Figure: Main Aspects to be considered for project review.
Contents
Keeping in mind the interconnected nature of the
problems facing India, AID initiates, identifies and supports projects
in the areas of
literacy and education, health care, vocational
training, rural credit, and environment. Here are some illustrative projects
we currently
support.
AID Health-Care efforts
Community health awareness, West Bengal
Human Development Center works in villages of West
Bengal in the areas of integrated primary health care, both curative and
preventive, micro-credit program for women, training of traditional birth
attendants and many more. The goal of the project is to develop community
health, sanitation, and create awareness to empower the community using
scientific communication system so that people can visualize and learn
to establish a better community. AID approved $1500 for implementing this
project.
AIDS intervention program, Uttar Pradesh
Sahayog, a society for participatory rural development,
is implementing a research project which has a two fold objective, to study
the potential of HIV spread in the Kumaon region and to come up with strategies
for prevention based on these systematic studies. The project involves
supporting two project coordinators and community level campaign on AIDS
awareness. AID supported $2500 to implement these efforts.
Improving Slum conditions, Gujarat
SAATH has been working towards the improvement
of slums in Ahmedabad, Gujarat to improve the health conditions and facilities
available for people living there. The current project supports these health
care efforts and AID is supporting the salaries for the health workers
and teachers, rental expense for the dispensary. AID approved $2400 towards
these efforts.
Cancer screening camps, Tamil Nadu
Vasantha Memorial Trust, a hospital in Coimbatore,
works in three villages to identify prostate, cervical and breast cancer
early in people and take measures to prevent them. The current AID project
is to conduct cancer screening camps for prostate cancer for men above
50 years of age and for breast, cervix and uterine cancer for women between
the ages of 25 and 50. AID provided $3000 for the camps.
Rehabilitation for physically handicapped, Uttar
Pradesh
Vikalang Kendra initated programs which provide
health care and aids/prosthetics for the handicapped, education and vocational
training with which the children can become self reliant, in Ahmedabad.
The current project intends to serve children in a wider area around Vikalang
Kendra. AID provided $2750 for purchasing a Van/Ambulance as Vikalang kendra
managed to raise local support for covering the remaining portion of the
costs.
Arsenic Detection in Ground Water, West Bengal
Ground water in five districts of West Bengal and
parts of Bangladesh have become contaminated with alarmingly high amounts
of Arsenic, causing many deaths and arsenicosis among people. Many people
still consume water from wells without knowing that they are contaminated.
Breakthrough Science Society (BSS) volunteers,
some of them being professors at IIT - Kharagpur, have developed a new
method for detecting Arsenic in water that is both inexpensive and can
be conducted easily in villages. AID is supporting BSS to setup a semi-permanent
laboratory in Calcutta for rechecking water samples in more remote areas
for arsenic pollution. This was necessary to increase the number as well
as the accuracy of the tests, as open-air tests are prone for errors.
Dharikathi Health Center, Assam
AID is supporting a newly established health center
in Dharikathi, constructed in an area donated by the community. There are
seven health workers, semi-trained from the local youth club. This youth
club was identified by Northeast Network (NEN) that works with local groups
that have potential. AID support of $4000 goes towards medicines, training,
salaries and travel expenses by the health workers. NEN will directly work
in the area for the next two years after which it expects the program to
become financially self-sufficient through fundraising and revolving fund.
Health efforts in Nemili, Tamil Nadu
About 13 million people in India suffer from Tuberculosis
and many who succumb to it are poor. The government's TB detection program
is not intensive and patients often fail to take medicines regularly. AID
Fellow Balaji Sampath has been working with volunteers of the Tamil Nadu
Science Forum (TNSF) in Nemili block, where the local community is involved
in the health program. TNSF developed a simple method where villages are
surveyed and people with high risk of TB are screened based on the symptoms
like cough, fever, blood in sputum and weight loss. AID supported x-ray
screening of people in two villages for diagnostic purposes as well as
for cross-checking the validity of the procedure. AID volunteers also helped
them in developing a database, which has the potential to slowly replace
notebooks that are used for maintaining health-related information.
AID education and literacy efforts
Mobile Science Lab, Maharashtra
Vidnyanvahini, a van equipped with state-of-the-art
science facilites like folding tables, TV, VCR and a power generator, visits
rural schools in Maharashtra which lack lab facilities. Vidnyanvahini is
dedicated to help students to learn science through hands-on experimentation
and inculcate in them a scientific temperament. Since 1995, they have toured
150 schools in the course of 225 visits and logged over 25,000 km in 12
districts of Maharashtra. AID went beyond supporting ten trips to rural
schools - we sent educational material and toys for use in the experiments,
including models of the universe, prisms, a microscope and educational
posters. Recently through our collaborations, one of the Vidnyanvahini
teachers offered to trek through the Narmada Valley to teach in Jeevanshalas,
a make shift school for the displaced children there.
Koraga Tribal Education Development
Jana Shikshana Trust, is an organization that is
trying to achieve integrated development of the Koraga tribal people through
education and organization. AID approved $1900 for supporting de-addiction
and leadership camps, rental for non-formal education center, and salaries
for the program coordinators.
Forestry Course for Tribal Students, Karnataka
VGKK has been working for the tribals in Mysore
for over a decade on various development aspects. The current project intends
to train ten standard students in about five districts of Karnataka including
Mysore district. The training focuses on skill development in silviculture,
social foresty, mensuration, ecology and sustainable harvesting. AID approved
$3750 for this project.
Primary Education and Vocational Training for
Poor Children, Andhra Pradesh
Prasanna Bharati Vidyanikethan a village school
in Hanuman Junction provides free primary education and vocational training
to economically background and meritorious students. Their philosophy is
to - Light a Candle Instead of Cursing the Darkness. They provide vocational
training in candle making, screen-printing, greeting cards, drawing and
typing. So by the time the students complete their X Std. they will also
have acquired two or three skills to get them jobs and further continue
their studies. AID support went for teacher salaries and for purchase of
screen printing machines, typewriters, candle making moulds and material
for drawing and painting. AID support also went for educational materials
and health check ups for the children. AID is currently considering to
extend support for one more year, and to expand their vocational training
program to include computer education.
Railway Platform Schools, Orissa
For many of us, children working in cities and
big towns- be it polishing shoes, waiting in restaurants or hawking food
stuffs at the railway and bus-stations is probably a common sight. Mrs.
Inderjit Khurana started the Platform Schools project with the view to
provide basic education to street and working children in and around railway
stations, and to progressively eliminate child labor. The education method
is non-formal using songs, stories, dramas, puppets and games; the syllabus
and curriculum are however that of a formal school. Besides education,
the children are also educated on basic health, hygiene and nutrition.
AID has recently approved funding for the operation of six platform schools
across Orissa.
Lodhar School, Uttar Pradesh
AID started the efforts of educating street children
with the help of some IIT-Kanpur volunteers in 1994 in two villages Lodhar
and Kalyanpur. Since then it inspired and enthused many villagers, which
led to they donating a piece of land for the school. Over the past five
years the achievements are, 1994-95: Tutorials in the underprivileged section
of the village with one teacher and several volunteers. Library, teaching
aids, vocational training and nutrition for children. 1995-96: Construction
of a low-cost school building with two classrooms and a library. 1996-97:
Four regular teachers teaching students of grade I to grade IV. 1997-98:
Extension of school building to add two more rooms, a toilet and a fence.
1998-99: Support for teacher training, science experiments and vocational
training at Lodhar school, and 10 makeshift schools at construction sites
for children of migrant laborers in Kanpur.
AID Self Help Groups Efforts
SEWA, Gujarat
The objective of this project is to build an infrastructure
to coordinate the flow of raw material and finished handicrafts between
the craftswomen and the market. Consequently, bringing about a commendable
increase in the income and standard of living for these poor craftswomen.
The women are organized as several self-help groups in different villages
and form three sub centers in Nakhatrana, Abadasa and Lakhapat, which coordinate
with the main center in Bhuj. The women are trained and together produce
about 28 different handicraft items in embroidery, tie and dye, bead work
and leather work. AID is supporting to the tune of $2500 to partially support
the spearhead team, that coordinates the self help groups, sub centers
and the main center, and who also market the products in the State and
across India.
Grama Vikasa, Andhra Pradesh
Maharshi Sambamurthy Institute is coordinating
the effort of organizing 25 Self-help groups in 5 villages of the Kothapalli
Mandal near Kakinada, A.P. With the help of local village guides, these
groups will operate collective savings, and rotate the money among the
members as loans. Social Action groups will be formed to inspire social
action at the village level. Active work will be done to motivate these
groups to collectively address their social and economic problems, and
adult literacy will be implemented as part of this process. Once the groups
acquire substantial savings, the women will be strongly encouraged to start
income-generating activities using the loans. This three year project started
in 1997.
MALAR, Tamil Nadu
MALAR is a district-wide network of rural women's
small savings groups in Kanyakumari dist., which has been acclaimed as
a model for other districts in TN as well as other states. AID is providing
salary for a district coordinator, who coordinates the MALAR self help
groups, and funds to produce a detailed video for training women's groups
who want to start and effectively run saving groups in their villages.
This is another way that AID provides a channel to replicate successful
efforts in other parts of India.
Abhiyan, Orissa
An integrated rural development program is being
implemented in 6-7 villages of Mahanga and Barachna blocks of Cuttuck and
Jaipur districts. This program consists of running balwadis for young children,
self help groups, setting up of a music center to encourage musical talent
among children and community health program. In addition the program will
also continue to implement natural farming program to demonstrate its effectiveness
to the local farmers. AID approved $3000 to partially support this program
and salaries for the coordinators of the project.
Enterprise Research and Marketing Unit, Andhra
Pradesh
This program, implemented by Bhagavatula Charitable
Trust, is to assist income generating and savings activities for rural
self help groups of women. Initially the program will try to identify products
that have market potential for rural entrepreneurs, and impart necessary
training to the women to produce fine quality products. The plan is that
by this organized marketing and by meeting the market expectations, the
women will have increase income levels and at the same time become skillful
to produce quality products. AID approved a grant of $3000 for a period
of two years for this project. AID will also consider additional assistance
in the form of a loan if necessary.
AID environmental and rural developmental efforts
Natural Farming, Karnataka
In the search for sustainable alternatives, a small
group of youngsters from Mysore, with engineering backgrounds, who have
been actively involved in environmental conservation and educational activities,
have moved to a rural setting. The group is working on a piece of 18 acres
land, named "Hulikadu" since the last two seasons. The project aims at
establishing a sustainable agricultural farm, which is being designed as
an agro-forest habitat capable of meeting the community needs. The project
focuses on agricultural practices that include soil and water conservation,
collection and growing traditional varieties of seeds, recycling of organic
residues for enriching soil fertility. AID provided funds for meeting the
costs of digging a well and installing a solar pump.
Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Gujarat
This project deals with effects of hazardous discharge
by mining and other industries in the "Golden Corridor" industrial belt
of Gujarat. Due to lack of proper pollution control/monitoring, and faults
of industries, the water and soil in many villages here have been extensively
affected. The water is highly contaminated, making it unusable and forcing
locals to "purchase" water from elsewhere. Hazardous effluents have also
affected the soil quality. PSS is working on trying to alleviate the problems,
and make the villagers aware of their basic rights, and educate them on
the effects of these effluents. The organization also wants to make sure
that pollution norms are not violated by the industries. PSS suspects that
there is a high incidence of cancer in some villages caused by the effects
of industrial pollutants. AID approved a budget of Rs. 75,000/- for awareness
campaigns and cancer screening among the villagers, and currently only
the awareness program is carried out. The cancer research in the villages
is currently on hold.
Skill training for working children, Tamil Nadu
HOPE, a non-governmental group, is involved in
promoting education amongst the working children in five villages of Vedasundar
block of Dindigul, one of the poorest district in TN. The children are
educated in various aspects of value based living. The current project
aims at providing skill training to the working children in tailoring and
carpentry. AID approved $2300 for one year.
Asset development for women, Maharastra
Mann Vikas Samajik Sanstha intends to create avenues
for women to develop their assets and generate income and increase their
bargaining power so that they can think beyond their survival. This project
aims to provide coordinating and monitoring services, promote marketing
of products made by the women, and training. AID supported $2700 to implement
the above activities.
Alternatives in water and power
Speaking to AID volunteers in the Chennai conference,
Former Secretary of Water Resources Prof. Ramaswamy Iyer emphasized the
need to implement, research and document small scale, sustainable ways
of harvesting water and generating energy. Some of these are documented
in Center for Science and Environment's path-breaking "Citizen's Report
on the Environment", a call to action in itself with the title "Dying Wisdom:
Rise and Decline of India's Traditional Water Harvesting Systems". Local
community and NGO efforts have demonstrated the success of small-scale
systems as well as the potential for conserving water and energy. AID has
approved funding for a concerted effort to research the effects of large
dams and alternatives in water and power. This will facilitate communication
among the people and NGOs with a wealth of experience and knowledge in
water management and organize the results in a way that can have impact
at the policy level -- both locally and globally. This is part of a worldwide
effort on the part of people's groups and NGOs under the umbrella of International
Commission on Dams, Rivers and People. AID's funding will cover the meetings
and research taking place in India, coordinated by Medha Patkar, recipient
of numerous prestigious awards including Right Livelihood Award, Goldman
Environmental Medal and Dinanath Mangeshkar Award.
Several other Projects are being reviewed....
2. Project Goals for 2000 of AID
3. Contact Information regarding
AID Projects
Please write to
Attn: Project Coordinator
Association for India's Development (AID)
P.O. Box 149
College Park, MD 20741
Email: projects@aidindia.org
WWW : http://www.aidindia.org
A copy of all project files are in the AID Head Quarters...
Figure: Main Aspects to be considered for project review.
Background of the organization
With the knowledge of the prevailing conditions in the project area, we can see if the proposed solution by the NGO would be feasible or not. For example training 150 women to make candles would not be very advisable if the local market can be met with only 20 women, or digging more bore wells when there are already fresh water ponds and many wells in the project area which are accessible, or conducting major training programs in farming when a very small fraction of the society is actually in this occupation. Using the local talent and strengths as part of the solution often increases the effectiveness of the project. The project need to be analyzed in these directions to understand the effectiveness and consequences of the project.
All NGO's or groups which apply for financial support should submit us with a detailed budget along with the proposal. The budget should clearly split up the various costs and expenses that are involved to implement the project. Typically the budgets that groups submit to us consist mainly of the following costs,
The budget will also give an idea of the various details that the descriptive part of the project proposal may not give. The strategy that the group (NGO) suggested should be consistent with the budget they proposed. Sometimes the budget itself will give an idea on how to support the project. One simple way of looking at it is, what are the recurring expenses and what are non recurring expenses. We could scale down the project in terms of the project duration on a experimental basis. Depending on the success of the project in the first phase, the project can be extended to remaining period.
Since AID has been doing projects for more than 6 years, we can use the knowledge that we have gained over the years. Compare the proposed budgets with the projects that AID has done previously. Also check on the various already existing local resources or facilities. This will help us in cutting down costs on several items of the project. For example, previously AID has received a project for providing Braille slates for the blind from a group in India. As one of our volunteers who is experienced in this area knew that government has special schemes which provides these necessities for the blind through out India. We got the project group in touch with the appropriate agencies in India so that they could obtain the required material. ( These are some options we need to be aware off and can be explored by the organization )
In order to ensure the success and the efficiency of the project, sometimes phasing the support of the project will be important. For example, let's say we support for the first six months of a adult literacy programs, then see how it is working. Depending on how the project is going we could either modify (in collaboration with the NGO) the program, or continue supporting for the remaining period. Even after serious and extensive review of the project, if we find they are dishonest we can stop the payment for the remaining period and take necessary actions.
We need to keep insisting the projects to send us feedback in the form of photographs, written reports, news paper articles, project specific feedback ( products etc. Like candles, greeting cards etc.) Please see the AID feedback policy that is attached. Regular visits by volunteers to the project will ensure of the honesty and effectiveness of the project.
AID Plans and Goals
While reviewing the project's effectiveness and honesty, it is also important to view the project in terms of the overall plans and goals of AID. Analyze whether the project complies with the objectives of AID or not. Various aspects to be looked in as part of the overall AID are