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OUTREACH was established in may 1993 in response to the needs of communities living in drought prone areas in south India and also to the growing need for training in the Ngo sector and within government. The idea was to focus on small NGOs working in drought prone regions in south India , particularly those engaged in the natural resource management type of activities such as wasteland development, micro-watershed development, forestry & heir capability’s and effectiveness as development organizations. An important objective of OUTREACH was also to develop more effective interfacing between Non-Governments organizations (NGOs) and Government Organizations (GOs), especially those working in drought-prone areas.
In order to demonstrate how the quality of life of poor communities living in these areas could be enhanced, OUTREACH established 8 direct projects and the same time linked up with a number of small NGOs who were also involved in addressing the issue of poverty in drought-prone regions. The main thrust of the approach is the development of local initiative in the form of self help groups (SHGS), primarily women, enabling them to restore and manage economic activates also play a major role in the OUTEACH approach .the SHGs save &manage credit and at the same time take up integrated micro-watershed development activities thereby improving their primary production base. Non –land-based economic activates which follow the land-based ones help ones help to deflect pressure on the natural resources in the habitat.
This approach is actively promoted by OUTREACH among other NGOs and Governments projects working in similar regions of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Partner NGOs are part of a network consisting of five regional clusters in the Rayalseema ( Chittoor, Cuddapah and Anantapur ) region of Andhra Pradesh, Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu and Bider & Bijapuer districts in northern Karnataka. Technical and managerial backup to NGO partners, specifically in the areas of community organization, saving & credit management natural resources management basic project administration and accounts & financial management are offered
This has led to its establishment as one leading non – governmental development organisations in south India . Primarily, the organisations has been able to established a good standing with the governments donor organisations NGOs & other institutes working in the southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadhu and Karnataka and other parts of India
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