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Society for Welfare, Animation and Development (SWAD)

Society for Welfare, Animation and Development (SWAD) is a humanitarian, non-governmental and civil society organization registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 on August 19, 1993 at Rayagada, Odisha, India. SWAD works for the holistic development of socially, economically and educationally vulnerable communities with a special focus on livelihoods, education, health, community organization, agro-entrepreneurship and natural resource management, justice, peacebuilding, basic rights and entitlements. Since its inception, SWAD provides institutional care for the orphans, aged, leprosy affected persons, prisoners, physically challenged, and through relief and rehabilitation in times of disasters irrespective of their caste, creed, colour and ethnic affiliation.

SWAD seeks to ‘walk with the poor together towards Peace and Development’ in the eight Southern Districts viz. (1) Ganjam, (2) Gajapati, (3) Rayagada, (4) Koraput, (5) Malkangiri, (6) Nabarangpur, (7) Nuapada and (8) Kalahandi in Odisha. In and through the participation of the communities, SWAD envisages to promote their health, livelihood and dignity. It values mutual social responsibility in giving rise to a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous Odisha as its activities focus on democracy, good governance, entitlement, livelihood, relief to the people in different calamities and dignity of the indigenous and marginalized people. These attempts are intended to serve the interests of every individual in the society, particularly the poor, women, children and the disadvantaged vulnerable community.

SWAD is an NGO

Berhampur Social Service Society: While implementing these programs, SWAD stresses upon an environment in which vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, dalits and tribals are able to access livelihood which ensures a fair standard of living and give them greater independent control over their lives. The aspiration of SWAD is always to have a society in which dominant interests are not perpetuated at the expense of the poor and powerless. This may be an ambitious vision but through the diverse energies of the people it could be forged into a reality. Above all, SWAD has brought out significant changes in the lives of the vulnerable people like forest dwellers, tribals, unorganized labourers, marine fishermen, families affected due to flood / drought / cyclone/epidemic/HIV-AIDS to enable them to overcome problems in areas like Health, Community organization, Awareness, Education, Entitlement, Rights, Participatory watershed management, Natural Resources Management, Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, Micro Finance and Entrepreneurship programs. and so on.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES:

A. Promotion of the Rights, Dignity and Culture of the Target Community

  • Sensitization on the Human Rights and Entitlements of the Dalits, Tribals and other vulnerable communities
  • Conscientization on the social responsibilities towards the society at large
  • Mainstreaming the cultural identity and tradition of the Marginalized Communities, especially that of Dalits, Tribals and Vulnerable Populations
  • Promoting and facilitating the enjoyment of the constitutional rights of the target communities

B. Promotion of the all round development of the Children and the Youth

  • Ensuring the Rights of the Children (Ensuring Survival, Development, Protection and Participation)
  • Facilitating an environment for their growth and development
  • Strengthening the Institutions that facilitate the intellectual, spiritual and social development of the children and the Youth
  • Building the skills and talents of the Children and the Youth to be successful human beings
  • Facilitating Children and Youth with special need to integrate into the mainstream
  • Mainstreaming out of school children through Bridge Courses and motivational centres
  • Identifying brilliant students and capacitating them for leadership and professional services

C. Promotion of Peaceful and Harmonious Societies with Development

  • Creating trust, communal harmony for a peaceful coexistence, establishment of village institutions to integrate traditional and modern peacebuilding methods and principles
  • Alliance and network building with the state and civil societies, government institutions, organisations for peace and faith traditions for promoting peace and non-violence
  • Peacebuilding from individual to households to community to institution and district authority level
  • Involvement of CBOs for Peace and Development covering all sections of the village such as children, youth, women and other institutions
  • Action Reflection Learning and Dissemination
  • Capacity development of different stakeholders to build a local pool of human resource in the core strategy of peacebuilding
  • Collective efforts through SHGs, Youth clubs and Children Association for peace promotion
  • Preparation of Conflict Sensitive Development Planning and implementation
  • Ensuring Do No Ham mainstreaming in all developmental initiatives of SWAD