STAPI’s contribution as a Support Service Organisation in promotion of Health Projects of Govt. of India, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dept. of Family Welfare,

Private Voluntary Organisations in Health II (PVOH-II)
This scheme was formulated to increase the awareness of the importance of population control measures among the people especially in the rural, tribal and the urban slum areas. It includes components for providing basic health, family planning and nutrition services to infants and young children, pregnant women. The scheme marked innovative approach to health care and adopted integrated approach to fertility, morbidity and mortality reduction and for health oriented literacy training and non- formal education women.

Under this project STAPI promoted 29 sub-projects from NGOs in the field of Health and Family Welfare. STAPI as the Nodal Agency was responsible for identification of suitable NGOs for design and preparation of project proposals for obtaining grants and their disbursal for training of NGO personnel and for providing technical assistance to the NGOs for implementation of their projects.

Assessing the NGOs in making their activities as sustainable as possible was also part of STAPI’s mandate. For this the NGOs had to be trained in the techniques of fund raising, STAPI published a comprehensive manual of fund raising, probably a first of its kind in the country for the use of NGOs in preparing their fund raising plans. As a result of these efforts all the sub grantee NGOs managed to raise their share of the counterpart funds. This project was completed in September 1995. STAPI’s partners in this project were Government of India and USAID.

Revamped Family Welfare Schemes of Government of India (SFN)

Two revamped schemes under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, viz. “Promotion of small Family Norm and Population Control by encouraging spacing methods and sterilization” and “Mini Family Welfare Centre Scheme” were promoted during the years 1993-96 by STAPI. Though the schemes allow the Vas to take up this project only in the restricted areas having Couple Protection Rate less then 35%, good response was received from many Vas from Nanded, Ratnagiri, Ahmednagar, Jalgoan, Nasik and Thane. Under this scheme the NGOs were required to educate and motivate eligible couples to accept any method of their choice to ensure small size of their families. They were expected to develop a network of Mahila and Yuvak Mandals to create health awareness, encourage women to avail of anti-natal and post-natal services.

The “Mother Unit” status conferred on STAPI by the Department of Family Welfare Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, enabled STAPI to select and fund NGO projects in the field of Health and Family Welfare. STAPI partner in the project was Government of India. Total 70 NGOs implemented this scheme in the States of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

Reproductive and Child Health Programme (RCH)
Towards the end of 1997-98 the scheme of “Small Family Norm” was discontinued and instead a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programme was introduced. The scheme of the reproductive and child health is implemented by small NGOs. These NGOs are required to undertake advocacy of reproductive and child health interventions and population control measures. The NGOs are expected to explain the couples their usefulness and need, as well as the physical and social consequences. The ‘Mother NGO’ –STAPI identified small NGOs in its area of operation, screened them for their capability and motivated them to formulate proposals for sanction by the ‘Mother NGO’. STAPI’s partner in this project is Government of India. Total 25 NGOS implemented this scheme in the State of in the Maharashtra.

STAPI is implementing the revised RCH-II project in Pune and Raigad districts of Maharashtra with the support of 7 partner NGOs.
 

UNFPA, RCH Project ;- Improving the status of reproductive health including family planning by strengthening inter sectoral NGOs.
The project strategy essentially revolves around a sustained and focused promotion of NGOs and leveraging the advantages offered by them in providing reproductive health services to the beneficiary population. The main motivating factor for the initiation of this project is that the burden of reproductive ill-health falls on women who are exposed to the risks of early marriage, unwanted and too many and too rapid a succession of pregnancies, unsafe abortion, sexual abuse including violence and gender discrimination. Under this project NGOs were trained to undertake advocacy of reproductive and child health interventions and birth control measures. STAPI’s partner in this project are UNFPA; K.E.M. Hospital, Pune; Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Medical Sciences, Wardha; CRHP Jamkhed; and CINI, Kolkatta. Total 15 NGOs implemented this scheme in State of Maharashtra.

Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H)
Government of India, Department of Indigenous Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy announced a scheme to create awareness among the community about the efficacy of medicines under the Indian Systems of Medicines and Homeopathy (ISM&H) their cost effectiveness, the availability of herbs for prevention and treatment of common ailments. The scheme envisages promotion and awareness of Indian Systems of Medicines and Homeopathy by inducting NGOs to organize fairs awareness caps, etc. The sub grantee NGOs are expected to motivate the registered practitioners of the particular system of ISM&H under which they have been registered, to organize training workshops for them., to organize health camps and finally to organize community awareness meetings with Women’s Group, Youth clubs and farmers co-operatives etc. STAPI supported 34 NGO’s as per the norms laid down by the Government of India. This project thus envisaged holding of 136 training workshops 102 health camps and 408 community awareness meetings spread over one year by the field NGO’s.34 NGOs in 1999-2000 and12 NGOs in the 2000-2001 implemented this project. STAPI’s partner in this project was Government of India.

Gram Arogya Kendra (GAK) Village Health Centre
This is a project implemented in the remote tribal districts of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli with WHO’s assistance. During 1999-2000 a pilot Project was implemented by STAPI in association with five partner NGOs from tribal belts of the districts of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. The project has several innovative aspects aimed at serving the tribal population. After the initial experience of a few months, certain bottlenecks have been identified in this project, which have been brought to the notice of the Government of India. It is expected that these will be removed and the project will run smoothly. Five NGOs from interior tribal belts of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur implemented this project. STAPI’s in this project is Government of India.

STAPI’s contribution as a Mother NGO in promotion of Self Help Group activities of NGOs, through Rashtriya Mahila Kosh, and other backward class Development and Finance Corporation of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Dept. of Women & Child Development

As part of its diversification strategy STAPI had decided to enter the Women and Child Development sector and promote and support the Self Help Group activities of NGOs in order to facilitate women’s empowerment through socio-economic development. The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh’ (RMK) which is a micro credit agency of the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India was requested to grant Nodal Agency Status to STAPI. During the year 2001-2002 RMK granted Nodal agency status to STAPI, for promotion of various RMK schemes.

For selection of NGO’s to implement RMK’s Loan Promotion Scheme, 46 NGOs from 12 districts of Maharashtra were visited and 25 were shortlisted. STAPI has so far selected 12 NGO’s for this project. STAPI has also conducted three workshops for awareness of various RMK schemes.

STAPI has also been accorded nodal agency status by Other Backward Class Development Finance Corporation to carry out similar activities for the women below poverty line.

Project Preparation, Promotion and implementation assistance to NGOs
SOSVA (Now STAPI) has been acting as a nodal agency for government and private foundations. It believes that using nodal agencies a s a strategic intervention ultimately benefits the NGOs, who are executing the project as well as the funding agencies, wo are in position to evaluate the sub-projects through a single window, thereby reducing administrative expenses. Economies of scale can be effected by using a single agency to evaluate proposals, provide technical guidance, training and reporting in a consolidated manner to the main funding agency, thereby resulting in better utilization of funds. The number of projects prepared so far is 93.

Assisting the NGOs in making their activities as sustainable as possible was also part of SOSVA’s mandate. For focusing the NGOs attentions on the importance and techniques of fund raising. SOSVA published with the financial support from Government of India and USAID a comprehensive manual of fund raising, probably a first of its kind in the country, a draft foundation directory, a direct mail and other fund raising leaflets. Workshops were organized where experts guided NGOs in preparing their fund raising plans. As a result of these efforts nearly all the sub-grantee NGOs managed to raise their share of the counterpart funds towards their projects. This project was completed in September, 1995.

SOSVA believes that only training funds for NGOs is not sufficient. They must be supported in all phases of their work. Technical inputs were given to NGOs by SOSVA’s Public Health specialists (or consultants empanelled for the purpose) through visits, workshops. The quarterly progress reports of these NGOs bear ample testimony to the efficacy of these inputs. All the provided to the NGOs adds a unique dimension to its support activities.