With a vision to empower women of the Muslim community, Ms. Farhat Amin, the founder of the organization along with a group of like minded social activists, translated her dreams into a concrete reality by setting up of a nongovernmental organization named BIRD Trust in the year 2008 in Cuttack. It is one of the first of its kind to address exclusively the issues of Muslim women, often underplayed because of their minority status laced with poverty, illiteracy and cultural status.
True to its name, the organization aims to lend wings to the caged birds through varied efforts and help them fly and experience empowerment.
The five-year-old organization operates from Dargha Bazar (Opp. P.M. Academy), Buxi Bazar, Cuttack. It has 29 staff members and many consultants who have engaged their services and spirit for the cause of Muslim women. They consist of community trainers, social activists, academicians, journalists, advocates, religious leaders etc.
- The organization has been working across five coastal districts of Odisha: Bhadrak (Rural), Cuttack (Urban & Rural), Kendrapada (Urban), Khurda (Rural) and Jajpur (Rural). Workshops on NREGA, health issues, legal empowerment and other government entitlements etc. are organized in order to create awareness.
- It has been working as a facilitating agency connecting people with government schemes such as mainstreaming dropouts under IGNOU, providing job cards, Madhubabu Pension card (Old age, widow, disabled card), ICDS (Mamata Scheme & Janani Suraksha), Pre-Matric scholarship and Post-Matric scholarship etc. to the marginalized.
- It has been organizing health camps for the vulnerable sections in its operational areas. Additionally, facilitating the disabled, widows and senior citizens in getting their entitlements.
- Facilitator for infrastructure and sanitation schemes as well as health schemes of the government under the NRHM.
The organization has been arranging sensitization and awareness creation programmes on various issues addressing the vulnerable sections of the society for different groups of people in its operational area such as:
- Sensitization of university students, protection officers, the service providers and police officers on Muslim Personal Law and issues of Muslim women.
- Income generating initiatives for Muslim and Dalit women
- Linking the farmers with the farming and livelihood enterprises such as organic farming, cattle rearing etc.
- Training in tailoring, embroidery, paper bag making and other handicrafts
Research and Documentation wing of the organization consists of an energetic team comprising of social activists, academicians, research scholars and journalists who have theoretical understanding as well as practical experience on development issues. Several studies have been undertaken by the team which include:
- A brief study of socio economic condition of Muslim women in Bhadrak and Kendrapada, Odisha
- Baseline survey of Muslim and Dalit households in Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jaipur, Khurda Kendrapada district, Odisha
- A study on the accessibility of Muslim Women to the Legal Aid Provisions
The USP of the organization is its ability to reach out to the mass through its creative and people friendly methodology used in the field in order to sensitize and educate the beneficiaries. Use of puppetry show, street plays and pictorial IEC materials are some of such innovative tools used by the organization which have been observed to be useful strategies appreciated to be replicated elsewhere as best practices.
BIRD Trust 