Annual report, 2005–06
The first full year of OASiS, when the social security model went into the field, the fight for insurance rights for disabled people was won, and Parvarish opened its doors.
Social security system
The founders developed and tested a sustainable social security model for developing countries, one that gives complete cover to deprived families without taxes or savings, and provides sustainable livelihood security through financially assisted group and individual livelihoods; financial protection against life’s uncertainties through social insurance; old age security through pension; education aimed at grooming children towards self-employment and responsible citizenship; and social security that increases across generations.
Progress
- The model was endorsed by Dr Bibek Debroy, then Secretary General of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and an advisor to OASiS.
- It was studied by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and permitted for implementation in the state.
- NABARD agreed to support implementation of the rural model.
Urban
- Implementation began in Bhopal with our own resources.
- 300 families and six service providers across two slums registered with the system.
- The State Bank of India agreed to open social security accounts, with talks continuing there and with Punjab National Bank. Social security collections started.
- The first Self Employed Group was formed and livelihood activities were being explored.
Rural
- NABARD approved and sanctioned a grant of ₹8 lakh over three years to implement the rural model in two villages of Betul district.
- Three villages, Polapathar, Gurgunda and Chirmatekri: were chosen in the Bhoura cluster of Shahpura block.
- The first survey was completed for all three, and consumption analysis done for two.
- Livelihood activities were identified for one village and Self Employed Groups were being formed.
- A Project Implementation and Monitoring Committee was formed with the NABARD DDM, the Punjab National Bank branch manager at Bhoura, PRADAN, OASiS and insurance professionals. It first met on 11 February 2006 to agree roles and responsibilities.
Social security for disabled people
While designing the social security model we noticed that disabled people were being given no cover at all through insurance. That led OASiS to take up the injustice. The effort led to a decision at a national workshop to file a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court demanding insurance for disabled people on par with the able bodied.
Progress
- A sample survey was done to establish the risk profile of disabled people with respect to hospitalisation and accidents.
- In August 2005, for the first time in the country, the New India Assurance Company’s Bhopal Division I offered health insurance to disabled people at standard premiums, terms and conditions.
- The first health insurance policy for a mentally challenged person in the country was issued through OASiS to Vivek Punj of the Parents’ Society for the Mentally Retarded, on 1 December 2005.
- The District Collector of Bhopal announced this at a press conference on 9 December 2005, and also declared financial support for the premiums needed to cover all economically weaker disabled people in the district.
- A committee was formed to study the options and choose the right package, and the Collector’s office began a survey of health information and health-seeking behaviour among disabled people in the district.
- A presentation was made on 22 February 2006 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to a meeting of all state commissioners for disability convened by the Chief Commissioner Disability.
- The Chief Commissioner formed an expert group of disability commissioners from ten states, OASiS and the Collector of Bhopal, to run the survey nationally and design a health insurance framework.
Parvarish, the urban slum children’s education project
Conceived in March 2004 with the aim of giving the right education to children of a lesser god and keeping them from becoming future lawbreakers, Parvarish was shaped by a year of research into non-formal education models, Shanti Niketan, the Aurobindo Ashram, Rishi Valley, the Japanese system and Loreto. The outline was designed in July 2005, and the project was launched on 5 September 2005 by our patron Oudh Narain Shrivastava, former Governor of Nagaland, with Sumit Bose, Principal Secretary for Finance in the Government of Madhya Pradesh, and Dr D P Sharma, former Vice Chancellor of Barkatullah University.
The main features
- The first collaborative project with the National Museum of Mankind, the Regional Science Centre and the Regional Museum of Natural History
- An informal model built on the belief that nature is the best teacher, and that the best learning happens through exposure and observation
- A sponsorship model, where each child is sponsored by a responsible citizen of the city
- An eleven year project aimed at grooming non-school-going slum children towards self-employment
Progress
- The project started on 5 September 2005.
- 45 ragpicker children enrolled from two slums, Meera Nagar and Saibaba Nagar.
- An average strength of 30 was managed and taught by five teachers, three from the slums themselves, one college student and one teacher from a Bhopal school.
- The project was guided by a very senior teacher from a reputed Bhopal school and by a social worker from the academic sector.
- The first six months focused on changing attitudes and on basic literacy for all students.
- The first quarterly evaluation in early January 2006 showed remarkable improvement in discipline, cleanliness, orderliness and basic civic sense, and substantial progress towards an academic foundation.
- Pre-vocational skills training and learning-by-doing mechanisms were being planned.
- Nine children had been sponsored by eight concerned citizens, with further funding being explored among corporates, institutions, funding organisations and individuals.
Rural education project
Begun in August 2004 to build a bridge between institutes of repute and school dropouts in rural areas, the project identified two villages near Bhopal, Chaan and Maksi, with help from the Madhya Pradesh education department. A year of continuous work by OASiS volunteers created awareness of the benefits of education and of the new methods that have made it easier.
Progress
- 50 village school dropouts were taught livelihood skills over the year.
- 10 were motivated to sit the Madhya Pradesh State Open School Class 10 and Class 12 examinations.
- OASiS collaborated with the nearby Institute for Professional and Educational Research (IPER) for preparatory classes.
- 50 MCA and MBA students of the college volunteered to teach the village students as part of their social activity, and the college set aside a period every day for social work and library time.
- Preparatory classes began on 15 September 2005, run daily by IPER students on their campus.
- One student sat the Class 10 examination in December 2005; the remaining nine were to sit theirs in July 2006.
- The model created enough encouragement that dropouts from neighbouring villages wanted to join and gain certification.
Livelihood project
Livelihood is a central component of social security, so OASiS has been testing small livelihood models to integrate with the system.
- Designed new eco carry bags made from newspaper to replace non-degradable polythene bags below 20 microns.
- Trained 100 women in urban slums to manufacture them, and designed the supply chain.
- Awaited government support to ban polythene in areas where paper bags could be introduced, while exploring financial support from business houses and administrative support from the district administration.
- Trained 10 women in Saibaba Nagar to manufacture sanitary pads. The Self Employed Group was experimenting with designs to find one affordable enough to meet the very large demand in the slums.