The proposed project broadly aims at organizing a widespread awareness and conscientisation drive and forming Dalits' community based organisations. It plans to do this by conducting awareness campaigns and setting up an alternate education network. The focus is on empowerment and not necessarily on activities.

Support in the first year was requested for the following:

• Remuneration for 6 activists (two already working)
• Campaigns, legal aid, training etc. for the conscientization and mobilization drive in 25 villages
• Running costs

The funding requested is for an amount of Rs. 3,05,200 ($ 7,100) for the I year and Rs. 3,35,720 ($ 7,1000) for the II year.

Ravi and Aravinda Kuchimanchi from AID-Mumbai received the project proposal, on April 11, 2000 from Premdas, who works for Vimukti. Also, a friend of theirs from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mita, joined Premdas in this work (in mid-May, 2000).

The project proposal was received by AID-State College and AID-Raleigh on May 12, 2000. It was suggested that both chapters jointly review the project.

Contact Information: 

Uma Asher (AID-PSU), Ramkrishna Yerrampalli  (AID-Raleigh) and  Sudhindra Bengeri (AID-Raleigh) are the project coordinators.

They are assisted by  Vijay Manghnani  (AID-Raleigh), Shailabh Nagar (AID-PSU) and Ravi Kuchimanchi (AID-Mumbai).

Eddie Premdas and  Mita Deshpande are the contact persons for the project from Vimukti. (A copy of mail sent to either of these addresses should also be sent to  eddieprem@redifmail.com which is faster for them to access)

Cover Letters:

• Premdas' letter to Ravi/Aravinda about the project
• Ravi/Aravinda's letter to AID-Raleigh and AID-State College

Reports by Vimukti Members:

• Report on the campaign against child labour and the literacy awareness campaign
• Brief report based on Mita's interaction with Devadasi women in Potnal

First Proposal:

• First proposal sent by Premdas (project contact in Vimukti)
• Questions and Answers : Set1, Set2
• Background information (extracted from Set 1 )
• Team members (extracted from Set 1 )

Updates:

• First Status report on activities at Vimukti in the first six months, sent by Mita Deshpande on Jan 29, 2001
• Photos showing Vimukti in action! Sent by Mita on Feb 25, 2001.
• Report by Manav who visited Vimukti in November 2000.
• Description and pictures of Vimukti women's recent campaign against a corrupt PHC doctor . Sent by Premdas on Mar 10, 2001.

Second Proposal:

• Proposal for re-funding