The Government's hundreds of programs for the upliftment of the poor and marginalized esp. women have been only marginally effective because of poor delivery mechanism. To address this, the Govt's recent Mission Convergence mega-initiative seeks to leverage the strength of the best grassroots NGOs.

Selected as the MC partner in its areas, Sakshi is now building awareness and filtering government programs to many thousands in need.

Sakshi Nutrition Camp at Khadag Village, Delhi. Women from the slums are taught about nourishment and how to cook nourishing food for their families on a low budget.

Mission Convergence, the "Flagship Program" of the Government of Delhi was born because the Delhi Human Development Report 2006 pointed out that "...the lesser privileged section of the society... did not get access to the schemes run by the Government either due to lack of awareness or multiplicity at the administrative front."

Mission Convergence integrates 40 social sector schemes across 9 departments and ensures unified delivery through grassroots NGO's that work in slums to help alleviate poverty and attain inclusive growth.

Selected as the MC partner in its areas, Sakshi helps deliver existing social security schemes with a focus on empowering women. 

Major activities and goals are:

• Adult Literacy Program: We provide education to illiterate

  Sakshi Women's OPD: Women from the slums are provided with free check-ups and free medicines.

  women and adolescent girls. This is important so they are able to deal with day-to-day matters requiring them to read and write like opening a bank account or finding their way to a hospital. It is also important so no one can take advantage of them in financial or business matters. 

• Counseling on Social Schemes: We have appointed a full time Counselling Program at GRC. Community members are counseled on the social schemes they can take advantage of and also on how to apply for them (paperwork, where to go etc), example, for Rastriya Bima Yojna (RSBY), Voter ID, Ladli Scheme, ADHAR Card, Ration Card etc. This is important so people below the poverty line get the advantages that have been announced by the government for their benefit like free hospital care.

• ?

  Legal Aid Session by Ms. Zeenat Malik, Lawyer at Delhi High Court, at Chandanhulla Gaon, Delhi.

  Nutrition Program for Women: We organize a Nutrition Camp once a month in the community. A minimum of 25 women come to take training by the Resource Person from RAK College of Nursing. The camp draws on our experience holding Nutrition and Health Camps from before we became a Mission Convergence Partner. We teach women how to cook nourishing food for their families on a low budget. 

• Legal Counseling for Women: We organize legal sessions with Resource Persons who are lawyers in the Delhi High Court. Women are informed and advised about various issues like Domestic Violence, Dowry, Self Defence, and How to File an FIR.

• OPD for Women: We organize two OPD fortnightly at GRC for women. Senior Gynaecologists from the Rural Health 

  Ladies Health Camp: Eye Check-Up. A GP, Paediatrician and Gynaecologist always attend Health Camps. In addition, there is a fourth specialist in areas like Skin, Eye, HIV/AIDS.

  Centres come for OPD. Apart from free check-ups, we provide free medicine to women.

• Self Help Group / Co-operatives: We form SHG's and each SHG deposits Rs 30000/- in Bank. The SHG workers are trained to engage in small enterprises. Our first 3 SHG's were trained by Khadi Grama Udyog on How to Make Papad.

• Speciality Health Camps with focus on Women and Children: We organize Speciality Heath Camps twice a month. A Pediatrician, Gynaecologist and GP are always present. In addition, there is a specialist in a field like Skin, Eye, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis. These camps are always very well attended because the check-up and medication are free and the people are too poor to be able to go anywhere else.