The Avacayam program for the livelihood of persons with disability carried out by Trash to Cash marked a significant milestone in the history of our organization that was awarded the “Entrepreneurial Disability-inclusive Business of the Year for the Asia- Pacific region” in 2013.
Persons with disability in India face many challenges when looking to develop employable skills and in gaining meaningful employment. While India has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with disability (UNCRPD), persons with disability continue to face many difficulties in the labour market.
According to census 2011, there are 26.8 million Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in India (15 million male and 11.8 million female PwDs). Even though, disabled people constitute a significant percentage of the population of India, their need for meaningful employment largely remains unmet, in spite of implementation of “The Persons with Disability Act, 1995”. In the overall population, the number of disabled is proportion- ately higher in rural areas, accentuated by general poverty considerations and poor access to health ser- vices. The rural disabled are significantly disconnected from skills and markets.
Improving vocational training and employment opportunities for people with disability is a critical element for enhancing the quality of life for individual with disability, their families, but there are also substantial gains for the broader economy. There are substantial costs to individuals and to society associated with these poor employment outcomes for people with disability. The World Bank considers that leaving people with disability, outside the economy, translates into a foregone GDP of about 5% to 7%. In addition to the indi- vidual and family benefits, there is also a strong economic imperative to increased labour force participation which will help to address country’s shortage of skilled labour force, while at the same time reducing fiscal pressures associated with welfare dependency.
Avacayam, with its very gentle introduction to a simple technical process of recycling temple flowers (of which there is an abundance in India) into products that are used in festivals provides a starting point to the world of work, its ethics and, of course income generation.
The above, is only the beginning. After this introduction, enrolled persons are initiated into the world of busi- ness management, albeit a micro-entrepreneurial one!
Thereafter, further work is being carried out through hubs, now named as “Center for Technical and Knowl- edge Resource” that are have been initiated in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Puducherry (UT).
Work on establishing a hub in Kerala is till in its nascent stage and is in process.
Considering the fact, that even as late as the last quarter of the 20th Century, about 98% of children with disability could not access quality school education, as a result of which they were unable to attend techni- cal training courses or attend any formal skill development program. All that was left for them was to learn the family trade, if any. Since this was also few and far between in the current year the unemployment fig- ures are alarming, to say the least.
Past the age of academic learning, the only option left for people living with a disability is to start micro units that are home and hand work based and drawing from the rich varied heritage of the crafts of India. This also presents an unique opportunity to fill the gap left by the new generation of youngsters from families who were traditional artisans. This new generation is aspirational, are reluctant to carry on the family work, and prefer migrating on to office jobs in the city.
“It is hoped that the Avacayam Livelihood venture, a unit of Trash to Cash, started with the generous support of the Nippon Foundation, Japan, will pave the way for a more equitable world for those who are in danger of being left behind.”
Dr. Madhumita Puri
It had been assumed that in the time line proposed that it would be possible to identify organizations working with people with disability in concentrated areas. Unfortunately, this was not so, it was found that most organizations were only providing either educational or awareness generating activities. There were selected organizations who were providing vocational training and were willing to expand the scope of their activities. There are many reasons for this that we were able to understand and the details are provided in the final report.
The implications of this was that we had to deviate from the original plan of identifying six organizations per state who would be partners and instead take on many more partners, albeit smaller ones, who indicated strong interest and motivation in carrying the work forward.
AIM
The hub was planned to be a action driven centre for technical and knowledge resource for skilling, to undertake skill development of master trainers as well as individuals esp. PwDs. The centre aimed to provide complete guidance in product development and micro enterprise management, thereby creating a connection between training and employment.
MAIN OBJECTIVES
- Provide training to individuals and persons of disability to become master trainers for their community/ region.
- Designing – bringing together the understanding of the craft manufacturing process, along with ergonomics and a contemporary aesthetic lens, to create new products.
- Act as a market enabler – by being a repository of information on schemes/loans available for growing a business, as well as on exhibitions and marketplaces to sell goods
- Networking platform – creating networking opportunities and linkages among all NGOs in the community
- Undertaking research – ongoing research that deepens the understanding of crafts, the gaps in the manufacturing process as well as the market requirement
OUTCOME
- At the outset and in the start of the program, it was planned that 500 people with disability would be trained in each state totaling a number of 2500. Each state had a Coordinator appointed who was entrusted with the task of implementing the plan within a stipulated period of time. In two states, ie Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the numbers could not be reached for a variety of reasons.
- In Tamil Nadu, it was seen that most people with disability were enrolled in several welfare schemes of the State Government. As a result, few were interested in doing any kind of gainful work. As a result, we included the Union Territory of Puducherry, which yield far better response. However we were un-able to reach the desired number of 500 and were short by 163. This deficit was made up in the other States.
- Similarly, Madhya Pradesh, the two cities chosen did not yield the numbers were targeting and the shortfall of 224 people was made up by increasing numbers in other States.
- The male-female ratio was consistent.
- The numbers trained in Kerala were by far the most. Kerala is a prosperous State with high rates of literacy. Unfortunately, people with disability, especially those with severe disabilities are still at the lower end of the spectrum. Despite these high figures of training, in the final analysis, the response to conversion of skill development to income generation receive an abysmally poor result.
In Madhya Pradesh (Hoshangabad); Rajasthan (Ajmer); and Tamil Nadu (UT Pondicherry); the response was appropriate and three NGOs were selected to develop hubs in their institutions.
In Kerala, the outcome was completely different from that expected. Given the fact that it is a State with high rates of literacy (in fact the best in India), NGOs cover all parts of the State, are well organized and well funded by the government, the desire to make the shift from being donor driven to being self sustainable – from working only in childhood education to providing opportunities for livelihood and employment – was missing. Most NGOs acknowledged the need, but expressed their doubts about the feasibility of the move in their own establishment.
In Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi) there were two NGOs who showed good initiative and it was difficult to select one over the other. Thus, a separate hub was set up where they are both partners.