1996 ANNUAL REPORT December,
1996
Dear Friends:
Greetings and heartfelt thanks for all your support in 1996. With your help, PPI had another rewarding year with funding several projects that include: six completed projects and starting of a new one. And, we are looking forward to our 20th anniversary in 1997 with hopes of further expanding our support base and involvement with more projects in India.
For those of you who are new to PPI, here is a little of our background. PPI was founded in 1977 on the concept that help for the under-privileged in India should go beyond the conventional contribution to charity - that it should encourage self help. Accordingly, from its very inception, PPI has been guided by the following goals:
ï to fund specific programs that make people self-reliant and self-sustaining: co-ops, low interest loans, education, health care, vocational training, small-scale industries, etc.
ï to maximize the effect of money sent by working directly with local organizations and volunteers and maintaining contact with them, and
ï to encourage new ideas that involve people participation in such issues as environmental awareness, afforestation, etc.
Because the most under-privileged of Indians
live in rural areas, most of our projects have been located in
villages. However, PPI has also supported a few projects in urban
centers. We want to share with you the excitement of watching
our projects grow. The following is a summary from letters and
reports received from our various project contacts in India.
CURRENT PROJECTS - 1996-97
1. Solid Waste Management Project New Project
Ram Prasad, PRAMUKH Services, Dehra Dun, UP
Ram, a PPI member, returned to India two years ago, with the idea of doing social service work. After setting up a non-profit organization, he proposed a private garbage collection service to help alleviate the extremely unhygenic conditions in towns. The PRAMUKH workers go door-to-door in rickshaws and collect kitchen waste and paper/glass/plastics in two compartments. The wet food waste is used for composting, while the rest is recycled. The monthly fee is Rs. 30 (<$1). This project provides employment to the poor while improving the environment. The money collected by recycling is given to the workers as an added incentive. With the city services mostly non-existent in towns and with the plague scare in Surat, Gujarat in 1994, it seemed to be an appropriate project to initiate. We recently received an interim report from Ram. After some initial starting problems, he has the project going and is focusing on a mixed community of moderate to low income group. He had to reduce the service fee to Rs. 20/month. He is also trying to broaden his customer base by offering service to an old and congested part of the city where the contribution is made on voluntary basis. He hopes that people will start paying once they see the benefits they receive. We think this is a great concept and wish him all the success. This year's funding was $3520, with a total two-year commitment of $6750.
2. Slum Women Rehabilitation Project
Dr. Samuel Issmer, South Asia Council for Community & Children on Crisis (SAC-CCC), Bangalore, Karnataka
This project started in September 1995, plans to train 90 poor women from Byappanahalli and adjoining slums in Bangalore in tailoring and embroidery. Twenty-four women from the first two batches of students graduated in April 96 after 8 months of training. The second set of 30 trainees started training on July 1, 1996. Each trainee learns to stitch 25-30 dresses for women and children. The project co-ordinators have been arranging for bank loans for the successful graduates to buy sewing machines as well as establishing contacts with businesses to provide sewing orders to these women. This second year's funding was $1440 with a three year commitment of $3800.
Jerry Folland, a PPI member, visited this project in January 1996 and filed this report:
" Dr. Issmer has two teachers, each working
with a group of 15 or 20 students, for a period of 9 months. They
come from different communities. Although they are very poor,
they looked like they were out to make something of themselves.
The prospect of being able to take more charge of their lives
and a little economic power, and doing something productive, is
clearly energizing! "
3. Village Fodder/Water Resource Enhancement Project
Mr. L. C. Tyagi, Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GVVS), Jodhpur, Rajasthan
PPI is in it's final year of a three-year pilot
project to show how small and marginal cultivators can harness
rainwater and subsoil water against recurring droughts in the
Thar desert. At last report, five taankas (rain water
storage tanks) had been built to assist families (totaling 55
people) with safe drinking water over several months each year.
A community tubewell was drilled to irrigate 26 acres for growing
fodder, stored for use by livestock during drought periods. Five
khadins (earthen embankments) were built to collect rainwater
to grow crops and trees. This year's funding was $2895 with a
total commitment of $9600.
4. Afforestation and Environmental Protection
Dr. S. R. Hiremath, Samaj Parivarthana Samudaya (SPS), Dharwar, Karnataka.
This project, started in 1995, deals with economic development in the area around Kumaranahalli, a village in Karnataka where local organization for environmental improvement has progressed considerably. The main objectives of the project include: (a) setting up the mechanism for cooperative work between the villagers and the government for productive use of common lands. (b) establishing nurseries to raise seedlings of plants such as papaya, drumstick, curry leaf, etc. (c) organizing environmental camps to introduce people from other villages to the ideas being implemented.
This year, in addition to the nurseries and
environmental camps, the fish rearing program (that failed last
year due to insufficient rains) is being tried again. Village
forest committees are being started in other nearby villages of
Oblapur and Byagwadi. Attention is also being focused on helping
the women in village of Hariyamanahalli who weave palm-leaf baskets
for a living, by growing palm trees nearby and setting up a savings
cooperative with assistance from a government rotating fund.
This year's funding for this project was $2842.
5. Embroidery, Stitch-craft and Tailoring Project
Mr. Gauri Shanker Prasad, Rashtra Nirman Vidya Vikas Trust, Gaya, Bihar
This three-year project, completed early this
year helped train 130 women and high school students in sewing
and embroidery skills. The funds were used to pay for the purchase
of five sewing machines and one interlock machine. It also paid
for the salary of the two sewing and embroidery teachers and the
cost of the basic supplies. Our total funding was $3150.
6. Environment with Economic Development
Mr. B. Sharanappa, PRAGATHI, Mysore, Karnataka
The goals of this three-year project, started
in 1994, have been to: (a) train villagers in horticulture, sericulture
and dry-land farming, and to (b) educate women to improve their
social and economic situation through self help. So far, 113
people from 10 villages have been trained and a nursery unit
has been set up to provide tree samplings at a subsidized rate
to low income people. A total of 90000 saplings of a variety
of trees (such as teak, coconut, lemon, tamarind, betel) has been
provided to about 2000 beneficiaries. The saplings have been
planted in small land areas and kitchen gardens. The funding
for this final year was $2313 with a total funding of $7800.
7. Traditional Craft Training Project
Ms. Krishnaswamy, Self-employed Women's Training Association (SEWA), Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
This three-year project completed this year,
deals with training of young women in the art of patchwork and
embroidery. PPI's funds were used to provide seed capital for
fabric, sewing machines, and other equipment needed for training.
The goods have been marketed by SEWA and by Gujarat Handicrafts
Board. We sent our final payment of $3104 in February 1996.
We are awaiting a final report from SEWA. Our total funding was
$10,000.
8. Environmental Education and Afforestation Project
Mr. Varghees Cleates, VIKASANA, Tarikere, Chikmangalur, Karnataka
Our three-year project with Vikasana concluded
this spring. It involved working with a group of villages in Tarikere
Taluk, Karnataka, to improve environmental conditions around the
villages. Specifically: (a) farmers have been discouraged from
tobacco cultivation and have been educated on more productive
ways to use the land. As a result, tobacco cultivation has dropped
sharply in the area; (b) compost pits have been constructed to
provide natural fertilizer, and bio-gas units have been constructed
to lessen dependence on timber for fuel; (c) silt has been removed
from tanks to improve water retention and provide fertile soil
that has been distributed to the local farms; (d) villagers have
been trained through workshops, in forest planning/management
in co-operation with government agencies; and (e) seedlings of
various useful species have been raised in nurseries and distributed
to farmers and youth groups for plantation.
Jerry Folland, a PPI member, visited Vikasana
early this year and sent this report: " Vikasana's main aim,
like ours, is the improvement of the lot of the villagers. I saw
tanks being desilted and the soil that was removed was distributed
over the farm lots. Met with women's sanghas in several villages
and regard these as a very positive thing. Not only do the women
get more economic power through forming small savings groups,
they have a forum for talking about issues important to them and
getting bigger voice on how things are run." Vikasana appears
to be doing very good work and also has the support of OXFAM,
Tata Trust, and KAP (Netherlands). Our total funding was $5,600.
9. Sericulture Training Project
Ms. K. Sunanda, Alternative for India Development Group (AID), Bihar.
Although this three-year project ended last
year, we received two reports from AID during this year. Begun
in 1993, this project has provided training for 394 tribal women
in the Palamau district of Bihar in Tussar and Mulberry rearing,
reeling, spinning and silk weaving. As a follow up, AID has arranged
for the trainees get credit to the tune of Rs.7000 ($200) each
from the local government to buy looms and raw materials. They
are also helping the trainees in marketing the finished products
in local fairs. The tribal farmers have been encouraged to introduce
mulberry crops to a region where land had been left untilled.
Many plants that would have been normally been deforested, were
allowed to remain because of being host to tussar culture. They
have sent us photographs and samples of tussar silk cloth woven
by the trainees. The total funding for this project was $12,100.
10. Vocational Training Project
Dr. Samuel Issmer, Rural Welfare Association (RWA), Bangalore, Karnataka
This three-year project in it's final year,
deals with the training of villagers near Chittor, Andhra Pradesh,
in tailoring, stitch-craft, embroidery and typewriting. To date,
90 young women in sewing, 60 women in stitch-craft, and 40 boys
and girls in typewriting classes are being trained. Arun Trikha,
a PPI member, visited the project in Nov 1994 and was very impressed
with the skills developed by the students as well as the thoroughness
of the teaching plans. Dr. Issmer has been negotiating soft loans
and grants from governmental agencies for trainees to buy sewing
machines. This year funding was $2626 with a total funding of
$ 8875.
11. Greeting Cards for Leprosy Victims Rehabilitation
Dr. Vikas Amte, Maharogi Sewa Samiti (MSS), Anandwan, Warora, Maharashtra
MSS's silkscreen project for cured leprosy
patients was completed seven years ago with PPI assistance. Since
then, they have been supplying us with colorful greeting cards
for sale. This year, we are selling cards at 50 cents each.
Some cards bear holiday greetings, and others are blank. All
the collected money will be sent to the project. Those interested
in buying the cards may contact Ilse Volinn, 524-3442 or Pran
Wahi at 232-8619.
12. Report from Past Projects:
- Rehabilitation of Street Children and Prevention of Drug Addition
Sujata Ganega, SUPPORT (Society Undertaking Poor People's Onus for Rehabilitation)
Several years ago (1989-90), PPI had funded the production of a video by SUPPORT for use in educating street children against drug addiction. This project had been stalled, through no fault of SUPPORT due to money being tied up in a bank scam. The funds were eventually released and it is to the credit of SUPPORT that inspite of these problems, a continuity has been maintained to complete the original project. We received a letter and a copy of the video from Mr. James Lee, an international relief worker for street children, of the Larken Street Youth Center, San Francisco, CA . He writes: "In my experience of working with street children throughout the globe, I find this film by SUPPORT to be the most solid and realistic piece ever done. It is powerful that the film acknowledges the pull of street kids, and exploits the tension between that pull for excitement and the reality of harm." Ms. Genega writes that the film, titled "Asli Shahar" (the real city) has been made with participation from actual street kids. It is being used for rural exhibition to reduce the flow of children from villages to the cities. It's a 40-minute video in Hindi and, PPI has a copy for anyone that wants to view it.
- Pasture and Wasteland Development Project
Dr. S. R. Hiremath, SPS, Dharwar, Karnataka
This two-year project (1989-90) was to convert
common lands that were bare and eroded into pasture and cultivable
land for production of fodder, food and raw materials. Jerry Folland
also visited SPS early this year and filed this report: "
I spent three days visiting SPS. They took me to Hirebasur to
see what has become of our old project. It looks good! With the
help of forest department, more trees have been planted on "our"
hill, and now there's a quite a forest there. Thanks largely to
the efforts of a strong-minded woman in the village (whom I had
the pleasure of meeting), the village has maintained a committee
to see that afforestation is maintained. So our work continues
to bear fruit here."
OTHER ACTIVITIES
ï Arya Bharadwaj
Mr. Arya Bharadwaj visited us in April 1996 along with Margaret and Riccardo Gramegna. They presented us with information about a global movement called " Jai Jagat Mahotsava." They were in Seattle to promote the celebration of the birth centenary of the Gandhian leader Shree Vinabha Bhave of the Bhoodhan (gift of land) movement.
ï Darshan Goswami
We were very happy to welcome Mr. Darshan Goswami, an electrical engineer and a PPI supporter from Pittsburgh, PA at our August 96 meeting. He distributed the papers he has written on Indian electrical power generation problems and his efforts to help India improve the situation. He is also trying to improve the life of villagers in his native state of Rajasthan. We wish him success.
ï Cascadia Quest/Exnora
We were happy to meet with Mr. Michael Soule, Director of Cascadia Quest, a Seattle based environmental organization that fosters global co-operation among young people, in our September monthly meeting. He introduced Deepa and Praveen, who visited Seattle for five months to work with the King County Conservation Corps. Deepa and Praveen are affiliated with Exnora, an organization based in Madras, India that works on solid waste management and other civic improvements through community involvement. They showed excellent slides of Exnora's work in garbage collection and clean-up of the streets in Madras, India. Mr. V. M. Subramaniam, the General Secretary of Exnora also visited at the October meeting and showed a video of their work in Madras and other cities. Their work seems to be very impressive.
ï Boeing Good Neighbor Fund
We are glad to report that in June 96, the Boeing Good Neighbor Fund (BEGNF) approved PPI as an organization to which Boeing employees can direct their contributions. This will be channeled through the United Way of King County. Hopefully, we will be able to get more contributions to fund good projects that would otherwise not be supported due to lack of funds.
ï Annual PPI Dinner
PPI's annual benefit dinner on March 16, 1996 was well attended, and helped raise about $ 5725 after expenses. Our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Rajul Shah for a wonderful performance of Odissi dance.
The PPI Annual Benefit Dinner in 1997 will
be held on Saturday April 5, 1997.
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. Much can be accomplished
by a caring individual: but much more can be done collectively.
Your help in the past has enabled us to make a difference, in
rural and urban India. As we continue with the current projects,
there are new ones under consideration. We urge you to volunteer
some of your time by participating in PPI's monthly meetings,
and visiting our projects while in India. PPI needs you to review
new projects, and to correspond with project contacts in India.
PPI projects are funded through pledges (typically $10-$30/month)
and contributions by members and non-members. All donated amounts
are passed on to the various projects. Membership dues ($25/family/year,
$15/single/year) cover the cost of printing, mailing and occasional
honoraria for guest speakers. 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. We
need your continued support. Please fill the attached form and
mail it to us.
Sincerely,
Pran Wahi
Chairperson, PPI
PPI 1996 Project Contacts
Project Org/State PPI Contact
Phone
1 Solid Waste Mangagement PRAMUKH, UP Kumar Bhatia (206) 232-6451
2 Slum Women Rehabilitation RWA, Andhra Pradesh Arun Trikha (206) 641-3207
3 Village Fodder/Water Resource GVVS, Rajasthan Gary Worthington (360) 866-4655
4 Afforestation and Environmental Protection SPS, Karnataka Jerry Folland (206) 525-8581
5 Embroidery/Stitch-Craft Training RNT, Bihar Arun Trikha (206) 641-3207
6 Environment with Economic Development PRAGATHI, Karnataka Arun Trikha (206) 641-3207
7 Traditional Craft Training SEWA, Gujrat Lolita Lekha (206) 728-9117
8 Environmental Education/Afforestation VIKASANA, Karnataka Jerry Folland (206) 525-8581
9 Sericulture Training AID, Bihar Shantha Benegal (206) 522-4404
10 Vocational Training Project RWA, Andhra Pradesh Arun Trikha (206) 641-3207
11 Greeting Cards-Leprosy Rehabilitation
MSS, Maharashtra Pran Wahi (206) 232-8619
PPI Office Bearers:
Pran Wahi, Chairperson; Shimoga Srinath, Co-Chairperson; Niranjan
Benegal, Treasurer; Gerald Folland/Shantha Benegal, Joint Secretaries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997 MEMBERSHIP & PLEDGE/CONTRIBUTION
FORM
Name/Address:_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________Phone:
________________
Membership: $ ________ ($25 Family, $15
Single/Year)
Pledge: $ ________ /monthly for one year
(1997), or
Contribution of : $ ________
Enclosed is a check for: $ ________ (tax
deductible)
Please make Checks payable to and mail with this form to:
People for Progress in India (PPI)
P.O. Box 51231, Seattle, WA 98115-1231.