Vayam

Vayam; a movement of the people, has been working in Palghar and Nashik districts since a decade. The journey started to explore different forms of democracy and essentially decentralisation of natural resources. Vayam believes that new age well informed and inspired local leaders can change the conventional game of politics. Hence Vayam has been undertaking a plethora of diverse activities to make ground leadership work. The results are awesome. Groups of leaders holding diverse qualities have emerged in more than 25 villages. They have been mobilizing people and asking for their legitimate rights and initiating development works in the villages.
Vayam trusts in the power of people and power of constitutional means to bring development. That has resulted into percolating the knowledge of right based laws in the community. Vayam’s consistent advocacy of decentralisation has led to policy change and effective implementation.
PESA (Provision of Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996), MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005), FRA (Forest Rights Act, 2006) and RTI (Right to Information Act, 2007) are the pillars of decentralized democracy especially in scheduled areas. Vayam endeavours to implement these laws to their fullest through people’s participation.
Now there are villages who know how to own and conserve natural resources. They now have carved a space for them in decision making. They know where true development lies.
This is Vayam; that is ‘We’.

MFE Supported Program

Educate, Empower, Employ
Palghar district has been facing seasonal distressed migration since decades. Rain fed subsistence farming is unable to provide means of livelihood and people have to leave families and villages. Unstable lives cannot lead to a developed state of living. The central government made the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in 2005 to provide guaranteed employment for unskilled labour and followed in the footsteps of Maharashtra state that has had it since 1977. Pragmatic changes were made in state law in 2006.
The very law has people centric features and endorses the rights of people to get livelihood in their own village. Vayam movement has been exploring ways to get those rights into reality.
Vayam aims at reaching more than 180 villages and 15000 workers to make them aware of their rights. They will exercise their rights to plan works, demand work and get good wages. Considering last year’s achievements Vayam will succeed in getting 4,50,000 man-days of work worth rupees 9.34 crore in the hands of people. Some of these villages which are well mobilised and striving to initiate have formed Rojgar committees. Villages will walk the path of independence systematically through these committees. Institutionalization of the process will assure sustainability.