Foundation for Unity of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship

FUREC is an organization formed explicitly for the purpose of harnessing the spiritual energy of India to empower its citizens in the contemporary world. Therefore it is that representatives of nine different faiths constitute its Apex Body. They come together to work together in this exercise for empowering the mind. They recognize that the mind and body are to be viewed as a whole. For a healthy mind it is necessary to have a healthy body and vice versa. Fundamental to this premise is empowering for sustenance for only after the basic necessities are taken care of can one talk of moral upliftment or spiritual edification. In pursuance of this thought PROJECT DESH has been conceived..

Project DESH is based on the recognition of three indicators of human development: education, skill based vocation and health. If a person is educated enough with the knowledge of a skill, he or she will be empowered to earn two meals a day. This will improve general health. A little support to the immunization programme and other programmes relating to long term health were . Village is the basic unit for development. It is therefore imperative that to enable life with human dignity is made accessible. It is equally important to ensure that the amenities are available. Government through its various schemes and agencies create a platform to translate the resources to the beneficiaries. How effective is this platform? That is where the challenge lies. The three basic needs (rights): primary education, employment opportunities and basic health infrastructure it is analyzed that by easy availability of information and proper monitoring the target group can take optimum benefits to improve their quality of life.

FUREC functions with some broad guidelines. It seeks to be national in its profile in that it seeks to create such projects that can be replicated across the country with minimum necessary modifications to suit local needs. In other words the projects should be locally viable, taking into account regional requirements and yet nationally replicable because the areas identified are problem areas across the country. FUREC is young and youth is not a quality for an NGO, which inspires confidence for serious and sustained work, particularly in rural areas. FUREC is aware that it should initially select such projects as will bear fruit in shorter time periods so as to get the confidence of the people. It is also aware that to apply for any funding, experience and time is mandatory and so it should select such projects as require least external sources of funding. Keeping the above in mind, the following programme has been drawn up for the Development of Education, Skill Formation and Health Care (DESH).

»» Education

A recent Public Report on Basic Education in India (PROBE) survey (Oxford University Press, 1999) found that nearly 98 per cent of rural parents believe that it is important to send their children to school.

But are our schools ready?
	A study "Accessing primary education - Going beyond the classroom" by Rekha Kaul (Economic and Political Weekly, January 13, 2001), has shown that in Karnataka,
	»	79 per cent of the government schools lacked the toilet facility;
	»	35 of the 72 government schools surveyed had no drinking water;
	»	less than 10 per cent had electricity connection;
	»	and less than half a play-area.
	»	In most schools, teachers' posts remained unfilled for years.
	»	In many schools, one teacher managed four primary classes in a single room. Many parents interviewed planned to shift their children to private schools that would, according to them, only cost a little more than what they were spending now.

	According to the PROBE survey in Rajasthan,
	»	63 per cent of the schools had leaking roofs
	»	52 per cent had no playground
	»	58 per cent had no drinking water
	»	89 per cent had no functioning toilet and
	»	27 per cent had no blackboards.

	Only 2 per cent had all the facilities while 8 per cent had none at all. The above problems are common to schools all over India. Funds is not a problem; for example, a major thrust of the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is to improve school infrastructure and one-third of the total funds is allotted for this. But there are no takers.

	DESH Intervention
	This is where DESH steps in. Studying the local schools in the villages/ areas identified, DESH will take the initiative to locate funds to improve the infrastructure of the school. As a pilot project in the field of Education, DESH has already set up/ enhanced infrastructure in schools in Rajasthan.

»» Health Care
	According to surveys conducted by WHO the following identified problems exist within the immunization system:
	a.	Rapid household survey performed in 260 districts in 1998 and 2002 showed that full immunization has decreased in 75 per cent.
	b.	On an average 35 per cent of infants in each state are not fully immunized.
	c.	On an average 14 per cent (averaging between 37 per cent to 57 per cent in some states) 14 per cent of infants do net get measles when they come to receive BCG vaccine.

	DESH intervention will involve attempts to:
	i	Increase coverage rates
	ii	Decrease dropout rates
	iii	Enhances flow of information.

	DESH maintains the immunization records of all students, organizes health camps maintains health records which also means taking them towards positive health with organising de addiction camps and training programmes. The mothers of the children are contacted separately and maternal health programme will be detailed out as per the need of specific villages. Malaria, Tuberculosis, Anaemia and some major ailments that catch women in a vicious cycle of ill health. Monitoring their health , meeting their dietry requirements in a holistic manner and giving them greater awareness is the bottomline of DESH.

»» Skill Formation
	Skill formation is an integrated part of higher education in rural areas. National Institute of Open School offers vocational courses as also many other schemes and projects. In the school premises vocational training is given. Priority is given to local talent and stipend to conduct training classes. Otherwise experts are called from outside. FUREC Secretariat coordinates with marketing agencies to develop strategies to market the local products.

	In 2005 two zones have been selected, Southern and Northern, for the implementation of DESH. All those who wish to take up similar activities please send in your queries/ proposals to FUREC Secretariat in Delhi. All activities in the regions will be subject to the approval of regional coordinator who will then present the progress to the Executive Body.