In a 4-day proposal development write shop from 19-22 November, at Patna, Bihar, seven programme partners revived their commitments to advance collaborative actions to weed out hunger and enable quality education for Mahadalit children. The write shop aimed at developing a common programme and roadmap to enable RSM community realise their human dignity, and exercise the right to education, and nutrition and health. The new cluster programme will directly cover about 5000 families in 87 RSM hamlets, across 7 blocks of Araria, Madhepura, Saharsa, Rohtas, Madhubani, Munger and Purnea districts. Diocesan directors with the coordinators came together for collective reflections and action planning at the write shop.

In the light of Caritas India Strategic Plan 2018-23, Ms. Lee Macqueen, Manager for Advocacy & Child Rights oriented on the approaches of people’s empowerment for collective actions; networking and dialoguing with duty bearers; enthusing the spirit of volunteering; and self-reliance through sharing communities. The need to work through these approaches with children was underscored. With the overarching focus on strengthening access, availability and responsiveness of public services, focusing education and nutrition, especially among RSM women and children, overall the programme envisages a socially awakened community to stand up for themselves collectively. The new programme seeks to achieve this through active participation and leadership of children and women on different fora.

The need for strengthening children’s participation and protection by functionalising various committees mandated under Panchayati Raj, Right to Education and Integrated Child Protection and Development Programmes, respectively, remained crucial. Hence, the new cluster programme would support the functioning of governance at all levels besides building Communities of Change to redeem the RSM communities from the clutches of historic subjugation.

Caritas India, supported by Caritas Germany, has been implementing ROSHNI and SUPOSHAN programmes across 7 districts with seven the diocesan partners, focusing Rishidev, Saday and Manjhi (RSM) communities. Over the years, the RSM women have started participating in Gram Sabhas and making collective representations to the duty bearers in project areas. There has been increased demand and improved access to education and nutrition services by women’s collectives. These programmes have ushered in a ray of hope for RSM communities. In the words of Fr. Amal Raj, Director of Bihar Regional Social Forum, in his opening remark, “these programmes are an opportunity to result into the transformation of self and community”.

The workshop, facilitated by state Caritas team, concluded with the session on child protection measures at partner organisations’ and programmatic levels, the dos and don’ts stressing on the resolve for raising a movement of the children, for and by the children, supported by community elders. The new programme is all set to bring in the renewed vigour to the mission of a hunger-free and illiteracy free nation.