the livelihoods and development monthly · sudarshan are based in koderma. 115 report a step...

THE LIVELIHOODS AND DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY

JULY 2009 Volume 9 Number 7

NewsReach

NewsReach

This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Commission. The views expressed herein are those of the writers and can therefore in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Commission or the Aga Khan Foundation.

ARCHIVEROOTED INPROFESSIONALISM Ajay Mehta shares thatPradan has played asignificant role in inductingmotivated professionals inthe development sector.Ajay is the ExecutiveDirector of the NationalFoundation for India (NFI)and is based in New Delhi.

20CASE STUDYVERMI-COMPOST: A SUSTAINABLELIVELIHOOD FORTHE POOR - PART IIBinod Raj Dahal andSantosh Kumar Patrowrite that producing compostin a scientific manner hasproved profitable for villagersof Salgatand, whoseentrepreneurial skills serve asa model for nearby villagers.Binod is based in Godda andSantosh is based inMayurbhanj.

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LEADTHE LEGALEMPOWERMENTPROCESS INITIATED IN HAZARIBAGSarbani Bose andSudarshan Thakur share that the women ofHazaribag are equippingthemselves through theSHGs and CRPs to fightinjustice and violence byrealizing that true powerlies in awareness of theirlegal rights andentitlements. Sarbani andSudarshan are based inKoderma.

1 15REPORTA STEP TOWARDSSOMETHING NEWPravas Chandra Dasreports that using thecollective wisdom andexperience of the GVSand the Sudama KrishiSamiti and adopting SRIin their smalllandholdings, the villagers of Gurio cannow look forward toagriculture becoming asustainable livelihoodonce again. Pravas isbased on Koderma.

LETTER TOPRADANTimothée Demont andRoberta Ziparo

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The Legal Empowerment Process Initiated in Hazaribag

Realizing that true power lies in awareness of their legal rights and entitlements,the women of Hazaribag equip themselves through the SHGs and CRPs to fightinjustice and violence

SARBANI BOSE AND SUDARSHAN THAKUR

PRADAN IN HAZARIBAG

Pradan first set to work in the Barhi-Koderma area of Hazaribagh district in 1992.In 1994, Koderma district was carved out of the original Hazaribagh district. Pradanstrategically separated the locations of Hazaribagh and Koderma and, in 2000,initiated another office in Koderma, leaving a few of the older SHGs with the latter.When the Tilliya Dam was being built, Pradan initiated work in Koderma, to explorelivelihood options with the community affected by the process. In collaborationwith the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) and its Social Integration Project (SIP),Pradan introduced micro-lift irrigation in the area. Looking at the widespreadpoverty, especially among the landless SC community, and other issues related tothe status of women, the team felt the need to organize the women into Self HelpGroups (SHGs). Pradan promoted the formation of SHGs, in which women pooledtheir savings so that they could avail of small loans to help them in times of need.The women, who were earlier dependent on money-lenders and other informalcredit sources for immediate needs, such as medical treatment and school fees forchildren, now have funds in their own hands to meet their needs. Attending theweekly SHG meetings has also developed a sense of bonding among the women,who have similar problems and issues such as lack of drinking water, domesticviolence or absence of teachers in schools. The unity and solidarity in the grouphas given them the strength to cope with these situations by drawing on resourcesfrom each other.

The groups organized themselves at the panchayat level next and formed clusters,to help them collectivize their ideas and thoughts and influence the outside world.Later, these members were federated at the district level to have a greater impacton the political and administrative structure as a whole. The federation called theDamodar Mahila Mandal has been actively involved in many rights-based activitiesfor the last 18 years, and today it has a significant recognition in the district.Women from all sections of society have one identity in common, that is,membership in the Damodar Mahila Mandal. The collective strength of theDamodar Mahila Mandal often helps a woman to get justice in her own family orvillage. There are many instances when these women have solved cases of domesticviolence or dowry reported by the members. They have even staged gheraos inblock offices and banks, to claim their rights related to a government scheme or

SHG financing. The federation has providedthem a platform to fight against the systemthat has always suppressed their existence. Ithas helped the groups mobilize loans frombanks and also ensured the timely repaymentof these loans. The federation is responsiblefor setting standards for SHG norms and alsofacilitates the groups to maintain the same.

At present, the Pradan Hazaribag project isoperational in three blocks of the districts,namely, Padma, Barhi and Chouparan, with8,186 families organized into 519 women’sSHGs. These are also linked to variousfinancial institutions and governmentagencies for enhancing income generationactivities. Pradan is directly involved with thepromotion of poultry, tasar yarn production(spinning) and agriculture as livelihoodoptions. In addition, the members are alsorunning their own shops with credit from theSHGs.

THE CONTEXT All the groups are linked to clusters at thepanchayat level, with an average size of 10to 15 groups in each cluster. All the membersof the SHGs in Hazaribag are part of theDamodar Mahila Mandal and there are threeGeneral Bodies (GBs), one in each block.Three representatives from each cluster aremembers of the GB. An apex body at thedistrict level is still to be formed. The GBmeets once a month. Some of the issues thatare being dealt by the GBs are: w Monitoring of the clusters and the

groups, especially for bank loan andrepayment

w Dealing occasionally with cases ofdowry and domestic violence

w Monitoring the performance of groupsat the cluster level

w Organizing a Mahadhiveshan at thedistrict level

w Monitoring the computerized accountingat the block level

The Pradan team went through a process of brainstorming on the role of the GBs with the members. The team became aware that the members lacked the interestto carry out the above-mentioned activities.There were instances of women dealing with cases of domestic violence, harassmentof women, etc., but these were sporadic. Oneof the reasons for this was that these activitiesseemed more driven by the professionals inPradan than by the women themselves. Thebodies at block level were becoming more ofthe professional’s problem solving forums forbank loan repayment and other similar issues.Though the GB meetings were regular, themembers did not seem to have clarity abouttheir role vis-à-vis the objectives visualized during its inception. The members seemed to depend on the professionals to conductthese meetings, and federation membersrarely took decisions on issues. Socialconcerns and issues were at the core of thefederation but due to the absence of any clear road map, the responses in this regard remained sporadic rather than moving with a more definite action plan. The team then deliberated on ways to facilitate the enhancement of ownershipamong the members by taking interest to initiate action on issues of their interest. The team started with a series of workshops with the members of the GB in the Padma block, followed by theChouparan GB.

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Lead: The Legal Empowerment Process Initiated in Hazaribag

The main objective of the workshopswas to ascertain the needs andaspirations of the federation membersand the issues central to them.

INTERVENTIONS The main objective of the workshops was toascertain the needs and aspirations of thefederation members and the issues central tothem. It also involved facilitating the womento identify a common goal and an action planto achieve it.

PHASE – IWe took help from the Kesla team, which haddone similar workshops with the members ofNarmada Mahila Sangh there. They shared amodule with us; the theme of the exercisewas ‘Power’. The objective of the exercisewas to define facets of empowered womenand prioritize the desired power that theywant in their life along with the roles of theirSHGs, clusters and federation. Such anenvironment was necessary to realize,achieve and exercise those powers. (See‘Training for Empowerment’, NewsReach,September 2008)w An exercise was done to articulate the

desired state each one would like to bein. The members were guided todevelop a vision about themselves andtheir surroundings. This was anindividual exercise, in which the womenwere asked to draw a picture showingtheir desired state. They shared theirdreams or the desired state in smallgroups. These dreams were morerelated to their own lives. A membershared that her desire was to ride abicycle; another member said that shedesired that all her daughters be highlyeducated, etc. We tried to depict thesecomponents through pictures on chartpaper.

w The next session was on powerindicators. There was a brief discussionon power (Shakti) that the memberswould like to define. They were asked,“Who is the most powerful woman you

know?” And “What are the powersthat you would need to inculcate tomove from the present state towardsthat vision?” It seemed difficult forthem to think beyond the present state.Moreover, there was also a fear incrossing that invisible line of socialrestrictions. The members held longdiscussions, in which they startedexpressing themselves. Some of thepowers they mentioned were:w Power to unite and organize

ourselvesw Power to take action against

social taboos w Power to approach different

organizations for knowledge and awareness

w Power to approach block offices, courts and other places

w Power to fight for truthw Power for financial independencew Power to run the family/village

They also explored the sources from whichthese powers can be developed. Some of thesources they identified were clusters, groups,family, village, GB and even self.

PHASE – II This phase was initiated within a month of thefirst phase. The members were asked toidentify a goal or objective for the federation.The visioning for the GB this time was donefor a longer period, that is, five years; theareas they identified were: w GB as a bank. There were around 150

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A few members, who would go toother villages and conduct meetingsaround the objectives of federation,were identified.

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SHGs federated at each block. The totalfunds of these SHGs was around Rs 90lakhs — a huge amount as far asbanking is concerned. Thus, it wasthought that if members pool part oftheir funds to the GB, they may nothave to depend completely on regionalrural banks for timely credit; at thesame time, they can increase their ownprofits.

w Banks, blocks and district officesmobilized by GB. Most of thegovernment schemes or programmestoday remain confined to a pool ofinfluential people in the village; it failsto serve its actual purpose. Thus, themembers can unite and togethermobilize the district offices and banks toavail of these services.

w Dealing with issues such as domesticviolence and women’s rights.

Next, the members drew up their commongoal. This was in three parts: w Equal rights for all w Awareness and action against

superstition and other social evilsw Economical upliftment of families

through the financial empowerment ofwomen

Based on these goals, the members identifiedsome activities for five years. They thenprioritized these for the first year. Activities

that they decided to take up in the comingfive years are as follows: w Awareness and action against child

marriage, dowry, casteism, domesticviolence

w Awareness and action for girleducation, nutrition for children,sanitation

w Awareness and action againstsuperstitions such as witchcraft andexorcism

w Building linkages with all themachineries such as banks, blocks anddistricts

w Awareness about laws and rightsw Strengthening SHGs for livelihood

promotion and credit linkagew Control and monitoring of the PDS

system in villagesw Involvement in major decision-making

processes at the panchayat and villagelevels

The members prioritized the activities, basedon the urgency of the issue and the group’scapacity for the coming year. The activitiesprioritized are as follows: w Awareness and action to be taken to

stop liquor consumption, domesticviolence

w Credit linkage of the groups and theirrepayment

w Strengthening and monitoring thehealth of the groups

w PDS and anganwadi monitoring w Creating awareness among peoplew Monitoring of the schools for quality

education as well as mid-day mealsw Building linkages with banks, blocks and

district officesw Sanitation in villagesw Awareness and action against casteismw Sending girl children to school

The organization wanted tocollaborate with Pradan to conductworkshops on legal literacy andempowerment, to create a pool ofpara-legal workers, who cangenerate awareness on legal rightsamong masses.

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These activities will be taken up in the comingone year by the federation and detailedplanning for each activity will be madesimultaneously.

PHASE – IIIIn this phase, a timeline for the activities wasdrawn up. This was done mainly consideringthe agricultural season so that they could mapout the time to organize meetings in thevillages. Some discussion took place on howthey could reach out to all other SHGmembers to make them aware of the activitiesthey were taking up. A few members, whowould go to other villages and conductmeetings around the objectives of federation,were identified. Pradan professionalsinteracted with individual members andvisited different SHGs to know their aspirations,which were eventually to be incorporated atthe federation level. Budgeting was alsodone, in which the expenses calculated weremainly for campaigns in the villages, throughpamphlets, posters, etc. There was somemoney kept aside as honorarium to members,who would conduct meetings on these issuesin the villages, and their travel.

The only source of income that could beidentified was the members’ contribution.(The revenue model is still not very clear forthe GB members or the team. Some sourcesfor money collection may be identified suchas membership fees or insurance. However,to what extent it is sufficient to meet theexpenditure of the given tasks is still aconcern).

The team did not have much expertise to helpthe members address the issues identified bythe federation in the workshop. It requiredboth knowledge and skill to motivate themembers and facilitate them to take actionon such issues.

INPUTS ON LEGAL RIGHTS In the meantime, we came to know ofMARG, a Delhi-based NGO working on legalempowerment in many pockets of thecountry. The organization wanted tocollaborate with Pradan to conductworkshops on legal literacy andempowerment, to create a pool of para-legalworkers, who can generate awareness onlegal rights among masses. It was a goodopportunity for the team because this wouldhelp us to create a pool of resource persons,who would guide the federation members toaddress their own issues of rights andentitlements, as envisaged in their plan.Participants of the workshop organized byMARG had to be literate in order to read thebooks that were given to them by thefacilitators. Since most of the federationmembers were illiterate, the communityresource persons (CRPs) participated in theworkshop. CRPs are SHG members, who areliterate, and who had been selected by thegroup members to provide services such asstrengthening of the group norms,maintaining books of accounts and sharinginformation about government schemes andhow to avail them. Pradan professionalstrained them thoroughly to enable them to perform these tasks. The CRPs had already been involved in the nurturing of the SHGs for the last two years. They were in regular interaction with the membersfrom the federation as well as clusters, andcould closely relate to the issues raised bymembers. Over the years, they had

Now the CRPs have better clarityregarding various issues such asdowry, domestic violence and childmarriage, which were earlier left tobe decided by fate.

developed special bonding with the SHGmembers, and the members often refer themas sahayogis.

Three teams, that is, West Singhbhum,Godda and Hazaribag sent potential CRPs forthe training programme. From Hazaribag,eight women CRPs, who were alreadyinvolved in community mobilization forstrengthening SHGs and generatinglivelihoods for the members, were sent. Thetraining programme was conducted in threephases in Jamshedpur and Ranchi. Theworkshop was designed and conducted byMARG.

The main objectives of the workshop were:w To create awareness of fundamental

rights, particularly those relating towomen

w To equip the women to exercise andenjoy their rights as citizens

w To empower women to speak out andtake necessary action when their rightsare violated and against any form ofgender-based violence

w To empower women with legalknowledge so that they can resist andprotect themselves from violence

w To empower women to identify andarticulate their sufferings and violationsin legal terms and seek legal remedies

During the training, the participants weregiven books in Hindi on legal rights that were

easy to understand. The illustrations in thebooks were similar to the experiences facedby the participants and so they were able torelate to them well. The workshop providedthe participants with a better understandingabout gender and other socio-politicalstructures in the society that affect them aswell. The trainees were given a certificate oncompleting the programme successfully. Nowthe CRPs have better clarity regarding variousissues such as dowry, domestic violence andchild marriage, which were earlier left to bedecided by fate. Being aware about the legalconsequences and their own rights madethem confident and motivated them toinfluence the women in every forum.

THE IMPACTWhen the CRPs visit the SHGs, the membersusually share the problems they face in theirday-to-day lives. CRPs help the groupmembers identify the various steps that canbe taken to overcome these issues. Theprimary groups are the places wheremembers actually open up and expressthemselves; because the members are moreclosely associated, the issues are better dealtwith in these small groups. Sometimes themembers also share problems of largerconcern such as the irregular distribution ofPDS or the lack of drinking water in thehamlet. Then the CRPs discuss the legal rightsrelated to such matters and inform the groupof the different options it has. The membersdecide on the best way to deal with the issue.A little awareness about one’s own rightsoften raises one’s confidence and helps totake action. For instance, in Champadihvillage of Padma block, the PDS dealer usedto block the distribution of regular rations tothe people. The villagers suffered and hadtried complaining about it to the dealer, butin vain. When the MO (Marketing Officer)came for a surprise verification of the stocks


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Every year during the ClusterAdhiveshan, members of the SHGcluster come together to celebratetheir unity, beginning with the BaksaPuja, the cash box in which they keeptheir savings.

to the village, he asked the villagers about theregularity of the distribution. Nobody had thecourage to tell him the truth. However, anSHG member of the Ambedkar MahilaMandal told the MO that she never got thedue quota as was written in her card. Thedealer had threatened her and had asked hernot to share this information with anyone.Soon, however, she was joined by membersof her own SHG and women from othergroups. Action was taken against the dealerand now the people are satisfied with theregular distribution of the ration in theirvillage.

In the SHG meetings, apart from regularsavings and credit activities, the women makeit a point to discuss issues and concerns oftheir lives and their village. These discussionshave not only increased the members’participation in group processes but have alsobuilt their solidarity, helping them takecollective action against issues that concernthem.

The federation now has a collective vision for‘Damodar’; it envisages not only the financialindependence of women but also actionagainst social evils and raises its voice forequal rights for all. The awareness andcampaigning for legal empowerment is beingdone in all the levels — from SHG to clusterto federation.

Cluster meetings are monthly meetingsattended by the representatives of the groupsof a particular village/panchayat. Apart fromdiscussions on status of SHGs and livelihoodopportunities, the members also discuss otherissues such as the improper functioning of thevillage PDS, under wage rate payment inworks done under NREGA by the contractors,or bribes involved in sanctioning of old age

pension, dowry and child marriage. Womenshare their personal problems such asdomestic violence by their in-laws andhusband, or desertion by husband, whichactually hurts a woman’s dignity andexistence as a human being. In all such cases,the cluster members have demonstrated theirpower of unity.

They have planned to initiate this movementin the Cluster Adhiveshans andMahadhiveshans, which are annualgatherings of SHG members. These eventsare also attended by bank officials, blockofficers, etc. Every year during the ClusterAdhiveshan, members of the SHG clustercome together to celebrate their unity,beginning with the Baksa Puja, the cash boxin which they keep their savings. All themembers march to the venue with slogansand banners, demonstrating their unity andsolidarity. Every group comes with their SHGcash boxes to the Adhiveshan and as a ritualworship the boxes; this is a symbol of growthand prosperity for them. They discuss theprevious year’s achievements, in terms offinancial and social progress. They decide onvarious agendas to be taken up in the comingyear. Around 200 to 250 women cometogether at a panchayat level.

This year, in 2009, the SHG membersperformed skits and songs, in which theygenerated awareness on domestic violence,child marriage, dowry, NREGA, Right toInformation and The Scheduled Castes and

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This year, the federation launched thelegal empowerment programme andshared their vision and action plan forthe coming year in the forum.

the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)Act. The women took a pledge that they would do their best to ensure properjustice to the underprivileged. There werearound 15 Adhiveshans, in which suchprogrammes on legal awareness wereorganized and we are looking forward toorganizing more such events. The impact ofthese skits and songs was so strong that many

groups invited the CRPs, who had receivedtraining on these issues to their groups forfurther discussions.

For the last 17 years, the members of theDamodar Mahila Mandal have beenorganizing the annual event calledMahadhiveshan. The event gives them anopportunity to demonstrate their progress to


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SETTLING FAMILY DISPUTES

Girija Devi, 30, is the wife of Siyata Mahato,40, from Harambag village in Hazaribagdistrict. Siyata had three wives; Girija Devi washis first wife. He married again as Girija Devidid not have children. His second wife died. Sohe married the third time. The third wife isaround 25 years and they have two children.

After Siyata got a new wife, his interest in theolder woman started dwindling and he startedseeing her as a burden. The new wife did notwant the older wife in the house. Gradually,the quarrels began. The situation worsened.Siyata and his young wife not only startedabusing Girija Devi but also stopped giving herfood. When the abuse became too much forher to handle, she would take shelter in herneighbour’s and return later. Her sister-in-law,Rukmini Devi, wife of Kartik Mahato, wasvaguely aware of what was going on. Girijadid not belong to any SHG but Rukmini was amember of Santoshi Mahila Mandal, whichoperated in the neighbouring hamlet.Whenever Rukmini asked Girija to bring hercase to the SHG, she would say that it was herfate and there was nothing anybody could do.But Rukmini persisted and kept telling her thatshe could talk to the SHG and there were morewomen from other villages (in the cluster) whocould help. But nothing happened. On 5

January 2009, Girija was thrown out of herhouse by Siyata and his young wife. She wentto Rukmini, who took her to the SHG. TheSHG members, 13 of them, went to thehusband the next day and tried to talk to himbut he did not listen. The women then tookher to the cluster meeting on 19 January. Tillthat time, Girija stayed with Rukmini. Girija’scase was discussed in the Gayatri clustermeeting in Champadih village. The very nextday, 25 cluster members went to Haramba andmet Siyata Mahato.

There were members in this cluster, who hadattended the legal literacy training. The legalknowledge they had gained was useful. Theythreatened Siyata by telling him that, having asecond wife, when his first wife was alive, andnot supporting the first wife were reasonsenough for filing a case against him in thepolice station. They quoted the relevantclauses, and asserted that they were equippedto take such action because they were wellinformed of the legal rights and entitlementsof women. Siyata was just not ready to takeon this might of the women’s collective. Herelented and took Girija back immediately.Girija is now staying with her husband and hissecond wife. He takes care of her, gives moneyand food and does not torture her anymore!

the larger world. Since it is attended byofficials from banks and the administrationand political leaders, it is seen as the best wayto influence them for further developmentalchallenges. This year, the federation launchedthe legal empowerment programme andshared their vision and action plan for thecoming year in the forum. Posters weredesigned with the help of Pradanprofessionals on the issues that were raisedduring the Cluster Adhiveshans to behighlighted to the larger mass. There wereskits, songs and dances on these issues by theSHG members. For most of them, the wordkanun, or law, itself had been quitethreatening because that had always been aman’s business. But the programmesconveyed the message that it was for all ofthem.

WAY AHEADThe status of women is very vulnerable. Childmarriage, dowry and domestic violence arevery much prevalent in the area, making theirlives miserable. Around 41.8% girls getmarried before the age of 18 and around17.3% become mothers before completing18 years (DLHS 2007-2008). Six out of ten

women are subjected to domestic violence.Dowry is one of the main reasons that afamily is under debt (from SHGs or otherfinancial agencies.); with no resources torepay the loan, the family gets trapped into avicious debt cycle. For women, whosehusbands have migrated, life becomes all themore difficult. She has to depend on theirregular remittance from her husband or, attimes, even has to give in to the sexual andphysical exploitation by her own relatives forsurvival.

The present status of the women in thisdistrict demands such foci on rights and entitlements and an enhancedknowledge on women-related laws and their implications. The discussions at thegroup and cluster levels also helped us todraw such inferences. The presentengagement with the federation has helped everyone get a clearer picture aboutthe federation’s future plans. The members ofDamodar have been involved in addressingsuch issues for a long time and theseexperiences have helped them to movefurther ahead. As far as Pradan’s role isconcerned, we need to equip the federationmembers to carry their plan forward.Exposure to different organizations and somemore training programmes would be helpful.We also need to foster the relationshipbetween Damodar and the otherstakeholders such as blocks, banks, women’scommissions and other government agencieswho can help them accomplish their vision.

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The present status of the women inthis district demands such foci onrights and entitlements and anenhanced knowledge on women-related laws and their implications.

Case Study: Vermi-compost: A Sustainable Livelihood for the Poor – Part II

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Vermi-compost: A Sustainable Livelihood for the Poor – Part II

Producing compost in a scientific manner has proved profitable for villagers ofSalgatand, whose entrepreneurial skills serve as a model for nearby villagers.

BINOD RAJ DAHAL AND SANTOSH KUMAR PATRO

CURRENT PHASE (2008–2009)

We were confused after 2007 about how to motivate more villagers to engage invermi-compost production. A planned expansion started only in 2008 after theintervention in the Siktia cluster in Poraiyahat block under the Tribal WelfareCommission (TWC) to improve irrigation facilities and the quality of the land.

With 11 villages under the irrigation cluster, 133 permanent vermi tanks havealready been constructed. Almost 60% of the tanks are in full-scale production.Sixty-six families of Beldang village, under this cluster, have just produced the firstcycle of vermi-compost with the average production of three quintals per family,thereby fetching Rs 1,050. The special SGSY project has been the fillip for theexpansion of this activity with nearly 1,500 families. With such concrete profitrealization, the team is confident about expanding the activity without manyhiccups.

The team has now been clear about the objectives of its promotion. Unlike theprimary focus of earning cash through marketing in the early days, we are nowfocused entirely on making use of the vermi-compost prepared by each of thefamilies. The promotion of round-the-year vegetables is the main avenue for theconsumption of vermi-compost. For instance, all the families under the irrigationcluster have used the first production cycle for their kharif vegetables. The vermi-compost produced in the second cycle was taken to Pradan Deoghar, where it wasused in the plantations of tasar host plants and mango trees, a project implementedunder Wadi-NABARD. Since people now have a fair degree of confidence aboutwhy and how to process vermi-compost, it is hoped that within two years, thenumber of families under this activity will increase to 1,500 families.

Since we did not have adequate production at our community level, we boughtnearly 100 MT of vermi-compost from Subhashree Fertilizer during 2008–09 forapplication in horticulture plantations. The plantation was in Poraiyahat block itselfand covered around 203 acres. It has nearly 43,000 plants.

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As per our request, a nutrient analysis testwas provided by the supplier (Table 6.1).Only those villagers, who had pucca tanks,were permitted to produce vermi-compost inorder to ensure the quality of the vermi-compost. We have now estimated acost-effective design of the tank so that evenpoorer families can invest in the constructionof tanks. (Table 2)

The tank is first filled with half an inch of sand. Next, there is a layer of brokenbricks, topped by half an inch of sand, toallow the proper percolation of water. This should be the permanent composition of

the tank bed. Cow dung can now beprocessed in the tank. Layers of cow dung, normal soil and decomposed litter, one above the other, facilitate thedecomposition process. Earthworms are

S. No. Materials Quantity Amount1 Brick 300–325 @ Rs 1.75 Rs 5702 Cement 1 bag @ 260 Rs 2603 Mason 1 full day for 3 tanks Rs 504 Unskilled labour 1 full day (self contribution) Rs 605 Thatched structure above Rs 60

the tank at 5 ft height with local material, that is, bamboo and leaves of date palm, etc. (self contribution)

TABLE 1: ESTIMATES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE VERMI-COMPOST TANK

S. No. Nutrients Percentage/ppm1 Nitrogen (N) 1.602 Phosphorous (P2O5) 53 Potash (K2O) 0.794 Calcium 0.435 Magnesium (Mg) 0.146 Iron (Fe) 174.997 Manganese (Mn) 95.988 Zinc (Zn) 24.349 Copper (Cu) 4.7910 Carbon : Nitrogen 15.4511 PH 7.5

TABLE 2: AVERAGE NUTRIENT CONTENT OF SAMPLE VERMI-COMPOST SUPPLIED BY SHUBHASHREE FERTILIZER, DEOGHAR

Since people now have a fair degreeof confidence about why and how toprocess vermi-compost, it is hopedthat within two years, the number offamilies under this activity willincrease to 1,500 families.


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introduced into this natural habitation. Weusually use cow dung in the productionprocess.

A tank is 10’ x 3’ x 2.5’, with 5” thick walls.The net cost of one tank is between Rs 880and 1,000. Each beneficiary has paid Rs 250for the vermi-compost project besides otherlabour and material contribution. Thefinancial support received was around Rs 550per family from the TWC livelihood project.The worms came at a cost of Rs 250 per1,000 worms. A tank required a total of2,000 worms; the cost of the worms alonewas Rs 500. The cost could be recoveredwithin 40 days of the first cycle because thereturns received were Rs 1,600. Vermi-compost production is, therefore, a viable andfeasible activity.

REPLICATION OF THE MODELThe idea of vermi-compost production hasbeen shared and many discussions anddeliberations have taken place in variouscommunity meetings such as the SHGmeetings, the cluster meetings and theagriculture planning meeting in the villages.The CSPs and other community resourcepeople (CRPs) are replicating the activity,after having directly experienced its benefits.The Godda team has envisioned that everyfamily that has at least two livestock can startvermi-compost production and use theproduce in their land to promote cash crops,

particularly vegetables. We are prepared tomove in this direction, and have plannedaccordingly.

TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDINGThe villagers of Salgatand have shown highinterest and entrepreneurial engagement inthe activity. They have maintained the highquality of the vermi-compost. They know thebenefits of both self-consumption andcommercial sale because they have used it tocultivate their vegetables and have sold it toPradan for tasar plantation. Theirexpectations and confidence in the activity,therefore, has been considerably high.

Between 2003 and 2004, when they hadbegun the activity, they understood itspotential, and its visible and invisibleadvantages. Salgatand village became thelocation for exposure visits and for thetraining of those interested in the activity,within and outside the block. The 25 womenand 1 man are now resource persons. Theyshare their experiences in vermi-compostproduction — how from being uninformedmembers, they are now successfulentrepreneurs, and about the benefits theyhave received from this activity, both in cashand kind. They demonstrate how vermi-compost is produced. They try to motivateothers to engage in the activity and trainthem so that many more can reap its benefitslike them.

Akhileshwor Singh, a CSP for vermi-compostproduction, travels to many places to imparttraining. The didis are ever-prepared tosupport those who come to the village tounderstand the process. Salgatand is nowknown for the vermi-compost it produces,and many now refer to it as the ‘vermi-village’. Continued production has sustainedthe production of earthworms, which is

They share their experiences invermi-compost production — howfrom being uninformed members,they are now successfulentrepreneurs, and about thebenefits they have received from thisactivity, both in cash and kind.

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distributed to other areas. Beldang villagebuys nearly 1.25 lakh earthworms fromSalgatand — one more benefit of the activity.Subhashree Fertilizer is also a source oftechnical input. Villagers from Salgatand havevisited the farm in Deoghar several times toobserve and learn all the technical details ofvermi-compost production. Rearers, whohave successfully produced vermi-compost,are ready to train others. The expansion

strategy has been practical and sustainable.The CSPs working in the area are now wellequipped to deliver technical services.

Rearers, who have successfullyproduced vermi-compost, areready to train others.

AKHILESHWOR, A VERMI-COMPOST ENTREPRENEUR

Akhileshwor Singh (38 years), who trained asa Resource Person in vermi-compostproduction, has dedicated himself fully to theactivity. He started his career as anaccountant of an SHG in his own village in1997. People from other districts of Dumkacome to him regularly now to buy vermi-compost or earthworms. Officials from WorldVision and Jindal Steel Company have alsoinvited him to train their respectivebeneficiaries, for which Akhileshwor was paidgood remuneration. This has contributedsignificantly to his family income.

Akhileshwor has been the sole supplier ofearthworms to various consumers within and outside Poraiyahat block. He supplies

worms to 133 tanks in the Beldang cluster.The initial rate of Rs 350 per 1,000 wormshas been reduced now to Rs 150 per 1,000,due to surplus production. He provides theworms at Rs 150 per 1,000 to SHG membersand Rs 200 per 1,000 to non-SHG members.In five years, he has earned Rs 37,450 fromvermi-compost and the worms. His earningsas a trainer have not been accounted forhere. Recently, he received a remuneration of Rs 1,500 for a 15-day training that he didfor the villagers of Beldang in Poraiyahatblock. Thus, intervention in such remote and

poor villages has shown results and hashelped to change the lives of many likeAkhileshwor.

Year Total Quantity Rate Revenue Income from TotalProduction Sold (kg) (Rs) (Rs) the Sale

of Worms 2005 750 350 3 1,050 1,0502006 1,000 600 3 1,800 500 2,3002007 2,000 1,500 3 4,500 1,500 6,0002008 3,600 3,100 3.5 10,850 4,000 14,8502009 1,700 1,500 3.5 5,250 8,000 13,250

(Jan to April 2009)

PRODUCTION AND REVENUE EARNED BY AKHILESHWOR

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CHALLENGES AHEADThe benefits of vermi-compost production, itscost economics, etc., for self-consumption orfor sale to the market have all now becomeclearer. More people are motivated andinterested in adopting this activity. Thus,there does not seem much difficulty inexpanding the activity and reaching morepeople. SHG members can easily take loansfrom their groups to meet the cost forconstructing tanks.

There are around 200 vermi-compost tanksin Poraiyahat block. The Special SGSY projectcan contribute to construct another 1,000such tanks whereas people who have notbeen extended project support can constructsuch tanks on their own. Since the investmentis meagre, it is not a limiting factor. The team,therefore, plans on promoting vermi-compostactivity in all 6 blocks of its operational area.

However, the major challenge lies inmaintaining the quality of the vermi-compostproduce. Unless quality is ensured, no matterhow many tanks are constructed, it does notjustify the purpose for producing it. Hence,

we are very concerned about maintainingquality. The product when used in their ownvegetable cultivation brings the familiesadditional income. This surplus income fromvegetables along with the revenue from vermi-compost is another promotional strategy.

The informal associations of agriculture co-operatives in Poraiyahat have been activelypromoting agriculture for the last two yearsand have been associated with inputdistribution to the large number of farmers inthe blocks. It has recently started procuringvermi and linking it with the external marketin order to give the activity impetus in thelong run. The demand for the product haspoured in from various sources, includinggovernment offices. A decision was taken that the SHGs would procure the vermi-compost from its members andother producers. The product will be checkedfor quality before it is evaluated andmeasured. These tasks will performed by thehamlet-level committee. The committeecomprises select members of the SHGs of the hamlet. This will ensure the quality of the vermi.

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A Step towards Something New

Using the collective wisdom and experience of the GVS and the Sudama KrishiSamiti and adopting SRI in their small landholdings, the villagers of Gurio cannow look forward to agriculture becoming a sustainable livelihood once again.

PRAVAS CHANDRA DAS

Gurio village is situated in Hazaribagh district of North Chhotanagpur plateau. Itfalls under the Barhi block and the Bijaya panchayat, and is 25 km from the blockheadquarters. Gurio is Yadav dominated and has 391 households, of which 52families belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. About 38% of the villagersmigrate to different parts of the country such as Assam, Delhi and Mumbai. Thevillagers are mainly employed as JCB (a construction and agricultural equipment)drivers, road construction workers and wage labourers. The hopes of the villagersregarding farming as a livelihood are gradually diminishing owing to the lowproductivity and outdated technology. The average land holding per family is 0.55ha. The terrain of land is undulating, with a 3-4 % slope.

Before Pradan entered Gurio, the villagers were accustomed to depending oninformal credit sources during financial emergencies. Several moneylenders andlocal leaders had spread their network in the village to lend money to the villagersat very high interest rates. On the domestic front, women were subjected to violence,dowry demands, etc. From agriculture to family planning and the education ofchildren, almost everything was being decided by the male members in the family.

Initially, Pradan organized the women in Self Help Groups (SHGs). Two SHGs, namely,Kamla Mahila Mandal and Jyoti Mahila Mandal were started in 1996. The rationalebehind starting these two groups was to unite the women on a common platform,link them to the mainstream and increase their participation in other forums such as thegram sabha, Siksha Samiti, etc. The 38 women, who became members of these twoSHGs, started weekly savings and credit activities. These SHGs functioned for abouta year. However, due to the lack of proper input from Pradan, the SHG becameand remained dysfunctional for seven years. Some of the members, who had takenloans, did not repay the amount, resulting in the groups becoming defunct.

Total Forest Land Total GM land Private Land330.49 ha 662.46 ha 215.18 haData source: Circle officer, Block Barhi, Forest Dept., Barhi Range

LAND DETAILS OF GURIO

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In 2007, Pradan began the process of revivingthese groups. The Pradan team provided periodical training to accountants andorganized exposure visits for the members ofthe SHGs and their families to healthy groups.Six new SHGs were promoted in the vicinityand were federated into a cluster called theGurio cluster. The core agenda of thesegroups was to address their financial needs,to have a platform for sharing the events andproblems of their day-to-day life and to buildlinkages with the mainstream.

Gurio village is situated within the 10 kmradius of the Telaya Reservoir, Damodar ValleyCorporation (DVC) Power Station. There issignificant quantity of soil and nutrienterosion because the land is undulating. Muchof the lowlands of this village is inundatedand occupied by the Telaya Reservoir. A majorfactor for the low fertility of the land is thesoil and nutrient erosion, which was identifiedat 10 tonnes per ha. The lands were graduallygetting inundated and the uplands and themedium lands were becoming less fertile. TheSHG members then shifted their focus fromsavings and credit activities to land and waterconservation; rejuvenating the naturalresources became an agenda for theirlivelihood.

A proposal, based on land and waterconservation, was designed by Pradan and

submitted to the DVC. This watersheddevelopment was bifurcated into two phases— the Reconnaissance Phase and theImplementation Phase. There was remarkableresponse from the community about theimplementation of the programme. In June2008, the villagers formed a Gram VikasSamiti (GVS), an informal village-level body,to generate ideas about the implementationprocess to carry forward the activities.

The GVS included all the adult members ofthe village, irrespective of class, caste andgender. The prime objective of the Gurio GVSwas to implement and monitor landhusbandry works, which included landlevelling and land treatment in 10 ha. Thereis a monitoring committee and an execution

committee comprising two representatives —a man and a woman — from each hamlet. Anapex body was formed at the block level,with three representatives from each GVS,who meet once a month to discuss theprevious month’s work progress andaccounts, and formulate the action plan forthe coming month. GVS members activelyparticipate in the decision-making process forsite selection, land husbandry works and landtreatment. They selected a service provider(SP), trained by Pradan, to assist them in takingmeasurements, maintaining books of accountsand so on. The other responsibilities, such aspayment to labourers, were handled by theSamiti representatives, who also presentedthe accounts to all the members during themonthly meetings. The execution committeeof GVS, Gurio, completed a volume of earthwork worth Rs 3,62,633. This was an exciting

From agriculture to family planningand the education of children, almosteverything was being decided by themale members in the family.

Allocated Funds Villages Covered Project Period23.06 lakhs 32 5 yearsTABLE: PROJECT DETAILS

Report: A Step towards Something New

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experience and a huge achievement for thevillagers, who were initially hesitant toattempt the work. Gradually, when theybegan carrying out the work meticulously andwith outmost efficiency, they becameconfident. They shared that earlier such workwas carried out by contractors, and thevillagers themselves were unaware of boththe accounts involved and the quality ofwork. The DVC project period was for fiveyears and the GVS was established to notonly implement the action plan but also toutilize the forum to resolve many issues andconcerns related to land and water. Themembers planned to mobilize developmentalfunds from the block and district, which wasearlier being diverted to and coming throughthe contractors. The Samiti also planned towork for the inclusion of all the villagers indealing with issues such as casteism, dowry,child marriage and so on.

After the land husbandry works wereexecuted, there was a demand for improvingthe paddy and vegetable yield. As mentioned,the average land holding per family is 0.55ha. The farmers of this village carry out thetraditional agriculture individually. Theypurchase low quality seeds at high rates fromlocal markets such as Barsot. Owing to thehuge crisis in the availability of thediammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilisers inthe market, the farmers were cheated by thedealers and had to purchase it at unfair prices.The group members had addressed theircredit needs but they felt the need for aninstitution parallel to their SHGs. Theobjective of this institution was to make arobust plan for an integrated natural resourcemanagement (INRM), with the latestagricultural technologies. The members of theSHGs and the GVS, who had already had theexperience of being in a group, were excitedabout building an institution that would deal

exclusively with INRM and agriculture. Theyplanned to purchase agricultural input as agroup at lower rates and explore thepossibilities of getting quality inputs from thecompanies itself. They decided to plan in agroup, and monitor and bargain as a collectivewith the dealers. The villagers wanted to havea forum where they could deliberate on issuesrelated to the improvement of agriculture intheir village. Eventually, they came up with avillage-level forum called Sudama KrishiSamiti in June 2009.

The GVS dealt with watershed developmentspecifically and so the need was felt by thepeople to set up a forum in which agricultureas a major source of livelihood would bestrategized and systematized. There weremany things such as the latest technologiesand inputs, procurement, rate fixation, etc.,which could not be addressed in other forumseffectively. The GVS plans and monitorsexcavation work plot-wise and looks into theconservation work and other infrastructuralwork, which are very tedious and timeconsuming. The GVS also has otherresponsibilities such as site selection,planning, payment to labourers, muster rollpreparation, monitoring, etc.

The objective of the Sudama Krishi Samiti wasto have a robust INRM plan focused onagriculture. The group would deal with eachfamily for optimal utilisation of theirresources, thereby, enhancing the productivityof land. The Samiti is an informal group with10-20 members, which meets every fortnight.SHG members and non-SHG members, eagerto do improved agriculture, were encouragedto be a part of the Samiti. The main agendaof the Samiti was to conduct land useplanning, dissemination of new technologies,input procurement, SP selection, monitoringand follow-up processes.

Report: A Step towards Something New

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There was a lot of deliberation about the rolesof the SPs, the Sudama Krishi Samiti and thePradan professionals. The Samiti selectedRameswar Ram, a local villager, as their SP.The Samiti members also came to a consensusabout depositing a service tax, which wouldbe utilized for the payment of the SP. Theservice tax paid by the more experiencedfarmers would be Rs 50 and for the newfarmers would be Rs 25 per family. Farmers,who had earlier participated in the programme,were the experienced farmers. They werealready adopting the improved methods ofagriculture, following Pradan’s previousintervention work, and reaping its benefits.The members decided to keep their servicecharges low to encourage the new farmers.

This Samiti selected three representatives tothe block-level committee (BLC), which meetsonce a month. The core agenda of the BLC isconsolidation, monitoring, review and planningof the work. The money deposited for inputprocurement in the Samiti is consolidated atthe block level; purchases are then madefrom the market/local entrepreneurs and theinputs distributed among the Samiti members.The seasonal agricultural plan is made family-wise at the village-level Samiti and getsconsolidated at the BLC. There is also apurchasing committee, involved with theprocurement of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers,pesticides, etc., which fixes the prices.

Before initiating agriculture intervention, the Samiti is required to have a plan for each of its members. Rameswar Ram was trainedby Pradan to conduct the planning processes.He had detailed discussions with the familieson several indicators, including the following: w Land types — upland, medium

land, lowlandw Land qualityw Present usew Irrigation source

w Manpower availablew Livestockw Attitudes and interest in agricultureThe planning for each Samiti member isdiscussed by the individual members in theSamiti meeting. The members prioritise theplans for the coming and the subsequentseasons. There is a Task and Actor Matrix toensure the implementation of the plans. Thisalso clarifies the role of the SPs, Pradanprofessionals and Samiti members.

We also maintained a book of records, inwhich each Samiti member enrolled her/hisname by depositing a service tax. Thedemand for inputs, that is, indenting format,distribution format and beneficiary-wise cropdetails are included in this book. Weconducted training programmes for the SPsto maintain those records with detailedinformation, including on the crop, area,ensuring PoP, etc.

The Sudama Krishi Samiti came to aconsensus about increasing the yield ofpaddy, a staple food crop cultivated in themedium lands and lowlands. We conducteda slide show of the System of RiceIntensification (SRI) in the VLC meeting. Atthat time, the yield of paddy in the mediumlands and the lowlands of the village wasbetween 40 and 45 kg per katha for the past4-5 years. The population, however, wassteadily increasing whereas the productivityremained static. Land was graduallydegrading and becoming smaller in size.Given this scenario, the Samiti members wereeager to double their paddy yield. With thisin mind, SRI was introduced in the village inJune 2008. Saro Devi and Dhaneswar Yadavfirst took the risk of implementing SRI in theirplot. The technology was entirely new.

Saro Devi and Dhaneswar Yadav recall the dayswhen other farmers taunted them when they

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saw the single seedling transplants in theirfields. Both raised nurseries, practised spacingand timely transplantation. Another farmer,Sahadev Yadav, who came forward to adopt thetechnology, achieved a yield of 128 kg perkatha. This was about three times the earlieryield from the same plot. The three farmers havedecided to cultivate all their medium andlowlands, using the SRI method, which willhelp them save a huge quantity of seeds, goingwaste earlier. The farmers are happy to see how,with such low investment ofinputs, the yield

from their fields have doubled and tripled.

Saro Devi notes that with the revival of the SHG, there is a changing trend in her village.Along with their savings and the availabilityof credit, the unity and solidarity among thevillagers has been fortified. With the setting up of the GVS and the Sudama Krishi Samiti,both men and women work hand-in-hand towork out possibilities of more options forsustainable livelihoods for themselves andtheir village.

Seed rate 100 g/kathaTime of nursery 25 June to 10 JulyNursery bed size 6’ length * 3’ width bed with 1’ width drainageManure in nursery 5 kg of well decomposed cow dung and 1 kg

vermi-compost per bedSeed treatment Brine water test (100 gm salt in 1 litre of water) of paddy seed

to discard chaffy grain. After that Bavistin treatment at 2 gm/kg of seed; seeds are broadcasted on the nursery bed and compost and vermicompost are spread to cover the seeds.

Transplanting 10-12 days old seeding were transplanted Spacing Plant to Plant 1’

Row to Row 1’Fertilization Compost 100-150 kg katha

Urea 1 kg, DAP 1.5 kg, Potash 800 kg and ZnSo4 350 gm/katha applied during field preparation. Thirty days after transplanting, 1.25 kg urea and during 500 gm urea at the time of 60-65 days during panicle initiation were applied.

Weeding Hand weeding was carried out three timesYield 128 kg/katha

TABLE: POP FOLLOWED IN SRI IN GURIO

No. Task ActorBeneficiary SP Professional

1 Attending village-level committee (VLC) meetings √ √ √ 2 Planning with individual families √ √3 Procuring input √4 Training and exposure √5 Delivering input √ √6 Monitoring and follow-up √ √7 Collecting data and keeping records in the VLC book √8 Paying the SP √ √9 Grading of work √ √

TABLE: TASK AND ACTOR MATRIX

NewsReach July 2009

Archive: Rooted in Professionalism

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Rooted in Professionalism

Pradan has played a significant role in inducting motivatedprofessionals in the development sector

AJAY MEHTA

Neelima was the role model for Seva Mandir in promoting the idea of taking youngprofessionals into the organisation. There was great a deal of resistance to the ideafrom among the existing workers. They feared that their authority and relevancein the organization would be diminished. Being new and a junior in themanagement structure, I was not aware of the discussions that had led to SevaMandir negotiating for a Pradan professional to join Seva Mandir.

Around this time, Deep Joshi also visited Seva Mandir in his capacity as aprogramme officer for the Ford Foundation. I accompanied him along with otherSeva Mandir colleagues on a long jeep ride into one of the interior villages in Jhadolblock. We were out for most of the day looking at the work done under the ‘Labto Land Programme’ run by Seva Mandir with the help of the Indian Council forAgricultural Research.

I remember this visit because I felt that we had not been able to show anythingimpressive and that Deep would not recommend Seva Mandir for a FordFoundation grant. But that was not to be. Deep managed to pilot a $1,00,000grant to Seva Mandir for the purpose of bringing in professionals into theorganisation. In hindsight, I realize that the grant to Seva Mandir made possibleby Deep was part of his larger vision to strengthen the voluntary sector.

BOLD VISIONAt the time I had no idea of the connection that Deep had to the genesis of Pradanand that he and Vijay were part of the group that created Pradan. Looking back,it has to be said that the Pradan’s vision for the voluntary sector was truly bold,significant and farsighted.

In the post-emergency period, disenchantment with the state was widespread. Theneed for civic action to countervail the state and contribute to solving problemsfaced by our society was acutely felt. Pradan was able to translate this unease withthe state into a programme of action. It was a huge achievement. I recall hearingabout the enormous effort put in by Pradan staff to recruit professionals and placethem in organizations across the length and breadth of the country.

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It was no mean achievement to persuade,cajole and browbeat institutions to changetheir ways and accept people who were thePradan breed of voluntary sector workers. Iremember feeling actually embarrassed as Iwould slink out our office while Neelimawould be working away late into the evening.

HIGH STANDARDSThe high standards of integrity, commitmentand professional excellence required byPradan meant that only exceptional peoplejoined and survived in Pradan. The locationsof work and the emoluments paid by Pradanmade no concessions to normal middle classaspirations. It is remarkable that after twodecades of existence the organization has notlost momentum and its ability to attracthighly motivated people.

Neelima came to Seva Mandir at a time whenthe organization was in turmoil. There weredifferences within the organization over whowould take over the mantle of leadershipfrom the founder President who had justpassed away in June 1985. The atmospherefor work was not conducive for a youngprofessional or to feel positive about workingin a voluntary organisation and yet Pradanand Neelima chose not to abandon SevaMandir. I mention this to underscore the highquality of leadership and motivation thatinformed Pradan’s work.

CHANGED STRATEGYA few years down the road Pradan madeadjustments in its strategy to strengthen thevoluntary sector. From a position of trying toprovide young professionals to existingvoluntary organizations, Pradan decided todirectly implement development programmes.This decision must have been based on thefeedback from young professionals attachedto institutions. They must have been

thwarted in their desire to achieve significantresults. Their talent and commitment musthave clashed with that of old habits anddogma and also with the anxieties of peerswho were less talented and motivated.

The decision to directly implementprogrammes from an operational point ofview appears to be all too understandable. Itwould be a rare voluntary organization thatwould cede initiative to a younger generationof leaders and simultaneously accept adifferent ethos to work. The resistance tosuch changes were likely to be enormous andcould have derailed the very basis of Pradan.

DIRECT ACTIONHere too the leadership of Pradan seems tohave come good. Instead of being defeatedby resistance of the existing institutions, theychose to go directly to the field with theirvision of professional action for povertyalleviation and social change. The choice ofdirect implementation reflected Pradan’sgenius for action and quick thinking.

Having made this choice, Pradan confined itsimagination to creating structures centred onthe leadership and initiative of people drawnfrom the educated middle class, in otherwords, from the conventional class ofprofessionals. What it didn’t do was toexperiment with broadening the social baseof leadership and professionalism in thesector. People differently qualified and differentlymotivated were not included in their strategyfor strengthening voluntary action.

While such an arrangement makes sensefrom the point of view of gettingdevelopment done efficiently in the interestof the most deprived sections of society, thismodel fails to democratize the social base forleadership for change and development.

MODEST SELF-DEFINITION

At another level, by staying within theconventional notions of professionalism, itschoice of work tended to be economic innature and less oriented towards alteringsocial and power relations within society. Thisassessment of Pradan may be entirelymistaken, based as it is on anecdotalknowledge of the philosophy and work ofPradan. If, however, there were validity in thisassessment of Pradan, I would say thatPradan has been modest in its self-definitionas an agent of change and public action.

The calibre of people that it has been able torecruit and their loyalty and commitment tothe cause of poverty alleviation suggests thatthese people would have been up to thechallenge of working to a more

comprehensive view of social transformation.They could have engaged with people ofdiverse social and educational backgrounds intransforming their values and identitiesconsistent with the idea of making our societymore just. Pradan’s original approachnecessarily required this kind of engagement;the latter strategy required that it beconsciously introduced.

Pradan represents the best in the traditions ofvoluntary action in the country. It is anexperiment that has succeeded and yet itseems to me that they have sub-performed,given their enormous success in attracting thebest talent in our country for social change.

This article was earlier published in August 2003.

Archive: Rooted in Professionalism

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NewsReach July 2009

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Letter to Pradan

In 2002, Pradan came up with the idea of evaluating the effectiveness and impactof its Self-Help Group (SHG) programme. They approached researchers from theacademic arena, with a view to design a solid evaluation strategy; a joint venturethus evolved that included Pradan, the Delhi School of Economics and the NamurUniversity, Belgium. The issue is of crucial importance because, surprisingly, weknow very little about the true impact of the so-called ‘microfinance revolution’that has been happening for the last 20 years.

After a preliminary study in 2003, a longitudinal Living Standard MeasurementSurvey (LSMS) was initiated in 2004. The objective was to compare the evolutionover time of various aspects of poverty and human development between SHGmembers and non-members (difference-in-difference methodology). The samplewas identified through a random selection method in 36 villages across the stateof Jharkhand. The target population was divided equally into tribal families andnon-tribal families. Pradan has been working with people from different castes withdifferent aspiration and hopes. This makes the fight against poverty all the morechallenging and important. After the first round in 2003, the same households wereinterviewed in 2004 and for the third time in 2006. And in January 2009, the finalround of interviews was conducted.

Two of us, Timothée Demont, and Roberta Ziparo — Ph.D. students from NamurUniversity — worked, during the third round, with the research team and AmitKumar and Sanjay Prasad from the Documentation and Research Unit (DRU) ofPradan. The team also included 14 enumerators; 1,080 households (over 90% ofthe households as included in the study) of the sample were surveyed, beginningJanuary till April 2009.

Travelling the arid landscapes and flourishing valleys, the hills and the immenseplains, we spent a wonderful time in Jharkhand to reach the 36 villages spreadacross the state. East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Khunti, Gumla, Hazaribagh,Koderma, Banka, Godda and Dumka — we travelled from one district to the other.We meandered through fields of paddy, meeting didis and their families, to assesshow the ten-year work of Pradan was influencing the evolution of the lives of thevillagers.

The study focused mainly on the SHG programme though we also witnessed andrecorded data of the numerous livelihoods projects that PRADAN had initiated withthese families in order to create productive assets for a sustainable living. The area

Letter to Pradan

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in which the survey was carried out is one ofthe poorest in India: “The initial level of ruralpoverty, assessed at 49 percent by theNational Sample Survey (NSS) in 1999/2000,was the highest among all Indian states.” Inour sample this year, we found that around30% of the households could not manage tohave three meals a day for almost half theyear (the problematic months being mainlyMay to October). 68.8% did not haveelectricity and 96.2% did not have anysanitation facility. The research team is nowworking at organizing the data collected andmerging it with the data gathered in theprevious rounds, in order to create the paneldatabase that will eventually allowquantifying the actual impact of the SHGprogramme (and its implication in terms of[re]design and replication of theintervention).

Timothée Demont and Roberta Ziparo

A FEW WORDS…“I am very happy with the quality of the workthat has been done on the field during thesurvey. We have worked very hard to ensurequality, from the ten-day training of theenumerators to the manual and computer-assisted supervision on the field. The dayswere long, without any Sunday to rest. Butthe good spirit within the team made itlargely enjoyable. I discovered new friendshere and understood better a rural India thathas deeply touched me. What I rememberfrom the six months that I have just spent inIndia (I spent three months in Pradan Delhi toprepare the survey beforehand) is that this

big investment was largely worthwhile. I havebeen able to progressively understand thecontext I had to work in, as well as to controlthe survey from beginning till end, adaptinga lot on the way. My long stay especiallytaught me about a wonderful country, full ofdiversity, which I liked a lot. I would like tothank Pradan people for the professionalsupport they provided throughout the projectand for their work that I witnessed on thefield. I saw proud women taking responsibilityfor their future and their children. I hope tocome soon with interesting results, valuableto Pradan and to the issue of microfinance ingeneral.” Timothée Demont.

“This trip through the heart of India has beena wonderful immersion in a country endowedwith the richness of several cultures, whichare able to respect each other. Thanks to ourfriends in Pradan and to the group ofenumerators and data entry operators whotravelled with us, the implementation of thesurvey was an easy task. They helped us notonly to carry on the work, but also tocommunicate with the people, to learn a bitof (one of) their language, to understandtheir culture. We discovered a world full ofcolours, of energy, of willing to operate. I amoverjoyed to have interacted with people,who are proud of their work. They have beenable to encourage the passion and resolutionof the women. They seemed happy towelcome us, opening their doors withwarmth and love, and offering us food andbeverages despite their own difficulties.”Roberta Ziparo.

Saro Devi first took the risk of implementing SRI in her plot.The technology was entirely new. She recalls the days whenother farmers taunted her when they saw the single seedlingtransplants in her fields.

Extract from A Step towards Something New (Page 15)

Pradan is a voluntary organistaion registered under the Societies’ Registration Act in Delhi. We work inselected villages in 7 states through small teams based in the field. The focus of our work is to promoteand strengthen livelihoods for the rural poor. It involves organising them, enhancing their capabilities,introducing ways to improve their incomes and linking them to banks, markets and other economicservices. Pradan comprises professionally trained people motivated to use their knowledge and skills toremove poverty by working directly with the poor. Engrossed in action, we often feel the need to reachout to each other in Pradan as well as those in the wider development fraternity. NewsReach is one ofthe ways we seek to address this need. It is a forum for sharing our thoughts and a platform to buildsolidarity and unity of purpose. NewsReach was supported in the past by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and FordFoundation.

NewsReach is published by the National Resource Centre for Rural Livelihoods housed in the PradanResearch and Resource Centre. The publication of the NewsReach is being supported by the Aga KhanFoundation through the European Commission co-financed SCALE Programme.

PRADAN, 3 CSC, Niti Bagh, New Delhi 110 049, India Tel/Fax : 001 2651 8619/2651 4651 4582 E-mail: [email protected]

AGA KHAN FOUNDATION

Supported by the Aga Khan Foundation through the European Commission co- financed SCALE Programme

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