-based integrated programmes and project activities in health, including reproductive health and family planning, education and income generation. It is guided by the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD, Cairo, Egypt, 1994), and its subsequent modifications and specifications, as well as by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by the UN Member States in 2000. IFPD adapts its development strategy to the on-going international priorities and concerns such as youth and young persons, climate change and environment. Since mid-2011, IFPD is supporting an integrated health, education and income generation project in Madanpur Khadar (MPK), a slum resettlement area in South Delhi, which is implemented by a local NGO called AGRAGAMI INDIA. The project is named KHUSHALI (meaning "well-being" in Hindi) and focuses on youth and their families. Specific emphasis is placed on the avoidance of early marriage and childbirth by offering alternatives through education and employment, and by promoting gender equality. IFPD intends to increase the number of integrated community-based youth development projects in India, with a focus on girls and young women. Initial discussions are being held in view of supporting another project in Mumbai, and possibly in a secondary city in Bihar, one of the poorest States of India. IFPD will continue to concentrate on the development issues that are most urgent for youth and young persons. Projects in Nepal and other South Eastern Asian countries are being considered, subject to availability of funds. Although the integrated health, education and income generation approach is favoured, each project will be tailor-made to reflect local conditions and priorities. IFPD appreciated the initiative started at the Radhe-Ratna clinic in Mumbai, and has therefore introduced Children's Activities Centres (CACs) in the KHUSHALI project in Delhi. The results are very positive and IFPD has set up a specific fundraising programme for the installation and maintenance of CACs in its current and future projects.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

MS CRISTINA MARICH – IFPD EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT – CMARICH@IFPD.ORG