Inside Gohachi’s day-long campaign that turned paperwork into a doorway for welfare entitlements
On a warm May morning, the community hall at Gohachi filled up fast. Women in bright sarees settled onto mats, children squeezed in beside them, and elders found chairs near the front — all drawn by word that had travelled door to door for days: a camp was coming, and it would help them claim what was already theirs.
By evening, the Sathiya Welfare Society’s Community Awareness Campaign on Social Issues and Entitlements had done exactly that. Ninety-two households walked away either registered for a welfare scheme or a step closer to one, in a village that forms part of SWS’s wider effort to strengthen access to social security and local governance across ten Gram Panchayats of Betul Block.
| “A camp was coming, and it would help them claim what was already theirs.” |
Weeks of Groundwork Before a Single Form Was Filled
Nothing about the turnout at Gohachi was left to chance. In the days before the camp, SWS volunteers went house to house, explaining in plain language what documents to keep ready — an Aadhaar Card here, a Samagra ID there — so that families arrived prepared rather than turned away.
Pamphlets followed the visits, carrying the date, venue, and list of services to every household. Where a conversation at the door wasn’t possible, the Panchayat’s loudspeaker took over: a public announcement, or munadi, rolled through the village lanes to make sure no one was left uninformed.
None of this happened in isolation. Panchayat representatives, ASHA workers, and Anganwadi workers helped identify families most likely to benefit, while members of the Jagruk Nagrik Manch — the village’s own citizens’ awareness forum — carried the message further still, lending the campaign a voice that was unmistakably local.
Ninety-Two Registrations, One Day
When the camp opened, the groundwork showed. Villagers didn’t arrive to be convinced — they arrived ready to register. By the end of the day, the numbers told their own story:
| 92 REGISTRATIONS | 44 SAMBAL YOJANA | 33 AYUSHMAN CARDS | 15 e-KYC & OTHERS |
Forty-four families were enrolled under the Sambal Yojana, thirty-three secured Ayushman cards opening the door to free hospital treatment, and fifteen more completed e-KYC and other essential registrations — each one a small bureaucratic step that, for a family without easy access to a block office, can otherwise take months.
Knowledge, Not Just Paperwork
Alongside the registration desks, the camp made room for three conversations that mattered just as much as the forms.
Mr. Sunil Gujre, a resource person, walked villagers through the growing risks of online fraud — a timely warning in a village where digital payments are becoming part of daily life. His advice was simple and direct: never share an OTP, an ATM PIN, or a password with anyone, and be wary of unfamiliar links and calls.
Gram Panchayat Secretary Mr. Babulal Sarle focused on the paperwork that unlocks everything else — Aadhaar cards, Samagra IDs, bank passbooks — before turning to a different kind of entitlement: the village’s water. He spoke about the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan, urging residents to take up rainwater harvesting and plantation drives to protect the sources they depend on.
Anganwadi worker Ms. Rekha Malviya took on a scheme with a longer horizon: the Ladli Laxmi Yojana, which offers financial support for a girl child’s education and development at different life stages. She walked families through eligibility, documents, and the enrolment process, encouraging them to register their daughters early.
| “Three conversations that mattered just as much as the forms.” |
What the Camp Leaves Behind
A single day’s camp rarely changes a village overnight. But Gohachi’s left behind something durable: ninety-two households now formally linked to schemes they may otherwise have struggled to reach, and a community a little more confident about cyber safety, water conservation, and the rights of its daughters.
- Wider awareness of social security schemes and legal entitlements
- Ninety-two households registered or facilitated across Sambal Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and e-KYC
- Sharper awareness of child protection, safe migration, and women’s rights
- Stronger trust between villagers and the local systems meant to serve them
For the Sathiya Welfare Society, Gohachi is one village among ten Gram Panchayats on an ongoing journey — proof, once again, that awareness and access travel best together.
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