PEOPLE FOR PROGRESS IN INDIA (PPI)
(P.O.BOX 51231, SEATTLE, WA, 98115-1231)
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ANNUAL REPORT (December
1991)
Dear Friends:
PPI wishes to thank you for your support
in 1991. It is one of our goals to seek direct feedback from our
projects and share it with others. The following is a brief report
of our activities.
BACKGROUND
PPI was founded in 1977 by a few people in Seattle, who wanted to help the under-privileged in India beyond the conventional contribution to charity. They formed an organization that would:
- fund specific programs that make the villagers self-reliant and self-sustaining: co-ops, loan programs, education, health care, vocational training, small scale industries etc.
- maximize the dollars sent by working directly with local organizations/volunteers and maintain contact with them.
- encourage ideas for new projects and villager participation.
Though PPI has primarily supported rural
projects, it has undertaken some projects in urban areas also.
A SYNOPSIS OF CURRENT PROJECTS (1991-92)
1. Children's Education Project
Mr. Dwarko Sundrani, Samanway Ashram, Gandhinagar, Bodhgaya, Bihar.
This five-year project which supported the education of 24 children in the Gandhinagar village with pledges of $10/month/child from individuals was completed this year. The children will now proceed to the Samanway Ashram's main institution in Bodhgaya, where they will continue their education. PPI is now exploring with the villagers of Gandhinagar the possibility of a development type project.
Our suggestion for a brick-making project
to be taken up by the Musahar farmers has met with enthusiasm
from Mr. Sundrani. Brick-making would provide the villagers with
off-season employment, as well as sturdier housing in an area
where huts are regularly devastated by heavy rains followed by
hot dry spells.
2. Environmental Education and Afforestation Project
Dr. S. R. Hiremath, Samaj Parivarthana Samudaya (SPS), Dharwar, Karnataka.
The main thrust of this new project (1991-93)is
to organize and educate the rural poor in two villages of Dharwar
district, especially women and scheduled castes and tribes, to
promote afforestation. This involves training the villagers in
planting useful species in the common lands for cultivation. The
cost of this three-year project is $5400. PPI's funds cover the
salary of a field worker and the cost of a training program.
Our earlier similar project (1988-90) in
Hirebasur village has succeeded in spite of some opposition from
richer elements of the village. A piece of a hillside was developed
and now presents a marked contrast to the surrounding degraded
land. SPS workers are continuing their efforts to promote cooperation
between factions in the village.
3. Leather Work Training Project
Mr. L. C. Tyagi, Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GVVS), Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
This project involves training of cobblers in three desert villages near Jodhpur, in new techniques of shoe making and selling them in the urban markets. This project, in its third and final year, is proceeding well in spite of some damage to the buildings in 1990 due to vandalism. Mr.Tyagi writes in his 9/7/91 and 10/28/91 letters that they have trained 13 new people this year. Of the total 28 craftspersons in the trade, 11 of them are women. Two women experts from New Delhi have volunteered and trained them in shoe embroidery techniques and color combinations. They have so far sent $1600 and $840 worth of shoes to New Delhi and Bombay markets for sale. Our total three-year commitment was for $8000. We will be re-investing the money recovered into another similar project.
4. Nandagaon-Khanapur Village Project
Dr. M. K. Vaidya, Karnatak Health Institute (KHI), Ghataprabha, Karnataka.
This is the fourth in a series of villages
into which money has been recycled from PPI's earlier village
projects: Balobal(1979-82), Wadiratti(1983-85) and Dharmatti (1986-88).
The program provides interest-free loans to villagers for the
purchase of dairy buffalos. PPI is supplementing the recycled
money by supporting the salary of a worker, and the cost of child
care and mid-day meals to the extent of $800/yr for three years.
All the three previous villages have become self-sustaining in
three years. This series of projects reflects the goal of PPI
of making people self-reliant and self-sustaining in a gratifying
manner.
5. Nallathur Village Rehabilitation Project
Mr. Durai Raj, Christ Children's Home (CCH), Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu.
This project, in the village of Nallathur
near Madras, involves development of a vegetable garden, tree
nursery and a dairy for improving nutrition and providing employment
and vocational training. He has sent several slides which show
that the tree nursery, vegetable garden and canal irrigation phases
of the project are going well. Mr Durairaj writes in his 10/6/91
letter, ìThe dairy farm for the five buffalos has not yet
reached profit earning stage yetî. He was planning to visit
USA for a fund raising tour, but decided to stay back to put
this project on firm financial basis. This project is secular
in nature and benefits all the villagers. It is now in its final
year with a total budget of $7500.
6. Cattle Pedigree Upgrade and Training Project
Mr. Shiv Shankar Prasad, Pragati Bharati, Tulbul, Hazaribagh, Bihar.
This project, initiated in late 1989, deals with improving the pedigree of cattle and training the villagers in animal husbandry techniques. Mr. Prasad writes in his 7/22/91 letter that the mini dairy now has grown from 7 to 12 cows, but the milk yield somewhat low (about 400 liters/cow/yr). The project has had only moderate success, since it has not received the attention it deserves by the local volunteers. Due to our continued insistence, they are now in the process of re-organizing for greater efficiency and accountability. On the brighter side, they are trying to get help from a veterinary doctor to acquire a healthy bull for breeding. Also construction has begun on the cowshed. Now in final year of a three-year program, the project has been supported by PPI up to $7000.
7. Slum Dweller Training Project: ("SWA" Roop Wardhini)
Mrs. Kunti Muzumdar, Poona, Maharashtra.
This voluntary social organization (SWA)
of Poona helps the poor in deprived communities who are socially
and economically backward, but with inherent potential to gain
economic self sufficiency. Our project includes; adult education,
tailoring, embroidery and home nursing classes. This is our new
project for 1992 and was recently approved at the November 1991
monthly PPI meeting. First year commitment is for $2200.
8. Tribal Women Education and Training Project
Mr. Ravi Kumar, Alternative for India Development Group (A.I.D), Giridih, Bihar.
This project initiated in 1989, deals with
non-formal education and skill training of tribal women in 30
villages near Giridih district, Bihar. PPI's project is part
of an ambitious program which will benefit 200,000 people in 133
villages. At the five centers supported by PPI, 300 learners
will benefit. While our contact persons at A.I.D have sent us
regular and exhaustive reports which speak of impressive overall
progress, we have not received a report specific to our own project.
As we go to print, we are awaiting this specific report. PPI's
commitment for 1992 is $2400. For
this project, PPI has received a generous grant from Horizons
Foundation (see below).
OTHER ACTIVITIES
ï Horizons Foundation
We are happy to report that we received
a grant of $4050 from Horizons Foundation of Seattle, a private
foundation organized to address the social and environmental problems.
Impressed with the work done by PPI in addressing the problems
of tribal women and children in Bihar, Horizons Foundation awarded
the grant to be used in support of the A.I.D project or for
any other project that PPI deems worthy. We thank Horizons Foundation
for their generous contribution and for the trust placed in PPI's
discretion.
ï Leprosy Rehabilitation Project: Maharogi Sewa Samiti, Maharashtra.
We received an excellent letter from Dr. Vikas Amte on the progress of our previous projects. The following is a summary of his letter.
- Tailoring Project (1982-84)
Over the years, the needs of the institution have been met with the help of this section. In addition to providing gainful employment for 12 persons, tailoring has fetched the institute a moderate income of $1500 in 1989-90. Currently, 8 more are being trained. About 30 cured leprosy patients who have had the training have gone to villages nearby and are running businesses on their own.
-Silk Screen Printing (1985-86) (*)
This project has given a new source of revenue to the institute and leprosy-cured patients. In the last five years they have made over 16000 greeting cards and 15000 wedding cards. About 15 people have been trained and have found employment outside. Now 5 more people are undergoing training.
- Bio-mass Project (1986-87)
This project involved with suitable utilization of land, water, and energy resources. The members of the community have planted and are marketing several varieties of flowers, fruits and ornamental plants. Their sericulture unit was selected by the Government of Maharashtra for training farmers from the Vidarbha region. Energy plantation has resulted in efficient use of natural resources and proper agricultural tools.
These projects have saved over $10000 in
the last two years alone and has given gainful employment to many
leprosy cured patients.
This was a very heartwarming news to receive from Dr. Amte. We are corresponding with him for initiating a new project in one of their many endeavors.
(*) We get the greeting cards early November
every year. The cards are of beautiful Indian design and are
available for sale at a very reasonable price. All the collected
funds are sent back to the Leprosy rehabilitation project. If
you are interested in buying them, please contact one of us.
ï Dr. S.R. Hiremath
Dr. Hiremath visited us in May 1991. He
briefed us on the progress of our project (#2) and problems they
faced on the way. He is doing a lot of ecological protection work
in India in addition to village development work in the villages
near Dharwar.
ï New Projects under Consideration:
There are several new projects under various stages of evaluation.
- Brick Making Project: (Samanway Ashram, Gandhi Nagar, Bihar)
The project is to get the Musahar farmers to make bricks and market it towards building houses in the area. The local community has the know-how and needs the seed money to get started.
- Baldwin Integrated Rural Development: (Chittor, Andhra Pradesh)
Tailoring classes for 25 women in the village of Narayanavaram.
- Other new project correspondences include: Rehabilitation of Bonded Stone Quarry Workers (GVVS), Mobile Creche, Bhagavatula Trust, and Nrityagram (founded by dancer Protima Bedi).
ï The annual PPI dinner in March 1991 was well attended and successful. The dinner in 1992 will be in April/May period.
AN INVITATION TO SHARE
Perhaps you support some good cause in
India in your own way. Perhaps, you have thought that if only
there were more people to help, things would be better. PPI was
founded on such sentiments. Many of our projects were started
through personal referrals and were followed through with direct
correspondence. PPI invites you to share your ideas on development.
Much more can be done collectively. Your help in the past has
enabled us to make some change, however small, in rural/urban
India. We need your continued support and ideas.
The projects are funded through pledges (typically $10-$30/month) and contributions by members and non-members. All donated amounts are channeled to the various projects. Membership dues ($25/family/yr, $15/single/yr) cover the cost of printing/mailing for the year. Nearly 97% of the total funds collected are spent on the projects, less than 3% is used for printing and mailing expenses and occasional honorariums for visiting workers from India involved in development. Of course, all of our time is entirely voluntary.
Members participate in the selection and
funding of the projects. Monthly meetings are held on the first
Friday of each month. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please become
a member and support this worthwhile cause.
For further information, please contact
one of us.
Saroj Das 523-9224 Shimoga Srinath 747-6239
Arun Desai 747-7288 Urmi Saraiya 364-1509
Shantha Benegal 522-4404 Pran Wahi 232-8619
Sincerely,
Kumar Bhatia
Chairperson, PPI
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1992 MEMBERSHIP & PLEDGE FORM
(please fill this and mail)
Name:_________________________________________________________
Address:________________________________________________________
_________________________________Phone:_________________
Membership:$______($25 Family, $15 Single/
Year)
Pledge: monthly:$ ____ for one year (1992) or contribution of :$_________
Enclosed is a check for: $ ________ (tax
deductible)
Please make Checks payable to: People for Progress in India (PPI)
P.O.Box 51231, Seattle, WA 98115-1231.