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Australians learn community-oriented works in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: A group of 15 Australian citizens with diverse backgrounds was impressed by the initiatives for community development and leadership in Rajasthan and evinced a keen interest in the model for participatory empowerment during its recent visit to the State.

The two-month-long study visit of Australians to Rajasthan and Maharashtra was aimed at getting an insight into the framework and processes of Indian sphere of development.

Members of the group interacted with the villagers, elected representatives of the people and professionals during their visits to the project sites in Jaipur, Tonk and Dausa districts of Rajasthan. The visiting group, led by Mike Dendle of the Australian Centre for Social Response, comprised lawyers, doctors, education, public health and community workers, law students, government officials working with communities and members of advocacy organisations.

During its visit to the project sites of Grameen Vikas Evum Paryavaran Sanstha in Dausa district, the group members witnessed activities to promote literacy, improve women’s health status and prevent child labour.

Mr. Dendle was quoted as saying that the group was impressed by the functioning of women’s self-help groups, which had given women more freedom with finances and ability to access loans. ignoredHuman rights lawyer Alice Hall, praised the focus of community initiatives on joint action by villagers while accessing the available resources.

The group visited various project sites in Satara, Latur, Raigad and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra and especially studied the micro-finance and livelihood programmes being run there.

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