Kunegaon tribals lack docus, aid
Poor awareness prevents them from taking advantage of govt schemes
A mere seven kilometres from the famed tourist town of Lonavla lies Thakkarwadi and in it, the small hamlet of Kunegaon, which has housed 75 tribal families for generations. However, despite the geographical proximity to the buzzing tourist hub, the tribals remain bereft of any government welfare schemes that might come their way. Reason: they do not have any documents.
Surprisingly, that is not a major concern for them, as they have not had the documents for generations. All they care about is finding work on a daily basis to earn a livelihood. Despite being sons of the soil, they don't own a piece of land. The few who are educated till SSC lack awareness about how education can help. As a result, children even today work along with their parents to support the family.
It was with the aim of bringing the tribals into the mainstream that Dr Barnabe D'Souza of Connect All India (CAI), a Mumbai-based NGO, began making them aware of their rights, apart from experimenting with income-generating ideas at the local level.
Having researched street children since 1986, D'Souza during his three years of work in Kunegaon has roped in nearly 100 NGOs and government agencies for tribal welfare and poverty alleviation. "We try to make the tribals aware of the various government schemes meant for them, help them connect with government agencies and get the benefits," said D'Souza, CAI director.
D'Souza, whose work has now spread to five villages between Lonavla and Khopoli, namely Panglole, Kunegaon, Khanav, Ghulewadi and Udloli, said, "Research shows that a loss of identity is the root cause for tribal children landing onto the streets and this leads to poverty." Hence the CAI plans to help them in an income generation scheme, to get documents like caste certificates and PAN cards and a no-frills account.
Thanks to the CAI, a group of women from Thakarwadi have now got a contract for stitching school uniforms, which usually would go to businessmen," said Dr D'Souza. Confirming the CAI's role in developing skills, Sonali Shelke, a Kunegoan resident, said, "Being aware of schemes we had no inkling of till a few years ago has not only helped us earn something but also helped us develop skills to grab opportunities."
Confirming that awareness among the locals was on the rise in the past few years, Dama Hole, a grampanchayat member active in CAI activities, said, "We had to struggle for two years to get power in our homes which we got last year."
"The CAI will reach out to as many poor as possible, mostly from Asia, Africa and Latin America, to carry out humanitarian work ten years from now," added D'Souza.
Poor awareness prevents them from taking advantage of govt schemes
A mere seven kilometres from the famed tourist town of Lonavla lies Thakkarwadi and in it, the small hamlet of Kunegaon, which has housed 75 tribal families for generations. However, despite the geographical proximity to the buzzing tourist hub, the tribals remain bereft of any government welfare schemes that might come their way. Reason: they do not have any documents.Surprisingly, that is not a major concern for them, as they have not had the documents for generations. All they care about is finding work on a daily basis to earn a livelihood. Despite being sons of the soil, they don't own a piece of land. The few who are educated till SSC lack awareness about how education can help. As a result, children even today work along with their parents to support the family.
It was with the aim of bringing the tribals into the mainstream that Dr Barnabe D'Souza of Connect All India (CAI), a Mumbai-based NGO, began making them aware of their rights, apart from experimenting with income-generating ideas at the local level.
Having researched street children since 1986, D'Souza during his three years of work in Kunegaon has roped in nearly 100 NGOs and government agencies for tribal welfare and poverty alleviation. "We try to make the tribals aware of the various government schemes meant for them, help them connect with government agencies and get the benefits," said D'Souza, CAI director.
D'Souza, whose work has now spread to five villages between Lonavla and Khopoli, namely Panglole, Kunegaon, Khanav, Ghulewadi and Udloli, said, "Research shows that a loss of identity is the root cause for tribal children landing onto the streets and this leads to poverty." Hence the CAI plans to help them in an income generation scheme, to get documents like caste certificates and PAN cards and a no-frills account.
Thanks to the CAI, a group of women from Thakarwadi have now got a contract for stitching school uniforms, which usually would go to businessmen," said Dr D'Souza. Confirming the CAI's role in developing skills, Sonali Shelke, a Kunegoan resident, said, "Being aware of schemes we had no inkling of till a few years ago has not only helped us earn something but also helped us develop skills to grab opportunities."
Confirming that awareness among the locals was on the rise in the past few years, Dama Hole, a grampanchayat member active in CAI activities, said, "We had to struggle for two years to get power in our homes which we got last year."
"The CAI will reach out to as many poor as possible, mostly from Asia, Africa and Latin America, to carry out humanitarian work ten years from now," added D'Souza.
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