We believe that by empowering communities with information, skills and access to institutions we help them demand quality services from government, and when village communities particularly, women are able to avail quality social development services, the status of women and girls in society will improve.

AMCHI (Action of Mobilization of Community Health Initiatives) is a field-based project started in 2007 to pursue the twin goals of community empowerment and motivating service providers to ensure quality health and social development initiatives of the community. At the root of the approach is our acknowledgement that quality services are not reaching people not because they are not being provided by the government but because of the lack of people’s participation in monitoring and ensuring accountability from the service providers. Ignorance, apathy and lack of local leadership are some of the factors responsible for it.

Village Development Initiatives

• Micro-planning process: Village Micro-planning is an empowering process which involves all the community members in assessing their development status, analyzing the factors influencing it, developing action plans and working towards change. We initiated the village micro-planning activity in 2004 in Dolkhamb and Kinhavali PHCs with funding support from UNFPA under its Integrated Development Project of 18 months. It was launched again as AMCHI in 2007 with funding from Mahindra & Mahindra and HDFC.  Till date 70 villages across 5 PHCs are covered under AMCHI.
  ( Read More)
  

• Strengthening Panchayat Level institutions: Gram panchayats are vested with lot of resources – both financial as well as human resources to pursue the development agenda. Yet, people’s participation, and accountability of the panchayat members is very low.  Increasing the participation of women at the panchayat level is an important element of empowerment of women. Though mandatory under the law, mahila gram sabhas (exclusive women’s meetings at village level to discuss development issues) are not held. Similarly the various village level committees are ineffective in monitoring the performance of the service provders- teachers, anganwadi workers, health personnel etc. (Read More)

• OUR HEALTH INITIATIVES focus on hygiene, sanitation, water use practices, adolescent sexual and reproductive health education, and ANC/PNC Care, and child malnutrition  are the focus of our activities which are organized often in collaboration with the health service providers. Theatre based  motivational training programmes for the doctors and other service providers and health camps are an integral part of our health initiatives (Read More)

• ‘AMCHA GAON AMCHI SHAAN’ Campaign was launched in 2007 Sustainable development of the Indian village can be attained only when the village community is actively involved in the development process. The Amcha Gaon, Amchi Shaan (AGAS) campaign was initiated as an inter village contest where the village community identifies 2 or 3 issues as requiring its immediate attention and evolves a strategy to address the issue. The winners under various categories are selected apart from the impact of their initiative also on the basis of sustainability and collective responsibility elicited in the activity. . Population First uses this award ceremony to recognize sustainable development in villages and motivate responsible groups to continue their efforts.  (Read More)

• SCHOOL IN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (SID)  transforms  school children into messengers of development (Vikasdoot) for health and sanitation issues in the villagers. The SID programme is an intense 5-day training programme which engages 40 select students from the 6th and 7th standard of Zilla Parishad schools in interactive activities to communicate health and hygiene messages. The training program also focuses on building communication skills, team building, leadership skills, collective decision-making and understanding the functioning of the local government systems at the village level. The program culminates in constituting a Bal Panchayat through due election process among the members. The elected Chief Minister and the cabinet members take responsibility for improving hygiene behaviors and ensuring good sanitation at personal, school, household and community level. Each child monitors health and hygiene practices in five households. (Read More)
  

• AMCHI LIVELIHOOD INITIATIVES: Financial independence is a crucial element of empowerment, which enables women to be decision-makers at home and in their community. AMCHI began exploring income generating options for women which are easy to learn and relevant to the needs of their village. Women demanded their work should not interfere with household chores and other responsibilities. The proposal was accepted by RBS Foundation, India and commenced in August 2011.(Read More)
  

AMCHI project is being implemented in 66 villages across 5 PHCs in Shahapur block, Thane district.

PERIOD	PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE	SUB-CENTRE	NUMBER OF VILLAGES	NAME OF VILLAGES
MAY 2007	Kinhavli	Alyani	5	Alyani, Vitthalgaon, Devlichapada, Gegaon, Nandval
		Nandgaon	5	Nandgaon, Chikhalgaon, Gundyachapada, Vachkole, Kharivali
	Dolkhamb	Dehna	5	Dehna, Chinchawadi, Varpadi, Pachghar, Sakurli
		Talwada	5	Talwada, Hinglud, Rodwahal, Met Gandulwat
MARCH 2008	Aghai	Taharpur	5	Taharpur, Nevra, Mohili, Tansa, Bhavsa
	Kasara	Vihigaon	5	Vihigaon, Paradhwadi, Mal, Telampada, Chintamanwadi
	Takipathar	Apta	5	Apta, Adivali, Ashta, Manekhind, Tikbaichapada
OCTOBER 2008	Takipathar	Tembhurli	4	Tembhurli, Belavali, Pashtepada, Dhadhra
	Aghai	Pivali	5	Piwali, Savroli, Koshimbde, Khor, Wandre
FEB/MARCH 2009	Takipathar	Kanva	2	Kanva, Phophodi
JANUARY 2012	Dolkhamb	Ajnoop	8	Bhakrepasa, Kathepada, Mengadpada, Kolipada, Varlepada, Gaydhara I,    Gaydhara II, Bherepada
MARCH 2012	Dolkhamb	Gunde	7	Bhinar, Malad,    Ranjenepada, Kambe, Bhitarwadi, Chafevadi, Valshet, Bhoerpada and Gunde
		Sakadbao	5	Junowni, Babre, Khodwal,    Payarvadi I, Payarvadi II, Girewadi, Poklevadi, Jalkevadi