Gore

The Hunger Project Online Briefing Program  THP in India - Empowering Women Panchayat Leaders  Page 10 of 23

State Action

The Hunger Project-India is dedicated to providing what's missing in the nation's struggle to end hunger and poverty.  Since 1984, it has constantly evolved its strategies to be most effective in addressing the persistence of hunger.

• The Hunger Project-India mobilizes grassroots people for self-reliant action, and mobilizes the committed leadership at every level and sector of society who can change laws, mobilize resources and remove obstacles for grassroots action to succeed. 

• The Hunger Project is India's most widespread movement working to end hunger and poverty. It works in more than 1,200 villages across the 11 states that include 80 percent of the nation's population. Most of this work is focused in 34 "hunger-free zone" strategies.

 

In November 1990, The Hunger Project pioneered Strategic Planning in Action (SPIA), a dynamic, decentralised, human-centered approach to bring about the end of chronic hunger. SPIA is a practical methodology that enables people to participate in decision-making and planning, and to work together effectively. It is rooted in the belief that plans do not make things happen. People make things happen. SPIA was launched in partnership with the Planning Commission of the Government of India. In each state where SPIA works, committed leadership from all sectors is mobilized, creates a shared understanding of the current situation of hunger and poverty, and launches a systematic strategy to ensure all people in that state gain the chance to live healthy and productive lives.

Hunger-free zone (HFZ) strategy

• Since 1993, the SPIA approach has become more focused into what is called a "hunger-free zone" strategy.

• Hunger-free zones are the large scale application of the principles of SPIA.

• Hunger-free strategies are in place or in formulation in 34 districts of 11 states in India.

• In these areas, The Hunger Project empowers grass-roots people to create their own vision, design their own strategies, and take self-reliant action to improve health, education, nutrition, family income and the status of women.

• While a few of these strategies are new and are just getting underway, most of these strategies have now achieved significant success in empowering large numbers of people, particularly women, to improve health, education, nutrition and family income.

• All of these strategies have begun with local decision-making of the people, and have mobilized partnership with existing NGOs and local government in a concerted effort. In most cases, information empowerment – informing local people about existing government programs – has been a critical and high-leverage component of the strategy.

Gore

The Hunger Project Online Briefing Program  THP in India - Empowering Women Panchayat Leaders  Page 10 of 23

State Action