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Saath is a non-government organization,
registered as a Public Charitable Trust (E-7257) with the Charity
Commissioner, Ahmedabad in February 1989. In Gujarati, the word Saath
means `Together, Co-operation, a Collective or Support.
Saath conceptualised the Integrated
Development Programme for the slums of Ahmedabad in 1989 to facilitate
participatory processes that would improve the quality of life for the
slum residents and make slum areas in Ahmedabad more equitable living
environment. Until December, 2000 Saath's fieldwork was primarily in the
regularised slum areas of Ahmedabad. Its area and scope of work expanded
to the rural communities (12 villages and 5 hamlets) of Khadir region in Kutch in response to the earthquake on 26th January 2001.
Saath extended its short term relief interventions to integrated
development in the long term with the objective of improving the quality
of lives of people in the region. After the communal riots in Gujarat,
especially Ahmedabad, in February, 2002, Saath took up relief work in the
riot affected areas of Ahmedabad which eventually led to long term
development initiatives in these areas, integrated with efforts to
encourage social reconciliation.
To
work towards its vision of equitable and sustainable human settlements,
Saath works towards building partnerships with the local government,
private sector, other NGOs and professionals. Other projects taken up by
Saath have been the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) Project in
Behrampura ward, the Reproductive Child Health (RCH) Project at Vasna and
Paldi ward and Jeevan Daan Child Survival Programme which was initiated
in collaboration with Counterpart International.
Saath has evolved as an organization over the
last 18 years. Its model of Integrated Development has received
recognition as one of the most comprehensive, integrated and practical
approach to development.
Saath
has been playing an important role in terms of influencing policy,
innovation, and replication and scaling up.
UMEED,
the youth employability training program, which SAATH started in
September 2005, in partnership with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
as UDAAN, to train unemployed youth living in slums for jobs in the
mushrooming service sector, wherein about 600 youth in were trained and
placed the first year. UDAAN alongwith the State government has been scaled
up to a state level to 20 towns with 1 lakh youth as SAATH acting as the
resource agency for scaling up the program, renamed as UMEED.
Saath's
another major new initiative has been piloting the innovative Urban
Resource Centres. The concept of resource centres is not new. Various
models exist which provide information on various aspects. Our innovation
is designing a multiple role for the URC that of monitoring, advocacy,
information and service delivery with a right's based approach.
The
flexible approach of our funding partners, support and partnerships with
various NGOs, individuals and institutions has also played a vital role
in Saaths development.
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