MUMBAI (Maharashtra, India): In a unique initiative, the government in India’s Maharashtra is training tribal women to take over the maintenance of residential schools in the state.
The scheme, named “Adisakhi: WASHMITRA,” was launched in September 2024 in collaboration with UNICEF. Under the scheme, tribal women are being trained to maintain the schools, including hygiene and safe drinking water. A total of 120 tribal women have been trained so far. These women are now handling the maintenance of several “Ashramshalas” (residential schools for tribal students) in the state. This provides them with an opportunity for entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihood. The women are now earning a steady income and are becoming financially independent.
Their services are also strengthening the WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) infrastructure in their areas. Thus, the women help maintain the school infrastructure, including hygiene and safe drinking water facilities. They have also become skilled leaders in their communities. The initiative shows that jobs seen as meant for men traditionally can also be done effectively by women if they get the appropriate support.
The 120 women trained so far are maintaining 256 schools across the state, with the government having set a goal of expanding their services to 500 schools.
The name “Adisakhi” means “a friend of tribals”. They have improved WASH systems through timely repairs, reduced dependency on contractors, and faster issue resolution in the residential schools, officials said. The women carry out repair work for clogged toilets, broken wires, plumbing, blocked washrooms and broken taps, among other things,” the officials said.
The project provides a steady income to these women and also helps improve school infrastructure. The project is being implemented through the Tribal Development Department of the Government of Maharashtra, in cooperation with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Educational Fund). The department operates around 500 residential schools in the state, where over 200,000 children receive education.
The project was conceived because of the difficulty in getting people to get repair work done in tribal areas. The officials came up with the idea of training women in the areas, which would not only solve the problem but also empower them and help them earn a living. The women have been training in Nagpur, Amravati, Nashik and Thane.
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