ASSIST came into being in 1985 on the initiative of a
group of individuals involved in the field of rural development
since three decades and have been debating on the question of
expressing the commitment for the poor, focusing on community
participation and on making the community a viable unit for
its own development. This quest culminated in the birth of
ASSIST. Among this group of individuals were
Mr. J. Ranga Rao, actual Operational Director
and Mr. K.S.R. Murthy,
Executive Director.
The
founders were inspired by the ideology of the father of the
nation, Mahatma Gandhi that independence must begin at the
bottom and by their mentor Prof. M.A. Windey, a Belgian Jesuit,
who considered that every village has to be self-sustained and
capable of managing its affairs even to the extent of defending
itself against the whole world. Thus every village has be
considered as a republic or panchayat having full powers. This
should be achieved through non-violent means and always
respecting one another.
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Strategy: |
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Right from its inception the organisation has been working
following a PARTICIPATORY APPROACH,
promoting and working with PEOPLE’S
ORGANISATIONS according to the identified needs
of the village communities. Prior importance is given to
the active involvement of target groups in realising
their own needs and people’s participation at every
stage of project planning and execution is stressed.
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Keeping in mind the primary objective of making the community a viable unit for
its own development the organisation has been relating its work to the aims and
objectives originally stated in 1985, but at the same time it has adapted to the
changing needs of the communities in order to respond to the emerging
challenges.
- TThe key to development impact is to generate a
movement from the MICRO INTERVENTION at
the village level to the regional level and to the
BROADER LEVEL. As such the strategy evolved by
ASSIST has been to begin with the identified
target community, involving later on the whole
village.The methodology focuses on integrating people’s
participation with increasing intensity, from the micro
to the broader level.
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Target Groups |
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Disadvantaged social groups: |
Vulnerable categories of society: |
- Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes
- Backward classes
- Artisans
- Agricultural labourers
- Small and Marginal Farmers
- Fishermen
- Bonded labourers
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- Women
- Children
- Families affected by HIV/AIDS
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ASSIST has been responding, in a scientific manner, to the
requests emerging from the new communities and continues to
intervene and address the problems at hand.
The target
areas are Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna and Ranga Reddy Districts in Andhra
Pradesh. |
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