ANNUAL WORK REPORT

SENT WITH GRATITUDE TO
THE WHITE ROBED MONKS OF ST. BENEDICT
SAN FRANCISCO - USA
2007 - 2008

FROM: NARI JAGRA MANCH: BODH GAYA,BIHAR, INDIA

2007 has once more affirmed us in our vision and mission : to think globally and act locally, to collaborate in making another world possible.

Our concern to shape an inclusive social order - where the most deprived find their rightful place - has lead us to make concrete interventions in the socio-economic reality of dalit communities. Our specific focus has been on women's rights and poverty reduction through awareness programs and micro credit services for women from the musahar dalit group.

The highlights during this year were :

• In view of the displacement threat, (with Bodh Gaya becoming a World Heritage tourist centre) micro loan products were diversified to support alternative livelihood options and strengthen self reliance in the rural economy.
• Campaigns on the 10 point social charter / training programs on Health, Sanitation, Family Planning immunization
• Mahila Chetna Kendra , Patna : our full participation in their 6 capacity building / leadership programs.
• SAPI (South Asian People's Initiative ) - ISI, Delhi : participation of 3 of us in their 3 day seminar on Special Economic Zones and Government's Economic Policy.
• Computerisation / analyses of the micro credit data.
• Internal assessment of the functioning of the women's groups in all the villages
• Special focus on our different education programs : further development of the NIOS, restructuring the set up at Mothiachak Primary School, closer monitoring of the Balika program and the village non-formal - education centres.

Our commitments are centred around the following areas :

1. Women's Rights / micro-credit
2. Women and Environment
3. Education for dalit girls
4. Collaboration and networking for social causes.
5. Staff Education and Management.

ACTIVITIES

Women's Rights

The different activities engage the women in realizing their self worth, claiming their rights and making a positive contribution in the search for equity and a better quality of life.>

With 15 new groups formed this year we now have a total of 125 groups with bank accounts. The total membership is 1400. 10 more groups are being formed. The new villages we have expanded in are Sarvodayapuri, Ganghar, Silounja, Siripur, Athia.>

Education and training programs are channels for strengthening group cohesion and bringing new awareness.>

In the monthly group-level meetings and also in the bi-annual cluster level training sessions at 15 nodal points, the main problems discussed and acted upon are : e.g. sanitation (construction of low cost toilets ) family planning and health, mobilising for Government schemes that are available (NREGA and RTI ), critique issues of development (mal- development? ) / displacement in and around Bodh Gaya and the government's economic policies, self-reliance and efficient management of livelihoods, group solidarity and care of the environment.
Methodology at the cluster level programs include the viewing of socially oriented DVDs on village TV sets, interactive sessions as also songs, charts, role plays , debates .

Mobile Phone Project

6 women in the villages have been given mobile phones and this has greatly improved connectivity and facilitated work coordination. The women also earn a little by offering mobile phone services to their neighbours.
Mobile phones were given to Parvati from Bakrour, Shanti from Kajichak, Kapurwa from Mohanpur, Vina from Maunia, Malo from Upadya bigha, and Piyari from Tirka.

Micro-credit.

This form of credit continues to be a effective entry point for social mobilisation . As the benefits of micro credit become more widely understood, we are invited to more new areas by relatives of the women who already belong to the organisation.

Micro credit is highly significant in these situations of extreme poverty. The thrust is to develop community-based economics where economic resources and their ownership are spread at the grass roots -in contrast to the capital- intensive corporate global economy.

The benefits are obvious : improvement in the standard of living with better housing, food and education, small income-generating activities, and especially less dependence on oppressive money lenders. The women learn the value of collaboration rather than competition. The main businesses they engage in are livestock, tailoring, sale of vegetables and fruit, small village shops and grain banks.

Concretely : to further promote micro credit this year we have :

• developed 2 different loan products i.e. general loans and special loans - from our revolving fund for micro loans
• . On 19th March General loans were given to 32 women and on 21/02/07 special loans for 7 women. In the course of the year a total of 20 women have taken special loans ranging from Rs 1500 to Rs 4000.
• the norms for self-help groups and micro loans have been revised to facilitate the process .
• Computerising the loan data has been a great help and an analysis of this data is now being done.

Problems in Micro - finance :

• There is always the need for further training on the concept and dynamics of micro credit.
• The displacement going on in this area has caused great insecurity and there is growing demand for micro- loans which means more flexibility in the administration
• Pressure from the banks :4 years ago small bank loans were given to the women under the NABARD scheme. Though most of these loans have been repaid, this year the Banks were using threat to recover the small amounts. This has disturbed the women's groups and caused friction. We have given soft loans to the women (Total Rs 4000) to bail them out.
• 2 other NGO's working among upper castes seem to disrupt our groups with promises of bigger loans,. which means a re-education of some of our groups.
• Management of livestock needs to be improved and suitable training programs for this are not easily available.

Education of Dalit Girls

. This year much effort has been put into consolidating and improving our different education programs.
Concretely

• Beyond our expectations 22 teenage girls are now enrolled in the NIOS coaching classes (National Institute for Open schooling). Some of them are from far off villages. 5 of them will answer the exams this April. Much work had to be done this year to get the 6 different certificates required by each girl in view of admission in the NIOS. A micro credit unit has been started for a group of these girls.
• The Girl Child Program (15 girls sponsored for education in good private schools) continues. All the girls have been promoted to the next higher class and the bigger ones will be able to join the NIOS program.
• the 4 NFE centers with 30 children in each go on as planned with regular supervision. We had to close down the centre at Maunia because the teacher could not cope
• The Primary School in Mothiachak : we have re-organised the schedule and curriculum and arranged for support staff. The school is exclusively for musahar children and 100 come to the school.
• At all the centres, the National festivals were duly celebrated by the teachers and children. At Mothiachak we had a celebration on Nov 14 Children's Day.
• On 21 August 2007 we took the 100 children of Mothiachak for a day's outing to Dongeshwari.
• On September 9th (2007) we celebrated the Girl Child Week by taking 25 bigger girls for a picnic to Dongeshwari

Collaboration and Networking:

Aware that social transformation does not take place through fragmented efforts, where ever possible we join forces with groups and persons working for an alternative social order.

• every month 1 or 2 of our community workers participated at the workshops and meetings at Jeevan Sangham on issues related to National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
  
  We have attended several meetings / morchas (Jan 15 / 2008) and demos organisd by the Bodh Gaya Citizen's Forum to protest against the massive displacement going on. In this connection we also circulated letters to the UNESCO and Government of India and Bihar, written by our foreign friends in solidarity with the dispalced..
• Other local movements we have collaborated with (through small contributions., participation in rallies and conferences etc are Sangarsh Vahini, Mazdoor Kisan Samiti, Bihar Lok Adhikar Manch. Several local NGO's (Pradhan, Gaya Voluntary Forum, YMCA - Women's Wing, Gram Nirman, Amaar Jyothi Vihar ) are part of our net works, sharing knowledge, resources and skills for mutual benefit.
• - At the national level we maintain vital links with ISI - Delhi (SAPI), Niranthar (Delhi),Working Women's Forum (Chennai), and National Women's Commission Delhi.
  
  From Bodh Gaya's international community persons and groups who support our work and collaborate with finance, advice and training are a vital part of our network. We consider this a unique expression of concern and global solidarity which we appreciate and are truly thankful for.
  
  

Staff Education / Management

Co-ordination of the work is facilitated by delegating responsibilities to the members of the staff : 6 community level workers and 9 support staff. The community workers organise and train the women's groups, manage the banking and micro loans plan and execute the development work (chulas and cookers, water pumps), monitor and supervise the different education programs.

THE support by the OSB given to Beena our coordinator to improve her mud house and build 2 cement rooms, has been a great blessing. Beena's work among the musahar women (her own caste) has a very powerful impact.

Staff education has been a priority : at the monthly meetings for sharing and reflection, at different fora, conferences and meetings, also at MCK and SAPI (Nov 19 - 22 / 2007 ) Delhi. Special sessions on health and ways to promote family planning were held for the community level workers on Feb 25 and 26 in the office.

Teachers had 3 training programs : 09-08-07 on Child Rights, 10-08-07 on teaching through creative means, 03-11-07 at Amar Jyothi Vihar on Teaching Skills. and class room management.

• On 5 Oct 2007 - a one- day intensive workshop conducted by Tony Herbert (for all 15 members )in social analysis and the reality of the musahar community.
• 1 day workshop on bio- intensive paddy cultivation at Uruvilla Hotel - organised by Pradhan.
• New formats are being developed for staff reporting and performance.
• Time has been spent with the internal assessment of the functioning of the SHG groups, revising the rules, village records, micro loan program
• Computerising the micro loan data has been a great help and a qualified accountant is now studying the data to prepare for an external assessment in June - July 2008. WRMOSB'S SUPPORT to update the computer was a very big help for all this work. Actually for the same cost we were able to get another newer computer.
• We are considering the feasibility of forming federations with the women's groups
• In the education programs several changes and improvements have been made and more systematisation and the outcome has been encouraging.
  
  

In all our commitments, we share a dream with the dalit communities and our friends and collaborators near and far.:

We dream of a world, a Bihar, of villages and homes where women enjoy dignity, freedom and respect.... where there is no violence and discrimination against women and girls .... where daughters and sons will have enough to eat and a good education, where there is no fear,desruction and poverty..... where we will be able to take our own decisions, shape our lives and together create a more healthy, harmonious and happy society.
(From a Mahila Samakhya Report)

Sister Mary Lobo
Nari Jagran Manch
Bodh Gaya, India
30 June 2008

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