Preamble, History & Objectives
 Preamble
History
of the organisation
Principles
& Objectives
India
has made a lot of progress in agriculture since Independence in terms of
growth in output, yields and area under many crops. Today India is the
largest producer of milk, fruits, cashew nuts, coconuts and tea in the
world, the second largest producer of wheat, vegetables, sugar and fish
and the third largest producer of tobacco and rice.
In this overall scenario of the nation as a whole, Andhra Pradesh is
mainly dependent on agriculture and allied industries as it
has majority of rural population.
ANDHRA PRADESH:
Ø
Has a rural population of 55,401,067 (72,69%) out of the
total population of 76,210,000 (as per 2001 census)
Ø
There are 7,859,534 (22.52%) cultivators (the majority of them
have less than 5 acres, i.e. 2 hectares) and 13,832,152 (39.64%)
agricultural labourers.
Ø
The majority of the working group of 62.16% are engaged in the
agriculture and allied industries.
Because of severe droughts, frequent cyclones in coastal Andhra and fire
accidents caused by high temperature in upland regions, farming
communities and agricultural labourers have become the main victims,
have suffered very badly and have faced a lot of difficulties.
Frequently agricultural labourers have lost their employment while
farmers are not able to maintain their families.
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"ASSIST”
was promoted in 1985 by a group of individuals who had been involved in
the field of social development for several decades.
The
founders were inspired by the ideology of the father of the
nation, Mahatma Gandhi that “independence must begin at the
bottom. Thus every village will be a republic or panchayat having full
powers. It follows, therefore, 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” from their
mentor Prof. M.A. Windey, a Belgian Jesuit. This should be
achieved with peace and non-violence and with respect for each other.
Strategy:
Ø
Right from the inception the organisation has been working in a
different way following a
participatory approach, i.e. promoting and working with
PEOPLE’S ORGANISATIONS
according to the identified felt-needs of the village
communities. Being well appreciated the need for people’s participation
at every stage of project planning and execution, prior importance was
given for the active involvement of target group in realising
their needs.
Ø
Flexibility - with the primary objective of
making communities as viable units for their own development”
the organisation has relating its work to the aims and objectives
originally stated in 1985, but at the same time to the changing needs of
the communities in order to respond to the emerging challenges.
As such, the organisation has evolved in direct response to the emerging
trends and needs of the people, while continuing to maintain the
original aims, objectives and philosophy.
Ø
The key to development impact is to generate a movement from the
micro intervention first
at the village level followed by regional level and
then broader level.
As such the strategy evolved by ASSIST has been to begin with the
identified target community and involve the whole village.The
methodology is focussed to integrate people’s participation with
increasing intensity, from the micro to the broader level.
Target
Groups:
Disadvantaged social groups such as:
Ø
Scheduled
Tribes
and Scheduled Castes,
Ø
Backward classes
Ø
Artisans
Ø
Agricultural labourers
Ø
Small and Marginal
Farmers
Vulnerable categories of society
Ø
Women
Ø
Children
Ø
Families affected by HIV/AIDS
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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Vision:
The main aim that “ASSIST” has formulated, for itself, is on the premise
that “development
in India can
take place only
in proportion to the development of Village-India”.
Therefore, “ASSIST” strongly believes that “THERE IS NO
FREEDOM FOR INDIA, UNLESS ITS VILLAGES ARE FREE” (as Mahatma Gandhi
believed).
Objectives:
·
To make VILLAGES AS VIABLE UNITS FOR THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT
·
To promote the ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT of TARGET GROUPS through PEOPLE’S
ORGANISATIONS
·
To make communities able to SUSTAIN THEIR UNITY, VALUE SYSTEM AND
DEVELOPMENT AND TO CARRY FORWARD THE WORK ON THEIR OWN;
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© Copyright 2004. Assist,
Chilkaluripet, India
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