Manav Garima Foundation
DignitySafetyEmpowerment
Manav Garima Foundation (MGF) is a grassroots organisation working with the Valmiki community which is engaged in unclean occupation of manual scavenging – cleaning underground drainage & septic tanks and human excreta from open defecation sites manually. MGF also works with sanitation workers engaged in cleaning streets, housing & commercial complexes and waste collections. MGF aims at eradication of manual scavenging, promoting the use of safety equipment among sanitation workers and for overall socio-economic empowerment of the community.
- 24.46 crorecompensation to 183 dependent families of deceased sanitation workers
- 4,718youth shifted to alternative livelihoods
- 31,934individuals accessed entitlements
- 4,560children studied in our community education centres
- 1505sanitation workers provided sets of safety equipment in last 4 years
Our key interventions
Ending Manual Scavenging & Promoting Safe Sanitation
We work to prevent manual scavenging and deaths during hazardous cleaning of septic tanks and sewers. We create awareness of the 2013 law prohibiting manual scavenging and promote use of safety equipment & technology. Our legal interventions and engagement with state and local governments aim at proper implementation of the law as well as access to compensation for the families of deceased workers while cleaning drainages and septic tanks.
Foundational Literacy, Numeracy and Science (FLN)
Our community-based education centres support children of Grades 1 to 5 through activity-based learning, strengthening foundational literacy, numeracy, and science. We train community educators and develop teaching learning material (TLM). The parents are encouraged to contribute towards maintaining the centres.
Career Guidance & Youth Development
We support young people through career guidance, English-speaking and computer learning, and opportunities to develop the skills and confidence needed for further education and employment.
Dignified Livelihoods
We train, motivate and support young women and men from the community for alternative livelihoods with focus on self-employment. Some of the self-employment activities taken up by youth are: beautician, four-wheeler driving, mobile repairing, food carts.
Safety & Hygiene in Cleaning Work
We promote the use of safety equipment and healthy workplace practices among sanitation workers and undertake action research to identify practical solutions for safer and more dignified work.
Nutrition & Hygiene
We work with communities to encourage simple and sustainable practices that improve nutrition, hygiene, and overall health and well-being.
Access to Entitlements
We support the families in accessing government schemes and in preparing documents & accessing entitlement cards. We also support community in addressing common issues of basic amenities.
From a Janvikas Initiative to an Independent Foundation
The journey of Manav Garima Foundation (MGF) began in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 2003, as the Garima Program of Janvikas. Janvikas initiated the programme to understand and address the realities of manual scavenging and caste-based sanitation work, while supporting community leadership from the Valmiki community.
Our Vision
MGF envisions where society becomes more civilized in maintaining cleanliness and civic bodies become more accountable towards total eradication of manual cleaning of underground drainages/septic tanks and unsafe cleaning of streets & waste collection.
Our Mission
To engage with society, civic bodies and sanitation workers towards the use of technology and safety equipment in cleaning occupation. Secondly to empower the Valmiki community through education, alternate livelihoods, nutrition & hygiene, leadership development etc so they live a dignified life.