Location: Jodphur Setting: Urban and Rural Established: 1996 Staff: 3
Subject Areas
Community Development: Capacity building, Community empowerment, Community mobilization/organization
Environment: Natural resource management, Organic/sustainable agriculture
Education and Youth Development: social, moral and cognitive development,
Human Rights: Advocacy, Poverty, equality and social justice
Organization Objectives
SEPVS is a development-based non-profit organization located in Jodhpur City, Rajasthan that operates in over 73 villages throughout western Rajasthan and the Thar Desert. Through capacity building workshops and trainings, SEPVS works to address the issues of child and dalit rights, women empowerment, health, education, climate change, agriculture, and water resource management, and collaborates with local communities to develop sustainable solutions to these problems. The mission of SEPVS is to empower the marginalized sections of society, particularly low-income people, through awareness-raising, education, and leadership development. In order to achieve its mission, SEPVS pursues the following objectives:
- To advocate for marginalized communities through promoting education
- To empower women through livelihood trainings and capacity building
- To advocate for children and prevent child labor in rural areas through informal education programs
- To organize multi-sectoral development activities for marginalized communities to bridge the socioeconomic gap between the in India.
Program Information
1. Child Education
Child Labor and lack of access to education are arguably the biggest problems in the Jodhpur district. SEPVS has partnered with CRY India for last 15 years to address this problem.
- Children’s Rights Program: SEPVS create awareness among communities on quality education. Since the start of the project, SEPVS has reached over 10,000 children to provide access to education and have linked child laborers to mainstream education.
- Supported over 100 government schools through community partnerships.
- SEPVS also conducts health outreach programs, health camps, and campaigns to raise awareness on children’s health issues in rural areas.
2. Women’s Empowerment
SEPVS has formed 125 women’s groups and conduct capacity building programs to educate them about their rights. They also encourage women to fight against social injustice in society. This program is being run at block level as a pilot project.
3. Environment
SEPVS is planning to start a new project in the areas of Appropriate Technology, Water Security, Rainwater Harvesting Systems, Conservation, Environmental Planning, Environmental Education, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security, and Drought Relief through community empowerment. SEPVS is planning to conduct baseline research and a need assessment in Doriya and surrounding villages to inform the design of projects that approach climate change holistically.
Opportunities
- Assist in the baseline research and needs assessments in Doriya and write reports based on that research.
- Based on the results of the needs assessment, help SEPVS in project planning, design and implementation.
Requirements
- Interest in the environment, community development and/or education.
- Strong writing/documentation and communication skills
- Ability to adapt to work in rural villages, even in the hot summer months
- Strong research skills
- An understanding of issues faced in drought-prone areas of India
Program Supervisor (All Programs)
Interns will be supervised by Simatharam Pathik, the Founder Trustee of SEPVS.
Note: Responsibilities offered to each participant will be proportionate to their level of experience. Participants who are new to development work may predominantly support and assist current project agendas, while those with much applicable experience may be able to assume greater responsibility. Research projects are strongly encouraged by this organization to support each program’s objective because minimal resources are currently allocated for research.
Working Conditions
Interns will be based in the small SEPVS office in Jodhpur but will frequently go to the main office in Doriya in Balesar Thasll village,100 kms away from Jodhpur to do fieldwork. There is the opportunity for the intern to stay at the SEPVS guesthouse in the village a few days a week to support their work if desired. The new Jodhpur office is very small and without many resources, therefore, it is strongly encouraged for participants to bring a computer with them. Also, few staff members speak English, so a working knowledge of Hindi will be useful in both the office and the field.
Organizational Background
Samaj Evam Paryavarn Vikas Sansthan (The Institute for Social and Environmental Development) came into existence in 1996, when it was registered under the Rajasthan Society Act of 1958. For 15 years, SEPVS has addressed the most salient issues facing the underprivileged in western Rajasthan, including child labor, women's and Dalit rights, education, health, and water resource management. SEPVS aims to build leadership and life-skills in impoverished, Dalit communities, and in women and children, by organizing and sponsoring workshops, meetings, trainings, and seminars. Through these strategies, SEPVS hopes to empower and strengthen communities to fight for their own rights and voice their own concerns and opinions. SEPVS is also active in many networks that function to spread the message of SEPVS's work and facilitate partnerships with other like-minded organizations.
SEPVS website
About SEPVS Clients
SEPVS works in Western Rajasthan with marginalized communities members such as women, children and lower-caste community members.
