Overview

At ARPAN, we proudly identify as a grassroots development non-governmental organisation. Founded in 1996 ARPAN began its journey working with the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in the remote villages  of Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand.

In early 1990s, a passionate group of young people with shared ideals came together in Askot village, Pithoragarh to understand socio-economic challenges facing the region. The ancestral home of our founder, served as hub for meetings, as well as  field  office.

During our interactions with villagers, particularly those from marginalised sections of society, we were confronted with serious human rights violations that often went unnoticed and unaddressed. Through community support and grassroots efforts, we uncovered and took action on critical issues, such as justice for marginalized women and combating illegal activities that harmed vulnerable communities.

Rape of two grass cutter women and murder of one , which was pending at the district court since past two years , was reopened and justice sought . The issue of Illegal mining of sand , causing loss of agriculture land mainly of the schedule caste families , was raised by the mahila mangal dal of the village . Support was extended in the form of information sharing and strengthening  their collectives to take legal action ,were a few of the pressing issues. These interactions allowed us to gain deeper understanding of the socio-economic and political complexities surrounding these concerns.

Among the most marginalised are women, particularly those from vulnerable Dalit and indigenous tribal communities. These women faced layers of oppression, including domestic violence and other forms of gender-based marginalization. Addressing these deep-rooted issues required a longer-term commitment to tackling the structural causes of inequality. Under the leadership of the founder member , the young people who joined her made the decision to stay in the area long term, dedicating themselves to these socio-legal challenges. Sustaining long term work required resources, particularly human resources and a clear vision. This led to the founding of ARPAN as an civil society  in 1996, alongside the establishment of a long-term vision, mission and objectives. Given the central role of women from marginalised communities in the vulnerabilities we encountered, rural women became the focus of our work – a commitment that continues to this day.

As an organisation deeply committed to social justice, ARPAN has embraced Ambedkar’s philosophy, particularly his words: “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress women have achieved”.  Since our inception, women and girls have been at the heart of ARPAN’s mission, guiding our efforts to create a more just and equitable society.

Milestones: 2000 Onwards

Building Trust and Empowerment
Through dedicated and consistent voluntary efforts, we established a strong rapport and trust with marginalised rural communities, especially the particularly vulnerable Raji indigenous tribe. They live in remote and inaccessible villages in the forest areas. This groundwork enabled us to provide initial support to their children and establish linkages with different agencies.

Initiating Child Centres in Remote Tribal Villages
To earn their livelihood, both parents often had to leave their infants and toddlers unattended at home. ARPAN established 10 balwadi’s (childcare canters) to care for these children, which not only provided essential support but also helped us earn the trust of Raji families. This strategic intervention served as a crucial entry point for building lasting relationships with the Raji community, and that trust continues to endure today.

Strengthening Local Leadership of Youths
Young girls from the villages were motivated and engaged in running the childcare canters / Balwadis. Later when the Government scheme of Aganwadi started, the skilled youth moved on to join different ventures. Shoka Tribal women weavers with skills, but lacking resources for buying raw material, for weaving carpets and woollen garments, were supported to form their collective. Socio-economic support enhanced the livelihood of around 100 women weavers.

Broad-based Community Mobilisation Interventions
ARPAN works towards building an ecosystem around issues of gender justice and its interlinkages with other issues like economical, ecological and political justice, through mass-based campaigns and programmes. Focused campaign like One Billion Rising and 16 days activism to combat violence against women and girls are strategically planned and organised with the support women and youth collectives, to generate awareness and gather support from wider section of the society.

Government Partnership
ARPAN has worked in support and collaboration with Ministry of women and Child and Child India foundation in running the 24×7 Child Help line in District Pithoragarh for around 12 years. More than 5000 children were reached to support on their all-round wellbeing, safety and development. Through support of Ministry of Science and technology, the organisation worked with the rural farming community on low-cost rural technologies, to enhance their livelihood practices. Family counselling centre was run by ARPAN through the support of Department of Social Welfare, New Delhi, where in more than 500 cases of violence against women were addressed.

Policy, Research and Advocacy on People-centred Issues
ARPAN has carried out Action research studies, both collaborative and independent, and advocated on people centred issues through community leadership.

  • Forest Research Institute and ARPAN worked on the technique of mass propagation of bamboo through seedlings at 25 forest nurseries of Kumaon region.
  • Unpaid Care Work of Women
  • Status of Single Women in Uttarakhand
  • Socio-economic Status of Raji Tribe of Uttarakhand

Humanitarian Action
The hilly regions of Uttarakhand are prone to natural and manmade disasters. Flash floods and cloud burst result in loss of material and human life, impacting the marginalised communities the most. ARPAN reaches out to the people in remote areas through humanitarian support – physiological, relief material and linking to other agencies for support. During COVID-19 ARPAN team reached out to 150 villages for medical support, awareness and dry ration to the most vulnerable daily wage workers.