COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Concern India foundation implements community development interventions directly as well as through grass root partners across India. Under community development programs we respond to a variety of urgent needs including access to sustainable energy, skilling, agriculture & livelihood, watershed management, conservation and disaster response. All our programmes are implemented through collective participation of the community to make informed decisions, which leads to social stability, economic transformation and productive lives. The target beneficiaries included youth, men and women in both urban and rural areas. Capacities and capabilities of the community are built through training, technical expertise, exposure visit, demonstrations (field training), networking/linkages, and job placements and counselling.
Some of our key programmes:
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Watershed Management
Working with communities on climate change
Renewable energy, water conservation, biodiversity restoration are some of our key interventions with communities and climate change. In the face of climate change, every action counts. Concern India Foundation is increasing its commitment towards communities affected due to climate change. This includes addressing issues such as carbon footprints, uprooted green covers and imbalance in water tables through various restoration initiatives. Through Concern's sustainable practices, we aim to make a significant contribution towards creating a greener and more prosperous future for all.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources play a critical role in mitigating climate change by reducing Greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Solar power is a clean and renewable energy source that produces no GHGs and contributes to a significant reduction in carbon footprint and air pollution.
By harnessing sunlight, communities become self-sufficient in meeting their energy needs and can reduce their reliance on imported fuel. Concern promotes renewable energy through installation of solar panels in both urban and rural spaces.
Though electricity has reached many villages, there are still remote and interior pockets in rural India where it is still a luxury. Installation of solar street lights is sustainable and cost effective; if the community is trained on how to manage it. Over 148 solar street lights have been installed by Concern in rural villages of Karnataka and Maharashtra. Solar energy is also being used for irrigation purposes in Tamil Nadu.
Solar power systems are being promoted in the agricultural space with farmers. Concern motivates farmers to adopt best practices of sustainable farming techniques to optimise resources and have a sustainable livelihood.
Conservation and Biodiversity
We work in restoring forests, mangroves, wetlands, ponds and lakes. With community participation we promote tree plantation, developing nurseries for mangrove species and revival of ponds and lakes.
Mangroves provide numerous ecological and socio-economic benefits, such as coastal protection, erosion control, habitat for marine life, carbon sequestration and livelihood opportunities for local communities.
Healthy mangrove ecosystems can sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change. They also act as natural buffers against storm surges and provide protection to coastal communities from the impacts of climate change-induced sea-level rise and extreme weather events.
Recognising the critical role mangroves play in coastal ecosystems, Concern India Foundation has implemented initiatives to protect and restore these invaluable habitats. Successful mangroves restoration involves engaging local communities in the process, through collaborations, with government agencies, and other stakeholders. Concern has undertaken efforts to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves, promote sustainable practices, and enhance the resilience of these ecosystems.. We provide training, creating alternative livelihood opportunities, and raising awareness about the importance of mangroves for the community's well-being.
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250 hectares (2.5 acres = 1 ha. total 625 acres) of degraded land restored with replantation of over 6 lakhs mangrove species in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
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Restoration of mangroves would result in CO2 reduction, control of soil erosion, protection of lives and property from cyclone & floods
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In 10 years under this project:
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283 tons of carbon will be sequestered
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15,000 tons of CO2 emission will be reduced
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Income among the communities will be enhanced through livelihood efforts
Impact
Women Empowerment
Women play a crucial role in rural areas by actively participating in various activities, which form the backbone of many rural economies. Their contributions in farming, livestock management, and horticulture significantly contribute to food security and rural development. Empowering women in rural areas can lead to significant economic growth. By providing them with access to resources, education, and entrepreneurship opportunities, we can unleash their potential as agents of change, fostering sustainable development and poverty reduction in rural communities. We work with women from unorganised sectors, marginalised, underprivileged and vulnerable groups, rural and urban across nine states of our interventions, with focus on Livelihood Development and Skilling.
Our Work
Entrepreneurship:
Entrepreneurship as a concept has been there for a thousand years, but largely for men. Concern works with rural and urban women through its grass root partners as well as direct implementation. The 'Women to Women' process is central to mobilising and motivating the movement of change. As capacity building is key, it is done through Self Help Groups (SHGs). In the unorganised sector, women are doing petty jobs. These women are upskilled to develop business plans to promote women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). They are linked to banks, microfinance agencies and government schemes to expand and diversify their businesses. Concern has been successful in creating over 200 Women based enterprises and strives to create more.
Basic Training:
New SHGs are identified/formed to initiate the activation process. We believe training and capacity building are long term and crucial processes for empowering women. Concern has invested in training over 10,000 women.
Specialised Training:
The next step is provision of specialised training as per their interest to kickstart or expand their business. This includes tailoring, cooking, driving, baking, agriculture-related activities, animal husbandry and the likes. For young girls training includes data coding, office assistant, retail, security guards, packaging, etc. We also work with women artisans and weavers, and train them in design skills and marketing of their products.
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