Working with the people in the most remote and interior areas had exposed the group to the field reality of the living conditions of the people, poverty situation, day to day struggles of the rural poor, the rapid pace of environmental degradation and damage to nature, exploitation of nature and natural resources by people for commercial purposes. This propelled the group towards working for the larger social and environmental issues and the needs of the rural poor in Kangra District.
An outcome of this motivated force, ERA (Society for Environmental and Rural Awakening) was thus born. ERA is an organization working in the Changar areas in Kangra District.
– ERA is registered under Societies Registration act 21 of 1860
– ERA was registered on 10th October 1990, have completed 23 years and working with the communities in the remote, poorer and inaccessible regions in Himalayas since its formation.
– ERA has its own campus in One acre of Land & built area is 6,000 sq. ft.
– The area of operation is entire districts of Himachal Pradesh specifically in Districts Kangra, Mandi, Kinnaur, Kullu, Chamba and Lahaul & Spiti .
The organization firmly believes in the spirit of social work and the need to empower people in the process of change. ERA is striving to reach out to the poorest of the poor in the areas and to encourage them to take charge of their lives and to conserve and preserve their natural habitat and traditional knowledge.
VISION
An ever changing, expanding and evolving one…
To bring about Sustainable Development through conservation of the ecology and the environment.
MISSION
ERA envisions a future where the process of sustainable development is set in groove and where people live in harmony with nature respecting and protecting the environment for a better, brighter and healthy tomorrow.
ERA’s prime mission is that of bringing about sustainable development through ensuring sustainable health practices, upliftment of the rural communities with special attention given to women’s empowerment.
ERA is committed to working with the rural poor living in the most remote and backward villages in the Changar areas of District Kangra.
ERA is engaged in a process of continuous conscientization of the people towards their natural habitat and simultaneously engages in a process of introspection allowing itself to absorb the changes in the environment not compromising on the organizations non- negotiables.
The organization aims to facilitate the process of empowerment not just by paving the way to development but by allowing the people to take charge and experience ownership of their resources. Therefore, people are not mere beneficiaries in the projects and programmes but become active participants in the process of change.
OBJECTIVES
- To bring about improvement in the social, economic, spiritual and environmental aspects of life in order to improve and change the lives of the people living in the Changar areas of Kangra District.
- To work with village level institutions and the people belonging to the weaker sections of the society to actively engage them in this process of change towards social, economic, spiritual and environmental awakening.
- To disseminate scientific knowledge to the people through the effective utilization of innovative and appropriate technology in all areas of social and environmental upgradation
- To provide primary health care services in the region with focus on women’s health and to promote mother and child health care in the villages
- To effectively utilize local natural resources to the optimum level towards overall rural development.
ERA 