Asra Samajik Lok Kalyan Samiti

We support the training and implementation of the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach to strengthen Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Committees (VHSNC) for improving maternal and child health outcomes in Alirajpur District, Madhya Pradesh, through community engagement. Alirajpur, along with other tribal districts like Jhabua, Dhar, and Barwani, is severely affected by sickle cell anemia. Addressing anemia is a key focus of our project, which aims to reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). Since 2018, ASRA has implemented PLA projects in Alirajpur, supported by EKJUT and NHM–MP, fostering community-driven action for better health and nutrition outcomes.

The IPAS Project aimed to prevent deaths and disabilities from unsafe abortions by ensuring women could access safe, respectful, and comprehensive abortion care, including counseling and contraception to prevent future unintended pregnancies. Implemented in Dewas District from 2012 to 2015, the project focused on marginalized young women’s right to choose pregnancy and increasing their knowledge of the legality and availability of abortion services. The initiative created an enabling environment for women to access public and private health providers, promoting prevention and safe abortion. Covering 664 villages, the project conducted community-based training and meetings on safe Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP), benefiting women aged 15 to 35, along with sensitizing 161,110 elderly women on health, hygiene, and safe MTP practices.

The Routine Immunisation Programme, part of the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood initiative, provides vaccinations to beneficiaries in rural and urban areas through government services. ASRA has been actively supporting government departments by enhancing service capacity to improve routine immunisation. Through various projects, ASRA has worked with communities to create demand for vaccinations by raising awareness, mobilizing communities for vaccination at Anganwadi centers and villages, and providing support to frontline workers like ANMs, ASHAs, and AWWs. Recently, ASRA collaborated with JSI to improve routine immunisation in Rajgarh, Guna, and Dewas, benefiting around 40,000 children directly.

ASRA has been running the Rashtriya Kishori Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) in Alirajpur and Rajgarh Districts since 2017 with NHM–MP's support. The program focuses on adolescent health, addressing not just sexual and reproductive health, but also nutrition, mental health, gender-based violence, and substance abuse. It promotes community-based interventions, including counseling, social behavior change, and strengthening Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics. The program involves parents and communities to support adolescents, benefiting 22,000 young people.

ASRA regularly conducts capacity building for frontline workers with support from government departments and funders.
ASHA Workers: Since 2010, ASRA has trained 2,060 ASHA workers in Dewas District, focusing on health, nutrition, and immunization, with 700 receiving certification. ASHA workers act as a bridge between communities and health services.
Anganwadi Workers: From 2015 to 2018, ASRA trained 1,000 Anganwadi workers, enhancing their skills in nutrition, family planning, and child health, with support from Mahila Bal Vikas MP.

ASRA has implemented HIV/AIDS prevention projects in Dewas and Indore Districts since 2009, supported by the M.P. State Aids Control Society. These projects target Female Sex Workers (FSWs), migrants, truckers, and MSM populations to prevent new HIV and STI infections. In Dewas and Indore, 1,920 FSWs were identified, with 1,410 receiving services like STI treatment, counseling, and behavioral change communication. The projects promote safe sexual practices, condom use, and create community ownership. Additionally, 50,000 truckers and 320 migrant laborers have benefited from HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives.

ASRA implemented TB prevention projects in Dhar, Mandsaur, and Dewas districts, collaborating with Care India, Voluntary Health Association of India, and CHAI. The projects focused on raising awareness about TB risks, testing, and treatment, and ensuring patients complete their medication. ASRA trained rural healthcare providers, ASHA, and Anganwadi workers, while building linkages with government agencies. Through Project Akshya, communities were engaged to improve TB care, especially for marginalized populations. A total of 33,000 people benefited from these initiatives.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, ASRA supported marginalized communities by distributing over 10,000 ration kits, 100,000 food packets, and various medical supplies including pulse oximeters, PPE kits, thermal guns, and sanitizer machines. Post-lockdown, ASRA facilitated vaccination efforts and community awareness in 8 districts, reaching 720,000 people and vaccinating 12,000 individuals. Funding came from CLP India, Simence Gamesa, Zomato, JSI (USAID), American India Foundation, and individual donors.

Safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene are crucial to health and well-being of human. WASH is prerequisite to better health, but it also contributes to better education (i.e., school attendance of boys and girls) and dignity. ASRA has been implementing different WASH projects in rural and urban areas including schools. Some of the examples of wash project are as follows:

ASRA partners with Jal Jeevan Mission and the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department of Madhya Pradesh to implement the "Har Ghar Nal Jal Yojna," aimed at providing tap water to rural households in Guna and Chhindwara districts. Key activities include awareness drives, Gram Sabha meetings, training for community operation and management, and ensuring community contributions for connections. The project has benefited 62,000 households.

In all the selected schools, work has been done to provide educational support to the children in the form of bunks, books, science labs, pure water arrangements and toilet construction. Along with this, many works like solar street lights in selected villas and solar system in Anganwadi have also been done.

In 2020, ASRA, supported by Satpura Transco Private Limited and CLP India, implemented a school infrastructure development program focusing on WASH facilities in three villages. Key activities included:
• Constructing 15 hand wash units.
• Repairing 13 toilets in Nandarvada, Narri, and Gotavari.
• Building 2 washing stations and platforms for mid-day meals in Nandarvada and Narri.
• Providing 5 water purifiers for safe drinking water.
• Completing 2 motor pipeline projects and additional work in 3 schools.
• Constructing 4 drainage systems and soak pits.
• Installing incinerator facilities for used pads and leach pit toilets.
• Introducing child-friendly toilets and hand wash units.
• Implementing grey water reuse and establishing a soap bank, pad bank, and first-aid boxes.
Additionally, ASRA supported toilet construction under the Swachh Bharat Mission in Dewas, training communities and 'Swachhatha Rakshaks' to achieve 100% ODF status.

ASRA has implemented various livelihood projects in rural and urban areas, focusing on agriculture, non-farm activities, and vocational training. Supported by government agencies and CSR, these projects aim to enhance income and create new livelihoods. Notable achievements include linking 500 artisans with the AHVY scheme, strengthening 1,800+ SHG members, and partnering with NABARD for skill development of potters.

Since 2017, ASRA, supported by CLP India and Siemens Gamesa, has enhanced villagers' livelihoods through various agricultural initiatives:
• Women’s Groups: Formed and linked to banks for business loans.
• Advanced Agriculture Training: Provided by experts, including field visits and seed distribution.
Key Projects:
• Modern Farming: Demo plots, organic fertilizers, drip irrigation, soil testing, and water management.
• Kitchen Gardens: Promoted among 85 families for better nutrition and income.
• Vermi Compost: Training offered to improve soil health and generate income.
• Azolla and Napier Grass: Training for 100 women to grow Azolla for animal feed.
These efforts have benefited around 3,000 individuals

Dairy Forming -
SRA has implemented various non-farm projects, including dairy development under the UDAY/Samaruddhi project in Dewas and Ratlam districts, supported by Siemens Gamesa and CLP India since 2017. Dairy farming provides additional income for small/marginal farmers and agricultural laborers, improves soil fertility, and offers year-round employment.
Key Achievements:
• Milk Collection Centers: Established 18 centers in Dewas and 4 in Ratlam.
• Milk Collection: Daily collection of 1,500 liters in Dewas and 400 liters in Ratlam.
• Milk Outlets: Operated 2 outlets in Dewas and 1 in Ratlam.
• Self-Help Groups: Formed 150 SHGs with 2,000 women in Dewas and 78 SHGs with 990 women in Ratlam.
• Animal Increase: Raised the number of animals from 943 to 4,531 in three years.
• Federation: Established Uday Mahila Seva Samiti with an annual turnover of approximately Rs. 1 crore.

Goat rearing offers advantages such as low investment, low risk, the use of local feed, and easy management by rural women. ASRA's "Samrudhi" project, supported by Siemens Gamesa, has been promoting goat rearing in Badnawar block, Dhar district, since 2019, focusing on women-headed families, widows, and poor households.
Key Activities:
• Goat Rearing Units: Established 4+1 units for 100 members to boost income.
• Skill Enhancement: Trained members in improved goat rearing practices.
• Entrepreneurship Development: Fostered entrepreneurial skills for sustainable livelihoods.
• Ongoing Project: Since 2022, ASRA, supported by Vector, has been expanding goat rearing in 3 villages, providing goats, training, feed, and marketing support.

Under the Ambedkar Yojana, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India, ASRA provided training for tribal people of Khandwa district. This was done to provide them livelihood and training was imparted to them to make different types of items from bamboo.
Under this project all the beneficiaries formed the Self-help groups and they were taught importance of saving. They open the bank account and after that they were provided training by the experts.

ASRA's project under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission, supported by Nagar Nigam Dewas and Ujjain, aimed to improve the livelihoods of urban poor households by facilitating access to self-employment and skilled wage opportunities.
Key Focus Areas:
• Poverty Reduction: Enabled access to self-employment and skilled wage opportunities to improve livelihoods sustainably.
• SHG Formation: Established women’s SHGs focused on BPL households.
• Federations: Created Area Level Federations (ALFs) and City Level Federations (CLFs).
• Group Activities: Encouraged community group activities at ALF & CLF levels to enhance bargaining power and livelihood opportunities.
• Training and Trade: Trained women in leather material manufacturing and linked them to this trade.

ASRA in collaboration with Duda, has organised different vocational training for the youth in urban areas from 2002 to 2011 in Indore, Dewas, Ujjain, Ratlam and Shajapur districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Women were taught different skill set like stitching and embroidery, beauty parlor courses, soya products etc. Men were taught machine repairing, bike repairing, mobile repairing and repairing of other electronic items. After completion of training all the participants were given certificate.

ASRA addresses various cross-cutting issues through different projects, including integrated village development, model anganwadi, watershed management, and legal awareness. They also provide one-time support for community needs such as educational supplies and security measures.
Key Projects:
Village Development Program (2017)
• Health Services: Improved access in remote areas of Ratlam and Dewas.
• Livestock: Disease prevention and control.
• Animal Husbandry: Increased awareness and improved practices.
• SHGs: Formation, management training, and engagement in micro-enterprises.
• WASH Facilities: Improved toilets in 20 schools (10 in each district).
• Model Anganwadi: Developed and enhanced Anganwadis with community participation.
Watershed Management
• Water Bodies: Constructed 30 balram talab and 12 ponds for sustainable agriculture and water conservation.
• Tree Plantation: Planted 3,000 trees in Dewas, Ratlam, and Dhar.
These projects are supported by various partners, including

ASRA with support of Selco Foundation has implemented project for developing model Anganwadi and promote E-learning at Anganwadi at the 15 Anganwadi center. The objective of project was to ensure attendance and quality education at anganwadi centers. All these Anganwadi were provided soft toy, charts. Wall painting was done and audio-video setup with laptop was also provided to these AWC.

ASRA, with support from TATA International Ltd, runs "Masti Ki Pathshala," a non-formal evening education program for out-of-school and drop-out children in Amona slum. The program aims to:
• Increase Enrollment: Boost school enrollment, retention, and promotion for children aged 6 to 14.
• Quality Education: Provide informal and quality education to children in this age group.
• Advocacy: Encourage communities and local bodies to advocate for child rights related to education.
• Dropout Survey: Conducted a survey of 3,000 drop-out students for the District Education Department Dewas.
• Teacher Training: Trained approximately 150 teachers, sponsored by the District Education Department Dewas.
• Educational Materials: Distributed teaching and reading materials to economically disadvantaged students.

With support of Siemens Gamesa (India) foundation “Little Scientist Program” was implemented in 21 villages of Ratlam and Dewas district. In this program theoretical and practical trainings was provide on science to rural students from class 6th-8th and science fair was organized at village, block and district level. More than 1000 students were oriented on science through different activities.

The program is focused on promotion of sports activity in rural area and to shift focus of youth from anti-social activities to sports so that they can used their time in constructive way and are promoted to pursue sports as career in future. With support of Siemens Gamesa (India) foundation, sports were promoted in 20 villages of Ratlam and Dewas district. Under this Soccer(football) was promotion (Football) at village level. Soccer trainings will be imparted to children of 8 to 15 years of age group. Village, block and district level tournaments were organized for teams

SRA has conducted various impact studies and evaluations in collaboration with different organizations:
• MPRRDA: Conducted an impact study of the "MP Gramin Sadak Yojna" for 3 years, focusing on Land Acquisition Plans (LAP) and Indigenous People Development Plans (IPDPs), sponsored by ADB.
• School Dropout Studies: Conducted studies in Dewas and Ujjain, supported by Rajiv Gandhi Shiksha Mission.
• Livelihood Studies: Evaluated pottery livelihoods with BASICS and agriculture with Access Livelihood Consulting India Pvt. Ltd.
• GIS Survey: Conducted GIS surveys for Rajiv Awas Yojna, supported by the Municipal Corporation of Dewas.
• Nirmal Gram Puruskar: Studied sanitation efforts in Raigadh district, Maharashtra, supported by the Ministry of Drinking Water.
• Bamboo Plantation: Evaluated bamboo plantation efforts in Dewas, supported by the Forest Department.