FISHERFOLK PROJECT

Fisherfolk Empowerment through Rights Based Approach.

The project is located in Bheemunipatnam Municipality and Mandal, which is in Visakhapatnam District. It comprises 23 poverty pockets in Municipality and 16 fishing villages in Mandal. The selection of area for development was based on the socio-economic and educational backwardness of the community especially of fisherfolk. Poverty, illiteracy, poor hygienic condition, and lack of civic amenities are other criteria.

1640 families from 16 villages and 2037 families from within Bheemilipatnam municipality are the targetted communities. The communities are identified by their occupations which are fisherfolk, potters, washerfolk, milk, fruit and vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers, brick makers, domestic servants and construction casual labour.

Our Objective is to empower the people to improve their standard of living by organising them through 'rights based' approach to achieve the objective.

Funding and capacity building support for this project is provided by ACTIONAID.

The communities follow their traditional professions from many generations and have been living in these settlements for many generations. Changes in the surrounding environment are making these traditional professions obsolete; driving the people to poverty.

For Eg: Potters make earthen pots for storage of water, cooking stoves, and vessels. They also make oil lamps, toys, and any other earthen product for which there is a market. The increased use of plastic/steel has affected their livelihood and led to them being among the poorest communities in the region.

FISHING COMMUNITY

- Issues: Infringement by mechanised boats into the exclusive 8 km zone set aside for traditional fishing in the Marine Fisheries Regulation Act has resulted in depletion of fish catch and destruction of their fishing nets.

- Change in the eye size of fishing nets has driven the fish resources down and made fishing an unsustainable activity. This has resulted in migration of fishing communities to other fishing harbours or has forced them to change their profession.

- CRZ violations targetted at increasing tourism, encroach on the fishing boat harbours, threaten the traditional lifestyle of fisherfolk due to commercialisation and cause disturbance to fishes near the coast and reduce fish catch.

- Sandmining had resulted in erosion of beaches and adversely affected the livelihood of fisherfolk.

- Fisherfolk are unable to get a good price for the catch due to lack of convenient storage and selling facilities.

- Steep interest terms for moneylenders and lack of institutional credit to provide required loans.

- Lack of adequate literacy has resulted in the fisherfolk not knowing about their rights.

Actions:

With assistance from VIKASA, fisherfolk have organised themselves into village level groups. This has assisted them to:

- Resist encroachment by the more powerful mechanised boat owners by conducting rallies and hunger strikes.
- Stop sandmining activity by reporting it to the Forest Department and remaining vigilant for future occurances.
- Lobbying and advocacy to prevent CRZ violations.
- Demand implementation of Government schemes to improve their standard of living.
- Set up revolving funds for the fisherfolk to buy nets, boats, buying fish for vending and other essentials for the practice of their profession with initial funding assistance from VIKASA.
- Promoted 'Keratam' NGO Network to capacitate the fishing community in Rights Based Work. Trained 420 fishermen and women on Rights Based Activism.

WOMEN'S GROUP

Issues:

- Alcoholism among men
- Domestic violence
- Lack of alternative employment for women






















- Steep interest terms for moneylenders and lack of institutional credit to provide required loans.
- Absence of a forum where the women could address their common issues

Actions:

- Entrepreneurship training is being provided to women with the support of SIDBI, DRDA, NABARD, and CED.
- Gender and Leadership training are imparted.
- MACTS, a Savings and Credit Society has been started and now has 1150 women as members. The scheme helps them in saving for their future as also to avail financing from the society on need.
- Domestic violence is a common problem in many of the communities. The women have united to warn off men who abuse their wives and take legal action if the problem persists.
- 4 women from the potters' community have set up block printing and dyeing businesses with support from B.C.Corporation. They now do block printing work in sarees, bedsheets, and pillows.

MUNICIPALITY AREAS:

Issues:
- Steep interest terms for money lenders and lack of institutional credit to provide required loans
- Lack of sanitation facilities
- Lack of drinking water
- Absence of pattas for houses
- Non-availability of ration cards, street lights and drainage facilities.
- Absence of community halls for people to host important events
- Lack of knowledge about the benefits available to disabled persons, single women, and other vulnerable groups.

Actions:

The people have been able to organise themselves into 'Sanghas' (groups) and have been able to achieve the following results:


- Obtain ration cards for people in the municipality
- Obtain house pattas for residents in the area
- Demanded and obtained streetlights/ drains and sanitation facilities for their use.
- The washerfolks were able to negotiate a Dhobikhana from the Government and obtain water facility and a washing platform for their use.
- 2 community halls were constructed with some financial assistance from VIKASA.
- A revolving fund was set up for use by the community.
- Of the 32 houses sanctioned by the Government for the communities, 16 of them have been constructed by availing further interest free loans from VIKASA where required.
- Disabled persons were informed of their entitlements to scholarships and subsidies, which resulted in 36 disabled people utilising the opportunities.

VIKASA seeks to minimise dependence by the communities. Hence, the communities are informed of their rights and assisted through advice in their fight for issues of interest to them.

FUTURE ACTION

VIKASA intends to continue this project till 2009. During this period, the villagers will be educated about their rights and assisted in improving their standard of living. They will be expected to organise themselves through some well-groomed leaders to continue fighting for their rights.
After 2009, a skeletal advisory staff will remain for a while to assist the villagers where required.