People for Progress in India (PPI)
(P.O. BOX 51231, Seattle. WA, 98115-1231) Year 2000 Annual Report December 2000 Dear Friends:
Greetings! As we enter the year 2001, we look back to twenty-two years of steady growth - thanks to the tremendous support and good wishes from all of you, our benefactors. When PPI was founded back in 1978, it took us a whole year to seek out a non-profit agency to work with us on our first project: RUHSA, a child nutrition project in Vellore, Tamilnadu. At that time the non-governmental organization (NGO) movement in India was in its infancy. Today the number of such organizations in India has grown considerably. Almost every state has many NGO groups that are doing good work in rural development to uplift the poor communities. There is also a noticeable emphasis on the protection of environment. Another change is the way in which NGO groups regard the government. While formerly they engaged in parallel efforts, now many work with the system to make it better. PPI now receives several applications every month from different parts of India. While, PPI's method of selecting, reviewing and monitoring projects has been refined, our goals however, have remained unchanged over the years:
In 22 years, PPI has sponsored and funded more than
57 projects all across India. The projects cover a wide range
of activities from education, health care and environment awareness
and preservation to vocational training, small-scale industries,
co-operatives and micro-credit programs. Typically, a project
lasts 2-3 years with a funding level of $1000-$4000 per year.
Many of the projects do become self-sustaining after our initial
help. Recently PPI has jointly sponsored projects with the Seattle
ASHA group where we fund the training aspect while ASHA funds
the educational aspect. The following is a current summary of
our projects.
CURRENT PPI PROJECTS: 2000-2001 1. Asatoma Project New Project Dr. Shroff Eye Hospital, New Delhi - Dr. Steven Roy This project, just approved at the November 2000 meeting, provides funding for training field volunteers to identify needy persons in need of eye surgery, as well as provide pre and post operative care. Dr. Shroff's eye hospital performs more the 25 eye operations per day in and around the villages near Delhi and has an urgent need for such volunteers. We are happy to support this worthy organization's efforts to build up a strong volunteer force. Our funding is for three years at $4000/Year. 2. Rain-fed Agriculture, Tree Plantation and Child Education New Project Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS), Jodhpur, Rajasthan - Mr. L.C. Tyagi The main objectives of this 3-year project (approved in October 2000) in the Rajasthan villages are to increase the productivity of crops via organic argiculture, promote arid horticulture, train youths in this effort, and provide for non-formal primary education for girls. The project would cover two villages of 250 and 145 families. The total cost of the project is Rs. 481, 000 ($10688). 3. Bee-Keeping and Medicinal Plants Processing Training Center New Project ASHA, INDIA Group, Kaithi, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh - Mr. V. Pandey The aim of this project (jointly funded with the ASHA group) is to build a training center that will provide training in bee keeping and the processing of medical and aromatic plants, thereby creating employment opportunities. PPI is funding the training aspect of the project and ASHA of Berkeley is picking up the tab for building the center. The land is being donated by Mr. Pandey who is active in the ASHA group in India and is also an expert in this field. This project was approved in June 2000 and PPI is funding the training aspect of the project. Our commitment for three years is Rs 203, 000 ($4511) with a first-year commitment of Rs. 131, 000 ($2911). The progress to date is as follows: Building construction work has started. One of the four rooms has been completed. The first batch of students will start classes in January 2001. Training will be provided at no charge, but the trainees will have to pay for their incidental expenses. 4. Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation New Project Pragathi, Mysore, Karnataka - Mr. B. Sharanappa This three-year project began in July 2000. It will work to improve the lot of 186 families of small farmers in two villages near Mysore through improved agricultural practices. The project will provide training in dry land development, water conservation, raising of useful types of trees, and organization of savings groups. The project will also provide saplings for planting, assistance in erosion control, and startup funds for a revolving fund to promote livestock rearing and other projects requiring capital investment. The budget is Rs.182, 600 ($4058) for the first year and Rs.180, 600 ($4013) for the second and third years. 5. Vocational Training for Women New Project Veterans Association for Social Action, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh - Mr. P. Venkateswarlu This three-year project, approved in March 2000, is designed to provide vocational education to women living below the poverty level. The project is focused on women from six villages. Two centers (one per village) will be opened each year to train women in tailoring. A centrally located village will house a center for embroidery and typing classes for women from all six villages. The first center was opened in the village of Pamaru in May 2000 with two sewing machines, one embroidery machine, one typewriter, and 20 students. Total budget for the project is Rs. 180, 600 ($4013) over the next 3 years, with the first year budget of Rs. 56,000 ($1244). 6. Nutrition Elevation among Vulnerable Groups New Project Rural Reconstruction Society, Kavali, Andhra Pradesh - Mr. S. C. Mohan This three-year project began in August 2000. Its aim is to improve the nutritional status of inhabitants of 10 remote villages near Gudlur, Prakasam District through bio-intensive gardening, the development of composite pits and seed banks, and the promotion of thrift and credit unions. Committees of women will be formed in each village to receive training in nutrition and hygiene and to coordinate local involvement. The nutritional status of children under age of five will receive particular attention. Total budget for three years is Rs. 200, 917 ($4465) with this year's budget of Rs. 60700 ($1349). 7. Dry Land Development and Economic Upliftment of Women in Rural Area Prathidhwani, Mysore, Karnataka - Ms. Mohan Kumari This project, completed this year was aimed at promoting dry land farming systems among women of five villages southwest of Mysore. They were also attempting to generate awareness regarding education, health, hygiene, environment, savings and promoting income-generating activities. So far, the group has successfully formed women self-help groups and has conducted several workshops to achieve their goals. They organized workshops of 3 days each where aspects of dry land development through horticulture and environmental protection through plantation were discussed. Also, ten one day workshops were conducted thorough the year to provide information on organic farming, composting, environmental protection and community hygiene. In addition a nursery is being raised to provide seedlings of income yielding and fuel generating trees such as jackfruit, tamarind, neem, teak etc. Women participants were also taken on an exposure trip to two nearby nurseries to learn from their experiences. Our total funding was Rs.95100 ($2113) for 2 years. 8. Vocational Training for Street Children and Women SUPPORT, Mumbai, Maharashtra - Ms. Sujata Ganega
This one-year pilot project, jointly supported by
PPI and ASHA-Seattle was completed this year. It provided short-term
vocational training to street children and homeless youth in Mumbai
as part of a larger rehabilitation program. The aim was to enable
the youth to become gainfully employed. This is important in the
rehabilitation of these youths and ultimately enables them to
become self-reliant. Vocational training included silk-screen
printing, simple handicrafts and agarbatti (incense sticks) making.
Ms. Sujata Ganega writes in a letter dated August 29, 2000: Of
the 80 boys in trained in silk-screening, 16 are employed, 3 are
helping other Non Governmental Organizations, 8 are peer educators
at SUPPORT and 7 have returned to their homes. 45 women and children
among street dwellers learned to make agarbatti. The products
are sold to businesses, and sales have been steadily growing.
A group of four girls and a woman are about to start a small
business. The employed youth have opened bank accounts as a beginning
towards fiscal responsibility and independence. The work is now
recognized and appreciated by Mumbai's Mayor's office and SUPPORT
is working towards getting funding from United Nations' agencies
to expand the project into more traditional vocations that offer
stable jobs. Our funding for this project was for Rs.170, 800
($ 3795).
9. Vocational Training for the Blind Bihar Educational Development Society, Gaya, Bihar - Mr. Jai Kumar Palit This three-year project initiated in November 1999, will provide vocational training to 90 visually handicapped persons over 3 years in stenography, tailoring, brush making, carpentry, and folder-making (depending upon the educational background of the trainees.) Bihar Educational Development Society has worked with the National Association for the Visually Handicapped in New Delhi and Dehra Dun to recruit instructors and obtain training equipment such as Braille shorthand machines and Perkin Braillers. After their graduation, the trained blind persons will work in special workshops under safe conditions. The total budget is for Rs. 340, 000 ($7555) over the three years. They will be putting Rs. 110, 000 ($2444) of their funds into the project. 10. Micro-Enterprise Credit Revolving Fund for Women CHINYARD, Agadi, Hubli Taluk, Dharwar District, Karnataka - Mr. C.Y. Bharadwad This project is in its second year. Our first year's funding of Rs. 171, 500 ($3811) provided for a revolving fund for micro-credit to women's self-help groups (SHG) and included vocational training. Their first year's report appears to be successful. They have established seven self-help groups (11-20 members) with loans of Rs. 20000 ($445) each. Micro-credit has been given to 68 women for small business such as petty shop, milk dairy, vermi-composting and floriculture. Savings have increased by 50% and repayments have recently begun. The individual members of these groups have started enterprises in such areas as dairy, petty shop, brick making, bangle shop, rice vending, tailoring, sheep rearing, coconut business, floriculture, tea stall, vegetable vending and vermi-composting. These SHG's have repaid the loan amount with interest, and additional 5 SHG's have been granted loans from the repaid amounts. The project has helped participants generate income, increased their savings rate, made them aware of economic growth and taught them how to conduct market research to set up a micro enterprise. In addition, the participants are learning about book keeping, bank operation, credit management, and government schemes available to help them. Second-year funding is for Rs.168, 000. ($3733). 11. Rampura Water Conservation Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti (GRAVIS), Jodhpur, Rajasthan - Mr.L.C. Tyagi
This is the final year of a very successful 3-year
project in Rampura, a desert village about 200 km from Jodhpur.
GRAVIS has helped the people form a Village Development Committee
(VDC), which includes women and men in the development work. To
date the VDC has organized the construction of 6 Khadins (small
earthen dams) to retain rainwater runoff in fields for growing
crops, and 12 Tankas (underground cement water tanks) to store
rainwater for household use. GRAVIS estimates that this water
lasts from 50 to 206 days per family after the end of the rains,
making life much easier for the villagers. Each family using a
Tanka saved around Rs.1500 ($33) per family by not having to purchase
so much water from camel cart tanks during the recent drought.
The villagers are also desilting an ancient Nadi (tank) about
800 feet in diameter with the capacity to provide water for about
640 persons and 600 animals for six months. PPI's contribution
for year 2000 is Rs. 125, 000 ($2777).
12. Environment and Pollution Control Vikasana, Tarikere, Karnataka - Mr. Varghese Cleates This three-year project is in its final year and promotes environmental improvements near the industrial town of Bhadravati by action on several fronts: (1) Awareness camps and training workshops on alternative energy and environment and pollution control. (2) Planting of trees in the target areas, with provision for their proper care. (3) Construction of soak pits to control water pollution. (4) Programs for educating school children on environmental issues. (5) Working to gain the cooperation of the local industries in improving the pollution situation. Vikasana reports that all these activities are proceeding well and are having a marked beneficial impact on the targeted areas. This year's budget is Rs. 135,000 ($3000). 13. Development of Tribal Artisans Pragathi, Mysore, Karnataka - Mr. B. Sharanappa This three-year project (completed in March 2000) was to improve the lot of the tribal people in two villages. The principal focus of was a training program to teach skills in making baskets, miscellaneous bamboo products, leaf plates, etc. Pragati has trained 74 villagers and helped them to obtain raw materials and to market their products. This has resulted in a marked improvement of the economy of the villages. PPI also supported the development of a balwadi in each village to provide day care and food for young children of the trainees; 156 children have benefited from this program. Pragati's has also opened a night school for children who are unable to attend a regular school and developed women's sanghas to promote savings and awareness of community issues. Our total funding for this project was Rs. 331, 200 ($7360). 14. Vegetable Gardens and Tree Plantations SNEHA, Mandavalli, Andhra Pradesh - Mr. Nireekshana Rao This three-year project was completed in September 2000. The main objective was to improve the villagers' nutrition and train them to make better use of their land by developing kitchen gardens and plantations of useful species of trees. The training has resulted in better nutrition for the villagers and small profits from the sale of the excess produce from their gardens. Community vegetable gardens have been developed under the supervision of village women's groups, who have used the profits for other income generation programs. However, the tree plantation program received a set back from the recent floods, but other aspects of the project have done well. Our total 3-year funding was for Rs.175, 500 ($3900). OTHER ACTIVITIES
Thanks to Ashwin Mahesh of "India Together," PPI is on the web. Ashwin has created a link for us on his website http://www.indiatogether.org where the monthly minutes and other information can be obtained. PPI's own web site is also under preparation thanks to Roli Khattri and Guru Datta Venkataramana. Once it is working you will be able to log on to http://www.ppi-usa.org to get updated information about our organization.
PPI is very proud to recognize an extraordinary volunteering effort this year by 10-year old Pranoti. She designed and made beautiful hand-painted greeting cards, sold them at the PPI annual benefit dinner and donated all the proceedings to PPI. So popular were the cards that they were sold out in record time and she took orders for more and delivered them after the dinner. To see such a spirit of giving and dedication in some one so young is exemplary. PPI wishes her all the very best in life.
Mr. Ravi Kumar of Alternative India Development (A.I.D.) visited Seattle in August 2000 and gave a joint talk to PPI and ASHA groups. PPI has worked with A.I.D on projects (1989-96) with tribal communities in Bihar on silkworm rearing and silk yarn production along with reforestation. He spoke on his current activities on village awareness movements, the impediments they face and overcome, the availability of resources and the increasing numbers of (NGOs) in the developmental field. He was in the U.S. to attend a United Nations Conference on the spread of AIDS, especially through truck drivers in India and the ways to combat it.
Niranjan and Shantha Benegal visited SUPPORT (Project #8) in Mumbai, SWA-Roopwardhini in Pune and Exnora in Chennai in March 2000 and gave us a very positive report on the wonderful work being done by these organizations. Surain and Robert af Sandberg visited SPS, Dharwar and GRAVIS, Rajasthan. At Rajasthan, they visited Rampura village (Project #11) and took many pictures of the Khadins and the Tankas. They were very impressed with work being done by GRAVIS in the villages of Rajasthan. Photographs from the site visits will be shown at PPI's annual dinner and soon will be on PPI's web page.
PPI's annual benefit dinner on March 19, 2000 was well attended, and helped raise about $8400 after expenses. Our sincere thanks go to Ms. Paromita Naidu from Vancouver, B.C. for the delightful program of Bharata Natyam dance. Also, many thanks to her husband Steve Dhillon for all the help and support. The PPI Annual Benefit Dinner in the year 2001 will be held on Saturday March 31, 2001. Please keep that evening free and attend the fund raiser event if you can. BE PPI'S PARTNER IN WORKING FOR INDIA'S PROGRESS There are many ways you can be of invaluable assistance to PPI:
Come to a PPI meeting, and find out how you can be of assistance. Monthly meetings are held on the first Friday of each month in the evening. Everyone is welcome to attend. PPI funds projects from amounts collected 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 cover the cost of printing, mailing and honoraria for guest speakers. Please fill the form below and mail it to us. We need your support!
Sincerely,
Shimoga K Srinath
Chairperson, PPI
Project Contacts
Project |
Organization in India |
PPI Contact |
Phone |
Astoma Project |
Dr. Shroff Hospital |
Pran Wahi |
206 232-8619 |
Rain-fed Agriculture, Tree Plantation |
GRAVIS |
Gary Worthington |
360 866-4655 |
Bee Keeping Training Center |
ASHA INDIA Group |
Sanchita Roychoudhury |
425 836-3852 |
Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation |
PRAGATHI |
Jerry Folland |
206 524-8581 |
Vocational Training for Women |
Veterans for Social Action |
Arun Trikha |
425 641-3207 |
Nutrition Elevation among Vulnerable Groups |
Rural Reconstruction Society |
Jerry Folland |
206 524-8581 |
Women for Dry Land development |
Prathidhwani |
Jerry Folland |
206 525 8581 |
Vocational Training for Street Children and Women |
SUPPORT |
Niranjan/Shantha Benegal |
206 522-4404 |
Vocational Training for the Blind |
Bihar Educational Society |
Arun Trikha |
425 641-3207 |
Microcredit Revolving Fund |
CHINYARD |
Kumar Bhatia |
206 228-6451 |
Rampura Water Conservation |
GRAVIS |
Gary Worthington |
360 866-4655 |
Environmental Protection and Pollution Control |
VIKASANA |
Jerry Folland |
206 524-8581 |
Development of Tribal Artisans |
PRAGATHI |
Jerry Folland |
206 524-8581 |
Vegetable Gardens &Tree Plantations |
SNEHA |
Jerry Folland |
206 524-8581 |
Office Bearers: Chairperson: Shimoga Srinath, Co-Chairperson: Shantha Benegal, Treasurer: Jerry Folland, Joint Secretaries: Robert af Sandeberg & Sangita Gulati. # Please cut, fill and Mail the Form below
Year 2001 Membership & Pledge/Contribution Form
Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________________
City__________________________________State_____ Zip____________Phone: ( ) _______________
E-mail Address: ______________________________________________________________
Membership: $ _______ _______($25 Family, $15 Single/Year)
Pledge: $ ______________ /monthly for one year (2001), or
Contribution of: $ ______________
Enclosed is a check for: $ ______________ {IRS Code 501( c) (3) Tax Exempt, ID No. 91-1057315}
Please make your checks payable to "People for Progress in India" and mail it with this form to:
People for Progress in India (PPI), P. O. Box 51231, Seattle, WA 98115-1231.
(If your employer has a matching grant program that PPI qualifies for, please include the appropriate form).