Livelihood
Setting up of Fruit Processing unit
Maharashtra
Ministry of Tribal Affairs has taken up the exercise to distribute the Solar Conduction Dryers at a subsidized price under Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY). This was done to economically empower rural farmers by reducing the wastage and increasing the shelf life of the agro-products. Though the funds were released in 2014-15, they remained unutilized, a major reason being the huge cost of SCDs. The Associate intervened to fast-track the process and ensure that the correct amount of funds are allocated for the beneficiaries
Lake Cleaning
Telangana
Lake is a common property resource and hence exploitation is common and rampant due to negligence and lack of responsibility of all the stakeholders. Over-exploitation of lakes is leading to rise in reported cases of Dengue in Hyderabad. Reversal of a polluted lake cannot be done by an individual. To overcome this challenge SPARC Associate worked closely with the Office of the MP to create a low-cost boat to clean the lake at a much faster rate.
Social Welfare
Assistance to Disabled
In various constituencies of multiple states
Disability restricts the opportunities to lead functionally productive lives and stunts their economic and social growth. Usage of suitable, durable and standard aids can help in the social and economic empowerment of this section. There has been a constant endeavor from GoI to provide these appliances at minimum costs and introduced Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids/ Appliances (ADIP) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. SPARC Associates across constituencies played a crucial role in the identification and implementation of this scheme by reaching out to the Ministry and ensuring the camps are conducted to register the beneficiaries. They further worked closely with the District Administration and the Community for the distribution of the aids and appliances
Artifical Insemination
Telangana
Animal Husbandry emerged as a preferred alternative livelihood option for the farmers in drought-prone areas of Telangana. But, an absence of proper support system has hampered the income. SPARC Associate took up the challenge, met BAIF officials to understand their project and coordinated with multiple stakeholders in the District Administration to get approvals. The Associate also successfully tapped CSR funds worth 1 crores for the project to be implemented and operated for the next 5 years
Renewable Energy
Sourcing Solar Street Lights
In various constituencies of multiple states
Government of India has undertaken a number of policy measures for increasing the share of renewable energy in India’s energy mix. Hence, this initiative focused on bringing renewable energy to the SPARC Associate’s constituency. SPARC Associate identified either a Government Scheme or a CSR funder for the installation of solar street lights.