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People's Institute Of Rural development
PIRD
Committed with Rural People
Active for Rural Development
Advocates Rights of Rural People
ABOUT US
To many, the word development is synonymous with material
and physical progress. To us, development has to have a human face. Many consider no wrong when the fruits of development
reach to only a handful of people. But we get concerned with the course of development, which provides no work guarantee for
adults on the one hand and lets child labour to flourish on the other hand, as it’s cheap and easily exploitable. It
is to demonstrate our concern towards social discrimination that we decided to translate it into action.
Consequently People’s Institute of Rural Development (PIRD) was started on 15th August 1983,
to initiate a process of comprehensive development of rural people, especially poor, marginalized and landless. Drawing strength
from Mahatma Gandhi’s call - ‘March to villages’ - the organization began its work in Ahmedpur, district
Latur from Marathwada region. During last twenty years the scope of work is widened to include 6 talukas from Latur, Osmanabad
and Parbhani districts, where we have direct contact and intervention activities. The organization is also recognized as one
of the leading organizations in the Marathwada region.
Mobilization and organization of deprived
sections in the society, particularly women, children, agricultural labourers, has remained PIRD’s core strategy to
address their issues and to uphold their rights. Awareness led to mobilization and it further led to action. In this process
PIRD initiated constructive activities without ever expelling its confrontative measures. It worked on immediate strategies,
thinking side by side upon long-term solutions for the problems. The conscious understanding of root causes of social issues
and interrelation between them enabled the organization to start series of developmental programs and interventions. The primary
motivation, however, throughout remained the same - commitment to rural people…
FUTURE PLANS
… In its journey for over two decades, PIRD has
been able to initiate several developmental programmes. Among them are sustained campaigns and activities to draw attention
towards deserving issues of working children and women. Employment forms a critical issue with regards to rural development.
We worked towards demanding employment as well as seeking alternative ways of creating employment opportunities for rural
people, with focus on landless and small landholders. We also participated in relief and rehabilitation work of earthquake
afflicted with a purpose to ensure just and appropriate measures in disaster management. In coming years, we would take up
these and such developmental issues, with same vigor and commitment.
We also perceive the need to understand emerging issues
and get ourselves equipped with innovative strategies to address them. Some of future projects include:
Rehabilitation Center for Child labourers:
In order to provide
vocational guidance along with educational inputs to children rescued from labour, PIRD intends to set up a rehabilitation
center. It is our experience that not all the children rescued from labour, especially those above 9 years, easily get integrated
in school education pattern. If they are again out of school, they fall in trap of imposed labour. In order to break this
vicious circle and to make education more accessible to these children, we feel the need to combine education
skills with vocational training and thus to ensure them a reasonable employment opportunity in future, without losing upon
education.
Rural Development Training Center:
With
a purpose to equip rural volunteers and people with perspective, skills, technical knowledge essential to initiate effective
developmental activities, we intend to set up a multipurpose training center. With our two-decades experience of working with
rural people, we have developed reasonable understanding to address the need of training support. The center will provide
need-based training inputs to volunteers, people and women as well as make available information and knowledge related to
rural development.
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