A Synthesis of Mid Term Review and Situation Assessment

Background

The Dalits Situation Analysis - Sunsari; Analysis of Marketable Skills and Mid Term Review of the Inclusion Project for the Dalits and Differently abled
This summary is a synthesis of findings from the Study on the situation and economic opportunities of the dalits and differently abled along with summary of the findings from the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Plan Nepal facilitated Inclusion Project. The initiative is aimed at promoting the rights of the dalits and disabled people for full recognition and participation in mainstream development. Social hierarchies have perpetrated discrimination, exploitation and exclusion of the dalits people who are regarded as a low caste (people with permanent low social status). The inclusion project is being implemented by Plan Nepal since 2005 and covers geographic areas of Sansari and Morang districts. In light of the human rights provisions backed by restoration of Nepali democracy in 1990, there has been increased awareness of people's human rights amongst the population which has altogether necessitated the need to promote the social economic status and enjoyment of right to basic services amongst the dalits. The Situation analysis of the dalits in Sunsari, gives more insight and appreciation of the position and status of dalits in Sunsari and in Nepal in general.

Purpose/objective

The dalits baseline survey highlights the demographic, economic, educational, social and other factors concerning the situation of the dalits. It thus provides information that is useful for informing policy and development interventions that help to address the challenges of exclusion experienced by the dalits. In particular it informs Plan Nepal's choices for rights based strategic interventions that contribute to empowerment and integration of the dalits and differently abled people into mainstream development. The marketable skills analysis highlights possible opportunities that can support the economic empowerment of these marginalized groups of Nepal in Sunsari and Morang districts. The Mid Term Review therefore analyses how far the project is supporting the goals for social inclusion and assesses the progress made mid way through the project.

Methodology

The baseline studies and the MTR employed assessment methodologies that involved collection of both qualitative and quantitative data using both structured and semi structured questionnaires. Focus Group discussions were also used for data collection and analysis also benefited from the use of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Enumerators were oriented prior to conducting the surveys.

Key findings

1. Education: Over 40% of the dalits are illiterate and illiteracy is higher amongst females than males. As regards technical education only 0.1% of the Sansari dalits have ever received some form of technical education. Lack of awareness on role of education, economic burden to earn for self and family and household chores are some of the main contributing factors for school drop out.
2. Health: Immunization rates are very low representing 35.6% of the children being fully immunized. Other risks threatening right to health, survival and development of dalits infants and children are high malnutrition rates and births that remain highly unattended by professional health workers as most births usually occur at home, with majority of women still not attending pre and post natal services. In the same regard, birth registration is very low and this is not perceived as of primary importance amongst the dalits as they consider other issues more pressing and important. It was noted that low awareness and education status may contribute to this perception. The reality is that lack of birth registration denies the individuals opportunity and means to obtain citizenship.
3. Livelihood: At least 17.92% of the Dalits are landless, a small proportion of those who own land are able to attain sustainable self provisioning through agriculture throughout the year. Most of the Dalits survive as agricultural laborers. Child labor is common not only in agriculture but also in other sectors like hotels and manufacturing companies. Vocational training and access to credit remains low.
Marketable Skills: There were observed challenges in matching skills and opportunities with physical capacity of some disabled so that their economic engagement is both feasible and viable. Limited research and information on severity of disability further complicates the task of recommending appropriate skills for the disabled. Nevertheless, promotion of skills like singing, art and poetry in schools, is considered a door way for entrepreneurial involvement in the future. However, skills' training for mentally retarded is discouraged.
While a number of dalits attended enterprise development training provided by several organizations, their level of business knowledge internalization and skill application is found to be limited. In some cases, other participants were more attracted by short term benefits like receipt of allowances during training. Focus on microfinance especially in encouraging savings; business skills and networking were deficient and or neglected. Those dalits who were already carrying out small businesses were equally in need of support to upgrade their existing enterprises. A lot of the organizations that provided assistance to these micro entrepreneurs also had limited skills and organizational capacity.
4. Participation: Few dalits participate in development management and political positions of their areas at district level. Even in other sectors like teaching, the survey only identified 25 dalits teachers in the whole district. The sphere of opportunity for the differently abled is considered to be more limited than the opportunities available to able bodied dalits for instance.
5. Progress made as highlighted in MTR: There was substantial amount of time was spent in preparatory activities, however, the Mid Term Review concludes that there has been notable progress made particularly in the area of increasing awareness and participation in some sectors i.e. health and education. There have been improved health and hygiene practices amongst the dalits and differently abled as a result of this intervention. The selection process employed in scholarship intervention within the education project was also found to be participatory and transparent.
While the project is considered as having useful components for inclusion, the scale at which this is implemented is considered rather limited given the magnitude of the inclusion challenge. Some participants in the review, however, recommend that Plan facilitate the linked of the disabled to the job market. However, the choice of vocational skills is recommended based more on opportunity available as well as skill and interest of participant.

Recommendations

Organisational arrangements
1. Agreements, budgets, modifications, reallocations and approvals should be completed in time and proper mechanisms for effective reporting should be developed.
2. There is need to build capacity of organizations dealing with issues of the dalits especially in area of program/project management.
3. Increase coordination and partnership with other organizations to avoid duplication of efforts and to improve program effectiveness.
Programmatic Arrangements
4. No expansions to the Inclusion Project are encouraged at this stage. Rather there is need to deepen in the current scope. For instance there is need to strengthen/expand the health service and rehabilitation program for the disabled, to use FM radio and TV for promoting the rights of the dalits and differently abled and to integrate micro finance component in the livelihood interventions, providing seed money and tools for the graduates in the enterprise development training programs. The latter which could be charged back to the graduates for repayment on installment basis.
5. Relevant interventions to uplifting the status of the dalits are livelihood i.e. income generating programs, capacity building and community mobilization for health programs.
6. There is need to match skills of the disabled with their physical capacity and similarly training and instructor arrangements should be in a way that the disabled are dealt with separately as befitting their special needs. However, the differently abled should be grouped in a way that allows them to complement one another during as well as after training. Where possible market outlets that encourage collection of goods from point of production should be negotiated for the disabled and where possible brand the products for 'mercy selling '.
7. There is need to promote traditional internships for livelihood activities and create linkages with lending institutions as well as negotiate sub contract arrangements with larger firms.
8. Plan Nepal is encouraged to launch an advocacy campaign to lobby for employment of disabled persons in line with the Nepal Social responsibility Act which makes provisions for subsidy to organizations employing the disabled.
9. Concerned authorities should incorporate important elements for 'social inclusion' in their programs e.g. promote child education, youth mobilization, technical education and gender mainstreaming. Generally, there is need for stronger political commitment regarding issues of the caste and differently abled.
10. There is need to build / strengthen capacity of human resources in partner agencies to enhance their effectiveness and commitment. Quality of training should be monitored, holding partners accountable and it is recommended that a commitment fee be requested from participants instead of paying them participation allowance.
11. The program should also explore employable skill and job opportunities in formal sector as well as outside Nepal e.g. in Malaysia where skills like masonry, machine operators and veterinary technicians are in demand. On job training as opposed to formal courses should be pursued in some cases e.g. automobile work.

Comments from the organisation

The complementary reports available on this project are on the marketable skills and Mid Term Review on the Nepal Social Inclusion Project and the Situation Assessment of the Dalits in Sunsari.
While the assessment has helped to bring out the issues concerning the situation of the dalits, the scope of the review was limited to articulate the structural causes of the low status for the dalits and disabled. As a result the political aspects and power structures that further reinforce perpetuation of this exclusion challenge have not been investigated, analyzed and articulated. For instance Fig 15, Fig 17 …. Show that the dalits population is concentrated in age bracket 16-45, with slightly more males than females and again the proportion of boys that are school is slightly higher than that of girls. It would have been interesting to investigate further the special challenges faced by these groups. On the other hand the proportion of boys 'presumably' engaged in child labor is higher than that of girls; again it would have been interesting to investigate further and also there might be different definitions attached to child labor with the possibility that child labor in some contexts might only recognize wage labor, and ignore the unpaid work done by girls in the home.
We recognize that the issue of equal status and empowerment for the dalits and the differently abled people as a right that has to be realized.
In many parts of the report, the assessment failed to provide a snap short that helps to elaborate the status of dalits as absolute and no comparative figures are presented e.g. on numbers participating in district development governance and number of women involved in decision making and politics at district level. These create special challenges in interpretation of the result in its context. However, detailed demographic tables are presented as annexes even though their extrapolation in narrative report is in some cases limited.