Right to Dignity

	(Top) A yatra being flagged off under Garima Abhiyan and (bottom) a congegration under the campaign

Despite the passage of over half a century since Independence of the country and solemn resolves of the Governments, a large number of scavengers are still engaged in manually cleaning human nightsoil and carrying it on their body in baskets to dumping places. These manual scavengers are at the lowest rung of the society. What is worse is that almost three-fourth of the manual scavengers are women. The earning is meagre from this most inhuman occupation. Moreover, these humblest and most exploited people do not know any alternative skills to earn their livelihood.

To take out the manual scavengers from the mess they are into, Parmarth launched a campaign called Garima Abhiyan, which can be translated into English as Campaign for (Restoration of) Self-Esteem. The campaign was carried out in eight localities in Orai city and its outskirts and four localities of Jalaun town. The focus of the intervention was to ensure a life of dignity for the concerned families and help them to alternate means of livelihood. Almost 80 per cent of the families have been rehabilitated as a result of Parmarth’s efforts. The rehabilitated manual scavengers have found alternate source of livelihood like running shops and small businesses and a few of them have joined jobs with the government sector, private concerns and NGOs.

Under the campaign various sensitisation initiatives like holding workshops at district level and organisation of camps were held. The media was also sensitised through continuous meetings, discussions, workshops, which among other things provided the media with information and case studies. The interventions were holistic and covered issues like rights of women and education initiatives.