The Good Sight Issue 5/ November 2019 facebook.com/thegoodsight/

The Clean Act Bharti Foundation’s toilets improve state of sanitation

Khichdi With A Twist A recipe for women empowerment by Deepak Foundation

The good sight | November 2019 | 1 Be inspired!

Another edition of The Good Sight (TGS) featuring development stories from diverse fields is out. Like its past editions, the fifth issue of TGS also attempts to bring forth initiatives undertaken by corporate houses or NGOs, operating in different parts of the country, to empower communities in one way or the other. The current issue also has columns by young development professionals Team TGS who envision social change through their work. Editor Asit Srivastava India is known for its diversity—multitudes of cultures, Bhesaja Choudhury languages, traditions, religions, communities et al. And we Creative Head are proud this diversity. At the same time, we have a range Rajnikant Sinha of diverse issues to deal with. Apart from the government, individuals, NGOs and lately corporate houses have been For contribution, feedback or queries, reach us at taking initiatives to address development issues. The Good [email protected] Sight will continue to scout for such initiatives and feature them every month to inspire more and more people and Contributors orginisations, so that they become part of the solution. Aikaarth

Bharti Foundation

Editors Cohesion Foundation

Deepak Foundation

Asit Srivastava Haiyya Bhesaja Choudhury Heeals

Outline India

Swasti Health Catalyst

Swayam Shikshan Prayog

ThinkZone

2 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 3 INSIDE Bridging the gap Margin to Aim to strengthen Changing India Mainstream one Wash at a time Village Folk Turn 16 28 38 on the Tap 06 48

42 52 Education my Let’s reimagine right social change as young India! 20 By the numbers 34 Khichdi for 10 livelihood Toilets for a healthy tomorrow

4 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 5 Hygiene Practices

y starting small and working with one community at a time, Sonika and Gaurav Kayshap, the Changing India BHeeals founders, with strong and committed team believe they can begin to make changes that will spread gradually throughout India, all the while working hard to create one Wash at a time and maintain a self-sustaining society Heeals, a grassroots NGO based in Gurugram, aspires to by ensuring that every household in India has unimpeded access to create a cleaner, healthier and fairer society in India proper WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (Menstrual Hygiene), Health Education and Environment facilities. Amy Mcarthur They are helped in their mission by international volunteers/interns who come from all over the world to participate in creating WASH Working to eliminate the myths surrounding periods programmes and workshops in schools and communities spread out over 8 Indian states.

Sanitation and access to safe drinking water The majority of Heeals’ work takes place during workshops that are run from schools in different towns and areas. They are created to help educate children on the effects of bad sanitation facilities and unsafe drinking water, menstrual hygiene, health, education and environment issue.

Children in poorer areas are often unable to attend classes. They regularly suffer from symptoms of diarrhea, gastroenteritis or food poisoning, more than likely caused by unsafe water and bad sanitation facilities. The Heeals team sensitise the Sanitary pads distribution locals on the importance of observing hygiene and proper sanitation. good hygiene practices both at school their workshops: posters, interactive and home etc are covered through the games, and various techniques Issues like how to obtain safe drinking workshops facilitated by Heeals. regarding proper hand washing, as water, how to keep the environment well as one-on-one sessions with Proper handwashing matters and surroundings clean, how to follow Heeals uses different methods in students and female colleagues. Major

6 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 7 Underlining the importance of safe drinking water method remains behavior change step in order to be the change it wants (Amy Mcarthur is HEEALS Overseas communication programmes. to see in the world. Team Member and can be reached at

[email protected].) n Girl’s education and menstrual health These one-on-one sessions can be particularly effective when tackling issues surrounding menstrual health. Periods are often still taboo in India, with many girls receiving little to no education about menstruation, and sometimes even being discriminated against when their time of the month comes around.

Heeals has been working hard to eliminate the myths surrounding periods - still known as “the curse” to many - by educating women and girls on how to safely and hygienically manage them. Workshops and talk groups are a part of this initiative. The organisation also distributes sanitary pads along with soap in the areas that they are most needed, thanks to the Pads for Girls programme.

To raise awareness of the difficulty of managing menstruation in India, Heeals participated in making a short film called The Curse which explains the taboos and myths surrounding it still today.

Films and other actions The Curse is one of several other short documentaries made by Heeals. They were all created to highlight the problems that the team tackles on a day-to-day basis, and are available on the organisation’s website.

From Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan, from schools to monasteries, over 3,000 soaps and 40 reverse osmosis water filters, this small grassroots NGO is continuing to work step by

8 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 9 Cover Story

pen defecation is a enduring intense whipworm challenge at the global infections are absent from school scale. It adversely twice as much as their worm- affects many facets free peers. Not only do these Oof life, like physical and cognitive illnesses deprive children of school Toilets for a development of children, sometimes attendance and achievement, they leading to infant mortality. It also have a negative impact on their reduces the availability of human development, thereby impacting capital because of diseases, leading their countries’ development healthy tomorrow to loss of productivity and associated potential and deepening the cycle disadvantages. Open defecation of poverty. Knowledge on disease Bharti Foundation’s ‘Satya Bharti Abhiyan’ is an initiative to improve sanitation facilities affects everyone, a respective of an transmission indicates that 100 per in rural areas and is contributing to India’s largest cleanliness drive Swachh Bharat individual’s access or lack thereof to cent of infections caused by soil- sanitation facilities. Poor sanitation transmitted parasitic worms can be Abhiyan affects the quality of life in many prevented with adequate sanitation, ways. Some of the challenges faced by hygiene and availability of water. Girls’ toilet in a govt school in Ludhiana individuals and communities due to poor sanitation include: Satya Bharti Abhiyan: Addressing Sanitation in • High Child Mortality Rate: Death Ludhiana and Rural Amritsar of children due to diarrheal disease Bharti Foundation launched Satya is largely preventable through Bharti Abhiyan programme in August, proper sanitation and improved 2014 in response to the clarion hygiene. Prevalence of such diseases call made by the Honorable Prime is much higher in rural areas Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to without improved sanitation. support government’s initiatives under this score. Under Satya Bharti Abhiyan • Loss to Gross Domestic Product programme, Bharti Foundation has (GDP): According to The Economic envisioned to provide access to toilet Impacts of Inadequate Sanitation in every household not having one in India, a report from the World and foster behaviour change among Bank, poor sanitation leads to communities towards adoption of considerable economic losses for good sanitation practices including India, equivalent to 6.4% of India’s sustainable usage and maintenance of GDP in 2006 at US $53.8 billion toilets. (Rs. 2.4 trillion). Project Impact • Impact on Education and More than 17,600 individual toilets Development of Children: India is have been constructed and handed among many developing countries over, benefitting over 86,000 which are increasing spend on beneficiaries which enabled rural education to meet the Development Ludhiana district to achieve self- Goals’ targets for universal primary declared ‘Open Defecation Free’ school completion. For a host of (ODF) status in Nov 2016, i.e. reasons, that spending will have in less than 2 years’ time period. more impact if some money goes Thereafter 774 toilets were provided towards providing toilets for in urban Ludhiana, where the work students and teachers. Children was completed in July 2018. In Sept

10 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 11 2017, the Foundation expanded the among community members on the Nodal Officer, Swachh Bharat Mission programme to rural Amritsar and is ill-effects of open defecation and the (Gramin) and Department of Water currently working with Government importance of having toilets in their Supply and Sanitation, Ludhiana to of Punjab for construction of 20,000 household. conduct independent checks on the What makes toilets. As on September 2019, more numbers as well as quality of toilets than 6000 toilets have been completed Beneficiaries were encouraged constructed. Abhiyan in rural Amritsar. to apply for the toilets under the Different? guidance of local village panchayat. Recognising the importance of a well- In addition to providing household structured Information, Education At the time of application, the The Satya Bharti Abhiyan toilets the programme also and Communication campaign in beneficiaries were made to understand benefitted a lot due to active provided a separate toilet for girls bringing about a mindset change, the specifications of the toilets and participation of its partners and in 14 Government schools of rural Bharti Foundation undertook various during the handing over process, stakeholders but what sets this Ludhiana. Bharti Foundation initiatives with intense engagement of the satisfaction of the beneficiary is initiative apart is the “process responded to the request by the community. One-on-one interaction given top priority The handing over oriented approach” of the entire Ludhiana Police Commissionerate and with beneficiaries, use of easy-to- of toilet is not considered complete programme. Adherence to the constructed 37 separate ladies’ toilets understand booklets, village/gram unless the Foundation receives the strongly listed processes helped to in police stations, posts and offices. sabha meetings and rallies etc., written confirmation and satisfaction limit the subjectivity, empowered The Satya Bharti Abhiyan programme helped encourage regular use and certificate from the respective the ground teams to take quick has so far constructed more than proper operation and maintenance beneficiary. Gram Panchayat was also decisions. This approach enabled 24,000 toilets that benefits more than of toilets. These efforts yielded great involved in auditing the toilets that Bharti Foundation to deliver of 1,80,000 individuals. results which were reflected in the had been delivered, thus empowering quality toilets at good speed. survey which was done after a year of them in monitoring quality and For instance, in rural Ludhiana, In addition to the quantitative handing over the toilets, confirming process on ground. The list of all 17,628 toilets were provided impact, there were significant social over 98.5% usage by the beneficiaries. beneficiaries were submitted to the within two years which translates changes which were fostered by the Deputy Commissioner’s office and into 24 toilets provided per day. Abhiyan. These include adaption of good sanitation practices and their Another aspect of the project that related socio economic and health sets it apart is the engagement benefits. The Satya Bharti Abhiyan and empowerment of all being inclusive, does not discriminate stakeholders leading to their households on any ground like demonstrated ownership of the economic status, caste, religion, Toilets are essential for clean, and healthy communities project by the over 98.5 % usage political affiliation etc., and hence of the toilets provided, which benefitted all including weaker and showcases the sustainability. The marginalised sections of the society, felt more secure and safe as they communications are the key pillars. project ensured transparency who traditionally are deprived of don’t have to travel at odd areas Bharti Foundation incorporated these and sharing of information resources. This is demonstrated by for defecation. The programme themes into the programme, picked with all stakeholders, including the fact that over 25% of households provided a sense of dignity and greater up the learnings from the ground and the Government agencies that in which toilets are provided in independence and comfort to women, formed partnerships that helped it developed the required connect rural Ludhiana are women lead and elderlies and the disabled members of deliver this large scale programme with with the community and approximately 88% of beneficiaries the family. speed and quality. beneficiaries, especially women of the Abhiyan are from marginalised at various stages of the project, (SC&ST) category, whereas they Process-Driven Approach to A key step, at the time of initiation was through multiple contact points. comprise 26. 39 % of population as Manage Size and Scale: to inform the community about the per census 2011 data. For any programme to be successful, programme and to encourage them to focus on quality, process transparency, participate. Village level meetings in Ladies’ toliet for staff and visitors at Ludhiana Police Station Additionally, after the construction stakeholder involvement and Panchayat Bhawans, Gurdwaras etc., of toilets, the women and children empowerment as well as strategic were undertaken to raise awareness

12 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 13 Restoring the Independence of Women: A Case Story

Paramjeet Kaur is a determined was the only earning member at woman, residing in the village that time. However, Paramjeet’s of Salempur (Punjab) with her struggles soon came to an end when husband, Surender Singh and four Bharti Foundation constructed an children. The duo make just enough individual toilet in her house. This money to fulfill their basic necessities positive change transformed her life and the needs of the children. completely. With more time at her Despite economic restraints, a hands, Paramjeet started working smile never leaves Paramjeet’s face. part-time at a factory to add to the However, this was not the case just a family income. Today, she is happy few months ago. In 2013, Paramjeet to contribute to the family income. shifted to her own house from a “This toilet has truly empowered me, rented accommodation. The joy of giving me the opportunity to work owning a small house of her own and give my family a better lifestyle”, was short-lived, as unlike the rented says Paramjeet. She was also house, her own house had no toilet. present at the July 15, 2017 event Not used to defecating in the open, commemorating the completion of Paramjeet experienced unimagined Satya Bharti Abhiyan in Ludhiana. embarrassment and great discomfort And empowered and confident at having to travel long distances woman today, Paramjeet also spoke to defecate. Her children also at the event and expressed her began to fall sick often due to open happiness over the transformation defecation, adding to the strain that her family witnessed upon the on their finances as her husband construction of a toilet in her house.

Multiple beneficiaries in a joint family in rural Ludhiana Satya Bharti School children as the change agents for rural Sanitation The efforts of the Satya Bharti Abhiyan have been complemented by more than 40,000 students of Satya Bharti Schools who are being motivated by Bharti Foundation to become the change agents and undertake awareness campaigns in their respective villages. It is interesting to note that the concerted efforts of the students and teachers of Bharti Foundation have resulted in construction of toilets in more than 3,000 households. These students continue to raise awareness around the

issues of cleanliness, sanitation and water conservation. n (With inputs from Bharti Foundation)

14 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 15 Focus on basics

facility, a kid taking direct admission in Class 1 is in serious disadvantage. The result is that this disadvantage travels with him as he moves ahead in the curriculum and classes. With a no-detention policy till Class 8, it is common within the kids, especially from an underprivileged background with lack of good educational facility, to show signs of severe learning deficiencies even when he is in a much higher class.

In India, right now the dropout rate shoots from 4% in primary to 17% in secondary levels. Out of the many things, it also indicates that the severe learning deficiencies obtained during primary education stay on and only grow as kids move into secondary grades. In some of the rural and remote areas, the schools are understaffed, teachers are overburdened with teaching kids, school management work and all other governmental work that they are assigned round the year, including elections and surveys. Thus any new programme introduced by the government is rarely implemented. Early childhood programme

Pre-primary education is one rarely- talked-about topic in the country With one of the largest populations identified into gaps in the curriculum, although it should be the primary in the world, India has been facing unavailability of teachers, substandard focus right now. The National Bridging the several challenges in its different infrastructure and problems with Educational Policy Draft 2019 states sectors, one of them being education. the implementation of the whole with evidence that 85% of a child’s Across India, over 260 million students educational programme. For the cumulative development happens are studying at more than 1.5 million primary grade, the curriculum starts before the age of six. The Integrated gap recognised schools in the country. with mostly all the subjects at once, Child Development Service and under Among these, less than 45% of the for a child who is in Class 1, there is a it the Anganwadi scheme has played children in Grade 5 are of Grade 2 or time bounds to learn and start writing a major role in improving the health ThinkZone, a Cuttack-based social enterprise, uses innovative less while 25 million students fail to and to perform in the tests. Usually status in the rural hinterland but cope up with their classes and suffer writing and learning alphabets of nothing concrete has yet been set up ‘School-in-a-Box’ education solution, offline technology, proprietary from severe learning deficiencies. any language or simple numbers and for the curriculum or for monitoring teaching activities and class management tools to deliver quality mathematical understanding takes the learning outcomes. Several factors have led to these a lot of time. If this process does not early grade education programmes figures but it can be broadly start at home or in any pre-school ThinkZone, a Cuttack-based social

16 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 17 yet started their journey into the the community. These women are empowers them to adopt modern Childhood Programme have developed competitive world. provided with training beforehand for educational practices at home. 12 of the 15 required learning understanding and incorporating age/ Parents receive small learning modules parameters in a year. ThinkZone has The second phase of the solution is level appropriate curriculum through which they can try at their homes with also started working with Anganwadis to target the kids who are already in activity-based teaching methodology. children. Apart from this, they also in Cuttack district recently and will their primary grades but are falling The training also constitutes usage receive monthly updates about the soon start working with primary behind. The remedial programme is of teaching and learning materials learning outcome of their children. schools to provide quality education. for children who are already in formal which is a part of the School-in-a-Box primary schools but several steps and using the ThinkZone Application In the past few years, ThinkZone has The goal to achieve quality education behind basic learning competencies. for mobile phones containing activity impacted over 4,000 children while for all can only be achieved when They fall behind due to the inability plans for the educators among many engaging more than 200 trained we have all the stakeholders – to perform even the most basic tasks other things. Every month they also educators from the community. government, parents, students, in the classroom, develop behaviour get refresher training to revisit various ThinkZone has been working in three teachers, the community, NGOs problems and a lack of motivation for topics from the curriculum as well districts and has covered more than and organisations like ThinkZone – staying in schools. Some of the key as new activities or content for the 350 villages through the programme. working towards it together. Filling skills which children lack are: kids on the mobile application and There has been a 50% average increase the gaps in Pre-Primary and Primary Early childhood programme class underway • Language: (Example: Grade 4 through offline sessions. in the learning levels of the children Education is one of the several children unable to read and write in these centres. Ninety per cent of solutions which can be a game- enterprise, has been working on these Cannot interact with fellow letters, common words, and ThinkZone also engages with low- the enrolled children have jumped 2 changer in solving this big crisis of the

educational challenges since 2014 in children, cries when goes to an paragraph with 4 simple sentences income group families via different levels up from their existing language country. n rural Odisha. Thinkzone follows the external environment) – Grade 1 Level) community outreach programmes and arithmetic levels in one year of “Teaching-at-the-Right-Level” (TaRL) – • Memory: (Example: Unable to • Arithmetic: (Example: Grade 5 to make them understand about the Primary Grade Programme while (Contribution by ThinkZone for an MIT evidence-based approach and understand and recollect simple children unable to tell time, do quality education. It also enables and 80% of enrolled children in the Early The Good Sight) uses an innovative ‘School-in-a-Box’ objects) simple currency operations, 2-digit education solution, offline technology, subtraction etc – Grade 2 Level) proprietary teaching activities and The Early Childhood Programme class management tools to deliver focuses on these parameters via a The Primary Level Education quality early-grade education skill-based approach by working on Programme is a level-based and not an programmes. the development of Physical (gross age-based programme with every level motor and fine motor), Language having a particular conceptual ability The ThinkZone solution for these (listening, reading, writing, speaking), defined (Example: 2 digit addition challenges works in two phases – Social and Emotional (personal and subtraction for certain level and remedy and prevention. Thus the work, play and inter-relation) and fractions addition and subtraction programme works in two phases i.e. Memory Skills (classification, pre- for some other level). The focus of The Early Childhood Programme and mathematical concepts). Children the programme is on improving The Primary Grade Programme. Its become school ready and eager to reading fluency, reading and listening Early Childhood Programme focuses learn, thereby enabling a successful comprehension and moving from on the kids who don’t get the right transition to a primary school learning one level to another, and improving support in the early stage and fall environment. To be able to assess arithmetic ability. behind on the following important whether the programme has the development skills: desired effect, we assess children’s To be able to assess whether the • Physical: Unstable (Example: learning outcomes based on 15 broad programme has the desired effect, we Unable to hold a pencil and write, learning parameters under the above assess children’s learning outcomes no hand-eye coordination etc) 4 mentioned skills (physical, language, based on learning parameters of • Language: (Example: Unable to memory and social & emotional). reading and arithmetic skills of all understand and speak simple This is the prevention part of the the levels. Both the programmes sentences) syllabus to help them cope up with are an after-school programme Refresher training of educators from the community. • Social and Emotional: (Example: the deficiencies while they haven’t and are run by a trained woman of

18 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 19 Vital Signs

asked about the money they had spent on medicines in or a man be able to recount the horrific details of a the last year and how their spending habits had changed stillborn or the death of a newborn? Well, we had to ask as a result. these questions, across thousands of people, albeit in the interest of research. People would sometimes break down The respondents hated us for how far we would push in the midst of the survey. We would take a break and By the them. We would ask the same question twice, worded then we had to be back, asking more questions. People differently, negatively loaded on certain occasions to got angry on certain occasions or refused to continue. irk out a response that would triangulate and ensure us Sadly, this was to the detriment of the larger goal of of the findings. This was a painful process. I have often launching a more effective healthcare policy. wondered if I would be willing to answer or be able to recollect my thoughts for such detailed assessments. For I remember another instance. It was the festival of numbers instance, do you (the reader) remember the amount of Shivratri, an important one in the state. We reached Data the epicentre for research and the foundation of policymaking money you have spent on medical expenses in the last 6 around 1 pm huddled up in three big cars, a team of 5 help figure out how our policies will work on the ground; Track months, much less, the last year? Would you as a woman researchers and 8 enumerators. It’s a day of religious Your Metrics, a data collection application developed by Outline Outline India team member at work in field India, is a tool meant for funders and CSR to track the work of their grantees, induct new grantees, all on the basis of datasets

Prerna Mukharya (Prerna Mukharya is the Founder of Outline India - a social enterprise that stands for creating social impact through data. She is a 2018 Chevening fellow at Oxford University, a 2017 Raisina Fellow (awarded by the Ministry of External Affairs and ORF) and a 2016 Australia India Youth Dialogue Fellow.)

ne goes through pages of numbers each day, data collection has significant advantages but subjectivity tucked away in our WhatsApp forwards, the in data collection will continue to alter our perceptions op-eds we read and write, the reports we and policies. skim through and the slides we view during Oconferences. Pause and consider the origin of those I use this chapter to showcase my understanding of numbers. These are numbers that were perhaps collected people, human behaviour and how our healthcare policies from public hospitals in Jharkhand, one of the poorer must consider the counterfactual and think of all things states in India, where perhaps quacks are revered over alien, before sealing the deal. Through field stories , I hard-to-access public healthcare officials. The data points hope to bring out how our culture, the everyday of events, could also be from an overcrowded public health centre in news, political discussions and online debate feed into the Odisha where the women line up with their newborns to larger political narrative and affect data and hence policy collect subsidies due as incentives for institutional births. outcomes. But who decides whether the numbers were collected from the right stakeholders, whether the enumerator hit Sensitive questions and sensitivity the right option in his/her tablet while making the entry, My team speaks many Indian languages, Telugu, Tamil, whether he/she made it to the right household, whether Punjabi, Bangla, Odia, among others but on one such he/she cared enough to understand the answer and probe field mission, we found ourselves in the remote reaches further. of Karnataka. We were investigating the effects on the health of certain government policy. Our questions were Doing fieldwork in India and perhaps across the detailed. Our goal was to help the central government developing world is akin to what Marvel comics are made figure how it could widen the ambit of the policy from of. Its adventure is unpredictable and there’s always a its current, below poverty line (BPL) stature to include hero and an evil force. Moving away from paper-based subsets from the above poverty (APL) line groups. We

20 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 21 festivities when people would stay home. We assumed choices going further. We discussed nutrition and daily it was the perfect occasion to wrap things up quickly. calendars for each child based on gender. Our survey We were wrong. There was little opportunity other than awarded pen sets to households as a sign of gratitude for the seasonal farming routine. This was an impoverished their time and patience. We assumed this to be a neutral community, and alcohol was a part of the daily routine. and albeit a useful gift for everyone. Well, we were partly On the occasion of Shivratri, it was apparently legit wrong. Firstly, word spread like wildfire in villages that and expected that people would be inebriated in the are not as well connected. Also, visits from outsiders are afternoon, the women folk included. Our arrival was not a rare and special occasion in these parts. The outsider is well received and we decided to exit. The study continued both revered and scrutinised. Households not part of the in other parts as one would hope. sample were not given the gift i.e. the pen set.

The instances above highlight the criticality of designing A day later our team of enumerators were met with a survey tools and preparing for the unforeseen during data subgroup of unhappy individuals. One of these individuals collection. was the nephew of the Sarpanch (village head). To the villagers his station commanded subservience and our Timing team was happy to comply. The piece of news that We carry out large-scale data collection exercises, over apparently reached him was as follows – we were a team hundreds of villages, households and people. Sometimes from Delhi who was visiting to influence women and how our surveys are tedious and long, 60-90 minutes, running they behaved with their husbands. More so, the gifts were up to two hours and longer in certain cases. Most rural intended to buy into their vote. A few phone calls and two households welcome us in, but they have time-sensitive hours later, our lead supervisor was summoned to explain work. A woman, for instance, must look after her what was precisely the case at the police station. A pen set Endline qualitative study in progress husband, in-laws, send children to school, clean up and Outline India team at work worth INR 18 was not to be doled out without the express feed the cattle. The men may be putting in long hours in permission of the village leaders. the field during sowing or harvesting season. Healthcare practitioners multitask and serve long stressful hours in Power equations public hospitals. Timing is everything when it comes to The example above brings to light how power equations good data. work in certain locales. When we must interview women, we ensure the family elders are not around. On certain As luck would have it, Elections 2019 in India came with occasions, we find an open space within the household their own set of constraints for policy work and research. but away from the ears of other family members. Of Before the elections, however, the model code of conduct course, this is not easy to achieve in numerous cases. (MCC) kicks in. The MCC allows the Election Commission to regulate the acts of parties and candidates alike in the Women in certain communities do not enjoy the freedom interest of fair elections . It ensures the ruling party does of expression and must adhere to certain tacit rules while not get an unfair advantage and hence no new measures, sharing opinion. However, they must not be interviewed policies or acts must be rolled out at this time. This was a alone or must be interviewed solely by a female politically charged time of the year and hence community enumerator. Any medical tests, taking of blood pressure, work, surveys or interventions can be misconstrued as in short, any physical contact with a female respondent acts to influence the voters in a certain direction. It might or girl child must be either by a female enumerator make certain sects happy and render others aggravated. or administered in the presence of a guardian/ family Some of our partners asked us to push data collection, member. and certain others that were season sensitive suffered or had to be remodelled. It is interesting to observe that while women may be the sole cooks and caretakers of children, their reach and Incentives becoming disincentives decision making in terms of what supplies are purchased In this particular study in Rajasthan, we talked to the and hence nutrition of their offspring/themselves is not a mothers extensively about the division of financial subject under their purview. resources among children on the basis of gender to better understand how that might affect growth, nutrition and

22 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 23 Trained supervisor conducting a survey Take the case of the Swachch Bharat Mission (Clean India group discussions, our age filters and the number of Campaign), wherein ‘saving the dignity’ of women was respondent filters did not allow us to include everyone. the jingle the authorities came up with. In households, We had to sit some people out. We had a staff of 15 where men enjoy absolute power, women are considered to engage the others. However, one particular woman as those who ‘must be saved’ and rescued. When we did not like this. It was somehow assumed that we were tested for recall of the messaging among households there to enlist families for handing out government and communities to figure whether the campaign was subsidies. Those who were part of discussions would working, whether people understood why hygiene is be at the receiving end and the rest would have to wait. crucial, why toilets must be built and used, we found This was not acceptable and a rumour soon spread. As that the campaign appealed to people who were more we worked in an empty school compound, a mob of 200 concerned about the women exposing body parts in people surrounded us. They weren’t happy. The village the open to defecate, over and above health risks. The leader came to our rescue but when it comes to financial recall for the jingle was high and perhaps achieved its incentives or subsidies, his power and might did not cut end goal i.e. getting people to use toilets. I will steer clear it. Forty minutes later, our team had to pull out. Much to of whether such messaging is appropriate or sets things our dismay, we eventually had to drop that village from right, but it seemed to be working on certain counts. our sample. No one emerged a winner here.

Motivation and misinterpretation Automation I have wondered if we can put an equation to calculate For years, my colleagues and I have evaluated motivation. Why are certain public health care implementation partners, NGOs big and small, professionals found doing 10-20 procedures a day, while government policies and bodies. Some of these have been other PHCs are found desolate with blue-collared staff exhilarating exercises. Each exercise has had its share of running the show? unique challenges, and no one evaluation or monitoring mission resembles the other. I wondered if we could serve In July three years ago, we found ourselves close to the those who could not afford us. Could we make ourselves Nepal and Bhutan border, not too far from Bengal. It was dispensable? pleasant weather and the rain gods obliged. We found ourselves working with youth, boys and girls under 15 We realised though that our contribution may be very years of age. Many of these girls were young mothers, in small in comparison to the needs of India or the quantum certain cases mothers to two children. of work going on in India. Take for instance an example, we are home to an estimated 3.1 million NGOs, this is contributions from the private sector will affect the work When some of these bigger partners order evaluations, The state of Bihar banned alcohol a few years ago and about 2.5 times the number of public hospitals and about by those who are recipients of these funds. they are typically done once in a few years, if at all. that changed things for the better in a lot of households. 250 times the number of educational institutions. If we Each evaluation can last months and can cost millions Motivation to work and look for work may have increased extrapolate this to the developing world, it puts to shame However, across the developing world information depending on the sample frame and magnitude of the by a little. Resources available at the household level for some of our pondering over problems that matter. asymmetry is rampant. No one knows what the other exercise. But what happens the other 11 months, what other purchases and avenues rose. What this also meant donor, or not for profit is doing. Year after year, more if the implementation partner has other needs. More was a thriving black market with exorbitant charges for Contribution of not for profits in the development money is pumped in and we wonder if there is any change so, there may exist other partners more suited or more alcohol. It also meant that tribal communities went full arena continues to be fragmented and looked at with at all. There is scepticism. If there is change, we are keen efficient in execution. How can we give them a chance and throttle in producing local alcohol, called mahua and tadi suspicion. A big reason is the absence of any data around on figuring what specifically is causing this systemic shift, ensure existing partners do not become lazy? in certain areas. Two drastically different externalities to their existence and any monitoring of their work. When we want to figure if it can be replicated and scaled across the same issue. someone on a Sunday rings your bell and holds a brochure different locales, states, programmes and countries. Let us look at the other side of the coin. The small NGO with some smiling children, asking you to contribute partner, who in its little way may be trying to bring about Our study though focused on sexual and reproductive 200 rupees, how often have you actually pulled out your With the CSR bill, the social contributions will rise changes to the community. These are largely unorganised health among these young girls and boys and we came wallet? What if you are now a billion-dollar corporate exponentially. While some of the big corporate firms organisations and are run by 4-5 member volunteer teams across communities where no one knew about the and instead of a young boy coming to your household have a plan in place to dispense funds and track them, in most cases. They may or may not have their Section C concept of birth control. Getting to these communities doorstep, it is a big not for profit asking for 2 million. a majority are struggling to figure whether to set up documents (NGO status making it tax-deductible). They was tough and took us about 3 hours one way from the their own internal CSR teams or to outsource this work could still be doing a good job. But no one knows that. nearest makeshift guesthouse. India is at a cusp of change when it comes to to specialists. Some have certain pre-existing NGO They do not have any research capacity. There is an in philanthropic and at certain levels ‘forced’ social (CSR) partnerships but are now under the scanner to provide general fear of numbers. They are stuck in a vicious cycle As our researchers conducted group interviews and focus contribution. It excites me to think about how deep proof of ‘good-doing’ or to justify spends to their boards. of no metrics, no growth.

24 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 25 There could be a different subset of NGOs who may have compete for funding on the basis of whoever is doing a learnt to game the system, there may be little work on the better job ground, but they perhaps have the right networks, shiny - The beverage maker has the option of 4 partners to brochures and demonstrating capability. What happens choose from. It can look at their existing self-reported then? The same organisation keeps getting funded over datasets or do its further due diligence. It saved itself and over. weeks of additional work and lots of money.

Put together this seems like a hot mess. What if we could TYM streamlines the engagement for both sides. What create competition in the development sector on the basis is exciting is the fact that all in-built survey tools within of tangible proof of work, i.e. small datasets. What if TYM are linked to benchmarked indicators, many of small NGOs could compete for the same body of funding? which are the recommended United Nations benchmarks – Sustainable Development Goal indicators across health, Would things change if there was a marketplace for NGOs education and WASH sectors (for now). A majority of to meet funders and vice versa? What if we could connect these survey or assessment tools once made are never small NGOs to big funders/CSRs on the basis of impact used again. They lie hidden away in reports distributed metrics, irrespective of location? What if we could use the across various websites. TYM is that neat, clean solution existing surveys and tools, recycle the works of sectoral that digs these bodies of workout and enables recycling of leaders to improve tracking? What if the evaluation could work. happen at ~0 unit cost? In conferences, during talks and seminars, we often bring Well, my answer is yes that’s possible. At Outline India, we up certain rudimentary facts. India houses a fifth of the have been working for the past 15 months, to develop our world’s poor. A majority of Indians live in villages, about tech platform and data collection application, Track Your 75% of us i.e. 950 million Indians. In terms of access to Metrics. the World Wide Web, about 55% of humanity accesses It is a tool meant for the internet. Our debates, discussions and conversations 1) Funders and CSR to track the work of their grantees, on social media and WhatsApp are not representative of induct new grantees, all on the basis of datasets what India thinks. In fact, that has perhaps become more 2) Small NGOs who want to showcase their work and get obvious since our pre-poll survey results were grossly out connected to funders of line. Within India’s villages, internet usage patterns are starkly different. There is perhaps one smartphone, and it Imagine that you are a popular beverage maker, setting is usually the male lead who pockets it with pride. up a new factory in Alwar, Rajasthan. You would now like to work with the community to dispense your CSR funds, India’s problems are basics and solutions to those or to appease the people. Your most likely choice of the problems require scale, vision and technology to combine sector will be something to do with water. You would the aforementioned. Data is the epicentre for research, typically hire a consultancy firm to figure out the needs of the foundation of policymaking and the data collector the villages and people, what quantum to money to spend that elegant juggler who must dictate how we spend our and most importantly how to spend it. This entire process funds, and help figure out how our policies will work on can cost you lakhs if not more, and months to figure out. the ground. I urge you to consider the study context, field realities and qualitative research before you run some However, if you use TYM (Track Your Metrics), our hope quick numbers. In India and across the developing world, is to connect you to relevant NGOs in the area. Example: sometimes the ‘grey’ of policy outcomes is where our

We will say, here is a list of 4 NGOs that work in water solutions lie. n purification and these are their datasets. You can now connect with them directly and do your due diligence.

Think about what this does - NGOs A, B, C and D will now have the opportunity to

26 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 27 Power Of The Pack

Swayam Shikshan Prayog repositions women to take on new roles as decision-makers in agriculture, enterprise and embrace community leadership, thereby enhancing their Margin to economic and social resilience Mainstream Anwesha Tewary

Empowering women at the grassroots

28 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 29 wayam Shikshan Prayog What Was the Problem? SSP has developed houses, but empowerment of women the women to succeed in hitherto with local government bodies, state (SSP) aspires to promote SSP teams work with the landless and communities. untapped markets. SSP and its governments, and corporate houses. inclusive, sustainable and marginalised farmer households a widespread Self group of social enterprises facilitate community development by and, among these with women, who Help Group (SHG) Since inception, SSP has developed a women to formulate and lead self- As part of ecosystem building for Sempowering women at the grassroots face the most challenging social and widespread Self Help Group (SHG) help groups, social enterprises, and budding women entrepreneurs, SSP network of 100,000 in climate threatened, under-served economic inequalities. Despite their network of 100,000 women that community-centered initiatives that has created a programme to support areas across seven Indian states. best efforts, to earn and sustain women that has gone has gone beyond the first-steps of include a wide range of financial Women’s Initiative to Learn and Lead SSP repositions women to take on livelihoods, women face enormous beyond the first-steps reconstruction and savings to build services, skill-building, and livelihoods (WILL). The goal of this centre of new roles as decision-makers in problems in access to resources, skills, social, political, and economic generation planks. They provide learning is to build an overarching agriculture, enterprise and embrace and finance and market opportunities. of reconstruction and competencies for its women members. information, products and services in system that teaches and nurtures community leadership, thereby savings to build social, By enabling grassroots women-led impact sectors such as clean energy, entrepreneurial and leadership enhancing their economic and social Social norms, cultural values and enterprises, it has empowered women safe water and sanitation, health attitudes among grassroots women, resilience. By tapping the power of gender stereotyping often prohibit political, and economic in Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and nutrition, agriculture, and food and which also acts as a platform to rural women social entrepreneurs in women from owning land, homes, competencies for its Kerala, Gujarat, Assam, and Odisha security. facilitate SSP’s all-encompassing vision ailing economies, SSP has opened up or other essential assets for gaining women members to promote inclusive development of facilitating women-led community non-traditional livelihood incomes, access to capital and going to markets by providing them access to skills, SSP has launched and mentored a initiatives for sustainable and inclusive tripled household earnings, and built or entering business. Such stigma finance, and markets. network of Sakhi SHGs and Sakhi development. The four pillars of WILL new leadership capital in excluded severely hinders economic options and Federations, creating a dynamic are: entrepreneurship and leadership areas. By enhancing women’s social, mobility for rural women. capacities through their economic In 2006, the SSP group of social umbrella-network of SHGs in the development; creating a partnership economic, and political competencies, empowerment, and creates an enterprises was created as an geographical regions of their work. ecosystem; research and knowledge and by mainstreaming them into SSP’s Solution enabling and self-sustaining ecosystem ecosystem to nurture various aspects The initiatives are strengthened generation; and enabling a women-led development and government It needs a collaborative effort to that supports women’s leadership of the programme and to develop through women’s leadership, and development innovation hub. processes, SSP has grown these unlock the true potential of a model. to bring transformation across high and refine the value chains to help long- and short-term partnerships women into a formidable army of SSP’s model is founded in a two- impact sectors. The multiplier effect of change agents. tiered approach that builds women’s SSP’s approach means that grassroots women within SSP’s networks go beyond achieving entrepreneurship to embracing community leadership SSP facilitates women to formulate and lead self-help groups roles.

The ‘Swayam Shikshan’ Story SSP was started as an initiative within SPARC, a Mumbai-based NGO, after Latur and Osmanabad districts suffered a massive earthquake which claimed over 11,000 lives. SSP started with the idea that women need to be involved in reconstruction as homeowners and trained women’s groups should act as facilitators’ between Govt. and people. SSP lobbied with the government to appoint women from Mahila Mandals as community facilitators. From 1994-1998, SSP worked to transform this mass-scale disaster into an opportunity for rebuilding of not only

30 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 31 The Innovation The women entrepreneurs associated “Empowering grassroots women’s collectives to create with SSP have experienced economic, social, and entrepreneurial sustainable livelihoods and communities that work in transformation, all of which has harmony with nature realises our vision of a resilient contributed immensely in their business development and personal future. Our women are not beneficiaries anymore. They growth. They have increased their are farmers, entrepreneurs, and partners with corporate incomes, are able to support the and government organisations.” running of their households, and are re-investing to expand their businesses. These women entrepreneurs have - Prema Gopalan, Founder become more mindful in planning their expenditures, future savings, and have clarity when developing Impact their business plans. They are now keen to explore new opportunities. 7 Women entrepreneurs associated States with the organization are eventually 170,000 transforming themselves as job 25 empowered women creators, trainers and community Districts entrepreneurs, farmers and resource persons and business leaders. community leaders Today, these women entrepreneurs have widely expanded their customer base and have simultaneously 2,000 Villages increased their risk appetite. 5.5 million Community acceptance of women as people in under-served communities entrepreneurs has resulted in them positively impacted gaining access to Gram Sabhas, Panchayats, and block-level meetings. The women are using this access to generate awareness around various community development issues and for marketing products at the mass level. Inspiring entrepreneurship

Partnerships USAID India supported clean energy SSP is implementing the Start up (MKSP) initiative (2016-20) with To optimize its community initiative. Over 1010 village level Village Entrepreneurship Programme the Government of Maharashtra to development efforts, SSP works with entrepreneurs launched businesses (SVEP), creating a network of support 23, 000 women farmers multiple partners with congruent and services to market clean cook Community Resource Persons (CRP’s) to adopt improved and sustainable goals. Multiple stakeholders have stoves, bio fuel, solar lamps and to further support 5000 women as agriculture practices in 460 villages served to enrich SSP’s work by lending lights impacting the lives of over one entrepreneurs across two blocks in across two districts in Maharashtra a wider perspective as well as financial million people across Maharashtra Solapur district from 2016 to 2020. through a cadre of Community and training support. and Bihar. Under the umbrella of SSP is also implementing the Mahila Resource persons, chosen from SSP’s

National Rural Livelihood Mission, Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana cadres of agriculture leaders. n Unique among the scaled up partnerships are the wPOWER (Anwesha Tewary works as Program Manager with SSP and can be reached at [email protected]) programme (2012 to 2016), a

32 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 33 Taste Of Empowerment

Tribal women in uniform infront of khichdi processing unit

unpaid household chores, without land rights and scope of engaging into any collective business enterprise. Hence, there is a need for collective engagement of women farmers into the business model to improve Khichdi livelihood and food security.

In this erstwhile royal state, 6,000 women farmers from Kavant and Naswadi pledged to defy the norms and owned what they have been doing for as the invisible gender so far. Deepak Foundation fueled a community- owned initiative ‘Project Paripurna’ - for food and nutrition security.

livelihood Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana has been working with over 6,000 tribal women farmers in Kawant and Deepak Foundation aims to provide Naswadi blocks of Chhota Udepur livelihood opportunity to nearly 3,000 district of Gujarat. This project also comprehends that women in agritech tribal women of Chhota Udepur in get affected by issues of recognition. Eastern Gujarat through its award-

winning Instant Khichdi Project Instant khichdi mix

dusty road accompanied by the trail of trees takes you to the remote hamlet of Chhota Udepur (112 km from Vadodara), a tribal district in the Eastern Gujarat. Womenfolk in the households under their veils carry out the chores like grazing cattle and taking cattle to a different Apaddock. Getting up in the morning to fetch fodder and grazing cattle is part of the job. As an invisible gender, womenfolk are always engaged in farm work, although they lack equal rights in land ownership. They are engaged in all labour- intensive processes and non-mechanised farm occupations like sowing and harvesting. Today, agriculture alone as a sustainable livelihood option is almost impossible for the rural poor in India.

The increasing cost of agriculture inputs, poor access to technology and lack of transport and storage facility traps the marginal farmers into a vicious cycle of poverty, drudgery and poor nourishment. The situation is worst in remote tribal areas where despite production of pulses and millets throughout the year, the government fails to provide these locally produced foods through the public distribution system. Women’s engagement into agriculture largely remains as

34 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 35 Imagine that by the absence of land sustainable agriculture techniques. school and PDS shops. rights, female agricultural labourers, Then 300 Woman Farmers’ Producer farm widows, and even family Groups (FPGs) formed under this The concept has won the prestigious members who are abstained for project were collectivised into two Millennium Alliance Round IV any recognition as farmers, and the Farmer Producer Companies. With Innovation Award and a grant for consequent entitlements, the initiative the spearheading objective of creating product development. The project definitely has far reached goals. A. D. value addition systems through food was also nominated in the category Patel Institute of Technology, Anand, processing for these women, reducing of social enterprise in the Outlook was roped in to develop the product drudgery and ensuring food security, Poshan Award in 2019. Livelihood and M. S. University of Baroda’s the Foundation conceptualised an opportunity for nearly 3,000 women Foods and Nutrition Department was innovative product and a model. This farmers will be created within a period roped in for sensory evaluation and is a business model of FPG-operated of coming two years. Pre-mix khichdi nutrition assessment. Deepak Group processing units to prepare a culturally will help overcome under-nutrition of Industries pitched in for setting acceptable “Instant Khichdi Mix” in the entire family and will reduce

up the first plant at Naswadi. The using locally grown pulses, rice and drudgery and save fuel. n product now branded as “de India vegetable enriched with spices and Express” Instant Khichdi is ready to be mineral mix as a nutritious meal launched in the market. supplement. The pre-mix can also be procured by the government to supply (Contribution by Deepak Foundation for First the women were trained on as mid-day meals in school and pre- The Good Sight)

Tribal women at work

36 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 37 Talk for Cause

Q. What problem are you looking to get better rankings in life. Children invariably leaves behind the students solve? from low-income communities need who aren’t strong academically, often A - Though the curriculum of NCERT these rankings to change their current making them feel under-valued. A and SCERT (Telangana) encourages reality. Thus, schools need to prioritise child from a low-income community arts and sports education (The State academics. who isn’t strong academically will Aim to Board of Telangana says that in probably have a difficult journey to higher classes, every class, every day Only 18% of private schools charge build a better life and will be unaware should have sports period and the fees higher than Rs 1,000 per month of his abilities and potential. CBSE board mandates every school and there are around 1 million teacher to reserve a minimum of 2 periods vacancies at the school level, which There are always students with strong strengthen for arts education every week for makes it very challenging for the potential in an art form or sport who classes 1 to 10), it is not implemented stakeholders to allocate resources may or may not also be interested effectively in low-budget private and efforts to hire teachers for arts or strong academically. If these schools and government schools and sports education and ensure its students are not exposed to sports scope of arts and because of lack of capacity and effective implementation. We can help and arts education in school, they resources. schools with it. may never discover their strengths sports education in it. Discovering sport and artistic We have an academic-oriented Q. Why is the problem important? strengths can lead to self-confidence meritocratic measurement and A - The present unfair and highly and well-being. Besides, such Carrying core values like the sense of selection approach, and the best biased academics-oriented discovery can lead students to choose possibility, ownership, reflection, love and joy, and the brightest get into the better meritocratic measurement and careers in related fields. colleges, and perhaps, they will also selection approach to education Aikaarth, a non-profit working on education, has the vision to create a world of justice where Aikaarth Founder Pooja Agarwal with children everyone has equitable access to resources and opportunities. It provides a fellowship to young talented individuals who are exceptional in their form of intelligence to be a teacher and teach extra-curricular activities, to children from low-income communities in the most Aikaarth Founder Pooja Agarwal under-resourced schools. On the other hand, it also engages with the fellows and supports this growing community to create a ripple effect of transformation.

Pooja Agarwal, founder of Aikaarth, and Ruchi Agarwal, co-founder, tell about their journey so far during a candid talk with The Good Sight.

Aikaarth Co-founder Ruchi Agarwal

38 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 39 We need to give the much-deserved consideration and opportunity to that student with the potential of being a brilliant chess player, a world-class violinist or an inspiring theatre artist.

Q. How is your initiative addressing the concern? A - On one hand, we need trainers and resources in under-resourced schools to effectively implement arts and sports education so that children build expertise in it while on the other hand, we need to strengthen the scope of these fields and change Aikaarth Co-Founder Ruchi Agarwal with students at a school perceptions around it because this can lead to change in the academic- oriented meritocratic approach which would further lead to arts and sports sports in schools. With respect to arts sports inevitably foster various skills education being prioritised and education, we find many organisations and positive changes. However, our implemented effectively. So, Aikaarth utilising arts education for building focus is not to build a programme has developed a two-part theory of a transfer skill like leadership, critical about transfer skills through arts and change i.e. short term and long term. and creative thinking, social skills or sports education. behavioural skills, life skills, ability In the short term, we provide a to communicate and cooperate We are focusing on ensuring that fellowship programme to outstanding effectively, learn languages, empathy, children build expertise in the activity individuals who are exceptional in perspective-taking and the ability to they choose to learn. Our programme the fields of performing arts (music, regulate one’s emotions by expressing is about building knowledge, dance, drama, public speaking, rather than suppressing them, etc. mindsets, skills and values related storytelling and poetry), visual arts to the art/sport only and exposing (drawing and painting, photography, However, we are inspired by “Art for children to opportunities and crafts and sculptor making), culinary Art’s sake?” by Ellen Winner, Thalia resources for the same. arts (cooking) and sports/games R. Goldstein and Stéphan Vincent- who would serve as trainers in under- Lancrin which concludes by arguing Q. How can others support you for resourced schools to teach these that the value of the arts for human this initiative? activities. experience is a sufficient reason to A - Our top three priorities for now justify its presence in school curricula are: In the long term, we support our whether or not transfer results from 1. Designing a strong and incredible alumni in growing in their fields arts education, and that the main curriculum for all the activities that we and strengthening its scope so that justification for arts education is teach children. there are more opportunities for our clearly the acquisition of artistic skills. 2. Raising funds to sustain and grow. children to excel in various fields. 3. Recruiting fellows who are The primary justification of arts exceptional in arts and sports to be Q. How are you different from other education should remain the intrinsic trainers for children. organisations that are similar to importance of the arts and the related yours? skills that they develop. We would love to get any support

A - There are many organisations possible in these aspects. n doing great work specifically for We believe that arts education and

40 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 41 Learning Curve

A very distinctive feature of Cohesion’s work in Banaskantha Education (Gujarat) is that the organisation is working with the existing systems of service delivery in education and it has been able to develop synergies with the stakeholders at village level, my right block level and district level

Making education available and accessible to all

ducation is important for the practices such as early marriage personal, social and economic prevent girls from continuing development of the nation as education beyond elementary. A it empowers minds that will be very distinctive feature of Cohesion’s Eable to conceive good thoughts and work in Banaskantha (Gujarat) is ideas. Cohesion has been working for that the organisation is working education since 2005 with a strong with the existing systems of service belief that it is the right of all children, delivery in education and it has been irrespective of the hardships in their able to develop synergies with the surroundings or within their families. stakeholders at village level, block level The education providers should rise up and district level. Working since 2016 to diminish these hardships and make in partnership with UNICEF, Cohesion education available and accessible to has developed a beautiful model for all. emphasising the rightful place of a child of school going age- SCHOOL. For the girl who grows up poor in a With the slogan of darekbalakshala remote rural area, staying in school ma hoye (Every child in school), the and learning can protect her from programme has been able to engage child marriage, intimate-partner community and schools in building an violence and continued poverty. For environment conducive to innovations the boy who lives in an urban slum, in each day of the school- the aim schooling, instead of child labour, can being continuous improvement in provide him with the skills needed for attendance, retention and transition a better-paying and more fulfilling job in schools and promoting education as an adult (UNICEF). which is inclusive and gender responsive. Patriarchy and strong rooted cultural

42 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 43 Mapping Exercise: A tool to regularize children and improve Irregular attendance Boys Girls Total 277 276 553

Always absent 25 50 75

Dropped out 40 Villages 15500+ 101 Schools 47 57 104 children Total Beginning of project Since 2016 349 383 732 State, District, Block Gujarat, Banaskantha, Kankrej Number of Schools

101 (49 schools from Std 1 to 5 Mapping Exercise Map made by children 42 schools from Std 1 to 8, 10 schools from Std 9 to 12) Number of children (Academic year 2018-19) 15884 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Thara Modern Schools Ratanpur Adolescent Girls Groups at school level 43 groups 1238 members Adolescent Boys Groups at school level 3 groups 79 members Adolescent Girls Groups at village level 35 groups 1024 members School Management Committees 91 School Development and Management Committees 2 Shiksha Sarthi Network at Block level 55 members

Mapping exercises for irregular children In the year 2018, a mapping exercise was introduced as a tool to identify the irregular and drop out children by the children. The exercise was carried out at school level in two groups each of ten children from the school. These exercises were carried out in 101 schools with more than 2000 children. These children in two groups had a very distinctive task to do.

One group mapped on a chart the layout of the village and identified the houses of children who are irregular or those who have dropped out. The output gave clear idea and a roadmap to the Cohesion staff for planning meetings with the parents of identified children for parent meetings, hamlet wise meetings and meeting the SMC members to influence them in ensuring regularity of their children.

A total of 732 children were identified. This was followed by meetings carried out in all 40 project villages with the parents of these 732 children.

44 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 45 Education empowers minds

The second group mapped the school to put across these concerns for them forward to the various education amenities on the chart and identified getting solutions, but Cohesion team departments. Besides meeting the gaps. This helped in identifying continues to draw attention of the regularly these networks have annual the problems and issues from a concerned authorities on different state level Sammelans where senior student’s perspective. The findings of platforms. Two such platforms government officials are also invited, the map were then shared with the are SMC network which has been and the concerns and issues identified school authorities and the School developed at the block level and by the children in the mapping exercise Cohesion Foundation, a grassroots Management Committees (SMCs). another is a Shiksha Saarthi network, find their way to the right audience. NGO has over 19 years of experience The SMCs were prompted to include developed from participation of 55 The SMC members have also started implementing various development the issues identified in their School active SMC members. Meetings of attending meetings in schools. They programmes. The similar experience in Development Plans that they make at the network members have helped have also established a WhatsApp implementing education programme is the end of each calendar year. in bringing forward the village level group to share information. over 14 years. issues related to education on a Although it was a very difficult task common platform and how to take Its key achievements in education can be summed up as mainstreaming children of migrant salt pan workers in village level education institutes; increasing transition rate of girls across key grades (5th to 6th, 8th to 9th); and continued education of children who are at the risk of dropping out. Parental engagement, SMC strengthening and learning enrichment are some its core strengths while achieving the desired outcomes

in education. n

(The article and pictures have been contributed by Cohesion Foundation for The Good Sight)

46 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 47 Community Ownership

en years ago, while Chikkaballapur and intervene. that as much as people were aware working with farmers, about water causing these health Vrutti Livelihood Resource Chikkaballapur, a district in problems, they did not know that Centre noticed something Karnataka, India is a drought-prone it could be reversed. The study also Village Folk oddT about the people. Many of them region. Its only source of water is revealed that men were willing to looked aged beyond their years, groundwater, contaminated with toxic spend on alcohol but not on potable seemingly malnourished. Farming levels of fluoride. The people it turned water. The study also showed that couples were hunched over from pain, out, were suffering from fluorosis and women wanted healthy water for their Turn on the going to local clinics for analgesics in some places were even poisoned by children and for their families if they to be able to work extra hours on trace arsenic. were ill, but not for cooking because the fields. Concerned, Vrutti invited they believed that boiling water Tap Swasti, it’s sister outfit to come to A detailed needs assessment revealed removed harmful toxins.

A market model owned by communities achieves more sustainable health seeking behaviour than one that relies on donations for free, safe water by third parties

In Mamidikayalapalli, the medical costs have reduced by 100 per-cent, according to Vijay Kumar, the Gram Panchayat bill collector

48 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 49 In addition, the study revealed that or have been shut down, but the all previous health interventions that eleven community-led water plants, were grant-based (where communities co-established by the community, accessed programmes, services and continue to thrive. Thimammpalli, The team products for free) were popular but where the first community water plant not sustained. The team understood was inaugurated back in 2013, still understood that in order for people to use healthy functions to full capacity. that in order for water and avoid water from their wells, Dr. Mahima from the local health a well-thought out market model, with center says, “Earlier, during summer, people to use strong behaviour change interventions the clinic was overloaded with patients was needed. It also had to be owned complaining of gastro-intestinal issues healthy water and governed by the community. Thus and water-related problems. Today, emerged a market model where initial patients coming to the clinic have no and avoid water grant capital and technical support water related diseases.” were catalysed externally (in this case from their through Swasti) and the community Health interventions need a new kind managed the operations and of leadership: people from within wells, a well- governance completely. A reasonable the community who value both the price point was set at 2 rupees per 20 business potential and social capital of thought out litres. the project. They are the ones who can market model, keep it moving forward. Ten years later, the National with strong Programme for Prevention and Swasti worked with Gram Panchayats Control of Fluorosis (NPPCF) still in Chikkaballapur to create a behaviour did not address the provision of safe community-owned solution through water, but politi- cally it seemed like investment in 10 water defluoridation change a good bet. Both political leaders plants and a tanker operating across and private companies used this two taluks of the district. Since 2017, interventions opportunity to provide safe water. Swasti only visits the water plants was needed An extensive study by two Water to meet old friends and enjoy a cold Fellows from Arghyam in 2018, drink of water. n revealed that most of the water plants established by political leaders First published in #15YearsOfImpact by or companies are non-functional Swasti, released on 15th May, 2019, India

50 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 51 Visionary Voice

few weeks back, as the world was mobilising itself for one of the biggest and widest global climate Astrike campaign (20-27 September 2019), I couldn’t help but think of the interesting juncture we are at as young India. About 70% of our population is less than 35 years of age, and we’re the youngest country in the world. On one hand, as young people, we are still dealing with grave problems of the poor education system, mass unemployment, lack of health infrastructure to name a few. On the other hand, students and youth are skipping schools, classrooms, job routines and hitting the streets to make themselves heard as they protest global inaction and apathy on the Team spirit issue of climate change. Can it get any more ironic that today’s youth is struggling to access classrooms, universities, skills and job markets and Let’s reimagine yet they are ready to skip them for a burning issue that has historically been neglected because guess what? It’s not just the problems that have been neglected, it’s the youth who have With community been neglected. Young India is ready social change as to lead and they are seeing things through. To echo Ridhima Pandey, one of the 16 children climate activists who filed a complaint to protest the lack of government action on the climate young India! crisis at the United Nations Climate Action Summit this year, “I want to save my future, I want to save our Haiyaa is on a mission to bring social change by cultivating future”. new leadership and building powerful community India faces many challenges; from organisations in India rising inequality, the galloping role of corruption, a polarised society, to environmental degradation. Social Aprajita Pandey change is not something new to (Aprajita is the founder & CEO of Haiyya. Haiyya was founded in 2015, with a vision to rebuild and transform the social this time. But its complexities have fabric of India, where young leaders and their organisations are building grassroots citizen power to strengthen democracy, given rise to a whole new generation governance and human rights.) of changemakers, rising within

52 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 53 modern-day communities and its campaign ‘Health Over Stigma’ (story of self, us and now) is not challenges. We set up Haiyya because is about fighting stigma against synonymous with ‘speech-making.’ It we were frustrated at how the social young unmarried women’s sexual is a practice we use in many different development sector was significantly and reproductive health services. contexts, not just from a stage at a failing to create and sustain leadership We identified the constituency, the rally. For example, stories are also told support pathways for young people problem, the solution and the means when recruiting a new team member who want to make a difference. to address the problem, by organising or when debriefing with a volunteer women as part of our campaign in who had a hard shift. Specifically, India has a rich history and culture different roles. Today the campaign is an organiser may ask a new team of citizens organising to drive social a national movement, both online and member – why did you choose to get change. There have been many offline, with the goal to hold doctors involved in this campaign? or can you powerful movements and campaigns, accountable to non-judgemental tell me more about why you’re here starting freedom movement, to services. today? – in order to hear a little of the anti-caste movement by Ambedkar, volunteer’s story. In turn, the organiser anti-emergency movement by JP Can our campaigns take might share a bit of their story for the Narayan, Chipko Andolan, Narmada into account human purpose of building connections, and Bachao Andolan, anti-corruption emotions? hopefully, motivating the volunteer to movement, Nirbhaya movement to We are a society of storytellers. We tell take further action on the campaign. LGBTQIA+ movement. People-power stories in organising to communicate campaigning has been our cultural our values and to motivate people Are our campaigns and instinctive performance to to take action. One of the core jobs building leaders and participate in the democratic process. of any campaign is to tell a ‘new collective power? We’re again witnessing the dawn of story’ that is created by the shared At Haiyya we define campaigning new age campaigning and organising, values and emotions of people who leadership as “accepting responsibility not only in India but worldwide. And have directly experienced it. In order for enabling others to achieve purpose in Greta Thunberg’s words, “We will for people to be motivated to act, it under conditions of uncertainty”. not let you get away with this. Right requires hope, courage, self-worth And hence a very core element of here, right now is where we draw the and solidarity. And only stories can our campaigns and projects are line. The world is waking up. And inspire people to connect back with building local leaders on the ground change is coming, whether you like it their emotions, values and feelings who can identify, recruit and develop or not.” and allows us to exercise choice by the leadership of others, build a overcoming fear, isolation, apathy community around that leadership; Youths on a campaign So what now? Two big questions, and self-doubt. We turn to the public and build power from the resources Saving the environment Haiyya is trying to answer in the past narrative in organising to answer the of that community. The way we can four years is - how do we channelise bring long-lasting change is to couple citizens became beneficiaries and question of “why?” – why we care, why this anger, courage, hope and Are our campaigns the deep desire for change with the customers, and we started assuming the work that we do matters, why do momentum into possibilities? How assuming what people capacity to make that change happen. want? their desire and selling them positive we value one goal over another. Most do we imbibe and spread the right of us don’t do this work because of a Our success metrics to measure the With the rise of NGO and start-up change. At Haiyya, we as organisers values and means to achieve the all- list of facts, and rattling off statistics scale of the campaign is to track how culture in the past two decades in ask three critical questions: Who important end? As a young nonprofit isn’t usually an effective means of many leaders have we developed India, we have seen some significant are my people? What is their urgent and a team of young people under recruiting ordinary people to stand over time and what role are they shifts in the way we have engaged problem? How can they turn their 35 ourselves, we have been learning, up against injustice. Instead, we’re playing in our campaign. It’s rather with people and social change. resources into the power to solve their testing and adapting our assumptions here because of our values; the desire more important today because the Meaningful citizen engagement, problem? We answer the questions and practices over the past four to make change stems from beliefs reason the youth issues, identity and people’s campaigning and organising in dialogue with the constituency years, chasing our vision to build an like fairness, equality, democracy, or engagement has been overlooked efforts have started reducing to by building relationships, telling alternate progressive ecosystem for environmental sustainability. has been the dangerous tendency one-off mobilisations, tech solutions stories, devising a strategy, designing young India. Some of our insights and to hijack the movement and not and service delivery. And hence structure and taking action. Our learning questions are: For us at Haiyya, public narrative develop a new line of leaders. We

54 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 55 need a new approach to campaign for trained to be organisers. effective and sustainable leadership birth of Haiyya and hence our changemakers and organisations who that the insights and learning leadership that can embrace empathy, comes from those who are most at commitment to inspire, support and can inspire and drive change with their questions shared above will be helpful collaboration, inter-dependency and Are our campaigns led by stake. Our campaigns identify the collaborate with more young people, people. as you think of the next campaign you co-creation. Our campaigns and the ones who are most constituency that is affected by the organisations and new age movements or your organisation is trying to work training programmes have developed affected? issue and then starts inviting them in is at the heart of work. We are here to It is high time we collectively reflect on. more than 2,000 leaders who’re This is the most pressing question leadership roles of core team leaders, challenge as well as support the NGO on our role as individuals, groups and and the most debated one in the regional chapter leaders, action and civil society sector to learn and organisations working in the formal “Inside us lies every possibility that campaigning space as well. The whole volunteers etc. practice meaningful engagement and or informal social change space, and is available to a sentient being. Every idea and principle of organising decision-making with young people. what changes are we ready to commit darkness, every light. It is the choices campaign is to convert affected Are we creating ripples for Our training, coaching and incubation to as we are closing this year and we make that decide who or what we

people’s resources into power to a youthful future? methods develop future-fit young embarking onto 2020. I am optimistic will be.” Charles de Lint, Spiritwalk. n make change happen, hence the most This is a question that led to the

Team meeting

56 | The good sight | November 2019 The good sight | November 2019 | 57 Disclaimer: The content in The Good Sight is for information purpose only. The Good Sight assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors/organisations and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Good Sight.

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