ANHAD in Kashmir

   

Anhad has been working in Kashmir since October 2005. We initially got involved with the relief work and later expanded our work to include education, livelihood, and community work. We also started working around the issues of human right violations, creating democratic spaces and engaging with the youth.

Now Anhad has a presence in 25 villages in Uri and Tangdar and has been able to create a vibrant youth platform in the Kashmir valley.

• My Space: Youth Centre in Srinagar

We started the work at Srinagar by formally inaugurating the Library and Film club. The youth center is called MY Space. The name was coined by some young volunteers who felt that young people should be able to identify themselves with the name and the place. Right now we have around 350 books and almost 50 documentary and feature films in our library. We had announced a donation campaign to supplement more books and films but unfortunately the response was poor. Whatever came in donation was not worth keeping in the library. We have constantly felt the lack of volunteerism in the society as a whole. Even the people who responded to the earthquake were very few from inside Kashmir. Decades of conflict and unrest has taken a toll on people’s social life. My Space as an open platform has played a significant role under these circumstances. The fact that a large number of young volunteers constantly visit and participate in the activities of My Space is a major step forward.

Any young person can become member of MY Space. There is no membership fee. Any person can just walk in and can avail the library facility. We have kept Rs.100 per quarter fee only for those members who want to take the books and films with them. The fee collected from the members is utilized for the maintenance of the library.

• SPARK: Youth Group

Meetings and brainstorming sessions were organized in various colleges to discuss the possibility of starting a platform for youth. Most of the people agreed to the idea of starting a discussion group. The group was named SPARK.

The SPARK members regularly organize discussions, screenings at My Space as well as in colleges and universities. Regular workshops are organized for the members. Our first workshop was specially designed for the students of Mass Communication for Kashmir University and for the Spark members. The resource person was Gauhar Raza, a scientist, poet and filmmaker. The discussion was followed by the screening of the documentary film ’In Dark Times".

SPARK members also work on various issues and they spend time to research and gather information.

We organized a workshop on the topic "Human Rights and Law" for the University students. Aaliya Anjuma, a well known advocate of Kashmir, briefed the students about our human rights and the provision in law to safeguard these rights. During the workshop the role of Tribunals and Lok Adalats was also discussed which could provide legal aid to those people who cannot afford court documentation.

After tremendous response from the students of Kashmir University we decided to move further and extend our area of intervention. So we reached the newly built campus of Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora. There we got permission to start our youth centre in the university. We started with the informal meetings with the students of the university and our spark members.

• Internship at Anhad

The Sociology and Social Work Department of Kashmir University as part of their academic curriculum regularly place their students for internship training and experience with Anhad. The SPARK members and the students placed in Anhad for internship under the guidance of our Programme Coordinators have documented the following issues: Human Rights Violations, Survey on orphanages, Self help groups, Survey on psychiatric cases, Survey on Disability, Drug addiction, Child rights, Custodial disappearance, Custodial killing and Fake encounter. Anhad had planned to organize a Tribunal on Human Rights Violations in Kashmir but due to unavoidable circumstances it had to be postponed. Meanwhile some other groups have announced a tribunal so Anhad decided not to duplicate the efforts and instead publish approximately 100 stories of the human rights violation sin Kashmir.

• Spark member Journalists

Many spark members with good writing skills have been now regularly getting their work published in esteemed dailies. Anhad played the role of introducing the Spark members to various editors and facilitating the whole process.

• Competitions for Students

Anhad since its inception has found various creative ways of engaging with youth. Though the response to My Space and Spark was very good but we were looking for ways to reach out to a large number of young people in a short time and so we came up with the idea of organizing competitions for school and college students. Anhad organised several painting, debate, essay, poetry, short story writing competitions at the Kashmir level. The topics for various competitions were: How to Save the Dal Lake, Dreams and Aspirations of Kashmiri Youth, Stop Hate Campaign: "Create Democracy Celebrate Diversity’, What Peace and Justice Means to Me.

Thousands of entries poured in from all corners of Kashmir. The response was tremendous both because of the lack of opportunities and creative activities in the valley and the dedication with which the young Anhad team worked. The winners of the debate competition on Dreams and Aspirations of Kashmiri Youth were invited as panelists on two television channels.

• Documentary Film Festival

For the first time since the militancy Tagore Hall opened its Balcony. Tagore Hall according to Dr. Rafeeq Masoodi, Secretary, Jammu And Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages had not seen so many people for almost 20 years. The occasion was the opening of the First Student’s Documentary Film Festival in Srinagar. 16 documentaries were screened, out of which 7 were by film makers from Kashmir. Shahid Budgami the well known Kashmiri poet presided over the inaugural session. Dr Rafeeq Masoodi inaugurated the festival. More than 400 students, film makers, media professionals and intellectuals attended the festival. The festival was inaugurated with the screening of the documentary film ’Kashmir in Black And White’ by Malik Sajad. This film was among the ten films selected by the jury. The other films from Kashmir which were screened during the festival were Cruising Despair, Baramulla Religion and Peace, Narcissus on Fire Waiting for Lama, From Darkness to Light, The Hillock that Connects. At the end of the festival trophies were presented to the winning directors of Kashmir by Mr. Arshad Hussain Kaloo, Managing Editor, Greater Kashmir.

• Trip to Finland

Peace Union of Finland, an independent non government organization invited the Anhad volunteers along with the programme coordinator to attend the seminar "A Dialogue with Kashmiri Youth" held in the city of Turku, Finland. The delegation led by Mr. Tanveer Hussain Khan with Mr Irtif, Mr. Irfan and Ms Nahida from Kashmir University and Ms. Narjees, a young lawyer from Srinagar attended the Seminar on Anhad’s behalf and presented their views.

• Intervention in Human Rights Violation cases

ANHAD has been working for the benefit & welfare of human rights violation. Thousands of families have lost their close relatives during the conflict; some families have been completely devastated & left with no bread earners. Kashmir has faced innumerable human rights violations like disappearances; custodial killings; murders, assaults on women, child abuse etc. Anhad has been trying to sensitize the victims about their legal rights. Anhad’s team has documented about 50 such human right violation cases from all over Kashmir. We are planning to continue this work and then publish it in a book form.

• Workshop on Right to Information Act

A workshop was conducted to disseminate the information about the utility technicalities, limitations of RTI in Kashmir. The workshop was presided by Dr. Raja Muzzafar Bhat, a social activist working on the RTI movement in Kashmir. The participants were taught how to file the RTI and how to file various appeals if the information sought out is not given in time. Various applications under RTI were filed by Anhad volunteers in different departments like SHRC, LAWDA, SOCIAL WELFARE, ESTATES, and Municipality. Information sought in State Human Right Commission was about the details of total number of human rights violation cases filed in the commission right from its inception till date, total number of fake encounter cases filed in SHRC, total number of custodial disappearances and custodial killings with details from its inception till date, total number of cases for which compensation has been sanctioned.

In Lake and Water ways Development Authority (LAWDA) the RTI was filed to gather information about the amount sanctioned to the concerned authorities for Save DAL project and the activities done in this respect. In the social welfare department RTI was filed to get the detailed information regarding the criteria for allotting the scholarships. In the estates department RTI was file to know how much of the allocated funds have been spent so far and how the monitoring is being done.

Anhad plans to organize a seminar of RTI in the coming year and expand the scope of the campaign to use RTI more efficiently. Interactive Sessions and Discussions

We got a chance to organize an interactive session of Spark members with US based anthropology professor Ms. Haley of Ohio University. She is doing research on Kashmir issues. She talked on the ethnicity and history of Kashmir, the freedom fighters of Kashmir and the ongoing Kashmir turmoil. She too shared her views like how people in America think about Kashmir issue. Her many misconceptions were cleared about the present situation of Kashmiri youth and the various problems that Kashmiri youth is facing after interacting with the spark members.

Mr. Hanif Lakadwala and Ms Sheeba George leading activists from Gujarat in an informal group discussion at Anhad office exchanged their views on communalism and the ways to counter it.

The Coffee Day was celebrated on 23rd July at Anhad office. The idea was conceived by the SPARK member’s. Persons from various distinct fields were invited. It was attended by Film maker Shafqat Habib and Mushtaq Balla, writer and poet Shahid Budgami, Prof. Abdul Majid and others. The meeting was an open interaction were all the participants formed small groups and discussed issues of their choice. The meeting was productive as it provided an opportunity to all the spark members to gain and share the ideas with people from various distinct fields. It was in the meeting that people who had been invited expressed their consent for contributing their time with ANHAD activities. The two filmmakers also expressed their willingness for being available here at Srinagar office to help aspiring students in film making. They also expressed their consent for starting a film club where they will be regularly available for teaching the art of film making and discussing the new ideas. Other invites also expressed their willingness for their contribution whenever required. These interactions in essence provide a space where youth and experienced people can share their creative ideas and knowledge.

Unfortunately due to the pressure of activities and other work which handled by the Anhad core team in Srinagar we have not been able to utilize the services of the filmmakers. But we do plan to start a serious effort in the filed of media and films in the coming year.

• Seminar: Role of Media in a Conflict Zone A seminar “Role of Media in a conflict zone was organized on November 06, 2007 at the Winter Hall, The Shere Kashmir International Conference Centre(SKICC), Srinagar. The seminar discussed issues that the media face in covering conflicts, and tried to examine role as well as challenges faced by the media in a conflict situation. The focus of the seminar was Kashmir but it dealt with other similar situations too.

The senior journalists Mr Ahmed Ali Fayaz, Srinagar Bureau Chief, Daily Excelsior, Mr Arshid Hussain Kaloo, Managing Editor, Greater Kashmir, Mr Bashir Manzer, Editor in Chief, Kashmir Images, Mr Zahir-U-Din, Editor Etilaat, Mr Sankarshan Thakur, Executive Editor, Tehelka, Mr Jawed Navi, Dawn, Mr Zafar Agha, Freelance journalist, Mr Digant Oza, Senior journalist fro Gujarat and Mr Yumnam Rupachandra, Editor of ISTV, All Manipur Working Journalist Union spoke at the Seminar.

The idea of holding such a seminar generated after arrest of a journalist by security forces at the bypass road of Hyderpora, few kilometers from Airport in the month of October.

Anhad feels it is very important to organize seminars, conventions, symposia to stimulate intellectual debate around political and social issues. Anhad has always believed that all its activities should be guided by well thought of and intellectually sound strategies, therefore we lay special emphasis on such discussions and debates.

• Youth Festival

A three day Youth festival was organized by Anhad from February 22-24, 2008 at Badamwari, Hotel Broadway, Srinagar.

Young Voices of Kashmir: An Exhibition and the Culmination of the Competition : “Peace and justice” what it means to me

The present generation in Kashmir has grown up in the conditions of turmoil. The concept of peace and justice seems to be blurred in such an environment. Asking children to write about peace and justice was a real challenge and ANHAD took it up.

We conceived the idea of providing them a chance to put across their thoughts and feelings. We announced the competition titled “peace and justice what it means to me” in which we asked the students to express themselves in any creative form; it could be creative writing, painting, poetry or prose. It took us two months to conduct this programme. ANHAD team along with number of volunteers traveled to almost every nook and corner of the valley and distributed the competition post cards. To our surprise the response was huge. We managed to collect about 1400 entries from all over.

It was a difficult task to select the entries as the number of entries was huge. The criterion for selection was originality and student’s own efforts. Emphasis was given to the fact that the student has himself/ herself thought about the issue rather than copying it from some book. The jury comprised of Shahid Badgami, Syed Gulam Hussain Naqshbandi, Prof Afzal Khan and Shabnam Hashmi.

Out of the 1400 entries that we received 25 were selected as winning entries & 118 were selected for the exhibition:
 Young Voices of Kashmir. The initial idea was to display them for three days and award prizes to the winners. During the process of selection we decided to reproduce the selected entries in the form of a book, along with exhibiting them. The collection of best essays, poems, prose and paintings were complied in a book titled “Young voices of Kashmir”. The winners were felicitated with cash prize of Rs 500/- and a merit certificate during Anhad’s three day Youth festival organized in Srinagar in February.

On the first day of the event the Hall was looking exotic and colorful. The entry to the exhibition was through an area decorated with colorful sarees enclosing the hanging paintings. While as the hanging paintings represented the wandering voices and shackled aspirations of Kashmiri Youth. One could easily depict the vigor, enthusiasm and passion behind holding the event as was reflected in the sizzling atmosphere of the Banquet Hall. The audience comprised of the students from schools, colleges and Kashmir University, intellectuals of the valley and a large gathering of renowned personalities. The exhibition was inaugurated by the well known photographer Habib Naqash. He gave away the prizes and certificates to 25 winners. Mr. Shujat Bhukhari another well known journalist gave away the certificates to another 93 students whose works were selected for the exhibition along with Mr. Nasir Mirza from Mass Communication Dept, Kashmir University.

The children whose poetry and essays were selected recited their poetry and read out passages from the essays. Some of the participants also gave away short speeches in which they put forward their ideas about what peace and justice meant to them.

Along with the opening of the exhibition the book YOUNG VOICES OF KASHMIR was released at the youth festival by Mr. Nasir Mirza. A speech was given by Mr. Riyaz Masroor, a renowned journalist, after the prize distribution ceremony in which he applauded the works of young participants and appreciated their ideas.

The second day of the festival was in the form of an informal debate on the topic Youth Activism:
 Achievements & Challenges. Anhad volunteers from all the villages as well as from Srinagar took part in it and other students and activists were also there. They discussed the challenges faced by the activists and also shared their experiences of working in the field. Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Koka, the moderator for the programme started the discussion with the present conditions, circumstances prevalent in Kashmir. Everybody present expressed their view point and shared their experiences. Perhaps it was the first time that these things were discussed in an open public forum without any fear.

The third day of the festival was a cultural evening. It started with the renowned poets Mr.Zarief Ahmad Zarief, Mr Shahid Budgami, Mr. Basheer Dada and Mr. Gauhar Raza. Mr. Dhruv Sangari along with Mr Amjed Khan on tabla set the whole atmosphere on fire. He sang the popular hit songs of his master legendry Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sahab. The auditorium was full and reverberated with applause after every song. There was a feeling of ecstasy in the atmosphere.

• Anhad’s Expanding Work in Uri and Tangdar

After our initial visits to Tangdar to do relief work in 2005 we formed a bond with the local people. While visiting remote villages we were taken aback by the conditions in which people lived. Anhad decided to start work in Both Tangdar and Uri and made a small beginning for a long term association with these areas.

• Survey for Livelihood Needs: Uri and Tangdar

Anhad decided to conduct a survey of the area to understand the needs of the local people before proceeding with the long term planning. We first began with a two day training session with the enumerators. More than 1000 questionnaires from 29 villages in Uri were collected. The villages from where the data was been collected in Uri are: Boniyar, Battangi, Trikanjan, Bellasalamabad, Bernaite, Rampore, Uranboha (Kasanpora), Prankutrian, Bimyar, Prinjal/Pringal, Thattamullah, Bujthalla/Bujthalan, Limber, Babagalan, Shahkote, Ijara, Zehanpora, Pehlipora, Warikha, Indriyan, Badrali, Hiller, Samsawadi, Peernia, Khachandari, Chack, Manjgaon, Naganari/Naganadi and Waplag-margi (Nogam).

An equal number of questionnaires have been completed from 19 villages in Tangdhar. The villages from where the data has been collected in Tangdhar are: Tangdhar, Nachaiyan, Nowagabra, Dildar, Chiterkote, Hajitra, Dhani, Ibkote, Bhaderkote, Prada, Kandi, Baghbella, Chamkote, Chanipora, Tarboni, Gomal, Knoagabra, Khawapara and Shathpalla.

The data was analyzed and the report was released to the media on December 24, 2008. We are now planning to publish the report so that it can made available to other groups also. This is the first such survey which was undertaken in these areas.

• Computer Centres and Youth Activity Centers

We started a Computer Center in Boniyar that is surrounded by 56 villages in Tehsil Uri. Computer centre was registered with Directorate of Industries, District Industries Centre, Baramulla. The Registration number is 070201881PTM/SSSBE.

We have got the GPRS internet connection at the centre which is first internet connection in the whole area. The scanning and colour printing facility is also available at the centre. Similarly the Computer Centre started in Tangdhar and also got registered.

Initially these centers attracted a lot of students but after about 4 months or so the number drastically decreased and finally out of 200 students only 38 could complete the 6 months diploma.

One of the reasons was the fact that a lot of students who had joined initially were in high school and XII and they dropped out but we need to look into the other reasons of such a sharp fall in numbers. This is a serious concern for Anhad and we will have to conduct a meeting with the faculty, volunteers, youth leaders and the students to find out the reasons for this.

The bright side of the story is that a large number of younger students learnt the basics in computers. Since they were formally not admitted into the diploma courses their number is not counted but they learnt and learn to enjoy playing around with the computers which is the first step towards any serious learning.

• Children & Youth Activity Centre and Library

In both Uri and Tangdar main centres we run Libraries for children as well as adults. We have got sports material and other recreational material at the centers for the children. Recreational activities for children are held in the evening. Newspapers and other reading material are available at the center for the adults. We also provide counseling to the students about the career options, admissions or any other academic problems. Regular discussion groups, documentary film screenings are also organized at these centers. A lot more can happen though in these centers than what is presently happening. We plan to bring in volunteers from outside who have experience in doing creative activities and theatre etc to liven up these spaces.

• Youth Clubs

We have started Youth clubs in six villages in Uri and five villages in Tangdar. The names of the villages in Uri are Pahelipora, Dachna Salambad, Basgram, Bela Camp, Bijama and Boniyar. The names of the villages in Tangdar are Kandi, Khodpora, Gabra B, Nachiyan and Hajitra.

The youth clubs’ main aim is mobilize youth and engage them in social, creative and sports activities.

The Youth clubs organize the following activities:

 · Availability of sports material for both indoors and outdoors games.
 · Availability of newspapers in Urdu and English and employment news
 · Information about health and hygiene and first aid will be provided.
 · Non-formal education classes for all.
 · Children activity recreational center.
 · Formation of youth groups.
 · Formation of village level committee.
 · Basic Training in disaster management
 · Formation pf pressure groups to solve village level problems
 · To provide an open platform to youth to discuss their problems, aspirations and concerns

Every youth club is run by two youth volunteers-one male and one female.

There is huge response from youth in the villages. The volunteers have formed Anhad Volley ball team, Cricket team and football team. They continuously play and win with other local village level teams. Anhad has provided the platform and opportunity to them which was not there earlier with them. Anhad had also organized a Volleyball Tournament among the village teams. 17 matches were held during the tournament. A contributory sum of Rs. 200/- was pooled in by the teams which were utilized in the maintenance of sports material and expenses of tournament. A football tournament was also organized for under 14 age group children. In this tournament only school going students were allowed to participate. It was a deliberate attempt so that the children who had left the studies could be motivated to go back to school. During this activity three children who had left their studies mid way approached for their participation in the tournament. As for participation was not allowed to non school going students these three students were motivated to join back the school.

Non Formal Education classes are regularly run in youth clubs. They are mainly attended by girls and women. The women team leader also organizes the classes for art and craft in which girl students are taught various skills of handicrafts, needle work and other household items like table sheet, bed sheets etc. Special classes on health and hygiene like malnutrition, anemia and adolescence related problems, mortality & morbidity rates, necessity of supplementary doses of vaccines of the infants in the age group of 1-5yrs and measures to prevent them from occasional occurrences of epidemics and diseases.

The first aid kit with all the first aid material along with a blood pressure machine is also kept at each youth club. The Team leaders have been provided with the necessary training by the Block Medical Officer which has equipped them to provide immediate first aid help to the villagers and also educate them regarding health and hygienic environment around them.

The village level committee is formed in all the villages where we are running our youth clubs. A meeting of all the senior and junior members of the committee is held at youth clubs and various issues concerning their day to day life are discussed. Our Team leaders play major role where any follow up work is to be done with the authorities outside their villages. In one of the villages (Dachna Salamabad) due to the efforts of our Youth Club members a road has been built in the village, in Bijama our members pressurized the govt to start work on the Water Purifying Unit, which was sanctioned for the village.

Awareness camps on various issues such as Avoid use of polythene bags, health and hygiene, literacy etc are organized on regular basis with the community. The activity was carried out for cleaning of Spring water which had been flooded, due to the non availability of clean water the village women had to cover huge distance to get clean water. Taking a serious note of this thing the youth club and the discussion group members decided to plan an activity of cleaning of the water resource. All the members participated in the activity and the spring was cleaned up. The activity was carried out for clearance of road which had been blocked because of landslides. All the members participated in the activity and helped in the clearance of road which had affected the mobility of people.

Youth clubs have also organized an information cell in the club which provides information to the people about various matters important telephone numbers have also been kept in the cell. Even people from NHPC and the army now visit our centre for reading the Employment News or getting other information.

A tuition class is also being conducted for the school going students. The students are mostly provided tuitions in English speaking and writing, spellings and grammar. Youth clubs are running tuition classes for the students of the village up to 8th standard. 80 boys and girls come for tuition classes and are benefiting from these classes.

• Workshop for Youth Volunteers

As most of the youth volunteers running the youth clubs were new and inexperienced we organized training for them in Srinagar.

A five day long workshop from August 04 -08, 2007 was organized for the Team Leaders of the Youth clubs. Gauhar Raza was the facilitator for the first day. The second day of the workshop was scheduled with.Usha Menon. The idea of organizing workshop for team leaders with Usha Menon was to introduce team leaders with innovative method of teaching particularly arithmetic. Third day of workshop for team leaders was organized with Sachin Pandya from Anhad Gujarat. The fourth day of workshop was taken by Kamini and Kanika from Pravah. Last day of the workshop on creative art was organized in Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora.

After the workshop many of them tried to use innovative means to engage with young children and the youth. We feel the training at Srinagar was very useful but we require more intensive interaction between our youth club coordinators and resource persons as their exposure level is really low. We plan to in the coming year send senior volunteers to spend time with them in the villages.

• Women Empowerment Centres

Anhad started three Tailoring and Women and Women Empowerment Centres in three villages in Uri, Village Bimyar, Nambala and Limbar and four villages in Tangdhar in village Gabra A, Tadd, Nowpora and Chiterkote to impart the local village girls the vocational training in cutting, tailoring and designing. The local tailoring instructors are appointed to teach the girls. The best sewing machines are provided to them. Initially we had kept three normal sewing machines, one embroidery machine, one fashion work machine and one interlock machine. We also provided the iron and other accessories like thread, measurement tapes, cloth etc to them. But gradually they started learning and began to bring the cloth from their house and started stitching their own clothes. With in the very short time the centre started getting orders to stitch the ladies and children suits from the local villagers also. This activity turned into income generation source for the centre. We decided to distribute the income between the girls who have contributed in the income generation. But they decided to contribute their income towards the expansion of the centre and with their efforts we managed to buy more sewing machines for the centres. The centre runs for about 7 hrs a day where girls come in the morning at 10am and leaves at 5pm in the evening. In between they take lunch break only for half an hour. We have a batch of 20-25 students at each centre. All between the age group of 16-25. There are many more who want to join but presently due to lack of funds we can not take all of them because one instructor with only 5-6 machines can handle only a batch of 20-25 girls at a time. According to our assessment the running of these vocational tailoring centres will not only help in imparting the vocational training but at the same time these centres will over the period of time help the community in generating their livelihood. These centres are also providing a platform to those who have never come out of their houses and interacted with the outside world. In the whole batch some girls have gone to school and there are some who have never seen the school in their life. When all of them spent so much time together they also learn from each other. There are so many girls who could not even write their names now with the help of their batchmates they have learnt writing and reading.

The local trainers here too need a lot more inputs to improve their skills as well as to broaden their horizon. We plan to in the coming year send volunteers to go and live in villages and give inputs to these trainers so that the functioning can further improve.

• Livelihood Support

We strongly believe that it is the State’s responsibility to provide livelihood, education, health, vocational training and basic infrastructure to people and voluntary organizations can play only a small role in this. We see our role more as a pressure group to raise awareness and issues and pressurize the State to provide these basic needs to the people.

However, considering the situation of many families in the earthquake hit areas, Anhad has started the first phase of providing livelihood support to selected families in Uri and Tangdar.

For this purpose the existing village committees in various villages were consulted and asked to submit a list of those families which were below sustenance level. The youth coordinators in each village then did a survey of these families and made the final selection. In the first phase Anhad has covered 270 families: 110 in Uri and 160 in Tangdar.

After detailed discussions it was decided to go in for the following endeavors:
 1. Livestock (sheep)
 2. Provision store
 3. Poly green house
 4. Fish farming
 5. Tea stall
 6. Fruit nursery
 7. Furniture shop
 8. Hardware shop
 9. Dairy farming
 10. Rice and Wheat Mills
 11. Support to semi skilled workers

1. Livestock (sheep)

Livelihood

Anhad team decided to provide sheep to many families as sheep with its multi-faced utility for wool, meat, milk, skins and manure, form an important component or rural economy particularly in the arid, semi-arid and mountainous areas. It provides a dependable source of income to the shepherds through sale of wool and animals. The advantages of sheep farming are that sheep do not need expensive buildings to house them and on the other hand require less labour than other kinds of livestock, the foundation stock is relatively cheap and the flock can be multiplied rapidly, sheep eat varied kinds of plants compared to other kind of livestock. This makes them excellent weed destroyer. Unlike goats, sheep hardly damage any tree. The production of wool, meat and manure provides three different sources of income to the shepherd. The contribution of sheep to total meat production in J&K it is 50 per cent. Sheep make a valuable contribution to the livelihood of the economically weaker sections of the society.

It was necessary to select suitable breed of sheep. We selected Kashmir Marinos and bought both Ewes cab and male sheep (rams) from the Sheep Farm in Duksum. We took care to purchase healthy animals of 12-18 months of age. We took along with us a veterinary surgeon, who certified the age and health of sheep. The animals purchased were identified by fixing a yellow mark on them. Sheep were already vaccinated for important diseases like sheep-fox and enterotoxaemia.

Every family was given three sheep each, two Ewes and one ram. All the families who have been provided sheep belong to the shepherd community who lost their livestock during the earthquake. Feed for three months has also been provided to the families. The families can contact Anhad youth volunteers in their villages for any help or guidance. Sheep have been provided to 5 families each in the following villages of Uri: Limber, Boniyar, Bimyar, Bijama, Basgram, Pehlipora an ddachna Salamabad and in Tangdar : Hajitra, Tangdar, Nachiyan, Khodpora and Gabra.

In Uri we distributed 105 sheep’s. Three sheeps per family were given. 35 families are covered.

Village	No. of families Covered	No. of Sheeps given
Limbar	05	15
Boniyar	05	15
Bimyar	05	15
Bijama	05	15
Basgram	05	15
Pehlipora	05	15
Dachna Salamabad	05	15
Total	35	105

In Tangdhar we distributed sheep’s. Three sheeps per family were given. 27 families are covered.

Village	No. of families Covered	No. of Sheeps given
Hajitra	05	15
Tangdhar	06	18
Nachiyan	04	12
Khodpora	03	09
Gabra	05	15
Kandi	05	15
Total	28	84

2. Provision Stores

A provision store by Anhad

Many far flung villages do not have any provision stores and for their daily needs the villagers have to travel long distances. They are totally dependent on private transport as and when it is available. Anhad decided to provide provision stores to the poor and deserving families, who had the capacity to run the stores. Initial basic provisions worth Rs 10,000 were provided including wheat flour, rice, sugar, tea, biscuits, stationary, spices, pulses, soaps, tooth brush, tooth pastes, oil, match boxes, candles, bulbs etc. The provisional stores have been provided to those people who have the basic infrastructure to support it or to those who have provided the shops on the rent basis. So far, 13 families have been covered under this scheme. Disabled persons have been given the priority. The families were given basic training in management of running the shops. The provision stores have been opened in Uri in the villages Bijama, Bimyar, Boniyar, Limber, Dachna Salamabad and in Tangdar in villages Hajitra, Nachiyan, Khodpora and Gabra, Dardpora A. Six provisional stores were set up in Uri.
 Six families are covered.

Name of Village	No. of families
Bijama	01
Bimyar	01
Boniyar	02
Limbar	01
Dachna Salamabd	01
Total	06

Seven provisional stores were set up in Tangdhar.

Seven families are covered.

Name of Village	No. of families
Hajitra	01
Nachiyan	02
Khodpora	01
Gabra	01
Dardpora A	02
Total	07

3. Poly Green House

Traditionally women grow vegetables in kitchen gardens in summers. This supplements their nutritional value of the food being consumed by the family as well as the family income but this activity is confined to a few months when the weather is good. Although being an age old and traditional technique of raising quality crops in the European countries, the concept is rather new in the developing countries and especially in their rural parts. A green house is a scientific mechanism for agricultural and floricultural purposes in which we can cultivate different crops even in the off seasons. Under this type of cultivation the micro climate surrounding the plant body is controlled fully or partially as per the requisites of the plant species grown during their period of growth. The green house is by transparent or translucent material such as glass or plastic. The green house covered with simple plastic sheet is termed as poly house. The green house generally reflects back 43% of the net solar radiation incident upon it allowing the transmittance of the "photo synthetically active solar radiation" in the range of 400-700 Nm wave length. The sunlight admitted to the green house is absorbed by the crops, floor, and other objects. These objects in turn emit long wave thermal radiation in the infra red region for which the glazing material has lower transparency. As a result the solar energy remains trapped in the green house, thus raising its temperature. This phenomenon is called the "Green house Effect". This condition of natural rise in green house air temperature is utilized in the cold regions to grow crops successfully.

Environment control allows raising plants anywhere in the world at any time of the year i.e. crops could be grown under the inclement climatic conditions when it would not be otherwise possible to grow crops under the open field conditions.

Kashmir is the best place for setting up of these green houses where in winter temperature falls up to -10degrees. No agricultural activity takes place for almost four-five months. People who are solely dependent on farming are unemployed for huge period in a year. During the months of extreme winter there are no financial earnings for these families, due to heave snow some areas are totally cut off from the rest of the valley they face the acute shortage of vegetables and whatever is available also sells on the very high prices. With the Green houses these families can grow vegetables in winter also and there will be continuous supply of vegetables during these months. The vegetables that can be grown in green houses are radish, peas, cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, carrot, beetroot, onion, spinach and garlic. In summer they can continue with their regular farming of maize and rice just merely by removing the plastic from the iron structure.

Poly green house is very economical and beneficial alternative. Benefit from this scheme can be derived over number of years. The erection of iron structures is a one time investment. No extra cost is required in maintenance of green house in future.

An extensive survey was carried out in Uri to locate the effected families who could be benefited by the green house. Some criteria were kept in mind while selecting the families. The beneficiaries had to possess some land which was enough for erecting a green house. Besides, it was also obligatory on their part to have a farming background so that they could handle the green house efficiently.

A special team of experts from SKAUST was present at the time of allotting green houses to the families. They provided training to the farmers regarding the proper handling of green house. Expert training was provided to the farmers on various other issues like the appropriate dimensions of the shed, maintenance of appropriate temperature inside the green house, measures to be taken in case of heavy rain or snow and much more. The material used in installing the green house is 31 gauge ms steel (melted), Tubular pipes, ultra violet stabilized polythene, Grouting pipes (3 feet long), Semi circular arcs which are the back bones of the structure, 20 feet long dorsal rods, square section pipes for doors and windows for the purpose of ventilation and nuts and bolts made up of ms iron.

Fifteen Green Houses were installed in Uri
 Fifteen families are covered

Name of Village	No. of families
Wapalmarg	01
Bimyar	03
Boniyar	01
Nowshera	04
Limbar	01
Pahlipora	01
Ijara	01
Zainpora	01
Kasadjan	01
Bijama	01
Total	15

4. Fish Farming

Fish is the cheapest and most easily digestible animal protein used since time immemorial for the consumption of human beings. However due to over exploitation and pollution, the availability of fish in natural waters have declined considerably, forcing scientists to adopt various methods to increase production and its availability for consumption . Farmers can easily take up fish culture in village ponds, tanks or any water body and can improve financial position substantially.

Promotion of pisiculture in these areas will lead to availability of employment opportunities for the victims of earth quake in these areas. It enables them to earn their livelihood thereby increasing the economy in such areas

Selection of families was done after survey of the areas of Uri and Tanghdar. Preference was given to those people who were acknowledged with the fish farming; experts in the respected field. Six families were selected from Uri.

The main requirements for the construction of the fish pond are cement, bricks, net and iron structured pipes. For the manuring of the pond lime and cow dung are the two most important requirements the dimensions of pond selected are length 24 ft, width 12 inches and depth 5 feet. The Fisheries Department of Kashmir provided the seed of Carp @ Re 1. Initially we purchased 1000 seeds for all the four ponds. Harvesting will be done after six months of placing of fish fingerlings in the pond. After the harvesting phase is over, the fish will be sold to the traditional fishermen of the intervened area by our beneficiaries. The first phase is a purely experimental phase depending upon the success of this scheme.

Six fish ponds were constructed in Uri.
 Six families are supported

Name of Village	No. of families
Bela Camp	01
Pahlipora	01
Nowshera	01
Limbar	01
Busgram	01
Kastajan	01
Total	06

5. Tea stall

The idea of putting up tea stalls in the area generated during one of our field visits. When we were too tired to walk further and were desperately in need of a cup of tea and some snacks. We were told there is no such place even up to few kilometers from here. Then we thought that the people who travel extensively from one village to other for studies, livelihood or other travel related work must be facing the same problem. Keeping this in mind we initially identified four such places two each in Uri and Tangdhar to begin with which are central to other surrounding places where people come down to board the transport to travel to other places. During the process of identification of families we immediately got families who have the place to start a shop but due to unavailability of funds they can not themselves start any work there. So we selected four such families who have the background of running this kind tea stalls in the past. We provided them with the requisite material such as gas connection, gas stoves, all kind of dishes used in preparation of tea and cooking of small snacks (pakora, samosa etc), crockery items, jars for storage of material etc.

The Tea stall livelihood programme is market friendly and has been framed after continuously scanning the market opportunities to tap into demand. It provides variety to our intervention and lends it the credibility of a multi dimensional approach. Secondly this programme promises to be sustainable as it involves both the market demand and the man power skills of the functionary.

Two Tea stalls were set up in Uri.
 Two families are supported

Name of Village	No. of families
Salamabad	01
Bimyar	01
Total	02

Two Tea stalls were set up in Tangdhar.
 Two families are supported

Name of Village	No. of families
Karnah	01
Bimyar	01
Total	02

6. Hardware Store

The idea of setting up of Hardware store in Uri and Tangdhar each is financially self sustainable and viable. It involves the benefit not only to the families who are directly involved in the running of the store but also to the whole village as well as the surrounding villages collectively. There is a very huge demand of hardware items like cement, sand, items for electricity fitting , sanitary fitting etc as the construction of new houses as well as the repair of the old ones is taking place at a rapid speed. Moreover due to the impact of modernization many sophisticated structures have been erected or are under construction like community halls, schools, lavatories, municipal buildings etc. The people of these areas have to travel long distance for the purchase of even small hardware items. Whenever there is a problem the villagers travel at the cost of time, money and livelihood for the purchase of such services. Furthermore the livelihood program meets the skills, aspirations and demands of the people of the community and hence has been generated keeping the parameters of the community in mind.

The functionary along with market is the chief element in the sustainability of the program, as the program depends to a large extent on their skill and capability. We have identified a total of 7 beneficiaries in each of the two targeted communities out of which 2 are masons, 2 are carpenters, 2 are painters and one more has been kept as supervisor to look after the shop. Two shops have been rented in this regard one each at Uri and Tangdhar. The shop is keeping all the material used in construction, renovation, repairs and painting of houses.

One store is set up in Uri.
 Seven families are supported

Name of Village	No. of families
Bimyar	01
Salamabad Dachna	01
Wadikhah	01
Khalia	01
Kharhar	01
Naik Mohalla, Salamabad	01
Wadikhah	01
Total	07

One store is set up in Tangdhar.
 Seven families are supported

Name of Village	No. of families
Suleman	03
Khwarpara	04
Total	07

7. Fruit Nursery

Forestry plays a vital role in the socio economic and rural development of a country apart from its role of maintaining the ecological stability. Forests are a traditional source of a number of products particularly with regard to fuel wood, fodder, constructional timber and have sustained large masses of population. But the steady depletion of forest resources has brought into focus the realization that active participation of the communities is necessary for the success of any forest regeneration. It’s a well known fact that the village communities would have little incentive to participate unless they benefit directly.

Promotion of nurseries in rural areas will lead to easy and timely availability of planting material and in the process will lead to creation of employment opportunities and income generation in the rural areas. Keeping in touch with the basic idea behind the establishment of nurseries, we intend to set up fruit nurseries in our two main target areas i.e. Uri and Tangdhar.

Kashmir has abundant of green gold and this has always proved to be a gyroscopic factor in the economics of the valley. But in the past few decades this concern has been put in the basket. ANHAD has given a serious thought to this concern and apart from renewing this traditional concept will generate employment opportunities to the masses. The nursery primarily plans to produce healthy plants having good demand in the locality. Besides this, the prevailing agro climatic conditions in the area have to be taken into consideration while selecting the species. Keeping in view the geographical conditions and the motive behind setting up of nurseries in the targeted areas, we have supplied apple and pear saplings to the families. We intended to provide saplings which were already prepared to face the harsh conditions .They are of hybrid quality which will yield fruit within four years. We distributed fruit saplings in two phases. In the first phase forty families were identified in Uri and Tangdhar. Approximately fifty thousand saplings were purchased in which twenty thousand are of apple saplings and thirty thousand pear saplings. 1150 saplings were distributed in Tangdhar and 1250 saplings in Uri. We chose apple and pear saplings because of the right temperature, water supply and demand in the areas we covered. In the second phase we selected 86 families Dardpora and Tumian and distributed 100 saplings mixed of apple and pear to each family.

High quality apple saplings and normal Kashmiri pear saplings have been provided to the beneficiaries. Nakh Kashmiri (Chinese Sandy Pear) a conical shaped, small to medium sized variety with crisp, white and juicy flesh. The skin is thick and green in color that turns yellow on ripening. Carries well in storage and is an excellent dessert variety. Delicious (Red Delicious) is a world-renowned variety of apple. It is one of the most widely grown apples. The fruit is tapering in shape with characteristic five lobes at the apex. Skin is smooth, striped and blushed red. Flesh is fine grained, greenish white, sweet, very juicy and crisp with good aroma. Size is medium to large and it matures by the end of September.

Before the delivery of these saplings the farmers were provided with special training from experts from horticulture department. The training involved proper handling of the poly bags containing saplings while taking them to the market, proper ways of planting the saplings in the orchards, irrigation, use of appropriate pesticides etc.

Under this initiative families will be benefited in three phases. In the first phase, within one year the saplings provided will be mature enough to be sold in the market. If the beneficiaries want they can 50% of the total number of saplings in the market. They can easily fetch Rs. 25/- per sapling. The saplings have to be removed from the orchards in a very systematic and scientific manner so that the remaining saplings get enough space to grow. Sale of saplings will thus provide livelihood to the beneficiaries in the first phase only.

In the second phase, the remaining plants will be nourished and nurtured for next two years in such a manner that the nursery will turn in to big fruit orchards.

In the third phase, in the fourth year the plants will attain the fruit bearing age and the real target of providing sustainable livelihood to the beneficiaries will be achieved.

Eleven Hundred Saplings were distributed in Tangdhar
 Twenty families are supported

Name of village	No of families covered
Kandi	07
Hajitra	04
Khwarpara	06
tangdhar	03
Nawa gabra	04
Nachiya	04
Total	28

Twelve Hundred Saplings were distributed in Uri
 Twenty families are supported

Name of village	No of families covered
Boniyar	02
Bijama	02
Pehlipora	03
Zainpora	03
Salamabad	03
Busgram	03
Wapalmarg	01
Nowshera	02
Bimyar	01
Total	20

Eighty six Hundred Saplings were distributed in Dardpora
 Eighty six families are supported

Name of village	No of families covered
Tumiyan	46
Dardpora A	26
Dardpora B	14
Total	86

8. Diary Farming

Dairying is an important source of subsidiary income to small/marginal farmers and agricultural laborers. The manure from animals provides a good source of organic matter for improving soil fertility and crop yields. The gober gas from the dung is used as fuel for domestic purposes as also for running engines for drawing water from well ( the climatic conditions in Uri and Tangdhar do not allow unfortunately to start gober gas plants). The surplus fodder and agricultural by-products are gainfully utilized for feeding the animals. Since agriculture is mostly seasonal, there is a possibility of finding employment throughout the year for many persons through dairy farming. Thus, dairy also provides employment throughout the year. Our project is need based as is the case with our earlier projects. The local production of milk is nil and the milk is supplied from Baramulla and Kupwara districts. The supply stops in harsh conditions when the areas are cut off from the rest of the district. During this period the people have to rely on powdered milk which has many health hazards and is also very costly. The demand is much more than the supply. The cost of 1 kg of milk is about 25 rupees in Uri and 40 rupees in Tangdhar whereas the same milk is sold at a much lower rate in other parts of the valley. As severe scarcity of milk is faced by the people they are demanding dairy farms which they can run on cooperative basis.

We have started the programme in Uri with six cows under the Co-operative setup. In total 07 families have been identified who will be directly benefited under this program. Out of the 7 targeted families, 2 members will be employed in the farm itself to look after the cows, cleaning of shed, feeding and milking of cows, four workers will be engaged in the marketing of milk to the different villages and one supervisor. The cow shed is constructed on dry, properly raised ground, to avoid water-logging. The walls of the sheds are 1.5 to 2 meters high and the walls are plastered to make them damp proof. The roof is 3-4 metres high and the cattle shed are well ventilated. The floor is hard, even non-slippery impervious, well sloped and properly drained to remain dry and clean. A standing space of 2 x 1.05 meter for each animal is maintained. The manger space is 1.05 metre with front height of 0.5 meter and depth of 0.25 meter. The corners in mangers, troughs, drains and walls are rounded for easy cleaning. The cattles will be provided proper shade and cool drinking water in summer. Arrangements have been made for the proper disposal of dung and urine.

Out of many options we chose Cross Jersey breed because of the following advantages:

1. The Jersey is relatively small in size - about 400 to 450kgs in weight. It is extremely dairy like in type.

2. It is renowned for the quality of her milk 3. It is typically light brown in color, though this can range from being almost grey to dull black, which is known as Mulberry. They can also have white patches which may cover much of the animal. 4. A true Jersey will however always have a black nose bordered by an almost white muzzle. 5. The Jersey hard black feet are much less prone to lameness. 6. The Jersey can now be found across the world with a large population in Countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, and Zimbabwe, as well as here in the UK. 7. After the Holstein the Jersey is the second most popular specialist Dairy breed world-wide.

8. Jerseys thrive under both extremes of temperature - they can grow thick coats in very cold climates, whilst suffering form much less heat stress than the other dairy breeds in hotter regions of the world.

9. Despite her small size the Jersey is renowned for its ease of calving, allowing it to be crossed with the larger beef breeds.

10. Whilst it is normal practice to calve Jerseys at two years of age, due to the breeds early maturity they may well have their first calf from the age of 19-20 months onwards.

11. Studies carried out in Denmark show the Jersey to be less prone to many diseases than the other dairy breeds.

12. Scientific studies also show the Jersey cow produces milk more efficiently than other breeds. This can be especially important in countries where feed may be restricted. As well as making the Jersey a profitable option in agriculturally developed countries.

13. Jersey milk is in many ways unique. As a product it contains: - 18% more protein, 20% more calcium, 25% more butterfat than "average" milk.

We could not get this breed of cow anywhere in Kashmir so we went to RSpora near Jammu which is a hub of cattle rearing. But due to the uniqueness of the breed we were looking for we could not get all the six cows from one dealer. We picked up the best quality jersey breed after the extensive survey among all the dealers. We took along with us a veterinary surgeon, who certified the age and health of cows. Cows were already vaccinated for important diseases like Brucellosis, Tuberculosis, Johne’s disease, Mastitis.

We faced huge problem in transporting the cows from to Jammu to Kashmir. As per the Government rule the transportation of any livestock needs special permission from the concerned District Collectors office and Chief Veterinary officer. The Veterinary department itself sends a specialized doctor to verify the health of the animals whether they are not suffering from any disease and they are fully fit for travel. They punch a tag in animal’s ear certifying their good health conditions. With the casual attitude of the people in Govt departments we had to run from pillar to post to get the permission for taking the cows to Kashmir. Two of our team members had to stay there for almost 10-15 days to get clearance from all respective departments.

We have made provision for one month of feed for the cows. The feed requirements vary because of the varied topography. Due to the presence of green pastures in Uri the cows need to be fed only in the evenings in the farm, during the day they will be left to graze in the pastures. Special care is taken while milking of cows such as milking is done within eight minutes in one setting two to three times a day at fixed times, washing the udder and treat with antiseptic lotions/luke-warm water and dry before milking, Milker’s hands should be washed with antiseptic lotion before each milking and should be free from any contagious disease.

The initial investment in setting up of a diary farm is comparatively higher than other programmes. But where other programmes are mostly benefiting the involved family this project supports the livelihood of seven families as well as its benefit is shared among the whole community.

One Diary farm is set up in Uri.
 Seven families and the community at large is benefited.

Name of Village	No. of families
Kandiwad	01
Phadan	01
Kharhar	01
Thada	01
Phadagra	01
Phara	01
Shahkoot	01
Total	07

9. Furniture store

The craftsmen of Kashmir are well known for creating intricate carvings on the wood obtained from the walnut tree and the furniture items they make have rich floral and trellis patterns carved on them. Though ethnic tensions prevail in Kashmir, Northern most state of India the Kashmiri craft has found a place in the global map.

Wooden furniture has always been known for its durability, elegance and design, which lends a refined look where ever it is placed. Though progress and rapid developments in information and technology has brought new styles and tools, the traditional woodcarver still use the simplest of tools and follow the style of his ancestors and that in fact has kept the traditional craft alive. Many craft traditions in the country have been handed down from generation to generation and that has helped the art remain in highest degree of perfection.

Keeping the above mentioned facts in mind and the outcome of the survey carried out in Uri and Tangdhar. Anhad decided to set up furniture shops in the two targeted areas. This will not only meet the local demand but will also become a source of livelihood generation.

We started with the setting up of one such shop in Uri. The project will be run on co-operative basis in which seven families are covered. Due to non availability of furniture shops in the area people have to cover long distance for the purchase of even small furniture items. Sometimes the total expenses incurred in traveling and transportation for the purchase of furniture exceeds the actual cost of the items purchased. The demand for furniture is same throughout the year and is thus a perennial source of income. The project seeks to utilize the indigenous resources of the area. A number of semi skilled workers of the targeted areas who are experts in the art of carpentry and woodcraft looking for some suitable kind of work can be employed under this income generation scheme.

Keeping in mind the local market the furniture items which will be manufactured are tables, chairs, bed, almirahs, dressing tables, tools, sofa cabinets, screens, chairs, tables and almirahs candleholders, decorative tableware, wooden fruit, nut and salad bowls, tray-cum-side table, soups bowl and range of cutlery, carvings and decorative Items like boxes, trays, key chains pieces.

One Furniture store is set up in Uri.
 Seven families and the community at large is benefited.

Name of Village	No. of families
Uri	01
Phada	01
Boniyar	01
Pringal	01
Salamabad	01
Wani Mohalla, Zainpora	01
Zainpora	01
Total	07

10. Rice and Wheat mills

We helped the families with the repairing of already existing atta and rice chakkis which were damaged in the earthquake. This idea came from the community during the survey of identification of families. Sixteen such families six in Uri and ten in Tangdhar came into light which were running their own small rice and wheat mills but during the earthquake they were damaged and these families never had such kind of money to rebuild them and start generating their livelihood again. We provided them cement, sand, gravel and tin sheets. The cost incurred for reconstruction was however met by the owners themselves. Some of the materials recovered from the damaged chakkis like wood and tin sheets were also reused during the reconstruction. It is worth mentioning that these atta chakkis run primarily on hydro energy which is the cheapest and the traditional source of energy. Chakkis of this kind are very economical and thus preferred by the people as the cost of running the chakkis on electric energy is very high. So we also supported this traditional atta chakki and helped the owners in the repair of their chakkis.

Ten Chakkis were repaired in Tangdhar

Name of Village	No. of families
Nachiyan	02
Kandi, Karnah	02
Khurpara, Karnah	02
Nawa Gabra, Karnah	02
Hajitra, Karnah	02
Total	10

Six Chakkis were repaired in Uri

Name of Village	No. of families
Jabadar	01
Hundi, Nowshera	01
Pahlipora	01
Kastajan, Boniyar	01
Dachna Salamabad	01
Limbar	01
Total	06

11. Support to Semi skilled workers

A large number of semi skilled workers are available in Uri and Tangdhar and if they have access to good quality tools it could help them in generating their own livelihood. We propose to identify such workers and help them either in starting their own work or in the expansion of their existence work capacity by providing good quality tools to them. Under this endeavor we supported two women one each in Uri and Tangdhar who are already running their small art and craft units with the old tools and machinery. They are very trained and skilled in knitting and hand embroidery but do not have money to buy raw material to expand their work. We bought them good quality wool, latest type of knitting needles, hand embroidery needles and cloth.

Two families are supported

Name of Village	No. of families
Kandi	01
Nowshera	01
Total	02

• Anhad — A Pressure Group

Anhad in its two years of work in Kashmir has intervened in many matters as strong civil society pressure group in raising concerns of the people of Tangdar, Uri and the valley with the concerned authorities and have been successful in many major development issues that we took up.

We have already mentioned that our two meetings with Shri Arjun Singh, yielded results: the mid day meal restarted in schools, money was sanctioned immediately for the reconstruction of schools, extra money got sanctioned for the reconstruction work in Tangdar due to the difference in costs of the construction material, teacher’s training and refresher course project which was lying in the centre got cleared, the two kilometer long road stretch of the road to Tangdar was constructed at full speed after our meeting with the Road Transport Minister at the Centre.

Anhad also got a JSS (Jan Shikshan Sansthan) sanctioned from MHRD for Tangdhar which has been running 5 vocational courses in Tanghdhar (nursing, automobiles, electrician, wood carving, computer) and it is running four JSS extension centers in remote villages. Anhad also got a Central School sanctioned for Tangdhar which should start working from the coming session.

Anhad sees its role of a strong civil society pressure group as a major role that we can play in Kashmir.

• Certificate Course in Disaster Management

Anhad started its endeavor in the post earthquake scenario of 2005 in the valley. The main target at that time was to manage the disaster effectively. Anhad started helping the most marginalized families to start rebuilding their lives in Uri and Tangdhar, the worst affected areas of the valley. Anhad in collaboration with GOLFRE is starting a certificate course in Disaster Management. We have selected 60 volunteers from Uri, Tangdhar and Srinagar to undergo this training. After the training is over the volunteers will do a minimum of 5 trainings in their respective areas. We hope to over the next year cover approximately 50 villages and train local people there with the help of the trained volunteers who undergo this disaster management course.