Chale Chalo

Chale Chalo's Barefoot Lawyers project focuses on the legal empowerment of SC/ST women in rural areas. The programme aims to achieve gender justice and reduce poverty by enabling women to access justice, poverty reduction programs, and basic services. It operates in 100 villages and hamlets in the Nuapada District of Odisha, India, benefiting around 9,250 scheduled caste and scheduled tribe women. The project involves establishing Dalit and Adivasi Women's Forums, training Community Justice Mentors and Barefoot Lawyers, and conducting activities such as capacity building, exposure visits, joint monitoring, and awareness campaigns. Through these efforts, Chale Chalo works to empower SC/ST women, promote their rights, and foster inclusive development in the communities they serve.

Chale Chalo's Mangroves and Local Environment project, implemented in collaboration with IVDT-UK and local communities, aims to renew, rescue, save, and manage mangroves in Kendrapara District. The project has been ongoing since 2008, benefiting over 50,000 individuals across 60 villages and schools. Its objectives include scaling up mangrove revival and plantation efforts, engaging local volunteers and resource persons, and raising awareness through campaigns and discussions. Activities encompass maintaining mangrove nurseries, replacing damaged seedlings, organising cleaning campaigns, conducting awareness programmes, and forming community forums for rejuvenation and protection. The project also fosters partnerships with stakeholders and seeks support from PRIs and Government agencies for funding and implementation.

Chale Chalo implements the Child and Mother Health & Nutrition initiatives with a particular focus on needy children in the Khariar and Boden Block of Nuapada District. The CRY - Child Community Radio Project is used to facilitate access to quality health services and education for these children across 28 villages. The project objectives include reducing malnutrition among children aged 0 to 5, ensuring access to safe drinking water, minimizing school dropouts, improving attendance rates in schools, enhancing learning performance in government schools, promoting joyful and child-friendly preschool education in 7 AWCs, and reducing distressed family and child migration. Moreover, the project emphasizes the active participation of children, enabling them to enjoy their childhood and contribute to their holistic development.

Chale Chalo, in collaboration with Oxfam India, is undertaking a project in the Sundargarh District to enhance access to quality education for tribal students, particularly focusing on tribal girls in elementary schools. The initiative is being implemented in 32 tribal-dominated villages of the Kuarmunda Block. The project consists of two stages, with Stage 1 aimed at integrating the education of tribal children into the mainstream, while Stage 2 aims to improve access to quality education. The project has successfully reached around 3,500 children from tribal, Dalit, and girl communities across 32 elementary schools. By actively involving various stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, Government officials, and community volunteers, the project aims to effectively implement the Right to Education (RTE) Act and ensure the provision of quality primary education for tribal students, with a specific focus on tribal girls in the targeted villages.

Chale Chalo implemented the EMCOR Follow-Up Project, building upon their previous project, aiming to empower poor communities for poverty reduction. Operating from 2009 to 2014, the project focused on 60 poverty-stricken villages in Odisha, India. Through community radio initiatives and resource utilization, Chale Chalo enhanced representation skills, access to information, and engagement in claiming rights and entitlements. The project fostered participation, right, and minimized gaps between beneficiaries and authorities. "More Haq Gaon Sangathans" facilitated practical utilization of welfare programmes, benefiting 6,000 impoverished families.