“Include Indigenous communities in Millennium Development Goals or watch them die a slow death”….. experts warn"

Minority groups such as Indigenous peoples could be ignored because of the way the MDGs work - by focusing on big numbers and encouraging targets to maximise health benefits for the majority.

Ekjut echoes the calls made by like minded forums for more research and action to get Indigenous peoples' health included in the MDGs, and for the issue to be placed high on the agenda of good governance.

Ekjut’s work is with the Ho, Santhal, Munda, Pahadia Juang and Bhuyian tribal people of Jharkhand and Orissa.. Work includes monitoring their health and disseminating the findings, empowering communities to build healthier communities and influencing good governance.

ekjut is a voluntary organisation supported by a group of like minded professionals from diverse background, such as, Social work, industry and Health- who have come together with a common goal of promoting change towards a development that is environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. ekjut has established field presence in West Singhbhum , Saraikela Kharswan districts of Jharkhand and Keonjhar district of Orissa.

Millennium Development Goals

• Reduce extreme poverty and hunger by half, relative to 1990

• Achieve universal primary education

• Promote gender equality and empowerment of women

• Reduce child mortality by two-thirds, relative to 1990

• Improve maternal health, including reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters, relative to the year 1990.

• Prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases

• Ensure environmental sustainability

• Develop a global partnership for development

Governance

      ekjut believes  that state should be responsible for ensuring equity and justice for the poor and marginalised women, men, girls and boys, especially in the context of a globalised economy. We do not want the state to abdicate its primary responsibilities to the neglected and vulnerable. We expect the state to be the arbitrator in favour of poor and marginalised people,  while at the same time enabling people's action.

Neglected Communities   

     ekjut’s work is with isolated communities, predominantly belonging to the Ho, Santhal, Oraon, Juang, Munda and Bhuyian tribal communities, as well as socially disadvantaged non-tribal people living amongst them. These tribal groups speak many different languages, but they share certain common characteristics. They survive on subsistence farming and forest produce, supplemented by wage labour. They live in villages and small hamlets as clans and families. Many have kept very old traditions and every facet of their life is intimately connected with religious belief, ritual practices, and a belief in supernatural place of worship is the sacred groves. It is these aspects of their culture that give meaning and depth to their lives, and solidarity to their social structure.