Established in 1995, the Janvikas Samajik Sanstha (JSS) has been working in the Kaij, Beed and Dharur districts of Maharashtra. These are socially, economically and educationally backward talukas. With scanty rainfall, agriculture is no longer a viable option in this region. This has forced marginal farmers and the landless to make a meagre living from cattle-breeding, employment in hotels or brick-making. Most families are indebted to the local zamindars.

JSS has been involved in the struggle for land rights for dalits. Its mission is to strengthen people's organisations and institutions so as to enable the poor and marginalised to have a voice and opportunity in local governance.

The organisation's primary areas of focus include:

• Poverty alleviation
• Income-generation
• Natural resource management
• Education
• Women's empowerment

The target groups comprise scheduled tribes, backward classes, women, destitute children and the landless.

With almost perennial drought conditions forcing the male population to migrate to the cities in search of work, the Marathwada region in Maharashtra has remained one of the least developed. The area spans seven districts -- Aurangabad, Beed, Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani - and 59 talukas.

Illiteracy levels are high. There are deep caste divides and the lower castes are oppressed. Unaware of their constitutional rights, the dalit population has been exploited by those in power, especially landowners, moneylenders and government officials. The involvement of dalits in local governance is almost non-existent.

JSS has embarked on a two-fold strategy: To create and nurture genuine participation in decision-making and to bring about a profound transformation in the status of women. It seeks to do this by:

• Training
• Providing credit
• Encouraging participation in socio-political institutions for socialisation
• Involving women at all levels of development thinking, planning and implementation
• Providing opportunities for participation in governance
• Addressing the health, sanitation, education and income needs of people

The objectives include:

• Developing and strengthening effective and efficient leadership of 200 women from 50 villages
• Strengthening the capacities of 200 elected women members of panchayats from 50 villages
• Promoting and strengthening 50 women's groups to participate in village governance processes
• Ensuring 33% reservation of women in people's organisations and people's institutions.