Essential Services

Students in a school in Indira Nagar, Lucknow.

Oxfam India focuses on the right to universal access to education and health care through its programs and campaigns on essential services. The focus is on improving the accountability of both, public and private delivery systems by enhancing the role of an empowered community through various mechanisms.

Education

Education is one of the key instruments for social change and empowerment of marginalized communities. In recent years, there has been progress in the delivery of education and in the rates of enrolment. Yet there are key concerns which persist. Physical infrastructure is inadequate, not all children are enrolled; retention is poor with girls lagging behind boys;

Oxfam India has been part of a nationwide process working towards improvements in the delivery of public health services. This is being achieved by improving space for the communities’ role in monitoring of government schemes like the National Rural Health Mission and thereby making government health services accountable.