Unnati Organisation For Development Education

The program aims to enable the implementation of community-oriented practices and knowledge in disaster risk reduction, with the overarching goal of fostering a safety-centric ethos across various strata. The program's core efforts are concentrated within the arid districts of Rajasthan and the Kutch district in Gujarat.

The program has a multifaceted objective centred on addressing instances of discrimination, atrocities against both men and women, and land encroachment. Furthermore, it focuses on connecting Dalit families with various government initiatives. Notably, the approach to resolving most instances of social injustice now revolves around local resolution based on Constitutional principles, as opposed to relying on feudal and patriarchal norms.

In line with this shift, the emphasis has transitioned from organisational and mobilisation efforts to facilitating access to justice. To this end, a dedicated team of paralegals has received comprehensive training in collaboration with the Indian Institute for Paralegal Studies (IIPS) in Ahmedabad. In addition to paralegal training, community leaders and panchayat representatives have undergone education on the fundamental constitutional framework and the laws pertaining to social justice.

This initiative aims to offer students extra resources to help them overcome their hesitations and learning anxieties related to the language. It also aims to strengthen their English language abilities. Additionally, it indirectly assists English teachers in improving their classroom teaching methods by familiarising them with pedagogical approaches that are suitable for children. The program encompasses over 8000 students across 173 schools.
The learning package, consisting of audio-visual sessions and accompanying workbooks, incorporates a Bridge course with 26 sessions focused on language skills from standards V-VII, and 48 sessions aligned with the language competencies of the standard VIII textbook. This course empowers students to comprehend their curriculum effectively and enhance their listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities. In the program's initial year, the Bridge course was broadcast over three months (January-March 2010), while the complete 74-session curriculum was aired from August 2010 to March 2011 from the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Application and Geoinformatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar. Following each session, during the thrice-weekly one-hour broadcast, students and teachers engage in two-way audio interactions with the teacher in the studio, practicing speaking, sharing feedback, and seeking clarifications.

The core emphasis of the women's empowerment facet of the program centers on engaging women collectives to cultivate a profound comprehension of their rights and foster leadership skills. In Western Rajasthan, remarkable strides made by women leaders were documented and subsequently utilized to mobilize women around land-related issues. To facilitate grassroots learning about women's empowerment, a series of four accessible books have been conceived, delving into the History of Women's Movements. The volumes encompass topics such as the Women's Movement from Vedic Age to the Bhakti Movement, the Global Feminist Movement, Women's Movements during the Indian Freedom Struggle, and the Contemporary Women's Movement along with Future Challenges. The initial three volumes have been released in Hindi and Gujarati, created in collaboration with Sahiyar (Stree Sangathana), Vadodara. Presented in a story/drama format, these books are suitable for reading aloud during meetings and training sessio

Unnati works to raise awareness about the rights of individuals with disabilities within civil society circles. In Ahmedabad, an 'Access Resource Group' has been established, comprising architects, engineers, designers, and other professionals who volunteer to assess public buildings/spaces for accessibility and propose necessary changes. The building regulations of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) are under review to align with barrier-free standards. Furthermore, mainstream developmental organizations receive support in identifying and involving individuals with disabilities in their ongoing initiatives. Technical assistance is extended to four organizations dedicated to children with intellectual/mental disabilities, covering aspects like tailored treatment plans, classroom organization, service monitoring indicators, addressing the needs of children with deaf blindness, and effective communication with those with multiple disabilities.

The 'Marudhara Mein Jal Swavalambhan' initiative, supported by the European Commission between April 2018 and March 2023, seeks to enhance community involvement, specifically through the engagement of women's groups (Jal Saheli Group) and local governing bodies (Panchayati Raj Institutions or PRIs), to tackle water security issues in the Thar Desert region of Western Rajasthan. The project operates with a two-fold strategy: a concentrated effort on 150 villages within the Sindri and Patodi blocks, serving around 30,000 households, and collaborative endeavors with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to extend its reach to an additional 750 villages across 10 districts including Jodhpur, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali, Jalore, Bikaner, Nagaur, Churu, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu.