A less traveled track to Tilonia gives one a journey into Indian entrepreneurship and perhaps changes the way our villages are perceived by city dwellers. Tilonia brings you face to face with the real spirit of India. Its misty hopefulness uncovers the nature of the task that is ahead for a social entrepreneur, its uniqueness and challenges.

Tilonia is a small town 25 kms from Kishangarh near Ajmer in Rajasthan. Barefoot College, established in 1972, inspires this town with the conviction that solutions to rural problems lie within the community. These solutions are broadly classified by Barefoot College into solar energy, healthcare, education, water, rural handicrafts, people’s action, communication, women empowerment, income generation, wasteland development, electricity and power as well as social awareness and conservation of ecological systems in rural communities.

Barefoot College was founded by Sanjit ‘Bunker’ Roy, an Indian social activist and educator. Roy was influenced by the philosophy of Mao Zedong, and modeled his organization after Mao’s Barefoot Doctors. Roy has worked all his life with the Barefoot College.

Spread over more than 8 acres of land, the campus of Barefoot College was built between 1980 and 1986, designed by a team of rural ‘barefoot’ architects, masons, blacksmiths, farmers and members of women groups who sat and struggled through the initial basic designing of the campus. This institution believes in imparting informal, non-structured, on-the-job practical training by identifying the poor, unemployed youth who have been unable to finish their formal education and have returned to their respective villages as dropouts. The five principles which are an integral part of the functioning of the college are equality, collectiveness, self-reliance, decentralization and austerity.

The education program focuses on the overall development of rural children, with literacy being just one part of it. It encourages hands-on or learning-by-doing process of gaining knowledge and skills. Lessons are focused on awareness about the environment and socio-economic and political forces that dominate development. The aim is to provide the children with a right balance of education and literacy so that they choose to stay in their village and work for its development. The college has different programs for children and women. There are Balwadis (rural crèches) established for children between the age of 6 months-5 years for the convenience of working mothers. Night schools have been set up for ‘working children’. There are bridge courses, courses for night school children who aspire to join formal day schools. In these night schools, initiatives like the children’s parliament are established which allow them to participate in the management of their schools through a democratic process. Candidates are selected through a proper election process, giving them an idea of the working of a democracy.

There is also a huge emphasis on the holistic development of women by empowering them socially, financially and politically. In the past 38 years, the college has trained more than 15,000 women in jobs ranging from construction work, education, metal craftsmanship, toy making and solar engineering, to mechanical repair and fabrication, health care, water testing, handicrafts, film making and social activism.

Vocational Training at Tilonia

The Barefoot College has setup eight field centers in Rajasthan and a society known as SAMPDA (Society for Activating, Motivating and Promoting Developmental Alternatives) through the collective efforts of which the Barefoot approach is replicated in rural communities across 14 states in India.

The global response received by the organization is worth acknowledging. The institute has witnessed semi-literate middle aged woman traveling from places as diverse as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Gambia, Mali and Sierra Leone to undergo training to become barefoot solar engineers.

To know more about this organization and to read on some of its wonderful initiatives, please visit their website at www.barefootcollege.org.

Shivam Udayan is an intelligent kid, quick to grasp new things. Now he has started learning horse riding at school. Ajay Udayan has been the head boy of his class since the last two months, he is very interested in sports and extracurricular activites.He also took part in Ramayana sessions in school. These are just two stories out of the 180 kids in Udayan care, 11 of whom are in boy’s NOIDA home There kids are mostly orphan or from abusive, destitute and dysfunctional backgrounds. The children over here live in well furnished, modern homes, with all the facilities that one would see in an upper middle class family. Children in the Noida home go to schools such as Rockwood and Assisi Convent.

Udayan care is an NGO started in 1994 by Dr. (Mrs.) Kiran Modi. Headquartered in Delhi, the organisation is working towards regenerating the lives of the disadvantaged children and women. They are committed to their aim of sustainable social development through various programs that include :

Udayan Ghars Shelter homes based on the Group Foster Care model developed
by the organisation with the sole aim of providing a family like environment for oprhaned,abused kids so as to promote social integration, brotherhood and providing the best possible education . Each Udayan Ghar is run by lifetime a volunteer mentor parent, the home on an average has about 15 children. Ghars are located in popular neighbourhoods and children attend private, English medium schools, and participate in vocational training and mental health programmes . At present they have twelve homes in and around Delhi/NCR.

Udayan Shalini Fellowship A distinctive higher education and vocational training scholarship, that works towards the transformation of disadvantaged girls into educated, independent and confident citizens like 22 year old Smita Verma who moved her family out of a one tenement flat in the congested bylanes of Old Delhi’s Chandi Chowk to an independent house in a decent location. She became the first engineer in her family , all thanks to the Udayan Shalini fellowship.

Outreach programme Started in 2004 to provide financial assistance to the children of HIV infected parents so that they are able to receive better nutrition, schooling and prospects of a better future. A long term relationship is established with the children through workshops, counsellings and home visits. In the eventual loss of parents, children are assured with Udayan Ghars.

Sugam Vedashram Project Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu was the worst affected by the Tsunami that rocked the shores of the country. Of the total district population of 1.4 million, approx. 197,000 were directly affected and 6051 were killed.Gasunie Engineering Technology (GET), Netherlands decided to ameliorate the suffering fisherman and develop a proper rehabilitation plan.

Finally three villages namely Chinnurpet, Chandrapadi and Talampettai were chosen and Sugam Vedashram Project was started in collaboration with Bandhua Mukti Morcha and GET. The aim of the project is to provide an educational and training platform for the devastated fishermen community.
At present they are seeking funds for the construction of the Center.

Udayancare is currently in the process of starting a hostel for underprivileged women. The organisation is accredited by Give India and Credibility Alliance.
Here are some wonderful photographs of the children at Udayan Care:

Children at the Winter Camp in Jagshanti Udayan Ghar, NOIDA

Contact Details

Please visit http://www.udayancare.org/ to know more.
Blog : http://www.udayancareblog.blogspot.com/
Twitter : http://twitter.com/udayancare

SAMAG is a registered, Non-Profit support group which is relentlessly working for the cause of “Ataxia” and “Muscular Dystrophies”- a set of Neuro Muscular degenerative disorders resulting in body imbalance and heart problems which gradually worsens until the victim becomes totally incapacitated. At present, there is no known cure in this world for this disorder.

SAMAG was founded by Chandu George in 2006 in Hyderabad, India with a vision to spread awareness about Ataxia and to provide information and counseling to families coping with Ataxia. Journey has been difficult for this budding organization but thanks to the positive efforts of volunteers led by Chandu, SAMAG has slowly and steadily created awareness on Ataxia and has successfully paved the way to create a forum for Ataxians thus bringing in hope and voice for Ataxians in India.

Chandu George, belonging to a middle class family in Hyderabad, has grown from being a shy and introvert guy into a confident personality leading the way for better life for Ataxians. Diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia from the tender age of 14, Chandu realized very early that living with Ataxia was a part of his life and a reality. Over the years he has accepted this hard bitter truth in life and maintaining an ever optimistic attitude, he has strived relentlessly in building SAMAG, an effort to better the lives of families coping with this rare condition.

Completing 4 years of operation, SAMAG has been successful in getting attention from local organizations and volunteers who have come forward to help in its efforts by tree plantations, donation of wheelchairs, organizing fundraising activities etc. SAMAG has also been featured in local channels like Saakshi TV and TV9 along with getting published in local newspapers. It continues to act as an advocacy and lobby group for Ataxians and continues to prepare volunteers who can contribute their time and energy for the welfare of Ataxia patients and help them in obtaining essential commodities like wheelchairs, walkers, medicine etc.

However, despite all its achievements, SAMAG is still in need of funds as well as volunteers to realize many of the pending projects. One such project is SAMAG Rehabilitation Center. SAMAG aspires to build a disabled friendly rehabilitation centre where it can bring the Ataxian families together along with care givers and volunteers. Chandu truly believes that spending a weeks time in a direct interactive environment , Ataxian families can share their concerns, reduce their worries and also develop a feeling of ” togetherness” which can bring them new hope in life.

This project is yet to be realized due to the lack of funds and resources.

Another project is to open a branch of SAMAG in Bangalore which is again not been realized because of lack of volunteers and like-minded people.

I take this opportunity to remind The Better India readers that SAMAG is a registered non-profit support group which entirely depends upon donation, charity, grants and fund raising events. It needs helping hands to support the cause and funds to implement projects. Even a little help can make a huge difference.

So, please feel free to contact Chandu at sam_ataxiaindia[at]yahoo[dot]com in order to find out ways of help, how to become a volunteer, how to conduct fund-raising activities, sponsor a victim or make a donation.

Please visit www.samataxiagroup.org to know more.

Read more about Ataxis here: Ataxia on Wikipedia

Ajay Das comes from a poor family in Patla village. The family of six was dependent solely on agriculture. Apart from paddy, they also cultivated vegetables and Assam lemon, earning around Rs.1500 a month, which was barely sufficient. What does Ajay do now? He is an entrepreneur, producing arecanut leaf plates. Initially shy and slow, over a period of time he gained confidence when he saw the money coming in and when he realized that he could independently handle such a complex activity. In the last financial year, he produced around 40,000 products, one of the highest. He has taken up this activity full time and has one of the best raw material supply chains and is earning more than Rs.3000 a month.

Dalimi Patgiri from Bhalaguri village, a mother of two, is married to a teacher in a private school in the village. She came forward to start a similar venture. She not only saw an opportunity to earn additional income but also to set an example for other women. She facilitated setting up the raw material banks through a SHG (Self-Help Group) and helped collect 50,000 pieces of raw material in her area. She led a team of seven women on training visit to Salem at a time when many women did not have the courage to go beyond the precincts of the village. Later when her group did not support her to establish the plates manufacturing unit, she decided to do it alone. She set up the unit with a loan from SBI in January 2007. In spite of many problems and criticism from villagers, she has continued to improve her performance.

These are inspiring stories of just two of the many villagers of North East India, whose lives have been completely transformed by the initiatives of Dhriiti – The Courage Within.

Dhriiti has set up micro enterprises for Arecanut Leaf Plate Manufacturing. Each arecanut leaf plate manufacturing unit provides direct employment to three persons and indirect employment to ten other persons. At the same time, it produced an eco-friendly alternative to dangerous plastics and polystyrene plates, using dried arecanut sheaths, otherwise wasted in these regions. Since these regions have a huge raw material supply, Dhriiti focuses on the four Bodoland districts of Baska, Chirang, Kokrajhar, Udalguri and the adjoining districts of Barpeta, Nalbari and Bongaigaon to promote this project. Dhriiti operates from its office in Barpeta, Assam and hopes to generate a business of more than 100 crores for rural North East by 2015.

So far, Dhriiti has established 44 units. Not only have over 5 lakhs plates been sold till now but the process has generated income of around 2 lakh for rural people by selling arecanut sheaths which was earlier deemed a waste product. The units, established at the house of the entrepreneurs, offer convenience and ease of self-employment.

The Raw Material Left for Drying

Raw Material Entering Machine

Final Product coming out of the machine

The percentage of poor in Assam is the highest among the seven sister states of the North East. Around 36.09 percent of the State’s population continues to live below the poverty line. The incidence of unemployment, measured as a percentage of the labour force is increasing in Assam. The way out of the unemployment and insurgency scenario is to promote self employment. This is where the arecanut leaf plate industry comes in. Cheers to an organization that has tapped the opportunity in this sector, providing employment to not just the entrepreneurs but also to many others!

Every seven minutes, a woman in India dies due to pregnancy-related complications. Over a million babies born in the country die within their first month of life. India has the unfortunate distinction of claiming more than a quarter of the total newborn deaths in the world. The majority of these deaths occur in rural areas where poverty and lack of knowledge about proper maternal and child health care are the real cause of these fatalities.

The Indian government has come up with schemes such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the soon-to-be-launched National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) to address this dire situation. Both schemes give high priority to the issue of maternal and newborn health for marginalized communities, and seek to improve the availability of and access to quality health care for those at the lowest rung of the socio-economic ladder. Additionally, government programs such as the Janani Suraksha Yojana incentivize delivery in hospitals by encouraging mothers to opt for institutional deliveries.

Effective development communication programs can play a pivotal role in bridging these knowledge gaps by identifying barriers to behavior change, analyzing these barriers, and developing original techniques to overcome them.

AKHA

For instance, in Assam, a collaboration between the Indian government, UNICEF, and local bodies is using a boat called Akha to reach underprivileged indigenous tribes that inhabit geographically isolated sandbars and islands called chaporis. The chapori residents, who live near the lifeline of Assam—the Brahmaputra river, are often cut off from accessing health care facilities due to floods and other natural hazards. What’s more, awareness about maternal and child health care is all but drowned out by the other concerns for survival that face this group.

The Akha Boat

The Akha, which comes equipped with medical staff and communications materials, makes visits to these isolated regions with the mission to regularly provide facilities for maternal and child health as well as promote awareness about health-seeking behaviors. Findings suggest that the service delivery undertaken by the boat, which has been continually expanding over the last few years, has dramatically improved thousands of lives. 71 percent of the chapori mothers sought some form of antenatal care during their last pregnancy; of these, 42 percent sought care from the Akha.

This is one example of how an intervention tailored to the specific needs of a community can raise awareness and create tangible change.

SURE START

Another example is the work done by a project called Sure Start—an initiative based at PATH, an international not-for-profit organization supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The project is working with rural communities in Uttar Pradesh and settlements of marginalized people in Maharashtra to help mothers and their children to survive and stay healthy.

The project’s communications program is innovative in its efforts to raise awareness and interest about maternal and child health care issues. In villages, for example, the “letter from an unborn child” campaign reached out to 40,000 fathers-to-be, educating them about the importance of taking care of their wives during pregnancy. In both Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, the program uses interactive and entertaining tools including dance, music, theater, and games to create awareness.

Mr. Nirbhay Singh, the elected head of one of the villages in Uttar Pradesh where Sure Start operates, estimates that since the program began in his village in 2008, 70 to 75 percent of adults in the community have become aware of safe delivery practices and the vital importance of ensuring access to maternal and child health services. One result is that payments under the government’s Janani Suraksha Yojana (a scheme that incentivizes institutional delivery) have increased alongside the growing awareness about the health benefits of giving birth in hospitals.

In this way, projects such as these use customized communication techniques to raise awareness of maternal and newborn health issues, thus helping local communities benefit fully from existing government schemes. It has often been said that knowledge is power, and the projects mentioned above give that power back to the communities they work in.

Sure Start works to educate women in India on maternal and neonatal health. Sure Start, an initiative by PATH, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to promote safe childbirth practices in India.

Connect with PATH at:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sure-Start-Project-by-Path/178629192101
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pathsurestart

Article courtesy: Vikas S from PATH Sure Start. Thanks Vikas!