01 Jan 2023

Right to life is the most fundamental human right, which entitles individuals to be free from arbitrary deprivation of life. Right to food security with dignity to ensure livelihood is enshrined

10 October 2022

Despite 76 years of independence, 89 percent of the urban poor, homeless and unorganized domestic workers have contributed in developing and beautifying the city, yet they are deprived of basic facilities like food, water, housing, education, health, social security and livelihood, in Smart City It is necessary to connect these classes with the mainstream.

10 July 2022

The right to life is the most fundamental human right, entitling individuals to be free from arbitrary deprivation of life.

Apr 17, 2022

Livelihood promotion has been one of the areas for facilitating economic strengthening of the marginalized groups for the organization. The organization has been facilitator in Promoting micro livelihood...

Genesis Of The Organization Mr. Dharmendra Kumar the founder executive director of DVAS comes from marginalized scheduled caste family from Fatuha block of Patna district in Bihar. He grew up in the agrarian feudal society where the subjugation of scheduled caste community was so severe that their villages was known by the name of the caste as ‘Parsa chamartoli’ (Chamar is the caste name for the community who were earlier engaged in the work of taking out and tanning of hides). He, his family and his community were treated as untouchables as they came from lowest in the caste ladder. The community was by and large working as daily waged labourers and share croppers for the landlords. In those days women traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) would support and conduct the deliveries at homes as health infrastructures were poor and it was treated as most undignified Jobs in the community. In his college days he was shocked by a incidence that a TBA from his village was called to give her services for conducting delivery by a landlord from the neighbouring village and after the delivery she was molested and gangraped by a group of youths of higher caste. The incidences had a deep impact on Mr. Dharmendra Kumar and he decided to work for the dignity and development of the dalit and marginalized communities. Soon he cam in contact with several social workers and started mobilizing dalit community to raise their voice against injustice and discrimination. Afterwards he associated himself with several social organisations and worked on several development projects for dalit community. Then in due course of time he along with several like minded associates founded Dalit Vikas Abhiyan samiti in 1993 and has been continuously striving and working towards restoring dignity and promoting holistic development of marginalized sections of society: women, children’s youths with focus on Scheduled caste communities. The organization believes in its developmental model attenuated for increased participation of marginalized communities through various enabling strategies and programs such towards ensuring socio- economic transformation and dignity through access to quality education, health services and livelihood options. The organization believes in organic and inorganic growth of an individual and the community through increased exposure and development of core competency thereby leading to the development of intrinsic skill and managerial capabilities.

12-01-2023

I am Neeta Devi, husband Shri Kam, Kameshwar Ram, village Anandpur Morwa, Samastipur, Bihar from a marginalized family. I grew up in an uneducated environment, so my mother did not allow us to go out of the house in my childhood. The parents were always worried that their daughter's life would be ruined if she fell into high and low status and due to the fear of being defamed in the society, they did not allow her to go to school, they used to take help in their daily work. I had a strong desire to study, but instead of sending me to school, I was married to a migrant laborer boy at an early age. We did not even know the religion of marriage. I was ignorant about which I used to hear a lot of taunts. In our village, a community based organization “Ambedkar Gram Samiti” was established by Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti, in which an education center was run for children against acts of violence against women, for equality, justice and to connect everyone with education and the organization also helped women. A program was started to make us functionally literate, in which we started learning to read and write. In the beginning, people used to make fun of us, but the family members supported us. After that, we, as an active women cadre, elected me as the President of the organization. After that, we included the organization in the examination conducted by the National Board of Open Schooling under the Mukhyamantri Akshar Aanchal Yojana and we gave the examination and got the certificate of passing 8th. Letter received. Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti trained the School Education Committee members regarding their functioning, responsibilities and rights. They told us that it is the responsibility of the School Education Committee to enroll the children who have not been enrolled. Make children and community aware, pay attention to cleanliness. Participate in the development work of the school, pay attention to the quality of the mid-day meal provided to the children. Now we go to every meeting regularly. Let's talk to the teacher himself. They are told to establish harmony with the children and teach them through games. Toilets in the school should be kept operational during regular class hours and maintained clean. If the fan in the school is not working then they are asked to get it repaired. I ask for dialogue between the community and the teachers so that the community has confidence in education, in the organization meetings I tell all the women and children and their parents about sending them to school regularly and not doing child marriage. Changes have started taking place in our village primary school. Earlier there were 62 children enrolled in the school, out of which only 34 children came to school regularly, occasionally. I personally met the children, met their parents. In the regular meetings of the organization, he was motivated to send children to school every day and got the children who were not enrolled in school enrolled. I took the responsibility that no child from the deprived community should be deprived of education. Today there are total 167 children in this school. Today, no one stops me from fulfilling my responsibilities. Even sometimes children find it difficult to go to school due to crossing the road, so the organization cadres take the children to school by crossing the road and help them in bringing them back home. I believe that what I am doing is I am playing a small role, it will have a big impact in building the future of children and they will get inclusive quality education and will enhance the mental development of children along with their potential. I would also like to thank the Headmaster of this school for continuously ensuring the development of the school and the involvement of the community in the educational development of the children. Mrs. Neeta Devi Member, School Education Committee Anandpur, Morwa, Bihar

12-01-2023

Priyanka Kumari Father Mr. Chandan Ram, Mother Mrs. Beby Devi, Age 13 year Village Benua is a resident of Block Morwa, District Samastipur, Bihar. Priyanka Kumari's father was very poor and helpless, due to which she remained unwell due to his inability to provide proper nutrition and was deprived of school education from primary education onwards and was involved in other activities with her family. As she was growing up day by day, her family started worrying about her marriage and were searching for a boy. The activities of community based organization "Ambedkar Gram Samiti" were run in this village by Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti and Nutrition cum Ambedkar Prerna Education Center was run for the children excluded from education. Priyanka Kumari told the organization cadres that she wants to study, she does not want to get married, after that her family members were discussed, after that they started sending her to the center and today, when she passed matriculation, her family members started feeling very proud. Priyanka Kumari's dream is that she wants to study further and become a doctor and serve the poor, this tells us that due to lack of money, proper treatment is not possible, which we will try to overcome. Priyanka Kumari herself freed herself from forced marriage and now remains a role model to save other girls in her villages from child marriage. Priyanka Kumari, along with giving selfless education to other children at Ambedkar Prerna Education Centre, is herself a pioneer for higher education. Sathi is working as the Block Coordinator of Ambedkar Youth Club run by Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti for providing quality education to the youth and child protection and eradication of child marriage. His family members are very proud of this pioneer and express their gratitude to the organization.

28-2-2023

Mrs. Phoolkumari Devi, husband Mr. Shiv Kumar Ram, resident of village Morwa Block Morwa, is a very poor, indigent woman of Mahadalit community of marginalized community. She has 4 children. Due to her husband's mental health not being good, she has to earn a source of income as a domestic worker. She is earning her living due to which she is unable to provide proper nutrition to her children and treat her husband. Many moneylenders and micro finance people actively prey on these people in this area. That her husband's health was very bad and she was running the household by taking a loan from Micro Finance to get food. Mrs. Phool Kumari, after seeing the people of Micro Finance misbehaving with her and mentally torturing her for not depositing the installment on time, got humiliated in public. She took a loan from the moneylenders of the village and started depositing the installments in micro finance, but she came under the grip of debt from both the sides. After Covid, their condition started getting worse. On one side, there was micro finance and on the other side, moneylenders had started wreaking havoc on them regarding repayment of loan. Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti formed a community-based organization named Ambedkar Gram Samiti in this village, in which she emerged as an active member. Savings fund was deposited in the organization so that in time any member should be freed from debt and linked to self-employment. A good amount of funds were deposited in the organization. This year, when the micro finance and moneylenders forced Mrs. Phoolkumari Devi to deposit the installment, the women of the organization "Ambedkar Gram Samiti" protested and gave Rs. 35 thousand from the organization fund to Mrs. Phoolkumari Devi, due to which the micro finance and moneylenders were able to pay the loan amount. Got back and took the breath of living free. While all their children are getting education and nutrition at Ambedkar Prerna Education Centre, Phoolkumari Devi is moving towards economic empowerment by connecting vegetable farming with livelihood. Now the women of CBO collect money and deposit it in the bank and use it in case of any emergency. The reimbursement rate is amazing.

15 July 2024

With the support of Alliance Dalit Forum Bihar and Dalit Vikas Abhiyan Samiti ccfd, Bihar Ambedkar Youth Forum has been formed in 10 blocks of 10 districts as a campaign for behavioral change of marginalized community and social economic, political mental change along with career capacity development of youth in 15 districts of Bihar. Continuous programs are being organized to connect youth with the mainstream of educational development, in which 1000 youth have been added in the first phase. Alliance Dalit Forum Bihar, Convenor Dharmendra Kumar said that on one hand the country is going through Amrit Mahotsav, on the other hand the marginalized community, especially the young generation, is facing economic inequality, is deprived of the concept of educational life and is forced to be imprisoned in factories. According to the census of 2011, the population of youth in the age group of 15 to 29 years is 27.5% and the total youth population is about 45%. The central government has implemented the National Youth Policy 2014 to bring the youth into the mainstream. Despite this, the youth are excluded from the mainstream of society and are aimless and thoughtless, far from inclusive quality education. The ability to think and understand is not being developed in them. He elaborated on the context of Dalit oppression and Dalit concept in Bihar and said that there is no dearth of academicians, researchers in the context of Dalit oppression and connecting them to the mainstream of inclusive development in the country, the only thing that is lacking is willpower. Willpower is sure to bring about a change in social behavior and mental development is sure to bring about an improvement in thinking. He expressed regret over the social conservative evils, especially the caste system, caste-based violence, as a major obstacle in the path of inclusive mental development and education and inspired people to become just and dignified through the thought-provoking words of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. A roadmap was prepared for the next three years regarding the main issues, challenges, possibilities and strategies of Dalits in Bihar. In the roadmap, it was decided to ensure social, economic, political and educational participation of youth through Bihar Ambedkar Youth Forum.