Rozgar Dhaba ( part of LIFE programme of Caritas India in Rajasthan) is
an innovative ‘sustainable livelihood’ model to mitigate migratin by addressing
unemployment and underemployment situation through providing a platform of
information on better employment opportunities and on government schemes. It
has initiated in 8 villages of two districts –Banswara and Ajmer of Rajasthan in 2011 and has been awarded
last year ( in 2012) under Sita Ram Rao National Case Study Completion on
livelihood models as one of the top 10 sustainable livelihood model and also be selected as one of the top 50
sustainable model by Power of Ideas (IIM-Ahemdabad) now same model has been
read by Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty
Alleviation on one of the online platform of Caritas India and now ministry has
invited Caritas India to share this model and expressed interest to work with
Caritas on Rozgar Dhaba model under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM).
When we have started this model under LIFE
project in 2011, we ( Caritas
India team) felt it catchy , as it was innovative from its name to
its services and was one of the interesting model to work on mitigating
migration….
Caritas India livelihood team member and
Assistant Director Fr. Paul had two series of meeting with the concerned
ministry Joint Seceratary ( Urban Poverty alleviation) Mr. Brijesh Kumar
Aggarwal. Soon caritas India would be submitting a detail paper on Rozgar Dhaba
to the concened ministry to move for working on the model in urban pockets in
northern India.
Here important is to note that Caritas India
programmes are so impactful and are quite openly available on online platforms
that people across the society learn from it and acquire knowledge from it.
LIFE programme has started as the first result
based programme of Caritas India in year 2010 with two diocesan partners (SJVS-Banswara
and RCDSSS-Ajmer) and has completed in Jan 2013 with 91% of set target result.
Even after completion of LIFE project still Rozgar Dhaba models are functioning
in villages. In Ajmer in naulkha village ( LIFE project village), Rozgar Dhaba
Model been officially linked with Panchyat and functions as Panchyat Resource
Center there.
It is matter of proud for us that ministries and various other development organizations are learning from this model and happy that Caritas India sharpen its team members to come out with innovation to zero down livelihood concerns of ‘Bottom of Pyramids’