GUEST SPEAKER

Mr. Prassanna Dixit

Introduction:

On 2^nd May 2009 Mr.Prasanna Dixit of Mahaveer Info Way limited (MIL), Hubli and Bangalore based company came as a guest lecturer and shared his valuable experience with fellows. Since from ten years he is working with MIL and handling business development and operations. Before this he was associated with many companies like, Welmade Systems, Datar switch gears, Fine blanking and Cinicinnati group.

 The company is involving an IT service from last 10 years and looking after 12 different business of IT like telecom services and product sales.

 While addressing the fellows he mentioned that ‘where there is will there is way,’ along with his business he is also taking part in more than 8 social organizations. He is not having any background in his family about social entrepreneur, but he became. Through this he makes sure to fellows entrepreneurial skills we can grow in us it is not only skill which comes by birth and passion very essential.

Speaker also explained that any individual wants become identifiable icon in this world she/he should choose profession or job where they are enough confident. He also quoted that you are now in learning stage ‘you can make mistake but don’t repeat mistake’ and ‘child will fall down and again stood up.  

He explained about challenges faced while setting his business and how he has considered it as opportunity, how they are protecting themselves from recession doing some different business.

Question Hour:

Various following questions asked by fellows.

a.      How increased your business network?

He explained that in their business they are three partners from different professional background so automatically there is no challenge to build network. He also spelt out that having and working with different kind or different mindset people is very difficult. But to run a business different angle thoughts are very important.

 

b.       Before setting up your business, how many years work experience is required?

He answered that in his case the job helped to settle down in life.  To start an enterprise passhion is required and strong will power is very essential. Ten years back there was no scope in Hubli and enough inputs to him to start an enterprise but still they have strived a lot but now so many efforts are doing by organization like DCSE now it is very easy to set up an enterprise directly.  

 

c.       How you take care of marketing?

He replied for this marketing is strength of MIL and they distribute duties in the team.

 

d.      What was the reason for failure and how you faced challenges?

For this he explained that it was not a failure but we were not able to make profit because other companies were reduced product cost.

He told one biggest challenge they have faced in their business when they were setting up their business in Hubli they were not able to get electricity connection to their firm in this movement how they have got the connection. And also he said that they have faced so many bureaucratic challenges.

Like this so many questions asked by fellows and he answered very effectively. He also emphasis more on following points,

·        Whatever work you do, do it for your satisfaction and for other satisfaction.

·        Marketing process should have pull and push system.

·        Social enterprise should have strong social cause.

·        Presently MIL is in good position in market.

·        Do entrepreneurship not for your shake, do it for a cause and this should involve interests of people and country.

·        Don’t depend on spoon feeding (Don’t depend on DCSE much)

·        Whatever you got from society give back something to society.

·          Have three obligations in life,

        -Obligation towards ….. Parents

        -Obligation towards ….. Nature

        -Obligation towards ……Society.

 

Finally the session ended by vote of thanks by one of the fellow and photo session with Mr.Prasanna.D

5000 challenge

5k challenge is an enterpreneur activity after our guerilla marketing module we had Rs 5000 business in the group of two people. Malini and I( fathima) had ladies readyade garment bussiness in hubli dharwad.

Leadership Activities

Month of April’s Leadership activities

1st leadership activity

Advocacy on

Women reservation

Leaders: Fathima Quddannaver
Followers: Basavraj and DB
Community: Government busses in Hubli-Dharwad
On 17th April we did Advocacy regarding women reservation in government busses. In one hour we visited 20 busses and covered 22 cases. We Convinced people to provide for their reserved seats and Conductor and other passengers also involved in this activity.

Objective:
To change the perspective of men to women. To encourage the women to take initiative to ask their rights. To aware the women to get their rights which are given by the Government.
Challenges:

• Convincing people
  
• If men not ready to leave reserved seat took help of conductor
  
• To encourage the conductors and other passengers to get done work.
  
• Difficult to convince the men sitting in that seat.
  
• Women also s hesitate to ask the seat,
  

Learning:
Don’t do the things where the people are not interested in that activity.
People are aware but they habitant to live in this system.

2nd Leadership activity

Health and hygie,neReproductive child health

Leaders: Fathima Quddannavar
Followers: D B Vanageri & Basavaraj
Community: Byahatti village , SHG women
On 19th april 09 we had health and hyegyne session in Bahatti. Bahatti village is one of the big village in Hubli Taluka. This village lacking in health care survives. SHGs women started working on development of village but lack knowledge and awareness bound them to restrict themselves. My session provided basic Information regarding health. In this session we provided information on reproductive health and about family planning and maintains of hygiene.

Objective: To provide information and awareness regarding reproductive health
Strategies:

• Gathering people in public place( temple )
• Projector, film, and pictures are used to better understand of subject
• discussion
  

Challenges:
Gathering the community
Time limit, incontinent to visit in night to village
Learning:Arrange the activity according to villagers availability. Be Flexible while presenting. Present subject to their level of understand
This session was very good I learnt more regarding reproductive health while preparing presentation.

3rd leadership activity

Orientation on DFP

Leaders: Fathima Quddannavar
Followers: D B Vanageri
Community: Bhīma hostel, Karnataka University Dharwad
On 20th April 2009 we had orientation on DFP in Bhima hostel at Karnataka university Dharwad. There were 50 students from Post graduation. The session was very good, we were two people in our team.
Objective: To bring more fellows for DFP and Brand building of DFP
Strategies:
Video, ppt slides show using projector
Question answer
Open discussion
Challenge: Taking permission from boy’s hostel warden in night time is too difficult
Learning:
Coordination plays an important role in public performance.
How to convince the people
How to motivate the people to get done our work
Output: there were some students asked us regarding DFP cohort 3 application

4th Leadership Activity

Personality development

Leaders: Fathima Quddannavar
Followers: D B Vanageri
Community: Students of Inam Hongal
Inam Hongal is 18km away from Dharwad, we were in two people in our team. On 21st march 2009 we had personality Development session for Higher Primary, High school, and I PUC students in Suwarna Summer camp at Inamhongal. In that session we were facilitated about English conversation such as Greetings, etc and how to take initiative by showing motivational videos, and stage courage and recreation Activities
Objective:
To facilitate regarding personality development. To improve our self in facilitating. To brand building of DFP.
Strategies:

• Videos show by using projector
  
• English conversation ppt slides
• Ice breaking
• Discussion and question answer
• Getting feedback from children

Challenges: To make understand of their understand level. To reach on time to village is difficult.
Learning: co-ordination plays an important role in public performance. Effective
interaction.
Output: overcoming by the underestimation and many children were taking initiative to come on stage though they had fear about that.

Geust speeker

ADVOCACY

S.R. Hiremath

Mr.S.R. Hiremath is a founder of IDS (India Development Service). He has completed his bachelor degree in Hindi called Visharada from Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Dharwad. He got second rank in Visharada and went to United States for higher studies and continued his job career and stayed up to 10 years. He got inspired from books articles, such as freedom at midnight, lord mount batten, sarvagna’s triplates and Schumaker’s.

            He started an organization called “India Development Service”. It is a non-profit organization working for social and economic development of India. These sectors organization covers – preventive health and health education, environmental awareness, joint forest planning, management wasteland development and sustainable agriculture etc.

Advocacy:

In Indian system Government has not provided any kind of proper approach for problems. For finding solution if social entrepreneurs are working in society they should have their own organized mechanisms for it. While working calculated risk should be managed by leaders.

“Be a change don’t think change outside”(1)

The tool for change is advocacy, the method is ‘identifying problem which is related to particular community’ and make it as centric issue, aware that community. With the support of that community advocacy procedures should move further. While working with community Media involvement is necessary to reach the decided advocacy goal.

Gandhian and Einstein theories have introduced in advocacy. The Satyagraha tool is helpful to reach advocacy goal and it solves people problem.

Advocacy is a tool for social entrepreneurs for approaching social problem and peace fully using this tool is more effective and remarkable.

 

Advocasy

Guest Speaker 

Mr. Abhaya

On Saturday, 11^th  April 2009.

Introduction

            Mr.Abhaya born and brought up in Hyderabad, He studied Engineering in electronics. He worked for MNC in Bangalore for 5 years and left the job by inspiring   himself to overcome social issues. So he went to Raichur and settled to work especialy on   Devadasi System.

Devadasi System

He made people to aware themselves and people got inspired, formed “Nava Jeevana Mahila Okkuta “(NJMO).  This is non -registered people’s organization, mainly they are working for Dalits and women in villages. Till now they have covered 100 villages around the Raichur district.

Advocacy

   It means identifying the social problem and making government and people to aware and solves it.

Ø  Advocacy should be done by people who affected by the  issue

Ø  Understanding the issue theoretical and practical aspects both in local contents and in other parts of country and the world.

Ø  Believe in the issue as belief in the strategy is important.

Ø  Grass root level work on the issue, both activism and constructive involvement.

Ø  To work along with the media and not use the media.

Ø  Data collection and presentation should be human, not just statistics.

Ø  To always have the goals broke down in to short term, medium term and long term demands.

Ø  Understanding of the government administrative machinery and way of working is very important.

Ø  Should have well wishes in all fields.

Ø  Proper use of all forums available sensitive days of year and reacting to important events is very essential.

Ø  Regular follow-ups is a very important.

 

Ø  Attack the issue simultaneously from many fronts, also one is some required to take two steps back and then move ahead.

 

Ø  Always fight for issue not people responsible. (Reference: Abhaya).

 

Advocacy is a process to reach a goal, he done advocacy in village with support by people, for example village does not have road, by involving people approaching the government and another example is open deficacy is a common problem in villages for women, so by involving people they approached the government and constructed the toilets.

 

The local people and media are supporting them for every cause always. The most of stake holders always fight the issue not the people responsible, leave the issue and attacking people is bad strategy to advocacy. He never attack the people, he always fought for issue. 

Agriculture

Write Up on Agriculture

Introduction:

Agriculture is an important component of the developing economy. It’s the basic occupation for Indian people. Farming is nothing but cultivating the land and growing food grains and commercial crops. In Indian scenario Agriculture is major livelihood opportunity for the rural population.

Description of Module:

            Mr Shrikanth and Dr. M B Pattansheti from AME foundation taught the agriculture module. The following topics were covered in the module Agriculture scenario, history of Agriculture, India’s exports and development farming. To get a clear picture of agriculture, instructors showed us some videos and also conducted a debate. Through debate I had a better understanding of rural economy and Industrial economy.

Agriculture scenario in India:

 In India total Agricultural geographical area is 328 million hectare. Total area for cultivation is 140 and irrigated area is 30 million hectare. Population dependent on agriculture are 1100 million. India is 2nd largest country in the world to produce Rice and Wheat and also India is largest milk producing country. In exporting rice India takes first position but cereals is least exported product.

After Green revolution in agriculture (1960) and Milk revolution in 1980 India’s farming system is developing. And technologies are developing such as mechanization, macro and micro irrigation, chemical inputs like pesticides, fertilizers, hybrid seeds and green house cultivation.  Agriculture production happens throughout the year irrespective of seasons.

Through videos we understood the impact of pesticides, how to use them and when

The Rural Scenario:  Rural population is facing lots of problem like food and nutritional security, poverty, illiteracy, health and sanitation. Now day’s rural communities are migrating to urban places because farmers are losing their soil fertility and also increase in the cost of production. This situation leads to low net income to farmers. To change the perception of the farmers, they need support from developmental professionals. LEISA is one of developmental tool for agriculture. LEISA means Low External Input for Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainable agriculture means proper utilization, conservation and managing the local natural resources for current and future generation. LEISA means step towards organic farming focusing on small and marginal farmers and dry land regions. LIESA aims at improving and stabilizing productivity of the farming system. The major problems in dry farming are moisture tress during critical crop growth stages, poor fertility of soil and mono cropping practices. LEISA project is implemented through FFS and natural resources management to promote dry land farming. FFS means Farmers Field School. It’s an informal education here farmers participation is most important they learn through practically experiencing things. The objective of the FFS is to develop the farmer’s skill.

Integrated farming system and livestock:

Regeneration and proper utilization of local resources with Integrated management. Integrated management means crop management nutrient management, pesticide management, livestock management, natural resource management and Income generation activities.

In our field visit we went to Kurdikeri we met the FFS and discussed about agriculture.

Challenges for agriculture:

Agriculture has lot of challenges to face like depends on Monsoon, market prices, health hazards by chemical pesticide, etc.

Key points:

Ø  Sustainable agriculture

Ø  Livelihood opportunities

Learnings:

Ø  Importance of agricultural sector.

Ø  This module helped us to understand the present situation of farmers

Ø  Sustainable agriculture module is very essential to improve the agriculture  in India

Ø  Agriculture provides livelihood opportunities to the villagers.

 

 

References/ source

By instructors Mr.Shrikanth and Dr. M B Pattanshetti  from AME Foundation