Banwasi Seva Ashram

ग्राम वरा य से सव दय

Upliftment of All Through Village Self-rule

Address: Govindpur, Via Turra, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh (India), 231221

E-mail: banwasisevaashram@gmail.com Mobile/ Cell Phone: +91-9455565111

Web-site: www.banwasisevaashram.in

Overview Banvasi Seva Ashram (BSA) is a voluntary organisation believing in Gandhian principles of life. Banwasi Seva Ashram came into existence in 1954 when its primary work area - South Sonbhadra (then South Mirzapur) - was in crisis, due to a severe famine. The credit goes to its founding fathers, Shri. Govind Vallabh Pantji, then the Chief Minister, and Gandhian Shri Vichitra Narain Sharma, the founder chairman of the Ashram. BSA develops and implements programmes to achieve Gramswarajya - that is simple productive cooperative self-sufficiency and self-reliance at the village level with the involvement of the beneficiary community.  With a wide range of activities and programmes spanning over the last sixty years, the Ashram has helped in bringing about visible and remarkable changes in the tribal villages of south Sonbhadra.

Vision Banwasi Seva Ashram envisages a strong new village culture, incorporating the positive values of traditional life and benefits of modern knowledge in such a way that neither people nor nature are unduly exploited. Banwasi Seva Ashram believes that village self-sufficiency is vital for the country's development.

Mission The mission of Banwasi Seva Ashram is to address basic problems of life faced by the forest dwelling community, especially the most vulnerable people (tribal, SC , OBC) through confidence creation, capacity building and innovative development plans.

Approach Banwasi Seva Ashram analyses problems faced by the communities, finds out workable solutions for addressing the root cause and implements these solutions by helping

Cleaning drain in youth camp community members work out models which can be managed by them, with appropriate training and support service. In this process the Ashram involves the community and all stake-holders, subject experts and also the government officials. The Ashram's efforts all through have been to initiate action, foster confidence and hand over the responsibility of sustenance to the community. The main outcome of the Ashram’s activities is change in the thinking process and attitude of the villagers.

Achievements Over the past 60 years, BSA has established rapport with the people living in villages in the four community development blocks of south Sonbhadra. A three tier people's Gramswarajya organisation has been set up to promote people's initiative for community development at village level, at village development centre level and at Ashram level.  There are Gramswarajya Sabhas in 445 villages (hamlets) to take initiative in resolving the village disputes within villages itself; introducing social reform; promoting women's equality and development, in promoting communal harmony; sharing of the responsibility in implementation of the development programmes, in asserting themselves to get their decreed entitlements, and in containing corruption.  The Ashram has undertaken a variety of development activities in the south Sonbhadra area, such as  

Water and soil conservation, land development

Employment oriented apprentice training in crafts and services needed for the development activity and for employment elsewhere

Rural health education and rural health service

Women’s development and empowerment

Education: schools, non-formal education, total literacy campaign, skills development, life orientation of adolescents and youth through camps

Children of Ashram Balmandir

Public interest litigation in Supreme Court for land rights, rights of the displaced and bonded labour

Study and representation of environmental pollution problem in south Sonbhadra at different levels

Whole village development projects

Securing rural entitlements In addition, through the medium of Gram Swaraj Sanghatan, the Ashram has addressed a variety of social problems in the tribal villages, such as

Bondage with moneylender of land and person

Witchcraft and social taboos

Rehabilitation of people displaced due to industrialisation

Problems faced by village craftsmen and increasing unemployment

The Ashram's policies have been successful as far as fostering confidence and handing over the responsibility for continued activity to the community are concerned. The villagers now make small independent community action plans.

Ashram Facilities At present, the Ashram has nine major programmes (departments): Women's Empowerment, Education, Khadi and Village Industry, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Health, Environment, Support to Other Volunteer Groups, Gram Nirman or Village Development. Majority of the facilities related to activities of these departments are located at the Ashram headquarters (campus) in Govindpur. Demonstration Farm: The Ashram has a demonstration farm on its premises where experiments are conducted on the production of grains, vegetables, fodder, and gardening. Demonstration Farm at the Ashram Premises 

Orchard, Nursery and Forest: The Ashram has a model orchard where trees like banana, lemon, karaunda, mango, jamun and amala have been planted.and a nursery of fruit plants. The Ashram has also raised a forest on 35 acres of its land Arjun trees are planted on 11 acres for cacoon rearing .

Goshala: Ashram campus has a dairy farm where crossbreed cows and bulls are maintained to help local farmers with artificial insemination. The Ashram dairy farm also provides veterinary services and training to the local farmers. Now the local bread cows are promted in Ashram dairy.

Khadi and Gramodyog (Village Industry)

Production and Training Centre: This centre is involved in production and training local villagers in o Spinning and weaving of cotton, silk, woolen

(blankets) o Making of washing soap (with mahua oil base)

and bathing soap (coconut oil base) o Mustard oil pressing and paddy processing o Making shoes, bricks, Agarbattis o Orientation training for local blacksmiths and

carpenters

A woman weaving khadi cloth at Ashram 

Agrindus Health Clinic: Health clinic at the Ashram campus attracts patients not only from Sonbhadra district but also from neighbouring districts of Uttar Pradesh and from neighbouring States Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. The clinic also serves as a training centre for village health friends.

Arogya kendra at Asham  

Library: The Agrindus Institute at the campus maintains a library of books useful for the various programmes run by the Ashram and also on the Gandhian thought.

School: BSA runs a high school on its premises. In addition, there are five junior high schools and one primary school at Village Development Centres.

School – Jeewanshala Faripan 

Administrative Building: Ashram’s administrative building houses offices of various departments. In addition, the Ashram has facilities such as a meeting hall (for conducting short term workshops/programs) and a small guest-house to accommodate visitors.

Main building of Banwasi Seva Ashram 

Gram Nirman Kendra (Village Development Centres): The Ashram maintains thirteen Gram Nirman Kendra in the main work area of the Ashram. At each centre, a team of volunteers is posted to help the surrounding villages in implementing the Ashram’s development initiatives.

Partners and Collaborators Over the years, Ashram has been carrying out variety of short and medium term (three to five years) projects in association with governmental as well as non-governmental and national / international funding agencies. These projects are closely linked with the long term programmes of the Ashram. In fact, most of the programmes have grown out of series of multiple such projects. . The relations with other Gandhian Institutions and other voluntary organisations with common interests are intense, with mutual exchange of knowhow, training facilities for villagers, many forms of support for product sales, etc.

UNICEF sponsored GARIMA Project: A cluster level art competion' Kishoriyo ke Sapane 2015' Join Us You can participate in our endeavour to realize Gandhiji's dream of Gram Swaraj by joining hands with us in various ways: Be a Volunteer in Ashram activities: Teaching short term programs in schools run by

BSA (English speaking, Maths, vocational training, crafts etc.)

As a technical expert / resource person in Ashram’s projects and programmes

Marketing Gramodyog products

Designing dresses / apparel using Khadi cloth

Work as a technician in BSA Clinic at Govindpur or at one of the Ashram’s health centres

Public health related activities in Ashram villages

Organizational activities: project documentation

Participating in various surveys conducted by BSA (such as water quality, air quality monitoring, health related surveys)

Participating in organic farming and Goshala related activities

Material Donations to Ashram: Medicines, medical appliances and medical

infrastructure for BSA Hospital at Govindpur and health related work in Ashram villages

Donations for school: books for school children, computers, infrastructure for vocational training (such as carpentry or other village crafts)

Monitory Donations: For strengthening BSA Corpus Fund

For developing new infrastructure in Ashram

For improving existing infrastructure in Ashram (Monitory donations to BSA are exempt from income tax under 80 C.)

Training in fruit  preservetion at Ashram  

 

Contact Us

Address: Govindpur, Via Turra, Sonbhadra, Uttar

Pradesh (India), 231221

E-mail: banwasisevaashram@gmail.com

Mobile/ Cell Phone: +91-9455565111

Web-site: www.banwasisevaashram.in

 

जय जगत ।