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>View discussions about this entry Country: India
Organization: BETI Foundation
Sector Focus: Civil society
Year the initative began (yyyy) 2001
Project URL: http://www.betifoundation.org
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? Empowering the girl child through community-driven initiative enabling her to participate fully in life.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? BETI Foundation is working for the rights of the girl child in eight districts of Uttar Pradesh, the largest and one of the most under-performing states of the Indian Federation.
Education is the weapon that the Foundation provides adolescent girls – the most vulnerable segment of society, to realize their existence. The Alternate Learning Centre (ALC) is set up to educate 11-14 year old girls through bridge courses and mainstream them into formal education. The Vocational Training Centre is for girls between 15-18 years. They are given basic quality education and sustainable livelihood training. Education imparted is both cognitive and non-cognitive, the latter implying inculcating in the girls self-esteem, leadership and social cohesion. The Foundation also reaches out to the community through the core group formed in its each intervention area. This group comprises community members and government frontline functionaries. Through sensitive and informative guidance it is instilled in them that the safety and well-being of the girl child is the responsibility of the entire community. The defining features of all programmes undertaken by BETI Foundation are: Complete participation of the community at very step of intervention action. Forging linkages with all government schemes and stakeholders and converging all possible resources and services on the girl child. This manner of taking the government and community together ensures holistic and lasting change for the better in the community. Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? Participatory Learning and Action methodology is used to collect information on the intervention area regarding the way of life of its inhabitants. It is a joint process under which we jointly understand, devise a plan of action, monitor and assess progress.
A core group of 15-20 members is formed. Orientation programmes and meetings are organized to inform them about all facets of trafficking. They shortlist candidates for Instructors to run the centre, identifies and provides the venue and fixes the timings. It also monitors the functioning of centers. The selected candidates undergo a 5-6 days of training organized by the Foundation. The instructor motivates parents to send their daughters to the centre and ensures regular attendance. The ALC and VTC begin functioning and develop into a hub of activities. How do you plan to grow your innovation? The Foundation looks into this innovation in two ways. First intrinsically, for learning, modifying and refining our system to the needs of the region. This is done through small research studies and professional tools like Focused Group Discussions to assess our impact. Based on the findings, the Foundation works on modifying and enhancing our strategies to increase the reach and impact of our initiative.
Extrinsically, we work towards forging linkages and building alliances with like-minded organizations. It creates a rippling effect thereby increasing the ambit in bringing about transformation in society. Beginning our intervention with grassroot frontline functionaries and moving upwards enables us to not only spread are reach but also deepen our initiative. Do you have any existing partnerships, and if so, how do you create them? SEWA-Lucknow is an important partner. They provide skill upgrading and design support to vocational training in chikankari (a traditional form of fine embroidery). They also pay BETI a margin amount for the pieces of clothing with chikankari provided to them.
During the past seven years we have implemented many projects for combating trafficking and HIV/AIDS with the following organizations: Specialized agencies of UNO: UNODC, REACH, UNDP Private Organizations: Unniti Foundation, Ekta Foundation (London), CARE India Corporate Organizations: TATA Trusts Our partnerships are build by first identifying organizations whose interests and expertise can be beneficial to us in our endeavours. Establishing dialogue with them and agreeing on mutually beneficial terms in bringing about change thereby building sustainable partnerships. Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. Successfully coordinated action by the community in transforming the girl child into a confident, self-reliant and informed being, able to participate qualitatively in her own life.
How many people have you served or plan to serve? We have been able to transform the lives of about 2500 adolescent girls and their families under various projects on prevention of trafficking.
Please list any other measures of the impact of your innovation? The Foundation has been able to gain complete trust of the people in its intervention areas. We have been able to change their perception on education and the girl child. More so, they have begun to trust themselves and are willing to take on more affirmative action through social cohesion.
Exactly who are the beneficiaries of your innovation? Adolescent girls, belonging to backward and minority communities and residing the rural areas or urban slums are our main beneficiaries. The lives of these girls are dismal and difficult, bereft of human and child rights. We also reach out to their families and community members at large.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? Different agencies such as, government departments, corporate houses and international agencies finance our initiative.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization: BETI is a non-profitable public trust. A total of 34 staff members are appointed on a full time basis.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? There is immense demand for our innovation. Through years of working at the grassroot level, it has been modified and refined. The insights and experiences are well documented and the framework can be replicated anywhere. This is not an isolated approach of dealing with the problem but converges all elements and builds mutually beneficial alliances to bring about a holistic and lasting change. This enables a wide reach and a profound impact.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? Delays and long gaps between payments of grants.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. The Executive Director has worked with UNICEF for many years. Having hands-on experience of working both at the grassroot level and at the policy-making level on the issues of girl child it was a natural step to take.
Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material: Ms. Sehba Hussain, Founding Board member and the Executive Director of BETI Foundation. She has worked with UNICEF for nearly 17 years, both as an international and national professional, notable among which were her responsibilities as Country Representative Bhutan, Chief of Health Section, UNICEF India and Chief Upper India Office responsible for Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and State Representative, U.P. She is a human rights activist, firmly believing in the merits of Community Driven Development for which she has worked for more than thirty-five years. She was a member of the National Advisory Council (NAC) {NAC has been set up under the Chairpersonship of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as an interface of the PMO with Civil Society in regard to the implementation of the National Common Minimum Programme of the Government of India.
Contact Information:
Sehba Hussain
Executive Director BETI Foundation (NGO) Discussions about this entry |
Girl Child: Asserting their Existence
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Your project sounds remarkable, and very valuable to the communities you serve. Have you considered working with/applying to the Nike Foundation? Their Girls Project sounds like it supports programs just like yours, and has supported a number of programs in India already.
Katie Breene
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Portland State University MBA
Dear Ms Breene
Thank you for your appreciation for our work and informing us about the Nike Foundation Girl Project.
With regards
BETI Foundation
Hello,
I commend your efforts in reaching out to communities and empowering girls. I think you raise a very important point that I think is critical to the success of any program working to change social norms- the roll of community engagement and partnerships. All too often programs alienate key community groups and leaders, or entire segments of the population, through well-intentioned messaging that goes astray. Indeed, creating opportunties for formal education and economic empowerment activities for adolescent girls is an essential ingredient in making a positive impact in their lives and their futures.
The Population Council has a program in Upper Egypt called ISHRAQ that works with a cadre of adolescent girls for two years to provide them with safe spaces to play, informal education and formal education stipends, financial literacy, and income-generating opportunities. ISHRAQ would be a great program to look at for examples specific action plans and programming in engaging the community in each step of the process. They make sure to engage the fathers, brothers, religious leaders, and key community leaders in helping to shape and sustain the program.
They actually have developed what they call a "community contract" that the community leaders sign, committing itself to the success of the program and ensuring that the community provides spaces in schools or youth clubs free of charge for the girls' program to be run, and also require that the community participate in issuing identification cards to the girls. This has had a huge positive impact on their lives and ability to open bank accounts and become active community participants.
Just a few suggestions in further flushing out your plans for this program- it looks great! I would look at ISHRAQ for examples on creating a more detailed plan that would bolster your entry. I would also consider articulating the specific skills training and activities you will conduct.
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Gender Equality and Human Trafficking Specialist