ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Equal Access To Health And Education
Human development data demonstrates that gender, caste and class continue to affect access to basic rights and services. Statistics substantiate the picture here in India where more than one third of the population lives below the poverty line. In our quest to create a more equal and just world, we, at Oxfam India, focus on the right to universal access to education and healthcare through our programmes and campaigns on essential services.
HEALTH
At present, there are a lot of government initiated measures & social health insurance schemes, including the National Rural Health mission to address the dismal health scene in India.
EDUCATION
Education is one of the key instruments of social change & empowerment of marginalised communities. According to the Right to Education (RTE) Act passed in 2009, children in the 6-14 age group are entitled to free and compulsory education, yet 60 lakh children are yet to step inside a school in India.
2 out of 5 schools lack a functional toilet.
50 lakh children still do not have access to drinking water facility.
India has the world's largest number
of child workers aged 5 to 14 years.
At 28.7 lakh India by far has the largest population of illiterate adults.
Oxfam India is the founding member of the National RTE Forum, the largest alliance on education in the country. Constituting civil society organisation and agencies working on education.
State Level Shiksha Samwad
On March 2, 2015, Oxfam India, in collaboration with State Collective for Right to Education (SCoRE) and Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) organised a 'State Level Shiksha Samwad' in Lucknow, launching an awareness campaign 'Shiksha Ki Udaan' with the objective of retaining public trust in Government schools.
State Seminar on Universalisation of Education and the RTE Act
On February 16, 2015, we organised a 'State Seminar on Universalisation of Education and the RTE Act' in Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with Shashi Bhushan Girls' Degree College, Lucknow to suggest robust child tracking mechanisms, replication of continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE).
State Level Consultations
in Uttar Pradesh
Oxfam India and its partner organisation, Lokmitra has organised a 'State level Consultation of Basic Shiksha Manch in Lucknow.
Inclusive And Quality Education
For Tribal Children
Strong advocacy by Oxfam India increased enrollment and provided quality education for tribal children in Odisha.
School Management
Committee (SMC) convention
For the first time, State Level School Management Committee (SMC) convention was organised by Oxfam India and State Collective for Right to Education[SCORE] in Lucknow.
School Development and
Quality Education
At a district level convention held on September 21, 2014 in Odisha for 'School Development and Quality Education', efficient interfacing between the Government and civil society was facilitated.
State Level Advocacy
on Education
Basic Shiksha Manch, a collective of Uttar Pradesh CSOs, aims for an effective implementation of the Right To Education (RTE) Act through interventions and state level advocacy led by Oxfam India partner, Lokmitra.
Jevanar Mela or health stalls in weekly markets and Nutritional Fairs with high-nutrition traditional tribal Chhattisgarhi foods addressed maternal health and nutrition issues in remote tribal areas in Chattisgarh.
Jharkhand celebrated Breastfeeding Week from August 1 to 7, with a Nukkad Natak group and Poshan Rath. Information on nutritious diets, tri-colour foods and the importance of breastfeeding for the mother and child was disseminated to 70 villages in Hazaribagh.
Working with the Department of Health Services, and the Chhattisgarh Administrative Academy,Oxfam organised a workshop on maternal health on August 27 and 28, 2014, to sensitise health officials to the community's maternal healthcare requirements.
Over 77,000 signatures received in 'Save the Medicines' petitionto be submitted to the Commerce Minister.
South Asia Maternal Health Consultation organised in Kathmandu in February 2015.
Workshop on Legal Strategies and Grievance Redressal (GR) Mechanisms with Delhi-based education partners and Delhi RTE Forum members held on October 16,2015 to develop an action plan to spread awareness and access GR mechanisms.
School Cabinet - comprising of children in Odisha writing to the Chief Minister and State Cabinet on Right to Education (RTE) implementation.
In Bihar and Jharkhand, cycle rallies were conducted for effective compliance of the RTE Act as a part of #HaqBantaHai.
As part of the nationwide #HaqBantaHai campaign,intensive awareness building, grievance collection, record filing and a massive signature campaign demanding implementation of the RTE Act was carried out in 20 districts of Odisha on March 16, 2015.
Oxfam India with partner Samudaik Kalyan Evam Vikas Sansthan (SKVS) and SCORE organised a consultation in Lucknow on Section 12 (C) and fee regulation in private schools of Uttar Pradesh.
14 year old ziratunissa spreads awareness on family planning.
When 14-year-old Ziratunissa Khatun of Bihar's Kishanganj district, talked freely about sex and contraception, it shocked many. Ziratunissa is part of a group of girls committed to the Kishori programme being run by Bihar Voluntary Health Association and Oxfam India. However, soon hostility gave way to acceptance and women started sharing their concerns without inhibitions. The girls go door-to-door carrying samples of contraceptive pills, copper-T and condoms to educate women about the benefits of having a gap of, at least five years between children. Today there are three Kishori groups in Kishanganj with 20 girls in each group and the community is slowly being educated about family planning and motherhood.