14th November 2010

1.15pm – 3.45pm

at the Sneinton Hermitage Community Centre, Sneinton Boulevard with home made soup & cake courtesy of Pixies Pantry, hot drinks, table tennis, pool, games, chat.

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The Lost Artists - a self help group for isolated artists who want to network with each other will be joining us !!! Artists, musicians, poets and any other artists that practice other art forms – are all welcome. Artist materials and musical instruments provided.

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Metropolitan Floating Support will be offering free drop in service at All Ours for housing related support issues. i.e. help with housing, rent arrears, welfare benefits, debt, advocacy and repairs.

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Have a go at juggling, plate spinning and toothbrush twirling – with The Middle Street Jugglers

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Champions of Change, run by Bright ideas. Come and give your views on current mental health services, they have been set up to feedback and to try and influence future services.

All Ours

www.allours.org.uk

Mob: 07947656651

One of the women's groups at a production centre

Empowerment of rural women is one of the central issues in developing countries all over the world. “Income generation for rural women is an important aspect in agriculture production. Unless rural women are not trained to be independant interms of economic income a country cannot progress,” says Dr. M. Shivamurthy, Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK), campus, Bangalore. A scientist from GKVK, extension unit initiated a training programme for two self help women groups in Tumkur district,Karnataka. The Department of Biotechnology, Government of India funded the project from 2008. Two SHG’s About 40 women in Gramdevathe Mahila Swasahaya Sanga group in Dodderi and Sri Rama Mahila Swasahaya Sanga group in Jayanagara villages in Madhugiri taluk of Tumkur district located in the southern part of the Karnataka underwent training in manufacturing a bio input called Trichoderma. The self help groups’ established two production units, producing about 1,200 kg of Trichoderma a year. The group has so far generated an income of Rs 84,000 annually by selling the bio input at the rate of Rs 70 a kg. According to Dr. Shivamurthy, majority of the women trained by the experts held less than two acres, lived in thatched houses, and worked as labourers. The training showcased how far womens’ groups can perform successfully in terms of revenue generation by manufacturing their own bio input called Trichoderma, which is an efficient bio-control agent that offers great potential for effective management of diseases in fruits and vegetable crops without spoiling the environment. First time “For the first time in Karnataka this type of exercise is being initiated to inculcate the production techniques of a highly sophisticated biotechnology among illiterate schedule caste women,” says Dr. Shivamurthy. Usually the big companies in agriculture, manufacture bio inputs for crops and sell them at a premium price for farmers. But these tribal women broke the trend as they started manufacturing and selling their own bio input at a comparatively lesser cost, according to him. Encourages “It also enhances the availability of fresh, quality bio-agents at lower cost by reducing the transaction cost for the benefit of farmers as further encourages several farmers to adopt biotechnologies in their field to protect their crops from diseases and reduce the use of chemical pesticides, which are harmful to the crop production environment,” he explains. Two units The two production centres also function as education centres for interested farmers and women from adjoining villages and are also being visited by bank officials, government agricultural extension workers, and several NGOs’ according to Dr.Shivamurthy. Marketing “We also trained the women in marketing their products through progressive farmers, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs’), research farms and seed dealers. A private seed company entered into an agreement with the groups in buying their products,” he says. Barathiya Agro-Industries Foundation BAIF (BIRDK), an NGO, is also supporting these two SHGs’ to market the bio input. For more details contact Dr. M. Shivamurthy, Principal Investigator & Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension, UAS , GKVK, campus, Bangalore-560 065, email: murudaiah.shivamurthy@ gmail.com and mobile: 09449044975.

A. Earlier reports:

Please click the following links to see the earlier reports on this experiment:

http://joydhak.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/joydhak-workshop-at-devipur-in-the-sunderbans-–-may’30-2010/

http://joydhak.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/the-devipur-experiment-follow-up-workshop-on-11th-july-2010/

http://joydhak.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/the-devipur-experiment-report-3—15th-august-2010-the-first-tangible-results/

B. Recap:

Location :

the location

A Sunderbans village named Devipur, on the bank of the river Thakurani in South 24 pgs of West Bengal, India.

Aim of the experiment:

Economic development of the village by optimum utilization of available resources, both material as well as human, available in the village and its surrounding area, involving residents of both genders and imbibing self-confidence and courage among the residents, especially the younger generation.

Background:

The Viswasuk Shevashram Sangha, a philanthropic organisation from Ichhapur, North 24 Pgs, West Bengal, has a small branch at Devipur , around 150 Kilometers away from Ichhapur. The economic conditions of the already poor village took a nosedive after being hit by the terrible cyclone Ayla some time ago.

The Ashram authorities wanted to start a revival activity at this village. On a specific request from the Ashram authorities the experiment was started from end of May 2010 at Devipur by an expert team comprising Debjyoti Bhattacharyya, Arindam Debnath and two Ashram Representatives viz. Sri Makhan Maharaj and Sri Shankar Mandal.

Methodology being followed:

a. On the spot assessment of needs, resources and capabilities

b. Assisting the local people in understanding their own requirement and in devising (by themselves) suitable strategies to achieve them.

c. Setting up milestones for implementation of such strategies and ensuring that participants stick to the schedule

d. Providing limited marketing and HRD assistance when such requirements arise.

e. Periodic evaluation of progress and providing guidance to participants in devising suitable modifications to their own strategies.

Results achieved till date:

1.      They have formed a self help group named Sunderban Vishwasuk Swanirbhar Goshthi with the women of ten families willing to participate in the experiment.

2.      The men have started a small enterprise of packaging locally available spices and honey. For this purpose the villagers have pooled a small initial capital from their own resources. No external fund has been provided.

3.      The Shevashram Sangha has opened a sales outlet for these products at their Ichhapur Premises.

4.      The women have arranged for a tailoring instructor from a nearby place and have started a tailoring class for themselves. The Vishwasuk Sevashram Authorities have provided them with requisite space and two old sewing machines for that purpose.

C. A new scheme introduced:

The agriculture in the village is highly dependent on large doses of chemical fertilizers which are expensive as well as harmful. In view of this, the Adult education centre of the University of Kalyani was contacted and with the active help from Prof Jiban Sarkar (Retd) of Bidhanchandra agricultural University, Kalyani, 4 of the villagers were given hands-on training in the techniques of vermicomposting.

The two-days course  was conducted by Prof Sarkar at Kalyani, in the first week of October’2010. The training fees of Rs 300 per head as well as the board and lodging of the trainees were borne by the Sevashram Authorities. The trained villagers were given the responsibility of starting  a vermicomposte farm in the village. The Ashram authorities would provide the requisite land for this purpose.

In this matter our expert group is thankful to Smt Sanchita Ghosh of “Concern India” who was kind enough to provide the necessary contacts.

D. Report of latest field visit to Devipur

The latest field trip to Devipur was organised on 10^th October’2010.

The aims of the trip were

(a) to visit the tailoring training facility created by the villagers, evaluate its performance, to meet  its women participants  and discuss, in situ, the various problems as well as suggestions for better performance of the facility.

(b) to inaugurate the Vermicomposte farm and prescribe achievement milestones.

(c) to resolve the problem of manning of the sales outlet at Ichhapur through a tripartite discussion among the Ashram Authorities, the villager and the expert group.

The visiting team comprised the followings:

The expert advisor team:

Debjyoti Bhattacharyya, Arindam Debnath

The Ashram Team:

Sri Makhan Maharaj, Sri Shankar Mandal, Smt Aradhana Bhattacharyya, Sri Pashupati ,

Guest participants:

Sri Prosenjit Chakroborti, Sri Santanu Bandyopadhyay

The Trip to Devipur:

On 10^th October, three of us were picked up from Barrackpore railway station by a hired vehicle. Pashupati and Makhan Maharaj were already there in the vehicle. Rest of the members joined us from various locations along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.

Our car then veered east, left the neighbourhood of the Metropolis and dived into the Sub-urban Bengal. Within two hours we were beyond the township of Baruipur and were once again hurtling through the ill maintained  village roads towards the tiger terrains of Sunderbans.

This time there was a change in the route. After “Priyo-r More” T- junction, the vehicle left the straight road, took a right turn and  within an hour we reached the small riverside village of Dhaki on the bank of Thakurani. An unbroken chain of Mangroves greeted us from the other bank of the river. There, hidden somewhere amongst those swampy forests of Bani, Sundari and Garan, stood Devipur, our destination.

It was high-tide time. Our overcrowded country boat chugged its way through the slightly choppy waters of the river. At places the boat was almost brushing past the branches of some mangroves invading the river. After sometime  the boat changed its course and within a short while we were on the other side of the river.

A motorized cycle van was waiting for us there. A narrow ribbon of a road meandered in front through a confused landscape of river, mud and mangroves overlapping one another in a surreal harmony. This last leg of our journey proved to be the shortest yet bumpiest. However, once we reached our destination, the warm greeting we received from the villagers compensated well for all the tribulations of a challenging road.

The days’ work:

1. The Tailoring section:

The hitherto empty corridor of the Ashram building at Devipur was now agog with activities. Many women and girls were sitting around two sewing machines. Tinkling of trinkets, dashes of colors from their sarees and floating pieces of words spoken in sing-song voices all these were mingling together and giving rise to an almost festive environ in that darkish clay and bamboo structure.

A blue clad lady rose from beside one machine and came forward to greet us. She introduced herself as Lakshmi Mistri, the Sewing instructor for the girls.

Lakshmi Samanta, the trainer

During the evaluation session that followed, it was seen that the ten trainee ladies aged between 17 to 35 had already achieved some expertise in cutting and stitching of four items, namely Basic Salwar kameez, ladies’ inner gown (locally known as Saya) penny frocks and midi gowns. When asked they immediately brought in some samples of their works.

Fashioned from some old pieces of cloths, the dress materials were reasonably well made. The expression of achievement written on the faces of the ladies while displaying their works was quite satisfactory. Two enthusiastic girls changed into the salwar kurta stitched by themselves and came forward with shy but beaming faces for a photo session.

The girls and women of Devipur displaying their work

It may be recalled that the decision of starting the tailoring training facility was taken sometime in July and two second hand machines were provided to the villagers only in August’2010. The above progress was achieved by the group of uninitiated village girls within a time span of less than two months only. The entire visiting group congratulated the trainees as well as their instructor for this achievement in so short a time with the help of two old , rickety machines only.

The evaluation session was followed by an interaction session among the trainees, their instructor, the Ashram authorities. This was moderated by the expert group.

During the session, the trainees placed their requirements through their instructor. She was well prepared with her observation and demands. The following demands were placed:

(1)   They need a proper, well-lit training room as the makeshift training arrangement at the corridor is not conducive.

(2)   They need proper cutting tables, sitting arrangements for the trainees and proper placement arrangement for the machines.

(3)   They need a proper board for teaching the drawings.

(4)   The two available machines are defective. They need to be repaired to avoid false stitches that result in wastage of time as well as material.

(5)   Number of machines is highly inadequate. It needs be immediately increased.

(6)   They need standard shape-scales for proper cutting.

(7)   They need a supply of old cloths for practicing and learning exercises and new cloths for producing usable items for which they have already learnt the cutting and stitching.

(8)   The trainee ladies were finding it difficult to find time for training during the daylight hours as they had to remain busy in their daily chores. As the place did not have any electricity, it would be helpful if a solar light could be arranged in the training room so that they could work after dark.

Decisions and observations:

1. The Ashram authorities immediately allotted one half of the only brick structure available in the Ashram premises for establishing the training room.

Makhan Maharaj with the trainee ladies inside the newly allotted room that will become a proper training facility soon

The room , though sturdily built, was found to be dark due to absence of proper windows. It was decided that the villagers would put four big windows on its walls. The Ashram authorities would bear the expenses.

2. Regarding sitting arrangements and cutting board, it was decided that instead of purchasing costly wooden furnitures the villagers would create the sitting arrangements and the housing for the cutting board with bamboo poles fixed on the clay-floor of the room. A thick ply-board will be used as the cutting board. The expenses so incurred would be borne by the Ashram Authorities.

3. Regarding the Drawing board and the shape scales Mr. Santanu Bandyopadhyay, the guest participant  in the field trip promised to provide the same.

4. Regarding more sewing machines, Sri Prosenjit Chakroborti, another guest participant, promised one machine within the month, Sri Ashish Sarkar, a follower of this blog has also promised Rs 10000. It was decided to purchase another machine from that money. Finally, the Ashram authorities also promised another second hand machine which would be properly repaired before sending to the village from the Ashram.

5. It was also decided that the villagers would immediately arrange to repair the defects of  the available machines and make them functional.

6. The Ashram authorities would also provide enough old cloths for the practices. However, new cloths for producing usable items would be required to be procured by the villagers themselves. Initially they would produce goods that would fulfill their own needs. They would then produce for the neighbouring villages and the men would help in marketing them by door to door hawking. Only after these two stages would come the stage for commercial marketing of the items.

7.Regarding Solar lighting, it was discussed and found that it would not be possible at that stage as it involved an investment of at least Rs. 20,000.(approximately USD 450) which is quite substantial and difficult for the Ashram to bear at this stage.

Through this blog it is being appealed to the larger community of readers to contribute whatever possible for this solar lighting project. You can contact Sri Shankar Mandal ((91)9007422880. email:  spmondal@ymail.com ) for details.

The target date  for implementing decisions 1 to 6 above was fixed at 10^th November’2010.

2. The vermi-compost project

The four villagers who were trained at the Adult education centre of University of Kalyani in the process of vermicomposting were found to have prepared the first vermicomposting bed which was kept ready for our inspection. A longish shed , erected on the Ashramland has been prepared for being used as the vermicompost farm whereas the composting pits would be placed just beyond the shed.

Inauguration of the Vermi compost project

The farm was inaugurated by Hon’ble Sri Makhan Maharaj.

It was decided to start with one thousand earthworms for which the villagers would arrange funds and the target date for introducing this first batch of worms was fixed at 15^th November’2010.

It was also planned to add more beds every two months.

The third target was that after gathering first hand experience in vermicompost production for next six months, the trained villagers would start vermicompost training programme for the benefit of others , on 15th April’2010.

It was also decided that for the initial period the vermicompost so produced will go to satisfy the requirement of the families of the members of the Self help group.

3. A problem statement and solution mechanism suggested

The Sevashram runs a school for children of poor families at their Ichhapur premises. Many of its students are provided with hostel facilities. After the inauguration of the sales outlet at Ichhapur , it was suggested that services of such students should be utilised for running the outlet. The Ashram Authority initially agreed but the experience of last two months has showed that the Ashram authorities have totally failed to provide this manpower. As a result the business of the sales outlet is suffering.

On the other hand, as the village and the sales outlet are separated by a very difficult stretch of 150 KM, It is also not possible for the villagers to commute daily to run the outlet.

The problem was raised by both the sides, i.e. the villagers as well as the Ashram Authorities to our expert team during the expert team’s field visit on 10^th October’2010.

The suggested solution mechanism:

We found that there are a number of  young individuals in the village whose education donot progress beyond secondary level due to remoteness and poverty. Some of them were seen to be quite capable of absorbing advanced education. After a discussion on the matter it was suggested that one such volunteer would be chosen from the village who would stay in the Ichhapur Ashram premises and look after the sales outlet there. In exchange, he would pursue further education at Ashram expenses. Ichhapur being closer to the Metropolis of Kolkata, the volunteer would get a better opportunity to educate himself.

The proposal was found acceptable by both the sides and it was decided that it should be implemented within 15^th November’2010. In the meantime Mr. Pashupati, one inmate of the Ichhapur Premises of the Ashram was given the charge of the Sales outlet till the volunteer from Devipur takes over.

In this context Sri Makhan Maharaj pointed out that during Deepavali a huge gathering takes place at the Ichhapur Ashram premises and the villagers should take this opportunity for achieving a substantial sale of their products during that time. It was informed by Sukharanjan that they have been already preparing themselves keeping that date in mind. The results will be reported in due course.

Postscript

On our long way back, the issue of replication of the experiment was discussed. Now that the Devipur Experiment is steadily under way, the next target area was decided to be in East Medinipur. Sometime in next spring we shall start the first steps towards replicating the Devipur experiment in a selected village there.

The Devipurites also hinted at their interests in getting the project replicated locally in neighbouring areas. The matter will be examined and analysed to decide whether to get this replication done through the Devipurites under indirect guidance from the expert group or to conduct the replication experiment through the Shevashram directly as is being done at Devipur. Let us wait for the developments in near future.

Last but not the least, I would take this opportunity to introduce to you the two brave ladies, Laxmi Sutar, the experienced President and  Krishna Roy, the young and energatic  Secretary of the Organisation (Sundervan Bishwasuk Swanirbhar Gosthi),  who are providing a very capable leadership to the people of  Devipur in their endeavour to change their own lives for better. Here’s their photograph:

Laxmi Sutar and Krishna Roy (Left to right)

The gist:

Road to Devipur

We have started an experiment since May 2010, among the dwellers of Devipur ,a remote Sunderban village  of West Bengal with a target to assist the villagers to improve their own lot by optimum utilization of their own resources.

The first Tangible results of the Devipur Experiment started coming  in with the inauguration of the first sale outlet of the Sundervan bishwasuk Self help group at Ichhapur on 15^th August’2010. Initial results are quite promising. The experiment has started meeting its delivery milestones on time. A report.

Contents of the current report:

1. Theoretical background of the experiment

2.Links to the earlier report

3. Recapitulation of earlier developments

3. Report on the latest development on 15th August’2010

4. Summary observation and Next course of action

1. DEVIPUR EXPERIMENT: The theoretical Background

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS:

1. Given adequate guidance , a below poverty line remote rural locality with adequate human resource can generate enough means to survive and thrive on their own without any resource inflow from outside.
2. In a development program, the local people are the best judges regarding how to make best use of their local resources. They only need assistance in the form of an initial external leadership, in order to
   1. concretize and visualize their own ideas.
   2. enforce timely execution of plans.
   3. arbitrate in case of difference of opinions
   4. conduct a  periodic objective evaluation and suggest (not enforce) alternatives wherever required .

TARGETS

flowchart

1. To see whether a below poverty line remote village can grow into a self reliant and economically strong location by using their own material ,intellectual and human resources only, without any resource inflow.
2. To document the development of decision making capabilities and entrepreneurial skills among the participants in course of the progress of the experiment.
3. To see whether they can devise and execute some home grown methodology that would start with a small internal resource, and then follow the following cyclic path to make it grow as the effort completes each turn in the cycle.
4. To record the minimum level of monetary/intellectual/managerial assistance required to pull off such a programme.
5. To document the various environmental, inter-personal and economic challenges that crop up in course of such efforts and also to document how they get resolved and to what extent that resolution requires outside financial/intellectual/managerial intervention.
6. To measure the overall degree of outside assistance that is required to achieve the target number 1 as mentioned above.

2. PREVIOUS REPORTS ON THIS EXPERIMENT:

Report 1:

http://joydhak.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/joydhak-workshop-at-devipur-in-the-sunderbans-–-may’30-2010/

Report 2:

https://joydhak.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/the-devipur-experiment-follow-up-workshop-on-11th-july-2010/

3. RECAPITULATION OF EARLIER DEVELOPMENTS:

Devipur is an poverty stricken remote village in the Sunderbans on the bank of the river Thakurani. A Philanthropic organisation named Viswashuk Sevashram Sangha has got a small formation there. The village has been a victim of the recent cyclone called Aila.

The first survey:

The first survey

Two Ashram sympathizers and workers, Shri Shankar Mondal and Smt Aradhana Bhattacharyya were the first team to make a visit to the village in February 2010 with a specific focus on the condition of the women in the Devipur area.

Subsequently, the Ashram approached the Joydhak team with a request to participate in their efforts to improve the socio-economic condition of the village.

The first workshop(30th  May’2010):

The Joydhak expert team consisting Debjyoti Bhattacharyya and Arindam Debnath made their first visit to the village on May 30’2010, accompanied by Shri Shankar Mandal and Sri Makhan Maharaj on behalf of the Ashram..

After a detailed in situ study, the villagers in active deliberation with the visiting team, came up with a set of suggestions that made the beginning of the DEVIPUR EXPERIMENT. The details of that first  report is available at the following link: DEVIPUR EXPERIMENT –FIRST REPORT.

The suggestions were :

(a)    the men would pool some fund by bleeding their informal micro finance business to procure a small diesel-run engine to start a multipurpose mill for husking of grams or extraction of mustard oil or grinding of spices..

(b)   The women would explore the possibilities of making soft toys for which there is a big market. The Ashram would arrange for training of representative women.

In both cases the Ashram was ready to provide the necessary space for the ventures.

The second workshop(11^th July’2010):

THE RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT STARTED SHOWING DURING THIS SECOND WORKSHOP. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DEVIPURITES HAD ALREADY STARTED INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THEIR PROBLEMS AND WHILE KEEPING THE GOALS INTACT, THEY HAD ALSO STARTED EFFECTING DEPARTURES FROM THE ORIGINALLY PLANNED STRATEGIES TO REACH THOSE GOALS.

The detailed report of the second workshop is available at the following link:

DEVIPUR EXPERIMENT: SECOND REPORT

Some examples of independent decision makings by the participants that resulted into departure from or modification of the original ideas developed in the first workshop:

(A)Regarding the Men’s project:

Problem statement: Existing financial resources were not enough to start the earlier planned multipurpose agro-processing mill.

Solution proposition: Multiply your existing capital first.

Proposed Solution Mechanism: Procure and package your local agro-products like Moong dal, honey , mustard and red chilies in small packs and sell them at a profit directly to the customer which can offer better price than present market value, since there will be no middle man.

Marketing strategy: The Vishwasuk Sevashram Sangha agreed to provide sale outlets in its different premises and proposed to use its goodwill to help market the products.

Target date: The target date for opening of the first outlet was fixed for 15^th August’2010 at the Ichhapur Headquarters of the Ashram.

(B) Regarding the Women’s project:

Problem statement: The Devuipurites did the requisite market enquiries and arrangements were made by Joydhak for their consultation with a private businessman for their learning from his experiences. As a result they came to the conclusion that running a soft toy order supply business from such a remote location would not be cost effective.

As an alternative, they then visited a nearby township named Joynagar and spoke to the  cloth merchants / garments manufacturer  there.

It was found that lots of job work for stitching of ladies’ undergarments / kids wear would be available from this local market / manufacturer only, provided the womenfolk of the villages could learn how to stitch professionally.

So the villagers decided to modify the women’s project also. They were given a sewing machine for initial training of the village women. They themselves arranged for a seamstress named Laksmi, who has started giving lessons to the villagers now in the art of cutting and the craft of using of the sewing machine.

An individual, following the experiment regularly has also offered a second machine immediately after the women make the first profit out of their novel venture.

(C) Regarding Management of inter-personal relationship:

It was seen that they had, by themselves, formed a small group of ten willing families who were ready to participate in the experiment voluntarily and had christened the group as Sunderban Bishwasuk Swanirbhar Goshthi.

4. REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENTS ON 15 AUGUST’2010

After the decisions of the 11^th July meetings, the work progressed with a deadline based approach.

On the Women’s side

they have started a continuous training with the help of a local instructor in the art of tailoring of ladies undergarments with the help of the singleton machine provided by the Ashram Authorities.

On the Men’s side

The Devipurites could initially manage to pool a capital of around Rs 4555. to procure the materials to be sold in the outlet to be opened on 15^th August at the Ichhapur premises of the Vishwasuk Sevashram Sangha. The proposed materials  consisted of different spices and honey which are their local products.

Three members from Devipur village had arrived in the Ashram premises with the materials on 12^th August. They borrowed and set up a small weighing machine in the first floor of the Ashram building and went to work there, meticulously weighing and packing their fares in tiny plastic packets adorned with a label printed at the Ashram press indicating the name of the Self Help Group. A slender candle flickered continuously at one corner—this was their primitive tool – a slow and cumbersome one– for sealing the cellophane packets; allow the flame to lick the top of the filled cellophane pack and heat-seal it, at the risk of burning your fingertips alongwith the packet.

Regarding pricing of the packs they did a survey in the local markets to get the prevailing prices and very intelligently kept their prices a notch lower than that.

inauguration of the first outlet

After the flag hoisting ceremony in the Ashram school premises, the Sale outlet was inaugurated by Makhan Maharaj with assistance from Debjyoti Bhattacharyya, Arindam Debnath and Shankar Mandal. He introduced us to one Ashramite who has been dedicated for managing the sales outlet.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Sukharanjan from Devipur made a very poignant statement about the desperate economic situation of the village and the efforts they are making to ameliorate that without asking form any financial aid from anybody. It was the voice of  a belligerent Sunderbans trying to fight back on their own strength and offering whatever they have to the more advanced segment of the society with an aim to generate a capital for launching of their dream project of a small agro-processing plant in their locale, that would serve the local community and generate income, without any outside financial assistance.

The sale outlet did not have any colour or frills. A simple bamboo thatch with some makeshift benches and tables displaying small cellophane packs and bottles containing the agricultural products and unadulterated honey right from the bosom of the forestland!

The guardians of the children of the school were the first set of customer for the outlet.

Sukharanjan addresses the gathering-- the voice of Sunderban

The result was almost instantaneous. There was a brisk selling and the first day itself saw a sellout worth more than Rs. 2000. As a result the Ashram Authorities got confident about the prospect of the outlet. The entire investment of Rs. 4555 was paid to the Devipurites  by the Ashram authorities so that they could roll the money once again. The rest of the material would be sold from the outlet and the profit portion would be kept separately in the Ashram’s custody as planned.

At the time of writing of this report, the rest of the stock has already been exhausted, and the Devipurites are in the process of bringing in the next lot to the outlet.

On their way back to Devipur on the next day, with their investment recouped, the first thing the Devipurites did was to visit the Kolkata market and purchase one sealing machine and a weighing machine of their own.

5. Summary observation:

Regarding the Men’s project:

The first cycle is thus over in the experiment.

(A) During this period it has been observed that

(a)                the people displayed development of decision making as well as entrepreneurial skills and then

(b)               could successfully pool a small fund from among themselves, roll it , recoup the investment and then re-invest a part of that in creating permanent

assets. (refer flow chart at para 2 of “Target” segment of the report)

(B) For that purpose they required the following outside assistance:

(a)                Infrastructural help in the form of a small sell-outlet

(b)               Psychological counseling and morale boosting interactions

(c)                Management level assistance in defining the goals, setting milestones and following these up by experts.

(C) The Men’s project will now enter its growth phase. This phase is most crucial in the sense that the sustainability of the scheme will be put to the real acid test in this phase.

(D) As a preparatory for this growth phase,

(a)    The villagers themselves are busy preparing for the next stage of a continuous supply of saleable products in larger volumes.

(b)   a set of proposals is going to be discussed by the Ashram authorities regarding the various assistances they would provide in this developmental phase. The discussion is scheduled to take place on 29^th August’2010.

(E) The set of proposals include

1. Creating a permanent RCC structure sale outlet at Ichhapur campus.
2. Initiating the process of setting up of the second outlet at Medinipur campus.
3. Initiating the process of marketing the goods at Daihata wing of Ashram campus.
4. Arranging for adequate display boards etc to attract attention of prospective customers.

Regarding the Women’s Project:

It is yet to complete the first cycle. This is being closely monitored. The difference in the gestation period of the men’s and women’s project could be due to factors like:

(a) difference of socio-economic status among the men and the women

(b) nature of the project. The men’s project invloves procurement and supply of goods while the women’s requires development of a specific skill set.

The issue is being closely monitored and will be studied in detail during the next in situ workshop at Devipur on 10th October’2010.

In the meantime Sri Shankar Mandal is in constant touch with the Devipur people monitoring the progress of the women in their project  and pushing the men-folk regarding the next phase of their business with an aim to maintain the deadlines.

We shall be awaiting the developments and shall publish the next report in due course.

Carl and Allison need to break out of their prison of negativity.

(Warner Brothers) Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Terence Stamp, Danny Masterson, Rhys Darby, Michael Higgins, Sasha Alexander, Molly Sims. Directed by Peyton Reed

We hairless apes can be a pretty negative bunch. We have a tendency to want to stick to our comfort zone, whether we are happy in that place or not. We rarely embrace the positive; we’d much rather say “no” to life than risk potentially making a fool of ourselves.

Carl (Carrey), a junior loan officer at a regional bank in Los Angeles, has taken this to extremes. Still emotionally stunted after a painful divorce three years earlier, he has blown off most of his friends, particularly Peter (Cooper), Carl’s best friend, who recently got engaged. Mostly he wants to avoid a chance meeting with Stephanie (Sims), his ex but in reality he’s stopped living.

When his boss Norman (Darby) asks him to a get-together, Carl says no. When someone hands him a flyer to see a band, Carl turns it down. Go out drinking with Peter and their other buddy Rooney (Masterson)? Forget about it. Carl would much rather cocoon himself in his apartment with a rented video before starting his dreary existence all over again the next morning.

That is, before Carl is dragged into a self-help group that worships the power of Yes. The guru of the group (Stamp) preaches the transformative powers of saying Yes to life instead of No. When Carrey appears hesitant (and endures a cult-like chanting of “NO MAN NO MAN NO MAN” from the seminar attendees), Carl is intimidating into accepting a covenant with the guru – that he must say yes to every opportunity that presents itself to him.

So when a homeless man demands a ride into a isolated hillside park? Carl must say yes. When the same man asks to use Carl’s cell phone? Of course, even though the homeless man drains the battery. Give the homeless guy all his cash? Si, amigo!

Strangely, this does prove transformative in Carl’s life, particularly when he meets Allison (Deschanel) who fronts a strange synthpop art band and runs a jogging photography class by day – how very quirky! However, one wonders how genuine the romance can be if one is required to say yes to everything the other suggests. Certainly Allison wonders when she finds out about Carl’s odd covenant.

This is a little bit too reminiscent of Liar, Liar for my liking – in that film, Carrey was a lawyer forced to say the truth no matter what by a magic spell. Here, it’s not so much magic as karma that goes after him; the first time he says no, he winds up falling down a flight of stairs and nearly mauled by the kind of dog that most apartment complexes won’t allow you to keep.

Carrey has never been my favorite comedian; he mugs a little bit too much and a little bit goes an awful long way. He really hasn’t varied his act much over the past 20 years going back to Ace Ventura Pet Detective and now approaching 50, it wears a bit thin. Still, when he reins in his more excessive tendencies (as he did in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) I actually do like him.

However, Deschanel is one of my favorite actresses. She has that quirky quality that indie film directors adore and she is also innately sweet, not to mention totally gorgeous. Whenever she’s onscreen, the movie works and not just because of her beauty or her quirkiness. She plays off of Carrey nicely and the chemistry between them is genuine enough that it makes you forget the age difference which might have made the movie romance a little bit creepy.

The movie has an outstanding support cast. In addition to a pre-The Hangover Cooper and veteran actor Stamp, it has small screen talents Masterson (“That 70s Show”), Sims (“Vegas”) and Darby (“Flight of the Conchords”) who is particularly engaging as the trying-too-hard bank manager Norman who has a penchant for nerdiness and Harry Potter.

Reed, who also directed The Break Up, shows flashes of brilliance in the director’s chair but is hamstrung by a script that follows Romantic Comedy formula 101 to a “T” which pretty much drains the movie of all its suspense. Also, the concept could have been tweaked a bit; Carl says Yes not so much because he has to but because he feels compelled to. It removes a bit of the dramatic tension that might have brought this movie a better rating.

For the most part, it’s fairly harmless and some of the humor that comes from the situations Carl gets into by saying yes gets more than polite chuckles. Given that I’m not a particular Jim Carrey fan may give you pause to consider that I might have rated this a bit lower than it deserves to be; certainly the work of Darby and particularly Deschanel make it worth checking out as a rental. However, at the end of the day this isn’t something I would watch again if I had a choice. That makes Yes Man a solid maybe.

WHY RENT THIS: Deschanel is one of the most engaging actresses in the business. Her chemistry with Carrey gives the movie added sweetness.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: The movie is a bit formulaic, particularly when it comes to the romance. When Carrey goes over-the-top, the movie gets a bit stale.

FAMILY VALUES: The humor can be crude and juvenile at times, with emphasis on the sexual. There’s also some brief nudity and a smattering of bad language. All in all, this is probably acceptable for most teens.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel share the same birthday, January 17^th – exactly 18 years apart (Carrey was born in 1962, Deschanel in 1980).

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: Both the DVD and Blu-Ray editions have music videos (which are in reality just full uncut takes of song performances) by Allison’s Munchausen by Proxy band, as well as a “Behind the Music”-like faux documentary on the band’s rise to fame. Norman gives us a tour of his bachelor pad/love nest and we see Carrey chug a can of Red Bull and give his spiel on Red Bull love on the Blu-Ray disc.

FINAL RATING: 5/10

TOMORROW: In the Loop

——————–
* S. Plath: April Aubade

I found it very difficult to reach out to get support. I felt weak to ask for help and had a misconception of what treatment entailed. I felt I would be a burden if I asked for help, and deeply ashamed for not being able to do this on my own. However, I have learnt that I cannot walk this Earth alone; it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help but an act of courage and self-care.

I’ve only managed to get to three recoverers’ meetings so far, but the support I have found in the self-help groups has proved to be invaluable to me, although I understand that people can have a variety of feelings towards such groups since it depends so much on who attends and how they are ran by the facilitators.

In the UK there are a number of support groups, which can be found using BEAT’s Helpfinder. I found my local support group there.I’ve heard that in the USA there is Eating Disorder’s Anonymous, although I’ve heard that they focus more on a 12-steps approach to recovering from an ED as opposed to just being there for talking about random topics. I know that one blogger, malpaz, is attending the USA EDA support group, so it may be worth directing questions to her, or taking a look to see what she is blogging about as both types of groups seem to have a different ethos.

I attend monthly sessions. I was terrified at first: what if I was the fattest one there? Will I be triggered by other members? What if I’m at a further stage of recovery than the others are? What is no one but me turns up?I had not ever talked openly about my anorexia, and the child services, CAMHS, told me that the competitive nature of EDs prevented group therapy from taking place.

It turned out there were some women who were thinner than me (as they talked of symptoms of being underweight when I was free of those symptoms). There were some who had lived with the illness for much longer than me. Some had been in in-patient for years.But I did not personally feel competitive. I thought to myself: the ‘best’ anorexics are the one’s who die. I thought, she is really suffering and I know what that is like too, so how can I be jealous of someone else’s pure agony and the torment they are living through?

There were the “no number” rules, and other ground rules to keep the conversation on-topic and recovery orientated which was fantastic and meant the environment was very productive and not detrimental to our recovery. There was one occasion where a member broke the rules, and was not rectified immediately, but after e-mailing another facilitator we were reminded of the rules more often and the situation did not reoccur.

At the first, I was not too positive in my attitude. But I met a girl who was living life and working and who was very cheerful and proud of where she had got to. I think her charisma really caught on and taught me that I too can feel proud of where I am and that the world does not need to be covered in black paint.Now, I go to the support groups with an open mind, and try to be positive in what I have achieved.

The second meeting I met another woman, who came again in my third session. It really helped to listen how she copes with some of the stresses of eating. I spoke about the challenges that I am about to face in the next few weeks. She gave me ideas on what I can do to cope and what helps her, and I also had a chance to tell her my plan of action to cope, which cemented in my mind what I can do to help myself. It was really nice to see her come as she was a familiar face — and less awkward to start our conversation too!  It turns out that we have some things and thoughts in common, but also some major differences too (in our lives and families, mostly).

I was also able to talk about my experiences of self-harm, and it was inspiring that there were people out there who were further recovered than I was in that respect.

To be able to talk to someone, and feel understood, feels wonderful. I feel less along, and able to cope and able to ask do you have any ways of coping with xyz?

From those meeting I have a fuller “coping toolbox” and plan to add the following to it:

• Keeping up with writing a journal of my struggles (I also talked to some of the recoverer’s about how it’s best to keep a journal, and that I am able to take it out where I go too for safety)
• Trying “distraction” activities after eating a difficult meal (the woman did cross-stitching but I might try drawing in my sketchbook)

I shall look forward to the next meeting. It’s a shame so few people turn up to the meetings, but I’ve yet to be the only one to turn up. I hope to see some familiar faces next time too.

For those of you contemplating going to such support groups, I would encourage your to try finding out more information first, and then to consider giving it a chance. I won’t deny that some have not had good experiences, but you can never tell how things will go if you don’t attend. It might be a great opportunity to reach out and get some extra help. It’s also reassuring to know that, unlike on the support in the NHS, there are no “entry” criteria. It’s not a substitute for professional advise, but anything that can supplement my recovery is worth investing (even if it means travelling out of town by rail and then bus).

The background:

Fifty Kilometers away from Joynagar railway station in the district of  South 24 Parganas of the Indian state of West Bengal, there flows a river called Thakurani. One of its banks is covered under the dense canopy of mangroves and on the other bank, surrounded almost on all sides by the various branches of Thakurani as well as by the main river itself, stands a village called Devipur.

Devipur is a very interesting place. Its one of the frontier human settlements standing between the civilized world of mainstream Bengal and the menacing Sunderbans and thus has to serve two masters for survival. The two masters , the nature on one side and the human ‘civilization’ on the other, function at two  completely different levels, both equally inscrutable and unpredictable.

The continuous subjugation to two such different , difficult and demanding masters has left an indelible stamp on the entire settlement. It’s a study in contrasts. People discuss the latest nabbing of a burglar or nabbing of a tiger on the village grounds in the same pitch as if there’s no difference between the two.

A casual visitor will find any number of such contrasts strewn around in the village grounds as well as in the collective psyche of its dwellers, but more of that later..

The Vishwashuk Sevashram Ashram of Ichhapur, 24 pgs (N), a voluntary organisation working for the economically weaker sections of the society, has got a branch at Devipur. During the Joydhak workshop at Ichhapur Ashram in January’2010 with their child beneficiaries, the Head of the Ashram had made a request for conducting a joint field visit and a workshop at Devipur to see what the Ashram could do there for the welfare of the local residents. The workshop in the village was scheduled on 30^th May 2010.

The team:

The Joydhak team comprised Debjyoti Bhattacharyya and Sri Arindam Debnath.

Sri Shukananda Brahmachari (Makhan Maharaj), Secretary and Sri Shankar Mondal a voluntary worker joined us from the Vishwashuk Shevashram.

The visit:

We started at around nine in the morning in a vehicle of the Ashram. It was an old Maruti Omni converted into an ambulance (i.e. by putting a stretcher inside and a blue lamp outside on the roof of the car).

It happened to be an election day in Bengal as well as a Sunday. We gratefully flew through the almost deserted roads during the first leg of the journey. Everything was peaceful and not a ghost of any trouble could be seen anywhere.

The trouble began once we crossed Joynagar. It was around 11 AM. By then we had already driven 90 KMs in two hours and around 50 KM road was left. We were expecting to reach the destination by 12:30.

But, suddenly the road changed its skin and the hitherto smooth and sleek track became a terribly rough and bumpy one. The drive now became extremely slow and jerky, the sultry heat almost unbearable. At places there was absolutely no surface left and the car was behaving like a storm-teased boat. After a while the octogenarian Maharaj had to lie down on the stretcher. His head peacefully resting on Arindam’s lap, eyes closing occasionally stealing a few moments of fitful slumber, our discussions on various issues and projects  continued intermittently. The journey was proving too much for his body but not for his indomitable spirit.

Covering a distance of around 15 kilometers in the next one hour  we stopped for stretching our limbs a bit and went to a roadside tea-and-sweet vendor for a swig of tea. He was a short man with a disproportionately large moustache and a calm stoical look hanging like a permanent fixture on his face. For some time he appeared to communicate in a language made up of  gestures and monosyllables only. The break came when Arindam tasted one of his sweetmeats and expressed his high appreciation for it. Suddenly the man opened up and gushed out his feelings about how correct Arindam’s appreciation was and how the other city people did not appreciate anymore the true spirit of a Bengali sweetmeat.

Then came a long chat about many things under the Sun ranging from last year’s cyclone ‘Aila’ to the zooming price index and plight of the rural poor to the man’s surreal fixation about witnessing a moonrise in the southern sky. (This needs a little explanation: During our conversation the man had suddenly lowered his voice a notch and had informed in a conspiratorial tone  that for the last two days he had been watching  the moon rising on the southern sky. He had mistaken us to be traveling journalists and wanted us to write about this when we went back. Maybe a shrewd ploy at a gimmick to bring his name in the media! Who knows. The man didn’t appear to be insane or inebriated.)

“When do you think we shall be able to reach Devipur?” Arindam asked the man while we were preparing to leave.  “Two hours more,” the man informed, and then added stoically, “Since the Aila last year, the roads here have really deteriorated at places……its all bad luck you know…….”

He was speaking as if the road and its condition was also a natural feature and should be accepted as if it was handed down to man by nature. Nowhere in his tone could we find anything remotely resembling sarcasm or skepticism towards the slow pace of state intervention in restoring damaged civic amenities. He has accepted the terrible road condition continuing now for around a year just in the same manner as he and his ancestors have always accepted a bad monsoon or a flash flood. That’s what is popularly been called the ‘Oriental fatalism.’ Being familiar with this laid back mental set up prevailing in many areas of rural India, we did not find this attitude out of place. But then, everybody is not like that! Two hours away, a different kind of mindset was awaiting us.

THE DESTINATION, AT LAST

The tea shop owner proved right. It was almost past two when the van finally pulled up in front of a largish piece of land sporting a few huts and a small brick structure. That was the Ashram property at Devipur.

A local resident was waiting there for us with a can of sugarcane juice. The middle-aged man was quite well to do in local standards and thus was in a position to  devote some spare time for pious work. So he has taken the responsibility of looking after the Ashram as a local manager. A small blackboard hung at one corner of the long verandah indicating that some teaching activity was done there. The man informed that his son, who had made a failed attempt at graduation at some point of time, gave lessons to some local students at this facility provided by the Ashram. And there ended the role of the Ashram in the local society.

But why, despite having this excellent piece of property, the Ashram is not able to increase its activities here while they can run free schools, low cost dispensaries, press and many other such activities in their other locations?

The local person had overheard our conversation while pouring the cane juice into glasses and handing them over to us. Suddenly he intervened with a simple remark, “For the Ashram to be active some Ashramite needs to come as a resident in this Ashram–somebody who is capable enough. Otherwise the Ashram will be able to do nothing.”

Makhan Maharaj nodded his assent and added, “He is right. Somebody should come and stay here and start the work. These people are ready to take the responsibility of maintaining him. Their food is simple, coarse but sustaining. The man will get all the basic amenities like food , cloth and shelter. But, nobody is ready to come and stay. Obviously, a family man will not be able to do that. Only a Sannyasi can do that, and that is the rarest kind of human resource these days. I donot understand why they are becoming so rare—-’

The demand of the local man and the confused lamentation of the Maharaj are logical results of a long social evolution. It will not be out of place to discuss it a bit here.

AN OUTDATED DEVELOPMENT

MODEL

What the Maharaj was trying to say relates to a unique  development model which has been time tested in rural India. In this model, the wandering monks, knowledgeable men who   renounced all personal worldly hankerings, used to carry the light of (both worldly and transcendental) knowledge from place to place and wherever they stayed they became the source of knowledge and guidance for the local simple rural folk. With the advent of Europeans and the resulting commercialization of both education and development under the aegis of Occidental perspective of life, the model took a back seat and retreated from the happening scenes of Indian ‘mainstream’ to that vast hinterland called rural India. That was beginning of end of this model of development in India.

Slowly the model lost its relevance in an ever increasing sense as the urban society expanded. However, due to a not-so-advanced communication technology the slowly shrinking rural community remained  insulated from the changes in the urban domains and hence this model of development could still continue in such insulated domains where time stood still. But finally, beginning from the eighties , the revolution in communication technology  spelt its final doom. The predominant market driven social model stepped in, and without outwardly changing the villages into cities, recast the lifestyle and perspectives there, remodeled the lifestyle philosophies and created a different class that has essentially become consumerist without first becoming urban.

Quite naturally this social environment is not conducive to generation of people fit to serve in the ways the traditional Sannyasi has served  the society, and as a result of rapidly diminishing supply of adequate number of resource persons this model is fast losing its steam as well as role, so fast that sometimes the existing people in this trade, the Sannyasis who had started their career as social servants and reformers a few decades back, feel dizzied by the speed of the change and manifests a sense of loss through these kind of comments.

THE GOOD OLD WINE IN A BRAND

NEW BOTTLE

The need for leadership and guidance however remains strongly felt in these hybrid societies with an urban aspiration and a rural look, because of  still existing inequalities in the societies. Though the people here are being fast programmed by the aggressive communication and media tools to know more of the dainties of an urban life, the basic infrastructures for food, shelter, education  and health are as yet inadequate and a lot is required to be done in those areas.

The existing Sannyasis with their static world views are not adequately equipped to handle these situations. They even donot speak the prevailing language! The situation needs a new breed of social workers trained in the intricacies of this new socio-economic fabric, the new desires, the new fears and the same time they should be selfless too. Such people are not born in the regular processes of the society. They are the exceptions but they do exist. Joydhak has been witnessing a number of such new gen Sannyasis in the form of Subrata Biswas in Priyabala Vidyabithi, Falguni heading the Ravindra Smriti Vidyalaya at Bamangachhi, Shivaji, who has created a Ramkrishnite free school, again at Bamangachhi, Mr. P.K. Biswas and his school “Nivedita Vidyapith at Radhanagar, of South 24 Parganas,  Sri Dulal Maharaj, operating mainly among the rural tribal folks of Maharastra, and many others like them.

The above discussion will hopefully explain the dynamics of the two casual remarks mentioned earlier, one by the local caretaker of the Ashram properties regarding need for a resident leader  and the confused lamentation of  the Maharaj in response.

THE PLACE

The local resident gave a picture of the socio economic structure of this marginal settlement balanced precariously on borderline between human society and the mangrove wilderness.

A lot of local land has become salt caked due to the floods following the destructive cyclone of last year. At least another year’s rain will be required to cleanse the land to some extent to make them productive. The producing lands are single harvest ones but if one can manage a shallow bore well the same land is capable giving two harvests (“As my land is doing. I have a shallow,” he added smiling”) But then not everybody can afford that and there exists no infrastructure through which the community can provide such facilities to weaker individuals.

“There is yet no electricity supply here. That’s a major problem,” the local caretaker of the Ashram lamented. At this , another youth sitting close by and listening to the discussions interjected, “But soon we shall have electricity here. They were discussing the other day. Soon the government people will start putting poles and drawing cables…we shall not have much difficulty then. There will be light, and we shall be able to watch television….” and that’s the local youth’s involuntary response to the question of  how to make use of electricity!

Health facility is poor. The local quacks are the main source of health service. The nearest health station is quite a few kilometers away. So are the nearest bank and railway station. The only contact with mainstream Bengal is through the ill maintained vein of road through which we came and the only protection from the mangrove predators in the  wall of flowing water of Thakurani. Tigers do visit the village. The latest one roamed free for two weeks before it could be netted by the forest officials.

THE FINAL DISCUSSIONS:

Our food had been arranged in the house of this mentor. After a  quick wash and lunch of rice, dal and some vegetables and fish we gathered under a large tree. Small talks on various subjects gradually gravitated towards the main focus—poverty and lack of future in their lives.

The only question that was being fired to us in various forms and in various tones ranging from pleading to sarcastic was, what assistance could we provide through government machineries for the villagers? The mood was pretty clear, if you are capable of that, tell so and we shall discuss, otherwise you are wasting our time.

We enquired as to what they understood by “Assistance”. The replies that came back , again in various forms and with varying levels of clarity was that they felt that they needed more share of the various government aids provided to the rural poor in the form of different poverty alleviation schemes.

The schemes, in place in various forms for some decades now in India can be summarized in one line—push in some money in the rural economy in the form of food or wage for artificially generated work.

Various such schemes do exist , both for men and women, and they are playing a great role in avoiding hunger and sufferings arising out of abject poverty in many segments of the country. In essence the schemes are a form of aid that makes an weak attempt towards equitable distribution of aggregate wealth generated by the nation by channeling some extra wealth from its wealthier regions to the poorer regions.

Such schemes , though playing a major role in rural lives of India for quite sometime now, are riddled with many problems ranging from corruption to inadequacy of fund and issues of inappropriate timings. But the most glaring drawback of such schemes (positive statistics notwithstanding) is that most of the times they are not executed to ensure that the money so injected in a system recycles and multiplies itself. An aid mostly remains an aid and is not transformed into an investment capable of recouping the capital in time and of generating a profit in the process so that the same money can grow and re-inject itself into the system. In short, such aids do not put in place a permanent solution by transforming itself into a permanent and profit generating asset. Thus , in effect it remains a dignified alms given by the richer citizens to their poorer brethren through the governmental machinery , a significant part of which again is siphoned off before reaching the targets by various modes which we can generally term as ‘Transmission loss’.

So we began our talk by simply asking them whether they had been getting any such assistance already.

The replied that yes they were getting some work or monetary assistance under some such schemes but that was far less than adequate.

Our next question was what they had done with that money. This drew a clear blank. First they did not understand the implication of so trivial a question. Once again we repeated it and they replied that they had spent the same in satisfying various domestic needs.

Next we asked whether they ever gave back anything in return. The answer was a no.

The next question was simple and straightforward—whether they considered themselves as beggars or not.

The question drove home. The people fell silent for a while only to come back with a gusto, “Then what do you people suggest?”

So we made our suggestion. It was simple. Make use of existing resources, however meager they are and make the grow.

A discussion ensued where the existing resources and their possible uses were listed. These were:

1. Working space:

The Ashram had a property of around two bighas. They will allow the villagers to make use of this.

2. Capital:

The men of the village run a small rural financing business. The scheme is very simple. Each contributed some little fund to make a small corpus of few  thousand Rupees. When somebody is in need of money they lend it from the corpus at a high rate of interest. The income is distributed among the stakeholders proportionately. Some take it out and some reinvest it, thus increasing his stake. It was planned that a portion of this could be invested as initial capital.

3. Ideas:

For men: Moong dal hasking machine is a low cost item and easy to handle. Installing this machine in harvest time would generate enough seasonal work that would pay for the machine in a season or two. Then the rest would be profit.

Mustard production is quite substantial in this area. The production is mainly used for production of mustard oil at subsistence level but the presses available in the area are less efficient and give lesser output. If a high efficiency press could be installed , the villagers themselves, expert and intelligent farmers as they are, were convinced that the machine will get job round the clock. Coming to the issue of power to run these implements, one member gave a simple solution, Purchase one diesel operated motor and different types of belts and the same motor can run different machine based on need.

Once they have some assets to show they will also be able to get loan from banks, thus increasing their working capital. Once started, this will multiply, but the most difficult part was to make the beginning.

We left the germ of the idea at this stage in their minds allowing them some mental space to mull over it and judge its various consequences. We put our confidence on the native intelligence of the farming community and decided to await and respect the outcome of their thought process.

It was decided that Shri Sankar Mondal, representative of the Ashram, will keep in touch with the people there, help in developing the ideas further with assistance from the Joydhak team and when the people are psychologically and physically ready to begin the venture, will arrange to provide the requisite infrastructure in the form of making a part of the Ashram space available for the project, assisting in procurement of the machines (if possible , second hand machines at cheaper price) from the Kolkata market and getting necessary help in installation of the simple devices.

It was decided that the matter would be reviewed again after the rainy seasons are over and when the season for mustard and moong draws near. That will be right point for the second push.

The fundamental principle of the proposal was developing a partnership were the benefactor would invest only in kind (providing some physical infrastructure and the requisite initial leadership) while the beneficiary group will garner their existing resources—money (whatever meager amount they can bring together  would have to do as a start), human resource and skill. This will help in developing a sense of ownership about the scheme among the beneficiaries and it will not remain merely a Government aid programme from which one expects some alms only, giving back nothing in return.

For Women: Two schemes came up during the discussion:

(a) a soft toy making business could be started by a group of women. The group should have at least 7 to 8 members. Soft toys have got a huge readymade market at all levels of the society. There are wholesalers who provide the requisite raw materials and take delivery of final products on payment of wages. The role of the Ashram would be to provide basic local infrastructure, help in primary skill development among some of the women by arranging for their training and then to arrange for initial selling of their products in the wholesale markets.

(b) Arindam came up with a second suggestion: one of his friends has a business of domestic and overseas selling of Indian handicrafts. One item of his trade is painted clay pots and lamps. It will be the employer’s responsibility to provide all the raw materials and the work will be done on wage basis. No capital investment is required by the women. All they would need would be some space and some rudimentary basic skills which could be easily provided.

Once the ball starts rolling a part of the income could be invested in micro finance , but that would be a second level idea, to be considered if and when the first stage succeeds.

It was decided that the matter would be reviewed after  a period of one month between the Ashram representatives and the representatives of the group of women of the locality wherein the plan will be finalized and next course of action started.

The date for that second stage is approaching now. By end of June we shall be able to provide updated information regarding progress of this scheme. In the meantime a group of institutes providing training in soft toy making has been identified by Joydhak and the list has been provided to the Ashram representative.

HOMEWARD BOUND

While coming back we had stopped the car at a deserted spot. Shankar, who is a frequent visitor here, led us through salt encrusted sterile lands to a spot near the river. The majestic Thakurani flowed silently with its silvery gray spread of water. It was low tide time. A rivulet emptying into the river lay idle– its water mass almost completely drained by the sea-ward  pull of the low tide. A thin line of water was still trickling through the very center of it. The dense forest on the opposite bank was gradually enveloping itself into the evening mist. A menacing silence prevailed, accentuated by the constant whining of wind all round us. Under the calm of that approaching evening , the village waited silently for a change. Will this change happen? We shall wait and see.

A request

This Devipur experiment has just begun. All ideas and suggestions to enrich it are welcome. Please send in your ideas in comment mode. Any idea counts.

The AP Government has appointed a cabinet sub-committee headed by Revenue Minister D. Prasada Rao to work out the modalities for allotment of government and private land for cultivation to self-help groups of women on lease. The other committee members include Ministers N. Raghuveera Reddy (Agriculture) and V. Vasanth Kumar (Rural Development).

This committee was constituted last week as a follow-up action in tune with the decision taken by the Cabinet at its meeting on March 6 which cleared a draft of a bill for leasing out Government and Private Land to group of women members of the self-help groups for a period five years for developing such lands under government schemes. The period of the lease will be 5 years.

All’s good so far, the intentions are laudable but we know that Telangana women will be the last to benefit from these allotments. We the people of Telangana need to keep a hawk’s eye on the allotment of these land leases and ensure the self help groups from Telangana are awarded their rightful share of the land. If one goes by the origin and history of these members of the committee, there is no way Telangana women can get a just share of the allotment. The antecedents of Raghuveera and V. Vasanth Kumar are indicative of the injustice that will be meted out to our people, if we are not alert. Raghuveera is a die hard Andhrite from Ananthpur while V. Vasanth Kumar, the Ungutur MLA has been quiet vocal on his propagation of anti-Telangana people. Just the other day, Vasanth Kumar, was speaking about launching a signature campaign in favor of the Polavaram project, which if completed will bring desolation and ruin to the Khammam district of Telangana. That these people will brazen out any venture that benefits the Seema Andhra populace at the expense of Telangana is a moot point and has been proven many times over.

We the people of Telangana, right from the people working in the revenue and land records, to the Zilla Parishad and the representatives in the State Assembly, need to keep a tight check on the allotment of these lands, we not only need to ensure the Women of Telangana get an equitable share but also that these allotted lands are viable. If left to these Seemandhra representatives the lion’s share of the allotment will go to women from the Seema Andhra regions, while Telangana women are awarded a minuscule share of the allotments and the type of land allotted to the Telangana women will be arid, non-cultivable and a burden on an already challenged people.

We have to keep our fight alive on all fronts and not give a moments respite to the Seemandhra leaders. For if we relax our vigil by even a few degrees the loss will be immeasurable. We need to remember that Telangana will be a reality once these settlers from Andhra and Rayalseema realize that they can no longer subjugate Telangana at will.

Jai Telangana. Jai Hind

The movement is playing a significant role in ensuring the economic well-being of the women, he said adding that in the Nilgiris alone 6,983 groups with 1,24,153 members were functioning. Their savings was over Rs. 40 crores.

Loan

A sum of Rs. 91.50 crores had been given to them as loan under various schemes.

With a separate department for development of women functioning in the state, Chief Minister Karunanidhi is fulfilling the dreams of the stalwarts of the Dravidian movement Periyar and Annadurai. The Chief Minister was a leading proponent of the Women’s Bill.

Survey

The Nilgiris Collector, Anandrao V.Patil, who presided over the function said that for speedy implementation of the Kalaignar Housing Scheme a survey of areas where huts are located, is in the process of being conducted. B. Gopalan and A.Soundarapandian, MLAs, and the Chairman, Udhagamandalam Municipal Council, R. Rajendran, spoke.

The District Social Welfare Officer in-charge, Sherin Philip, welcomed the gathering.

The Assistant Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, Hannah Dixon, proposed a vote of thanks. Distribution of welfare assistance to the tune of rupees 4.33 crores to 256 self-help groups marked the occasion.

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/11/stories/2010031151220300.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu

The movement is playing a significant role in ensuring the economic well-being of the women, he said adding that in the Nilgiris alone 6,983 groups with 1,24,153 members were functioning. Their savings was over Rs. 40 crores.

Loan

A sum of Rs. 91.50 crores had been given to them as loan under various schemes.

With a separate department for development of women functioning in the state, Chief Minister Karunanidhi is fulfilling the dreams of the stalwarts of the Dravidian movement Periyar and Annadurai. The Chief Minister was a leading proponent of the Women’s Bill.

Survey

The Nilgiris Collector, Anandrao V.Patil, who presided over the function said that for speedy implementation of the Kalaignar Housing Scheme a survey of areas where huts are located, is in the process of being conducted. B. Gopalan and A.Soundarapandian, MLAs, and the Chairman, Udhagamandalam Municipal Council, R. Rajendran, spoke.

The District Social Welfare Officer in-charge, Sherin Philip, welcomed the gathering.

The Assistant Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, Hannah Dixon, proposed a vote of thanks. Distribution of welfare assistance to the tune of rupees 4.33 crores to 256 self-help groups marked the occasion.

Reference Link
http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/11/stories/2010031151220300.htm

Courtesy
The Hindu

Sadhu Deepthi SHG members

Economic independence becomes important for empowering farmers, especially farm women. “Such an empowerment can be achieved through the formation of women self help groups (SHGs) or farmers’ clubs.

“Through the formation of such clubs farmers feel more secure, can learn and earn more than what they can do in isolation,” says Dr.V.A. Parthasarathy, Director, Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode, Kerala.

“It is not as though those working individually are not secure. What I mean is that instead of working individually, if farmers and women come together to form groups then their output in terms of productivity and remuneration will also increase substantially.”
Getting subsidies

“With so many problems plaguing agriculture today, a farmer stands a good chance of getting subsidies, loans and professional guidance if he joins a group or creates one,” says Dr. Parthasarathy.

In addition, these groups are also good stress-busters. In terms of crop failures or other unknown reasons these groups help the farmer to unwind and relieve his mental stress, he emphasises.

For example Sadhu Deepthi is the name of an SHG with about 20 farm women (whose husbands are mostly farmers), as its members at Kakkayam village in Kozhikode district.

Most of these women have little formal education and have land holdings from 3 cents to 4 acres. Mr. P.A. Mathew, Programme Coordinator, and Dr. T.K. Jacob, Principal Scientist of IISR, periodically guide these women on vegetable cultivation, fisheries, plant propagation, dairy, piggery, poultry, vermicomposting, preparation of botanical pesticides. The members are taken on exposure tours to successful units.

According to Dr. Parthasarathy, particularly now when our country’s agriculture production is going through a plethora of problems, a lone struggle by an individual farmer may not be noticed.

Financial aid

“But if they come together and form a group, then it becomes easy for them to voice their grievances if any. Also, it is becomes easier for banks to extend financial aid to such groups than to a single individual.”

But merely starting a group does not solve any problem. It boils down to arranging finance for the members to start their own enterprise.

“The group was initially linked to a co-operative bank for availing loans to start various income generating activities and they are repaid out of the profit gained through several activities of the group,” explains Dr. T.K. Jacob
Minimal interest

Mrs. Daisy Francis, Joint Convener of the group, says: “Many of us had availed loans and have completely repaid the amount from the income that we generated out of our activities.

“As of now, each member has a share of Rs.5,000 to Rs. 9,000 and any member can avail a loan of up to Rs.30,000 at a very minimal interest and can repay in easy instalments.

“We never depend on the local money lenders,” explains Mrs. Daisy.

All the members cultivate vegetables organically to meet their needs, using vermicompost produced by them.

About ten women members started dairy units with two to seven cows. Each member gets a net profit of Rs.100- Rs.140 per day per cow through the sale of milk to the nearby milk co-operative society.

They also earn Rs.2000 to Rs. 14,000 through the sale of cow dung in a year. Some of them get an additional income of Rs.5,000-Rs 6,000 through the sale of calves.

Four members started a goatary unit, each with 3-7 Tellicherry breed goats, which brings an income from Rs.1,000 to Rs. 9,000 every year for each woman. In addition, the goat’s dung bring them an additional income of Rs 2,400 to Rs. 5,000 per year.
Local resources

Mrs. Sainaba a member says, “the expenditure on each goat is around Rs.100 per year towards medicines and we do not spend any additional amount on feed, as sufficient green fodder is locally available.”

Every group member has started a poultry unit with an initial supply of 280 chicks and increased the number of birds to 2,000 in the same year. The women earn up to Rs.11,000 through the sale of eggs and meat in the local market.

Two women have started rearing ornamental fishes and have sold them for Rs.4,800 within a year.

The KVK has also been rewarded and rated as “excellent” in its activities for promotion of farmers’ groups in the State of Kerala by the NABARD.

For further details, contact Mr. P.A. Mathew, Phone: 0496-2662372, e-mail: kvkcalicut@sancharnet.in and Dr. T.K. Jacob, Principal Scientist, e-mail: jacobtk@spices.res.in, mobile: 09447539967.

What are SHGs?

Self help Group (SHGs) are small group of poor people. The members of an SHG face similar problems. They help each other, to solve their problems. SHGs promote small saving among their members. The savings are kept with the bank. This is common fund in the name of the SHG. The SHG gives small loans to its members in the name of common fund.

Size of the SHG

The ideal size of an SHG is 10 to 20 members. The group need not be registered.

Is it officially recognized to the bank with informal groups?

Yes, RBI and NABARD have approved banking with SHGs. RBI has classified loans to SHGs as priority sector lending.

Who help to form SHGs?

A reasonably educated and helpful local person has to initially help the poor people to form groups. He or She tells them about the benefits of thrift and advantages of forming groups. This person is called as ‘animator’ or ‘facilitator’. Any of the following persons can be a successful animator:

• Retired school teacher or a retired government servant, who is well known locally.
• A health worker/ a field officer/ staff of a development agency or department of the State Government.
• YOU yourself! (The field officer or a staff member of a commercial bank/ regional rural bank or a field staff from the local co-operative bank or society can also help the poor in forming groups.)
• A field level functionary of an NGO.
• An unemployed educated local person, having an inclination to help others.
• A member/participant in the Vikas Volunteer Vahini (VVV) Programme of NABARD.
• Woman animators can play more effective role in organizing women SHG’s.

The animator cannot organize the groups all alone. He or she will need guidance, training, reading material, etc.

Usually, one of he following agencies help:

(i)         A voluntary agency or Non Government Organisation (NGO).

(ii)        The development department of the State Government.

(iii)       The local branch of a bank.

What does the animator do?

• The animator talks to people in the village or at their homes.
• He or she explains the benefits of thrift and group formation.
• No promise of bank loan is given to any one.
• He or she helps the group members to hold one or two initial meetings.
• The group finds a group leader, for holding meetings, keeping books, etc.
• The animator guides and encourages the leader and the group members.

1. Size of the SHG

*    The ideal size of an SHG is 10 to 20 members.

(Advantage: In a bigger group, members cannot actively participate. Also, legally it is required that an informal group should not be of more than 20 people.)

*    The group need not be registered.

Membership

• From one family, only one person can become a member of an SHG.(More families can join SHG’s this way.)
• The group normally consists of either only men or of only women. Mixed groups are generally not preferred.
• Women’s groups are generally found to perform better. (They are better in savings and they usually ensure proper use of loans.)
• Members should have the same social and financial background.(Advantage: This makes it easier for the members to interact freely with each other. If members are both from rich as well as poor class, the poor may hardly get an opportunity to express themselves.)

Some Common Factors for Membership in an SHG

• Women/men from very poor households.
• Those who depend on money lenders even for daily necessities.
• Those with a per capita income not exceeding Rs. 250 per month.
• Those having dry land holding not exceeding 2.5 acres.

Common living conditions for the Group Members

1    Living in kutcha houses.

2    Having no access to safe drinking water.

3    Having no sanitary latrine.

4    Those who have only one or no one employed in the family.

5    Presence of illiterate adults in the family.

6    Presence of an alcoholic or drug addict in the family or a member suffering permanently from prolonged illness.

7    Presence of children below five years in the family.

8    Family eating two meals or less a day.

9    Scheduled Caster or Scheduled Tribe families.

If a family has at least four of the above 9 common living conditions, it can be considered poor, and one member of that family can be encouraged to become a member of an SHG.

(These are only examples. You can also use locally important conditions to decide whether a family is poor.)

Meetings

• The group should meet regularly. Ideally, the meetings should be weekly or at least monthly. (Advantage: They become closer, if they meet regularly. This helps them to understand each other’s difficulties better.)
• Compulsory attendance : Full attendance in all the group meetings will make it easy for the SHG to stabilize and start working to the satisfaction of all.
• Membership register, minutes register etc., are to be kept up to date by the group by making the entries regularly.(Advantage: This helps you to know about the SHG easily. It also helps to build trust among the SHG members.)

Keeping of Accounts by the SHG:

• Simple and clear books for all transactions to be maintained.
• If no member is able to maintain the books, the SHG may take outside help. (It has been seen that a boy or girl from the village with some educational qualification does this job enthusiastically. After some months, the group can even consider giving him or her a small reward for this job.)
• Animator can also help.
• All registers and account books should be written during the course of the meeting.(Advantage: This creates confidence in the minds of members who are unable to read and write.)

2   What are the books kept by an SHG?

i)    Minutes Book:

The proceedings of meetings, the rules of the group, names of the members etc. are recorded in this book.

ii)   Savings and Loan Register:

Shows the savings of members separately and of the group as a whole.

Details of individual loans, repayments, interest collected, balance, etc. are entered here.

iii)  Weekly/ Fortnightly/ Monthly Register:

• Summary of Receipts and payments.
• Updated in every meeting.

iv)  Members’ Passbooks:

Individual members’ pass books in which individual’s savings and loan balance outstanding is regularly entered.

3   Major Functions of an SHG

a.   Savings and Thrift:

*    All SHG members regularly save a small amount. The amount may be small, but      savings have to be a regular and continuous habit with all the members.

*    “Savings first-Credit later” should be the motto of every SHG member.

*    SHG members take a step towards self-dependence when they start small savings. They learn financial discipline through savings and internal lending. (Advantage: This is useful when they use bank loans.)

b.   Internal lending:

*    The SHG should use the savings amount for giving loans to members.

*    The purpose, amount, rate of interest, schedule of repayment etc., are to be decided by the group itself.

*    Proper accounts to be kept by the SHG.

(Specimen formats given as an Annexure at the end of this book.)

c.   Discussing problems:

In every meeting, the SHG should be encouraged to discuss and try to find solutions to the problems faced by the members of the group. Individually, the poor people are weak and lack resources to solve their problems. When the group tries to help its members, it becomes easier for them to face the difficulties and come up with solutions.

d.   Taking bank loan:

The SHG takes loan from the bank gives it as loan to its members. (Details may be seen in the next chapter.)

Soon after an SHG is formed and one or two meetings held where the savings are collected, a savings bank account can be opened in the name of the SHG.

“We have constructed many roads, small bridges for connectivity and at every location created SHG’s (Self-help groups) for employment and earning sources for the villages particularly the women so that they can earn for their family and develop,” said Juhlera Khatun, Panchayat member in Jirania, Tripura.

Read more at http://www.dailyindia.com/show/314449.php

It is worth mentioning that self-help groups are also  succeeding  in other states such as  Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Jharkhand.  Such self-help groups seem to be a wonderful way of enhancing women’s contribution to her rural community. 

I have just added some exciting news and pictures to http://www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.uk/ – please click the new for 2009 image at the top right to go to the Latest News page.

More on: Self Help Groups: Problems and solutions

ちょっと古いけど、この記事をICT4Dプロジェクトのテクノロジーとはどうあるべきなのかを考えた。

“Leading Indian MFI Cashpor Adopts ClassifEye Secure Mobile Transactions Solution”

http://www.allbusiness.com/banking-finance/banking-lending-credit-services-electronic/11682159-1.html

概要：インドのCashporとい比較的大きなうマイクロファイナンス機関が、業務効率化やセキュリティの強化のため、Biometricsを利用した携帯電話のカメラを利用したアカウント認証システムを導入したということ。

たしかに取り扱い金額が少ない輪に割には、入出金が多く、トランザクションコストのかかるマイクロファイナンスのオペレーションにおいてはICTの活用による業務の効率化は妥当かもしれない (Pichai and Ganesan, 2006)。けれども本当にその効果は高いIT導入費用に見合っているんだろうか、とIT会社にいたときの感覚を思い出す。思えば、初期のICT４Dプロジェクトの失敗の原因の多くは、通常の先進国でのビジネスと同様な方法で途上国相手に同じ”ICT”を当てはめようとしたことにあるんじゃなかったっけ？

これとは正反対に、世界のNo.1IT企業のMicrosoft Researchを訪問したときのケーススタディは面白かった。

“An assessment of Pradan’s ‘Computer Munshi’ intervention to improve microfinance accounting operations“

http://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=78275

概要：PRADAN 　はSelf-Help Group(女性の相互扶助グループ、SHGs)に対するマイクロファイナンスのサービス提供を実施しており、これまでに90,000人ものクライアントを支えてきた。兼ねてより問題であった、SHGs内のあいまいな金銭レコードの管理や財務データの不整合性を解決するたMicrosoftと共同で、オペレーションのワークフローの改善を実施した。実施内容と効果は以下の通り。

実施内容：1.SHGsを取りまとめる組織（Federation）に会計係とPCを設置する、2. 会計係はレコードの管理と計算、及び支出をプリントする. 3.SHGsからFederationに対して、定期的にデータを（紙）持ち運ぶ仕組みをつくる

効果：1.SHG内の毎週のミーティングの時間はほぼ半分になり、計算の正確性または、紙でアカウント状況を把握することにより、メンバー間の信頼が増した 2.金融機関との連携にあたり、レコードが管理されたSHGsは信頼性を得やすい。3.MFIsとしての評価の実施がより正確にできる。

これって、、すんごいローテク。この研究者のＲａｔａｎさんと話したときも”ローテクが重要なのよ！”！って豪語してた。要するには、Beneficiaries（受益者）にあったものをということなのだけれど、ＩＴ業界天下のマイクロソフトのハーバード卒の研究者が言うセリフだと思うとつい面白かった。

一方では生態認証にカメラ付ケータイ。もう一方では、エクセルでつくったプリントを自転車ではこぶ。

個人的には後者のほうが好きだな～。

*Pichai, H. & Ganesan, S. (2006) Study of Delivery of Financial Services in Rural Areas through ICT, Indian Inst i tute of Management , Bangalore

I’ve just set up the new Facebook Group and Cause for The Butterfly Foundation- one of my clients that I have had the pleasure of working with for a number of years and have recently achieved Charity Status. The Butterfly Facebook Group has been set up as a closed group for the benefit of Butterflys’ members – that means that only people we know and trust and view and post to the group. However, you can still show your support by checking out the website (Using the link under LINKS in the right hand column) and support the cause on Facebook by clicking the picture below.

thank you fairy much >;<

“Give a fish to a man and you feed him for the day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for life”

Charity is the easiest (and therefore, most common) way to contribute to the community. However, it is not a self sustaining model since funds can not flow in forever.

Therefore, we need to focus on solutions that help the less privileged become self reliant. Fortunately there have been many positive developments in the field of community contribution recently that enable the “have nots” to stand on their own feet.

Small Saving Group is a highly successful model corresponding to this philosophy. I would like to share a personal experience with this model.

Professional organizations outsource lot of services which can be easily performed by unskilled people. Tea counters, book binding work, stationary counters, waste management and housekeeping are some of the areas.

Our experience with Tea Counter and Book Binding is very encouraging. We invited a Women Small Saving Group to manage the tea stall in our cafeteria. The women were thrilled with this proposal and quickly gathered their resources to take on the challenge. They visited tea stall in city area to learn how they manage load at peak hours. Within a week they arranged for necessary services like LPG Connection and Milk supply.

CSR team came forward to groom the women in terms of their get up, communication, maintaining quality service etc. Employees also welcomed this gesture and encouraged the women from day one. It’s almost one year now since we started. And the experience is really reassuring.

Four families have got employment through this initiative and the income is pretty decent. This also inspired other members of their SSG to approach organizations for similar services. We are happy that a small gesture from our side made a difference in their lives!

The initiative was appreciated by many voluntary agencies and it was also mentioned in newspaper (link to newspaper article in Marathi language http://onlinenews.lokmat.com/php/detailedoxygen.php?id=Oxygen-57-1-05-12-2008-d5f95&ndate=2008-12-05 ).

You have to click on the Postpartum Resources link, then click the link for Support Groups and Area Coordinators. Next select the state of Michigan. We are eighth on the list, so keep scrolling down…

Our listing is currently inaccurate now that we meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays, but at least we’re on the site. Awesome–they fixed it already!

I registered and paid in April. This has been a long process.