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

 

 

 

Guest speech of Ramji Raghavan

Report on guest speaker

Mr. Ramji Raghavan   was born in Tamilnadu and  studied in USA. He consulted to Morgan Stanley & Company International Limited and served as a Director of the Ayurvedic Company in London

 After quitting his job from City Bank he  formed Agastya International Foundation in April, 1999. It is an innovative education model in India.  Agastya is promoting science education through mobile labs, science centres, in three states.

He spoke for 2 hour, his talk focused on the journey of Agastya foundation. But it also a learning’s to us how the organization bloom. What are the challenges an organizer may face during the course of starting an organization.

The people learn things in different ways. Only 5% people learn by lecture, 10% from readings, and 50% by seeing and hearing, 80% by discussion and 90% by experience.

The good listener will be a good speaker; a good speaker can get the confidence of the people, confidence of the people make big difference in scaling the work.

These are the important things spoke by the speaker in the class.

 

Manovikas

Advocacy

Resource person : J K Hiremath, Manovikas

Manovlkas is an institution for rehabilitation center, especially for mentally retarded children.Dr. J.K.Hiremath, founder of this organization says his daughter is the inspiration for starting this special school. She suffered from meningitis and died in the year 1994.Dr. Hiremath was working in an American organization resigned his job came to India & in 1994 he started a small day care center with two rooms from 10:30am to 4:30pmfor mentally retarded children. This grew into a residential school by 2003.

Reasons for the development of mental retardness

Ø Age of the mother

Ø Mental & physical health of the mother

Ø Genetic abnormalities

Ø Mother’s addiction to drugs

Ø Malnutrition

Ø Half attempted abortion

Ø Use of unpriscribed drugs

Ø Accidents

Ø Epileptic attack by hormonal change

Ø Forceps delivery (80%)

Ø Anoxia

Ø Prolong delivery

Ø Cesarean (2%)

Ø Low birth

Functions of Manovikas

Being a neuroclinical psychiatrist Dr.Hiremath design the perfect residential arrangement for the mentally challenged children. He could also successfully design the activities of Manovikas. They are,

· Visiting the villages & building the awareness. This includes early identification, facilities available from the government, diagnosis & issue of certification.

· Convergence service. They have adopted 7 districts in Kanpur, each village is having some SHGs which helps in the taking care of the children, for this parents of the children are charged Rs2/-

· Upanayana. Here they train the parents as co-therapists. Different therapies will be given to the child. Like,

Ø Hydro therapy

Ø Sand therapy

Ø Jump fit therapy

Ø Multisensory stimulation therapy

Ø Squint correction therapy

Ø Physiotherapy

Ø Vita therapy

Ø Speech therapy

Ø Drooling therapy

· Special education system. Here level assessment of the children is done by check list. They follow the individual rehabilitation program (IRP), in which each child will be having its own curriculum. Basic knowledge like Time, Money, Writing name, Signature was taught to the students. For female domestic ability development program is also conducted. Music therapy, sports, yoga, dance is also part of the school activities.

· Residential service. They teach self help skills like, Toilet training specially reporting, eating, bathing, grooming, for female menstrual hygiene. They also take children for excursions.

· Achievements of school.

Ø Gold medal in china in swimming

· Challenges face.

Ø Meet the parents expectation

Ø Rehabilitation of children in home

Guest speaker Ms Chetna sinha

MANNDESHI

Ms.Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder and Chairperson of Manndeshi, Mhaswad came as guest speaker to address the fellows. It was a session in which she shared about her personal life, the way Manndeshi came into existence, the challenges she faced to build it etc.

Ms.Sheela Munro, Program Manager, Manndeshi, Hubli and Ms.Rekha, CEO, Manndeshi, Mhaswad also accompanied Ms.Chetna for the session. The session began through welcome speech from Ms.Meenakshi, fellow, DFP and brief introduction about the guest speaker by Mr.Devdanam also fellow of DFP.

Ms.Chetna started her words saying its privilege to address the students group, as most of her talk and communication will be with higher officers. She is educated in the field of Economics and during student life she had Public movements. During the moment, she came across a person and accepted him as her life partner. Husband was from an agriculture family, different in caste and class, it was a challenge to she took where she saw different corners of life. It was her first exposure to agriculture and farming family.

About the organization: In 1987 Chetna along with her husband, went to Kolapur from Maswad to sell two tons of onion they grew, but the amount they got was lesser than what they had to pay for transportation. This gave her a thought to start up a Credit Co-operative Bank for farmers with the share value of Rs.10/-. During those days, it was monopolized by NABARD and the village had municipal council. This was observed till 1991-1994, during this period she found that women are better money managers and thought of starting something for women that can give financial stability. Then she started a women bank, for which she started working from the grass root level, writing proposals and thus it was started from the scratch. As per the rules it needed 5,00,000/- to start the bank, but at the end 6,00,000/- was collected with each person contributing Rs. 25/-. When approached the CGI of RBI for license, the proposal was rejected for the reason most of the women were illiterate and they can’t handle the financial aspects.

This was a setback for Ms.Chetna, and she went back crying, but the village women didn’t give it up. They all took it as a challenge and committed for study so that they are no more called as illiterate. When again proposal was made same question raised, but that time the women were so confident to challenge the officers with the skill they had to calculate the rate of interest. At last, the license was approved in August 1997. In the past ten years, the bank has 1,20,000 clients and has a share of 20 crore and with this huge amount, Manndeshi started Non Banking Finance Company. In the beginning no one came to take loan and shared a story in which husband tried to manipulate the situation and to borrow one lakh.

Meanwhile a video on Manndeshi was shown to the fellows. Later on she continued saying the bank has door step banking system in which the loan amount can be paid at door step. A pigmy collector collects the amount as per their convenience, where it can be paid daily, weekly, fortnightly or on monthly basis. The pigmy collector gets 3% of the amount collected.

In the year 2006, Business School on Wheels was started for the rural women which trains women on Computer and Tailoring. According to Ms.Chetna, women think reality where as men aspires. When asked the reason behind name Manndeshi, it says Mann-River (in maswad which is almost always dry), and in Marati it means Sand and Deshi is local.

The other activities are providing scholarship of girls, providing bicycle without interest on it. HSBC is also supporting in lending money under its Corporate Social Responsibility and also Business school of education. When asked about her vision, she said the focus is on expanding whole of Maharastra and North India specifically in Gujrath.

After Deshpande Started supporting Manndeshi, it started a new branch in Hubli, Karnataka during August 2007. Then the Program Manager, Ms.Sheela answered for the questions asked about the Hubli branch. She shared about the challenges, saying she was worried of what can be done with the bus sent from the head office for the purpose of training. Those were the days she even thought of sending it back.  But after all the hard work now the situation is entirely changed and expressed the feel of joy to say, now two more buses are needed as the enrollments are taking place even long way back. The session was very much interactive, all the fellows got chance to ask questions and were addressed from the guests. Manndeshi has no funding from the Government, Ms.Chetna doesn’t not entertain as she faced the different views while tried taking those funds.

By answering the queries, the session concluded by vote of thanks form Ms.Usha, fellow, DFP followed by photo session.

Thus the session gave an insight about the social concern of enlightening and upliftment of rural women with a concept of Enterpreneurship.