Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (SPARC)

The Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) is one of India’s foremost NGOs advocating for the rights of the country’s urban poor. Established in 1984, SPARC began by working with the poorest and most vulnerable of Mumbai’s urban poor – people living on the pavements of Mumbai. SPARC helped set up a network of women’s collectives called Mahila Milan and in 1986, also partnered with the National Slum Dwellers Federation (NSDF). Together they are known as the alliance and aim to create institutional arrangements which mobilize large numbers of the urban poor and to support and strengthen their organizations. The overall goal for these community-driven organizations is to become an important part of the city system so that the poor can directly participate in how the city is managed. The Alliance works in various ways towards expanding and building the capacities of the slum communities. It undertakes training to strengthen the collective leadership capabilities of the organisations of the urban poor and to ensure that women have equal rights to participate in decision-making. This involves facilitating peer exchanges between poor communities and their leaders, encouraging community-led enumerations and surveys that can become the basis for dialogue, planning and action for change and supporting and advocating for community-initiated and driven projects and programmes. Furthermore, the Alliance works on pro-poor policy changes and strengthening dialogues, relationships and discussions between the poor and their local, regional and national authorities. They enable slum communities in accessing basic services and amenities, improved sanitation, housing and secure tenure while developing their skills and confidence to negotiate with the government and other resource providers.