“ActionAid India was our first country programme, established in 1972, and is now the largest. Through a network of over 300 local organisations and community groups we work to improve the status of poor and marginalised people – mainly Dalits ('untouchables'), tribal people, women, children, homeless and disabled people. We lobby the government, international institutions and the media on food, education, health and women's rights. We also work with local partner organisations to help them improve poor people's lives. We provide emergency relief immediately after disasters, and help communities prepare for future emergencies and devise long-term solution.

Projects sponsored by ActionAid in 2007/08:

• Rural Development

• Right to Survive with Dignity for PTGs Kutia Kandha and Jharnia Kandha

• NREGA campaign in 6 districts

“The Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. Home to a world-beating information technology industry and a multitude of cultures and languages, India is the world’s largest democracy. The country has accomplished a great deal since independence in 1947, making slow but steady progress. However, despite its strong economic growth, the scale of its need is huge. Today, some 828 million Indians - 76% of the population - live in poverty, comprising one third of the world’s poor. DFID’s main challenges in India are malnutrition, child and maternal deaths, education, water and sanitation.”

“PRIA is an International Centre for Learning and Promotion of Democratic Governance. It was founded in 1982, in response to the realisation that grassroot realities across much of India revealed that governments were unable to deliver relevant or sustainable development programmes. At the same time, local level initiatives were successful in raising awareness and mobilising community to participate in different aspects of their own development. PRIA works locally, nationally and globally.”

Projects sponsored by DFID/PRIA in 2007/08:

• Elimination of Poverty Through Participation of Civil Society
Organisation under Orissa Civil Society Poverty Programme

“NABARD is set up as an apex Development Bank with a mandate for facilitating credit flow for promotion and development of
agriculture, small-scale industries, cottage and village industries, handicrafts and other rural crafts. It also has the mandate to
support all other allied economic activities in rural areas, promote integrated and sustainable rural development and
secure prosperity of rural areas. In discharging its role as a facilitator for rural prosperity NABARD is entrusted with
1. Providing refinance to lending institutions in rural areas
2. Bringing about or promoting institutional development and
3. Evaluating, monitoring and inspecting the client banks.”

Projects sponsored by NABARD in 2007/08:

• REDP – Milk and Milk Products Processing
• Village Development Plan
• Micro Watershed Development in Bhitarguma village

“This is the major scheme for the rehabilitation of child labour. Under the scheme, Project Societies at the district level are fully funded for opening up of special school/Rehabilitation Centres for the rehabilitation of child labour. The special schools/Rehabilitation Centres provide non-formal education, vocational training, supplementary nutrition, stipend etc. to children withdrawn from employment. The child workers identified in the survey are put in the special schools and provided the following facilities:
a) Non-formal/formal education
b) Skilled/craft training
c) Supplementary nutrition @ Rs. 5/- per child per day
d) Stipend @ Rs. 100/- per child per month
e) Health care facilities through a doctor appointed for a group of 20 schools.”

Projects sponsored by NCLP in 2007/08:
• Child Labour School

“The Programme focuses on empowering the tribals and enabling them to enhance their food security, increase their incomes and improve their overall quality of life through more efficient natural resource management based on the principles of improved watershed management and more productive environmentally sound agricultural practices and through farm/non-farm enterprise development.”

Projects sponsored by OTELP in 2007/08:
• Watershed projects