Peoples Institute Of Rural Development

It has been actively involved in a decade-long campaign against child labour, establishing 60 non-formal education centres across 60 villages. These centres have positively impacted around 2000 children, successfully reintegrating approximately 700-800 child labourers into schools. Over the past eight years, it has implemented various innovative measures to prevent and eradicate child labour, including non-formal education, Bridge course camps, educational awareness campaigns, village-level educational centres, and broader social awareness initiatives. Additionally, it has organized regional-level campaigns in Marathwada twice to combat this issue.

It focuses on women's and children's development through a range of socio-economic projects. The organisation has successfully motivated eight women's groups, with six benefiting from the Central Government's DWCRA scheme. It operates creches and Balwadi programmes, raising awareness about social justice and women's health. Additionally, it supports women's cooperative societies for employment through cottage industries and runs a counselling centre for destitute women. Two credit cooperative societies have been established to assist small and marginal farmers, with 43 active members participating in these initiatives.

PIRD initiated a Multi-Dimensional Development programme in 51 villages across Latur and Parbhani districts, with a primary focus on empowering women and marginal farmers. It actively engaged the community in digging 55 new wells and deepening 39 existing ones, effectively resolving the drinking water scarcity for 900 families in 20 villages. These 94 wells, a combination of new and improved ones, enabled 302 marginal farmers to irrigate 300 acres of land. Additionally, the organisation established 45 women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with a total membership of 407 women. These SHGs aimed to support the most underprivileged women, providing financial assistance ranging from Rs. 2000.00 to 5000.00 under the "Income Generating Programme."

PIRD initiated a watershed development project to combat drought in the Latur district. Starting in 1993 with the Soraga village project covering 200 hectares, it collaborated with AFPRO and Misserior. Encouraged by success, it expanded to Kekatsindgi village (1998-2002) with AFPRO and SDC, completing the project on time, covering 706 hectares. During its Multi-Dimensional Development programme's "Campaign Against Child Labour," Narwatwadi village became a focus. Recognizing child labour's link to agricultural underdevelopment and ecological imbalance, PIRD and villagers decided unanimously to undertake the Integrated Groundwater Development Project (IGWDP) for area upliftment.

Since the devastating earthquake of 1993, PIRD has been actively engaged in the rehabilitation of affected families in the region, focusing on eradicating child labour and assisting socioeconomically disadvantaged women. It established 18 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for destitute women in the area. PIRD also championed the rights of these women who were initially denied housing by the Government. Through determined advocacy, PIRD successfully secured justice for them, resulting in approximately 800 women being allocated plots for residential purposes. This marked a significant milestone in the earthquake-affected people's rehabilitation efforts.