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  • Story

·

4 min read

Claiming What’s Theirs: Pooja’s Job Card Movement

Dharmodih Gram Panchayat, Jharkhand
Rights Awareness
Community Governance

Many ‘Sakhis’ — community facilitators working under MGNREGA — didn’t even hold their own Job Cards; the contractors did. Pooja Didi decided that had to change.

  • The Challenge

While identifying Sakhis in the BRLF team’s operational area, it became clear that many were unaware of their official status as Mates or Cadre members. A significant number did not possess their own Job Cards, which stayed with contractors, and most did not participate in meetings at the village or Panchayat level.

  • The Turning Point

Team BRLF organised Mate/Cadre training and took part consistently in meetings with VOs, SHGs, and the wider community, holding detailed discussions on rights, entitlements, and the importance of participation. Pooja Didi, a Mate in Dharmodih Gram Panchayat, took this further: she approached the contractor herself to demand her Job Card, and reclaimed it through legal means.

  • The Change

Inspired by Pooja’s example, numerous women and men across several villages went on to reclaim their own Job Cards from contractors, with similar action spreading to other villages in the Gram Panchayat. Mukhiyas and Rozgar Sevaks noted it was the first time such a large number of Mates and Sakhis had gathered together in the Gram Panchayat. Community members are now more aware of their rights and are participating more actively in local decision-making.

Outcomes at a glance
Led by
Pooja Didi, Mate, Dharmodih GP
Result
reclaimed her own Job Card, by legal means
Ripple effect
many others reclaimed Job Cards too
Reach
villages across Dharmodih GP and beyond
Milestone
largest-ever gathering of Mates & Sakhis
“Together, we will actively participate in the affairs of our respective Panchayats and villages; we will raise our voices to assert our rights and entitlements, and collectively put forward our demands.”
– Pooja Didi and fellow Cadre members
  • Looking Ahead

Encouraged by this momentum, Sakhis and community members across the Gram Panchayat continue organising to assert their rights and participate more fully in local governance.

More stories from the field

Read how communities across the tribal belt are building new livelihoods.

See all stories
  • Story

·

4 min read

Fallow No More: Aghanmoti’s Rabi Harvest

Aghanmoti Rathia’s one acre used to lie fallow every Rabi season. This year it grew groundnut, sunflower, greens, and gourd.

Read the story
  • Story

·

4 min read

From Loss to Livelihood: Bimla’s Goat Enterprise

Bimla Rathia had given up goat rearing after disease wiped out her herd. Training and support rebuilt it into her family’s most reliable income.

Read the story
  • Story

·

4 min read

From Paddy to Profit: Ram Pyari’s Watermelon Story

Ram Pyari once earned about ₹23,040 a year growing paddy. Within one watermelon season, she nearly matched that in profit alone.

Read the story
  • Story

·

4 min read

Fallow No More: Aghanmoti’s Rabi Harvest

Aghanmoti Rathia’s one acre used to lie fallow every Rabi season. This year it grew groundnut, sunflower, greens, and gourd.

Read the story
  • Story

·

4 min read

From Loss to Livelihood: Bimla’s Goat Enterprise

Bimla Rathia had given up goat rearing after disease wiped out her herd. Training and support rebuilt it into her family’s most reliable income.

Read the story
  • Story

·

4 min read

From Paddy to Profit: Ram Pyari’s Watermelon Story

Ram Pyari once earned about ₹23,040 a year growing paddy. Within one watermelon season, she nearly matched that in profit alone.

Read the story
See all stories