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Udupi : Samagra Grameena Ashrama, a non-governmental organization is the winner of a God award was conferred at World Habitat Award – 2019 for restoring dignity and human rights of indigenous tribal community in Karnataka.

Addressing a media conference at Udupi Press Club here on Friday, February 28, Ashok Shetty, project coordinator of Samagra Grameena Ashram Koraga Developmental Associations Okkoota said that the SGA and Karnataka Aranyamoola Budakattu Samudayagala Okkoota in the Western Ghat regions of Shimoga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Mysuru districts for the communities like Hasalaru, Gonda, Malekudiya, Hakkipikki, Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, Yerava, Soliga, Dongrigaraciya and Koraga.

Presently the SRA have been developed with supporting the communities’ prestige and honor with protecting the human rights. These communities are gets land, shelter, life support, education, nutrients food and right of health and giving marvelous support to uplift of these communities with the help of SGA. With this background, SGA recommended to the world body United Nations.

Shetty said that SGA was started in the year 1987, working in 21 hamlets of Koraga community in the present Kaup taluk which rendered its services to enhance the livelihood opportunities of women by introducing jasmine cultivation, supplying the processed coir fib re to prepare coir products, supplying the raw materials for the traditional occupation of basket weaving. Koraga community was felicitated by SGA with the right based approach from 1991.

SGA was worked in developing nine indigenous communites. The historical foot march from Kuppalli, Shimoga to Freedom Park, Bengaluru is the major event organized by the Karnataka Aaranyamooda Budakattugala Okkoota. SGA also worked the ten communities can assert their nutrition food rights and own near about 49,000 acres of forest land and 19000 houses, he said.

Shetty said that this is the fourth time this prestigious world body has been conferred to India and first time to Karnataka state. The award ceremony was organized by the United Nation on February 11 at Abudhabi, UAE. The award consists of golden trophy, a cash prize of EUR 10,000 and USD 20,000 was conferred to SGA to continue its work with the community.

Shakunatala President SGA, Ammanni Koraga Community Empowerment Associations Okkoota, SGA Secretary K Puthran were present during the press meet.