International Development Grant
SOPAR - Program 2007-2012
Project Number: CA-3-S063897PRG
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $4,010,000.00
Start Date: March 28, 2007
End Date: June 08, 2012
Duration: 5.2 years
Project Description
This program aims to reduce poverty by providing tools community structure and support and new knowledge to allow the poorest to undertake projects that improve their health and their social and economic conditions. It is based on active participation of the beneficiaries and a community development approach. The program implemented in partnership with Bala Vikasa has four main components: 1) Strengthen women’s participation through the establishment of women’s groups providing capacity-building training and supporting women’s groups to undertake community development activities such as women literacy training assistance to orphan education and child labour awareness campaigns. 2) Strengthen youth participation through the creation of youth groups and a network of youth groups and the mobilization of youth to undertake community actions that aim to improve quality of primary education health living conditions and environment. 3) Improve water management by building bore wells with hand pumps overhead water tanks and water purification devices establishing water management committees and providing water and sanitation training. 4) Share knowledge through the publication of booklets manuals and CDs on community development best practices and through the organization of seminars and workshops for non-governmental organizations students government departments and community organisations.
Progress & Results Achieved
SOPAR 2007-2012 Program End-Results (as of March 2012) Between 2007 and 2012 SOPAR and its partner Bala Vikasa have achieved the following results: 20 771 women joined Bala Vikasa’s network of 200 000 women engaged in 102 self-help associations. These women are very poor; 70% of them live on an income of less than 2$/day. Through these associations women are engaged in many socio-economic and cultural activities such as savings and loans groups vocational training health nutrition hygiene promotion as well as the fight against child labour domestic violence and dowry harassment. These activities contribute to their empowerment and to the long-term development of their respective communities. On average these women have increased their monthly saving from 50Rupees/month to 100Rs/month ($1 = 50Rs) and 25% of them have improved their literacy skills. Over 100 000 families (e.g. 500 000 people a majority of whom are women and children) have improved access to safe water. In 619 villages of Andhra Pradesh 502 bore wells with hand pumps were built; 40 water systems with overhead tanks were constructed; and 154 purification (reverse osmosis) systems were installed. All the above systems are being managed by water committees whose members (usually 5 members per committee-40% women) have been given continuous training on leadership operation and management. A total of 1737 men and 1828 women between 18 and 25 years of age have joined 10 youth coordinating centers through which they were involved in leadership and vocational training that have helped their employability and mobilised their communities to achieve their right to education. Youth mobilisation has contributed to an increase in school attendance from 75% to 90% in the targeted communities. Eighty percent (80%) of these participating youth now believe they have better economic opportunities /employability and have now better relationships with the community and family authorities. 5258 communi
Key Information
Executing Agency:
SOPAR
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP