<p> CARE Memories – Part - 2</p><p>And WISH Goes on……..</p><p>Jitendra Sinha CARE India (1999-2003)</p><p>Thanks to Cheenu for stimulating the thinking process and reminding me old days at CARE. </p><p>I was associated with CARE during 1999-2003 as in-charge of WISH (Women’s Initiative for Self-help project). I am highly grateful to CARE because it gave me an opportunity to pilot and test my belief in people’s empowerment. Incidentally it was also CARE’s first pilot as multi-sectoral approach (HLS or households’ livelihoods security). </p><p>I remember during my interview in June, 1999 the then State Director, Bihar had a series of grueling questions. S/He also tested my commitment by telling that WISH is just a pilot project for two years, and that I should prefer longer term opportunities with CARE which are in pipelines. However I was adamant to take the charge of WISH, though it was a very risky proposition at that time. CARE had been working with sector based approach before. What followed was a wealth of experiences (good and bad).</p><p>Probably, my most memorable period was second quarter of 2001. I was adjudged as best performer at CARE-India (ranked 1 in performance appraisal), and almost at same time CARE-Bihar started preparing for my farewell ceremony as my two years contract was getting over. The farewell gift was purchased and date was finalized. What a contrast? Instead of getting appreciation I was being shown the door. When I talked to then State Director (who had taken charge recently) I learnt that none of my proposals for WISH up-scaling was forwarded to CIHQ. I was based at Ranchi whereas CARE-Bihar headquarters was at Patna, so lesser communication & follow-ups. </p><p>At that time I was already on my way to finalize a deal with a corporate house to replicate WISH at its own cost. I took permission from State Director to approach Country Director (CD)-CARE India (Mr. Tom Alcedo) as well as CARE-Atlanta (Late Avtar Kaul). I wrote a brief note to apprise them of my progress. Tom immediately approved my extension for another six months from CARE-core funding support. Meanwhile, Avtar brought-in another corporate house from USA (Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation) for financial assistance. An Asia level proposal development workshop was also organized at Ranchi from that financial support. We (I, Mr. Ashish Biswas from CARE-Bihar and Depinder from CIHQ) were also quick to finalize negotiation and soon agreement was signed with Aditya Birla group to replicate the project at its own cost. CARE’s role was to provide technical and monitoring support only with no financial implications. </p><p>Another big change came in beginning of 2003 when Tom had left and the new CD had come with a clear agenda to right-size (down size) CARE-India operation. The initial funding support from Weyerhaeuser Foundation was not so big for CIHQ to persuade them for its continuance. I took appointment from new CD to discuss with him the issue, where he advised me to get absorbed into other bigger projects. However, I preferred to leave CARE like many other professionals at that time. </p><p>One very interesting incidence happened before my departure. I was asked by one Assistant Country Director (ACD) to negotiate with one agency (New Concept Information System Ltd. New Delhi) and lower down its rate for the process documentation of WISH project, which I did successfully. The agency was given the job just before my departure. Later when I requested the same ACD to give me a copy of the process document, he said that it’s an internal document for CARE, and can’t be shared with me. Another big learning! By that time I had become ex-CARE staff. </p><p>Anyway, after leaving CARE I joined Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation -Intercooperation (SDC-IC) as program in-charge for Orissa program, and continued with WISH approach. Obviously, the program met with great success. To our (all stakeholders,’ who were associated with WISH) pride WISH concept of Self-help is now very well grounded in-both projects (WISH-replication and SDC-IC Orissa), and both projects are still continuing even after the external support were drawn long before. </p><p>Mr. Tom Alcedo had mentioned about WISH approach in his mail dated 25th April, 2003 (at that time he was with Save the Children Fund, Indonesia). He wrote that “…I sincerely believe, of all the program ideas that came out of the SMT, during my tenure as Director of CARE- India, that the WISH pilot was one of the best and most fundamental to holistically addressing the underlying causes of poverty and responding With Governor, Yazd province on left and Director General (DG) in in an appropriate, useful Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, Government of Iran on the right side manner to the poor’s need in order to both empower them and assist them to stand on their feet”. </p><p>I went to the Philippines in 2007 to join an international organization (www.iirr.org). After my return to India in late 2008 I took full fledged consultancy work. Currently I am advising Government of Maharashtra in ‘Tejaswini Rural Women Empowerment Program’ and Government of Iran in UNDP/GEF project (which I designed also) in ‘MENARID-Iran Integrated Natural Resources Management Program’. Both the programs are following WISH approach of working with the local communities to help them to understand and analyze their problems, find solutions and act upon them”. </p><p>Interestingly, I always maintained a connection between earlier and new programs of WISH. When WISH replication was started, the local women (then acting as community based resource persons) from WISH pilot came to train new participants. In Orissa also, new participants visited WISH replication project at Silli, Ranchi, and then the old participants from WISH replication project came to Orissa as resource persons and trained the new ones. Now, the local participants from Orissa program are assisting ‘Tejaswini Program’ in Maharashtra. A team of Iranian government officials and local communities is also planning to visit Maharashtra and Orissa in coming months to observe and replicate best practices in Iran. The WISH did not end as a project, but it continued as an approach which expanded to other states in India and other countries.</p><p>I was fortunate to join an institution in the Philippines which follows the similar approach. I would like to end my learning note with Credo of IIRR (International Institute for Rural Reconstruction). It states that:</p><p>Go to the People Live among Them Learn from Them Plan with Them Work with Them Start with what they know Build on what they have Teach by Showing, learn by doing Not a showcase but a pattern Not odds and ends but a system Not piecemeal but integrated approach, Not to conform but to transform NOT RELIEF BUT RELEASE</p><p>I will remain indebted to CARE for what it gave me- a direction, an approach and a way to live with dignity and pride.</p><p>Jitendra Sinha 4th November, 2010 Cell no. +91 9967343996 Email: [email protected] </p>