India is one of the biggest unbanked countries in the world. Lack of a permanent address and other collateral keeps millions away from the banking and credit sector, which could otherwise improve their lives by a huge margin. In order to facilitate this financial inclusion, Grameen Solutions (the Microfinance powerhouse founded by Dr. Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh) and Obopay (the service provider for payments via mobile phones) have come together to form the Grameen-Obopay Bank A Billion initiative. This will provide access to financial services like cross-border remittances, money transfers, payments, and saving and credit accounts through the omnipresent mobile platform.

Priya Kekre reports in CIOL:

One of the biggest challenges the world faces today is financial inclusion or what one may call banking the unbanked sectors. There are many research and economic studies that state that when a critical mass of people or consumers are brought into the banking sector it has a multiplier effect on the countrys GDP, leading to economic growth. It is estimated that the banking sector itself grows by 10x while the countrys economic embassy undergoes a revamp. If millions of people are included into the banked sector, they get access to credit, savings, financial services, and remittances, which automatically increases their purchasing and investment power, says Vijay Balakrishnan, CMO, Obopay. Hence, many developing nations are looking at financial inclusion as an economic and strategic objective.

The thrust is on the inclusion of the poorest sections of society who cannot afford banking and financial services nor have the credit-worthiness to be eligible for these services, but have basic earning capacity. The mobile phone having become an easily available commodity all over the country, providing such solutions on this platform becomes the best way forward. The concept of ‘mobile micro credit’ is here to stay, and hopefully will reach and uplift a billion of the poorest in India and rest of the world.

Read the complete article here.

Home Page Image Courtesy: GrameenFoundation.org

14,000 employees. 40 locations across India. 23,375 hours of community service clocked. This has been the success story of Sankalp – the employee self actualization program at Hindustan Unilever Ltd. In order to mark 75 years of its existence in India, the company decided to devote 1 hour for each day of the 75 years in October 2007. One year later it has surpassed that goal.

HUL Sankalp is a program that allows the employee to register and get associated to a cause or NGO. The back-end support was provided by indianngos.com which was responsible for checking the authenticity of its partner NGOs and for tracking the employee’s commitment. Sapna Agarwal reports in Business Standard:

The programme has now gone beyond the cities to touch lives of people in the rural districts like that of Wad/ Jawahar. Here HUL Mumbai employees travelled 130 km to create awareness on hand wash and hygiene. Similarly, employees have also started involving their family members.

Nair added: “An employee, Crystelle Ellis along with her family clocked over 600 hours of voluntary service at the Little Sisters of the Poor, an old age home in Kolkata. Their activities included cooking, cleaning, serving, washing, helping the invalid to groom themselves and move about apart from helping with office work.”

Such initiatives reconfirm the belief that every person has an innate desire to do good and to give back to the society. They just need the right platform and the initial push. After this, in all probability, they will surprise themselves.

Read the complete article here.

At the outset, a very happy Diwali to all our readers. Today’s post, needless to add, is related to Diwali. B. Madhu Gopal writes in this article at The Hindu about how Childline, a voluntary organization, arranged for fireworks for street children:

They were the streetchildren, runaway kids and working children who came from diverse backgrounds to the Railway Institute near the Railway Station. Their common bond was the trauma that most of them faced in their families that made them flee their homes. The very thought of playing with fireworks seemed to make them forget their sorrow at least for a while. They were all grateful to Childline for realising that they too wanted to play like other children on Deepavali day. They had no words to express themselves but the joy in their eyes and on their faces said it all.

The report also notes a very heartening fact that Childline, the voluntary organization, has been arranging Diwali celebrations for street children for the past 6 years now. The event comprised of a cultural program followed by the distribution of packets of fireworks for each child.
Some more excerpts:

One little boy asked: “Sir, can I take these home”? He was a working child who had two more siblings at home. The older boys had a gala time turning the sparklers round and round, as it resembled a ‘Vishnu chakram’. While some of the onlookers looked scared as the children could injure themselves, the boys and even most of the girls didn’t show any signs of apprehension and thoroughly enjoyed their freedom.

Diwali, the festival of lights, truly was about dispelling darkness and bringing in rays of joy and light for these children.

Read the complete article here.

Image courtesy: C.V. Subrahmanyam at The Hindu.

What makes more sense than reaching the poorest sections of the society through the one place easily accessible to them – the post office! The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has tied up with the largest postal service in the world – India Post – to make microcredit available to female self-help groups (SHGs) in the remotest parts of the country. An SHG is described by Professor Annuppalle of Sri Venkateswara University as “small voluntary association of poor people, preferably from the same socio-economic background.”

Lori Curtis reports in MicroCapital:

 

The loans are set up so that NABARD provides the funds and the Post Office disburses the loans to SHGs. The interest rate is nine percent, three percent of which is commission for the Post Office, the rest is returned to NABARD. SHGs must open accounts with their local post office, and once they are identified by NGOs or recommended by NABARD they are watched for six months. A committee made up of representatives from NABARD, relevant NGOs and the Department of Post determine a credit rating and those SHGs with qualifying marks are eligible for these loans. The upper loan limit is Rs 24,000 (USD 515) or four times the deposit the SHG has in their post office.

The project which was initiated in two districts in Tamil Nadu as a pilot project in 2006 has now been extended to include the Northeast and 8 more states. A total of Rs.1.35 million has been disbursed to 165 SHGs in Tamil Nadu.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was founded in 1982 as part of a government mandate to facilitate credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture, small-scale industries and rural crafts. As of March 2006, 33 million individuals have been linked to microcredit through this program.

With 155,333 post offices in India, of which 139,074 are in rural areas, there is great potential for this scheme to change the lives of millions living below the poverty line, and provide them a means of sustained livelihood.

Read the complete article here.

Link Credit: Asha P. Thanks for contributing!

Image Courtesy: http://sophieandstan.blogspot.com/

Amidst much hype and debate, India’s first lunar spacecraft has taken off on this morning from a hazy launch pad in Sriharikota in southern Andhra Pradesh. With the Rain Gods having given just enough respite for Chandrayaan 1 to launch on its 2 year mission, India now enters the league of a select group of nations who have successfully sent satellites to orbit the moon. This is a matter of national pride, and a feather in the cap of the nation’s premier space research laboratory – ISRO.

The goals of this mission are plenty. A special feature on Rediff News lists them as below:

The Chandrayaan-1 mission is aimed at high-resolution remote sensing of the Lunar surface in visible, near Infrared, low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions.

Specific scientific goals are:
• To prepare a three-dimensional atlas (with a high spatial and altitude resolution of 5-10m) of both near and far side of the moon.

• To conduct chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface for distribution of elements such as Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Calcium, Iron and Titanium with a spatial resolution of about 20 km and high atomic number elements such as Radon, Uranium & Thorium with a spatial resolution of about 40 km.

By simultaneous photo geological and chemical mapping we will be able to identify different geological units, which will test the hypothesis for the origin and early evolutionary history of the moon and help in determining the nature of the lunar crust.

Besides the above, there is an additional aim of exploring the possibility of harvesting Helium 3, a key fuel for nuclear fusion, which the moon is said to contain a whopping 5m tonnes.

While these are a few of the reasons for India to undertake this mission, there has been widespread debate and criticism of the Government’s decision to participate in the space race at the cost of development. A lot of critics feel that the budget of Rs.386 crores could have been better deployed in the improvement of basic living conditions. While these are valid arguments, and deserve attention, these are a few aspects of the lunar mission which might work in its favour:

1. The cost of the mission has been kept at a bare minimum. Infact, China’s lunar spacecraft which was launched last year had cost almost twice as much

2. Space programs to date in India, which largely consisted of sending communication satellites into orbit, have greatly benefited remote villages by linking them via tele-links to schools and hospitals in cities and providing education and healthcare facilities

3. The mission helps in strengthening India’s technological prowess and its reputation for research and development, thus opening up many avenues for high value trade and commerce

4. It will reduce the dependence of our nation on foreign superpowers for information, which might be critical in the future. Data collected from the moon mission could help in formulating India’s energy solutions as well as defense programs

Randeep Ramesh of The Guardian reports:

Earlier this year India was ranked by analysts at Futron, a hi-tech consultancy, as only a fraction behind China in global space competitiveness rankings, and well ahead of Japan, Israel and Canada. It is also building a low-cost, hi-tech base. China’s Chang’e I cost nearly double India’s Chandrayaan I bill of $86m.

This thriftiness was born of necessity. With an annual budget of about $1bn – less than a tenth of Nasa’s – Isro has to do a lot with little.

“The whole thrust of [India's space programme] has been to get real benefits,” said Gopal Raj, author of Reach For The Stars, a book about the country’s rocket programme. Raj pointed out that the Madras Institute of Development Studies recently calculated that for every rupee spent on the space programme, two were generated in “indirect and direct returns”.

It is obvious that there are many facets to this debate, and it is difficult for us to decide conclusively what the right path is. However, one thing easy to see is that India is on the path of scientific progress, which we hope will bear astronomical returns for its billions of citizens.

Excerpts from: The Guardian and Rediff News
Image Courtesy: Rediff News

In a city plagued by water and electricity shortages, a housing community has taken steps to make itself ecologically independent of the vagaries of rains and borewells. Rainbow Drive Layout in Bangalore has undertaken Rain Water Harvesting since February 2008, and now boasts of 20 rooftop water-harvesting systems and 10 groundwater-recharging systems. Jayashree Nandi reports in The Times of India:

Rainbow Drive Layout on Sarjapur Road has put in place over 20 rooftop water-harvesting systems and 10 groundwater-recharging systems in stormwater drains since February 2008. The residents are delighted that they no more have to depend on the uncertain supply of borewell water or spend on tankers. They are ecologically storing abundant water to sustain themselves. Added to this is the incentive that their layout doesn’t flood after rain, because all the water gets stored in stormwater drain recharge wells.

Committee member of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of Rainbow Drive Layout, Jayawanth Bharadwaj, was one of the first to take up rainwater-harvesting project. “We were completely dependent on borewell water till a year ago. When the borewell used to dry up, we would get tankers, which are very expensive. I realized there has to be a way out. That is when I started a door-to-door campaign in my layout to get people to set up rainwater harvesting systems. Some understood its importance, while some were wary of the investment. Gradually, it picked up.”

Besides the environmental benefits of recharging groundwater and financial savings, there are also huge energy savings, as explained below by Nathan Stell, a member of Rainwater Club in the city:

Nathan Stell, a member of Rainwater Club, points out the larger bounty from rainwater harvesting. Bangalore pumps water from the Cauvery, which is around 100 km away from the city and 500 metres below the city’s elevation. The amount of energy required to pump water to the millions of households is enormous, while an important feature of rainwater harvesting is saving energy. The water supply is far less expensive than tankers, that costs about Rs 50 per kilolitre. Groundwater recharging helps replenish borewells and raises the groundwater table. He also added that the quality of rainwater from the roof is high, and can be used for all kinds of household work and even filtered for drinking.

So go ahead and install that rainwater harvesting unit. And start reaping the benefits, besides feeling good about contributing to the environment!

Read the complete article here.
Home Page Image Courtesy: www.rainwaterharvesting.org/

The Valley of Flowers National Park (VFNP) in Uttaranchal went from being an environmental ruin to being granted the World Heritage Status in three years, due to the concerted efforts of India’s first tribal forest officer – Jyotsna Sitling. The park, one of the most scenic alpine valleys, had been ravaged by tourists and pilgrims to the Sikh religious site of Hemkund Sahib for over three decades. There were mountains of plastic and non-bio degradable waste strewn al over the place. In addition to that, there were some 400-odd shops in the 19-km trek route, adding in no small measure to the environmental degradation.

The winner of the 2007 Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar prize, India’s highest Environmental award, Sitling, explains to Neeta Lal for The Guardian Weekly how she went about achieving her mission. Excerpts from the article:

For starters, we cobbled an eco-development committee (EDC) comprising the local people, especially women and hired garbage collectors who worked on a monthly salary of 1,000 rupees (about GBP11) with an additional commission of 5 rupees per garbage bag. After working tirelessly for 14 months, my team collected a whopping 44 tons of garbage in 14,000 gunny bags. The collected garbage matched the surrounding towering peaks in height.

This garbage was transported on horseback to New Delhi for recycling. The heaps also included tons of mule dung because about 500 mules go up and down this religious stretch from May to October each year – the main five pilgrimage months. Despite the garbage’s volume, we didn’t take any eco-unfriendly short cuts like burning, burying or draining off of refuse.

Cleaning up the area was only part of the problem. A greater challenge lay in convincing the resident business population of about 76 families to demolish their 400 shacks and morph them into 76 shops; that is, one shop per family. This, I argued, would help in the management of the ecologically sensitive area. The entrepreneurs, adamant at first, finally relented and demolished their shacks to build well-equipped shops with proper infrastructure.

Jyotsna’s brave crusade bore fruit in 2005 when she got a call from UNESCO informing her that VFNP was being granted World Heritage Status. This was an excellent example of what a community can achieve when they put together their efforts and collaborate for the common good. Now the region abounds in nature’s bounty and attracts tourists from all over the world.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: The Guardian Weekly

Most old people of our generation cannot imagine a life of leisure. They yearn to keep themselves busy, and if they don’t find a suitable outlet to employ their vast wealth of knowledge, they get restless. It is precisely for this reason that Agewell Foundation has set up an ‘employment exchange’ for the old, in which it has helped thousands of senior citizens find gainful employment.

Raj Kumar Sharma reports in the Press Trust of India:

Started in 1999 the Foundation’s aim is to instill self-confidence in the senior citizens and to tell them that there is nothing wrong in becoming old. Our endeavour is to bring about a change in the perception of old age,” says Himanshu Rath, who founded the organisation.

The NGO has its offices in 540 districts all over the country and says its employs services of professionals, senior bureaucrats, professors; artists, writers, judges – all people who sincerely feel for the cause. They are assisted by a huge base of volunteers and trained counselors.

These jobs could range from home tuitions to management positions. More important than any monetary compensation is the sense of achievement and worthiness for these aged. According to Himanshu Rath of the Foundation, the most common problem faced by these old persons is alienation, due to ‘generation gap’ between them and their family members.

Let us take steps to eliminate this gap before it ever creeps in so that our elders do not need to feel alone at such a fragile age. They have years of experience and learning behind them. So let’s value them as our greatest assets and treat them well.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: Agewell Foundation

Tribal women with job cards, Tripura

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has been a boon for the ruralfolk of Tripura, as many other states. The construction of a 2-kilometer long stretch of earthen road in a tiny village in Tripura has made the women very happy, not only because it allows them to travel to the market faster, but also because it allows them the opportunity to take home an income in an area with few other options.

The scheme allows them to earn about Rs.85 per day. This income is less compared to what a man can earn as a daily wages as a skilled (Rs.200 per day) or even an unskilled worker (Rs.120-150 per day). So while the scheme might need some changes to appeal to the men, the women have been the major beneficiaries. Ratna Bharali Talukdar writes in India Together:

“There is no work available for women. The two kilometre road construction work under NREGA gave us the opportunity to work and earn something. But it was completed before the state assembly election. After the election, we are looking forward to more jobs under the scheme,” said Piranjay Debbarma, a senior woman of the village.

Be it for an increase in the family income or a crucial tool for living, Tripura engages a substantial number of women in NREGA projects as compared to other northeastern states. In some pockets like Jirania and Dukli blocks, participation of women in NREGA works is amazing.

The beauty of the scheme is the dual purpose it serves. Not only does it provide employment to the rural population, it also helps in building the infrastructure of these areas.

The state records construction of 6,716 kilometres of road under NREGA projects in 2007-08. In Dhalai, another 962.66 kilometres have been constructed during that year. Justifying the major thrust on road construction, the minister says that while road construction is a permanent asset building process aimed at accelerating developmental activities at grassroots, the state government has set a target that every hamlet having a population of 250 will be covered with a blacktopping road within next two years.

“Ensuring person days is not the sole objective of Tripura model of NREGA implementation. Our thrust also rests on creation of permanent assets in the state”, Pandey says.

Besides road construction, the NREGA has also been able to build capacities in water conservation, water harvesting, micro-irrigation works, fisheries, land development, flood control and protection, culverts and RCC bridges. We hope many more Governement schemes have such positive impact on the underserved.

Read the complete article here.
Image Courtesy: India Together

How often have we found ourselves complaining that we’re not kept informed of all that is happening by the Government? We even go to the extent of blaming the Government for intentionally keeping us in the dark. While this may or may not be true, the residents of Maddur taluk (yes, the home of the scrumptious Maddur vada!) in Mandya district of Karnataka cannot have this grievance.

The Nagarekere Gram Panchayat has brought out a newspaper called the Grama Sarkara (Village Government) to keep the people informed about the various projects and schemes meant for them and help establish transparency. Writes U M Mahesh in Deccan Herald:

According to N L Krishna, editor of Grama Sarkara, it’s a monthly and can be found in all public places including schools and banks. The paper, which has received a very good response, helps to maintain transparency in the implementation of various schemes and projects. Grama Sarkara can, in fact, be a model to other Gram Panchayats in the State.

With a tag line of “Ours is a corruption-free Gram Panchayat”, this newspaper has been benefiting its readers for over three years now. We hope this model will be replicated all over India so that no citizen needs to doubt that his Government is trying to keep information from him.

Read the complete article here.

Image Courtesy: Deccan Herald