SGA first to win World Habitat's Gold award in state

Samagra Grameena Ashrama’s (SGA) three decade-long initiative of supporting 10 microscopic tribal communities, including Koragas, in six districts and giving them access to land and rebuild lives has been finally recognised.

The SGA, along with the Koraga Federation and ActionAid Association (AAA), is the winner of the Gold award of this year’s World Habitat awards.

The World Habitat awards, instituted in partnership with UN-habitat, are given to the most innovative housing projects from across the world.

SGA Managing Director Ashok Shetty, Koraga Federation President Shakuntala Koraga and AAA Karnataka Regional Office Programme Manager Nandini will receive the award at the five-day habitat conclave planned in Abu Dhabi from February 7 (onwards). “The award includes EUR 10,000 (Rs 7.93 lakh), which will be utilised for the community’s welfare programmes,’’ Shetty said prior to his departure to Abu Dhabi.

Incidentally, the SGA is the first social pressure group from Karnataka to receive this prestigious award. India is winning the Habitat’s Gold award after a gap of 16 years.

Transparency in selection

Shetty said that the AAA had nominated the SGA for the award. The organisation had received 3,000 applications from 195 countries.

A team of foreign nationals from England and France stayed with them for four days and completed an impartial assessment of the activities implemented by the SGA.

Decade-long dream

The team had visited Dogu Koraga’s house in Brahmavar in Udupi district. Dogu’s decade-long dream of becoming a farmer was realised due to the SGA’s campaign to help indigenous tribal communities access land. Like Dogu thousands with the help of the SGA in Shirva and Pernal had secured 49,000 acres of forest land and 1,000 acres of agricultural land.

As many as 19,000 families had obtained funds to build houses.

The SGA is being credited for improving food security and health among tribal communities by impressing upon the government to launch free nutrition programme. In the final round SGS was shortlisted with five other organisations. The SGA, with thousands of instances of a communities’ becoming transformed and self-sufficient, finally won the gold award.

David Ireland, Chief Executive of World Habitat, funders and co-ordinators of the World Habitat Awards, said, “All of these outstanding projects and programmes fully deserved World Habitat Awards.”

Other recipients

Other winner of Habitat’s Gold award is Viviendas Parla Ias Entidades Sociales, Spain. Six recipients of Bronze award includes Odisha-based Liveable Habitat Mission. The SGA is also the recipient of Babu Jagjivan Ram award presented by government in 2007.