Governance in villages has primarily been left to the Panchayats, which run the system in a traditional manner. Support or guidance for improvement and change has been missing. The Rural Governance program of the Navjyoti India Foundation, an NGO founded and run by Dr. Kiran Bedi, is a welcome initiative. It facilitates the functioning of the Panchayati Raj system and helps empower the grassroots leadership more meaningfully. For Malti, a labourer in Bhondsi, being a part of a Village Panchayat had meant sitting in weekly meetings and signing the documents as instructed by her family and other members of the Panchayat. She did not know her role and responsibilities as a 'Panch'. Her husband and brother-in-law would sit with her in Panchayat meetings and speak on her behalf. "One day I attended a workshop on Rural Governance conducted by the Navjyoti Foundation. Not only did it provide me clarity about the duties of a 'Panch', but it also helped me gain the right perspective on important issues in the Village," she says. Malti now actively participates in Panchayat meetings. She has been raising the issue of the diminishing groundwater in the Village, on behalf of women who have to regularly fetch water from another village. Interestingly, her daughter also wants to be a part of active governance in the Village.
Navjyoti Foundation started its initiative on Women's Panchayats at Bhondsi, in 1996. The aim was to build responsible and accountable leadership capacities in rural areas. Members of Panchayats were guided about the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act and various government schemes, as well as on planning, empowerment, communication skills, leadership skills, gender issues, stress management, social audit and the Right to Information (RTI). Over the years Navjyoti expanded its scope of work and today the NGO's work spans across 30 villages in Sohna Block. The NGO is now providing primary and higher education, employment services, health services and family counselling to the villagers. Every month around 400 women are ‘empowered’, 100 children are educated and thus many families are being benefitted.
Many volunteers, social welfare organisations and even foreign missions have come forward to assist Navjyoti Foundation in its Rural Development initiative. A delegate from the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), which has been associated with Navjyoti Foundation says, "We have been conducting Rural Development initiatives with rural women, youth, community leaders and the members of Navjyoti. It has been a great learning experience for us, as we got to know about the challenges of socio-economic security in rural India. We will continue to work here on poverty eradication and gender equity programs, which would also help bridge the rural-urban gap." For Hemlata, a resident of Naya Gaon, Sohna Block, the Self-Help Group (SHG) of Navjyoti Foundation proved to be a blessing in disguise. "My husband needed to be operated but my family was in severe debt. One day I met the volunteers of the NGO. They told me about the benefits of SHGs and mentioned that such groups also help collect money from villagers for helping people in need. I was given a loan of Rs. 2,000 for my husband's eye operation. The NGO later provided me with employment. Now I am earning and repaying my loan in monthly instalments," she says. The SHGs assist women in creating their own fund so they do not have to sell their land or seek help from unscrupulous lenders – or send their children for work, rather than attending school. The women, once employed, feel empowered. Many handicraft exhibitions have been organised in villages, to encourage women to work. "Besides the material gains, we have noticed a positive change in the attitude of the villagers towards women. The women are of course have become more confident - they travel alone, have bank accounts and manage their finances without any assistance from men. They understand the value of education. All this has also transformed the lives of the children and youth in these villages," says Sonali, a volunteer. The NGO also runs Jagrit Nari Federation, which helps rural women become entrepreneurs. Navjyoti India Foundation has been credited with opening the first Community College in Naya Gaon Village in Sohna Block. The College offers structured courses under a credit scheme, and a fee of Rs. 500 per month. Since villagers are generally reluctant to send their daughters to cities for higher studies, this initiative is of immense help to young girls. Touted as the 'B-School for the marginalised' by Dr. Kiran Bedi, the College is spread over 3 acres and is registered with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). "Despite several initiatives by the government, children living in villages can get only basic education. As this College offers courses in English language speaking, interview and communication skills, computers, animation, fashion designing, retail management, herbal plantation and law, it helps youngsters to pursue a career of their choice," says Sonali. The College has tied up with the British Council for the English Language training, Vedanta Foundation for Computers and Placements, and with Ozone Pharma for Herbal Plants training. Interestingly the NGO is planning to conduct a Placement Fair - and will post the names of the participants on its website - to help the village youth gain employment. The NGO provides educational assistance to the students of Classes 1 to 5 through a unique remedial education program called 'School Ke Baad School'. The objective is to prevent dropouts. Special classes are conducted after the normal school time, to not only help some of the children in academics, but to ensure their holistic development. School Ke Baad School offers library, audio-visual room, computer laboratory, music classes and language class. The NGO has also tied up with private schools in the region. Delhi Public School, Maruti Kunj, for instance, has joined hands with the NGO to sensitise its students for community support in the villages of Sohna Block. The students of DPS, Maruti Kunj have been conducting rallies, street plays and personality development programmes to assist students of the Navjyoti Foundation. A few universities, such as Hartford University, have also been helping the NGO to provide clean drinking water to the community with the help of solar water pumps. Such pumps have already helped more than 100 families in Abheypur. The NGO believes that the living conditions and the opportunities in villages – where 70% of India still lives - should also become better. With its Rural Development Initiatives, Navjyoti Foundation is helping empower many families (esp. women and children). They also believe that village youth offer immense talent and untapped creativity, which needs to be effectively tapped and channelised for the betterment of the country.
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