12830 Susanta Kumar Barik/ Elixir Soc. Sci. 55 (2013) 12830-12837 Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Social Science Elixir Soc. Sci. 55 (2013) 12830-12837 Action Oriented Learning (AOL) and tribal empowerment: the panacea for sustainable rural development-experiences from integrated tribal development agencies of Andhra Pradesh, India Susanta Kumar Barik Vice President, Agrigold Group, Agri Division, Andhra Pradesh, India. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: Rural development hinges on soci-economic and institutional development of the region and Received: 3 August 2012; the inhabitants. Inclusion of excluded confirms to sumptuous development and amidst Received in revised form: women is considered as one of the strong deterministic pillars to it. The “ Action-Oriented 2 February 2013; Learning (AoL) ” is a process led approach of inclusion of marginalized to the mainstream Accepted: 2 February 2013; development, and thereby ensures sustainable development. The study is assessing the inclusive impact of “Sustainable Tribal Empowerment Project-(STEP)” executed in four Keywords northern districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh to restore the life and livelihood of tribal Sustainable Tribal Empowerment adhering in-situ approaches to rural development as well as fostering due cognizance of Project, social-ecological-institutional factors. Total Financial Inclusion, The paper is attempting to assess the induced impact as well as suitability of the strategies Community Level Action Plan and the possibility of replication. The study establishes that AoL approach to tribal women (CLAP), empowerment is happily accepted by the poor and marginalized section of the society Micro Credit Plan, without any inhibition. The strategy adopted is enabling them to retain their social status, Tribal Empowerment, self-esteem and value in the society as well as inside the household. The vibrancy and multi- Action Oriented Learning (AOL), faceted abilities of women headed institutions in the ITDAs are tested to address socio- Sustainable Development, ecological-institutional and economical needs for acclaiming economic prosperity in the Business Plan and Business rural and tribal areas and proven successful. Proliferation and diversifications injected to the Development, system of livelihood activities to meet the emerging economic need is proven to be essential Micro Enterprise, and worthy. In view of the complexity of activities and institutions in tribal areas, the study Micro Finance. therefore suggests that (i) priority lending to be extended to institutions working with integrated activities for integrated development, (ii) extensive financial support to purely women organizations/institutions ensures better and quick multiplier effect, (iii) reliving off the stringent policy of collateral securities to financial disbursement for institutions in tribal and rural areas , and (iv) following up of NABARD guidelines for institutional assessment for loan disbursement to women headed institutions. © 2013 Elixir All rights reserved. Introduction reach the un-reached and provision access to credit for meeting In India, formal credit agencies (Banks) made an entry in the credit need. The credit rooted through the microfinance route rural areas initially to provide an alternative means of credit is being injected to address the micro nutrition, micro income, relief and reduce dependency on rural moneylenders who micro employment as well as micro education and health provided credit support. However, the systems and procedures requirements of the ‘poorest-of –poor’, marginalized as well as of banking institutions was emphasizing on complicated tribal nearing poverty-line. This has been viewed and looked qualifying requirements, tangible collateral, margin, etc., that forward as means to bring the families to normalcy in living i.e. resulted in large section of the rural poor shying away from the with assured two square meals a day, sending children’s to formal banking sector. The banks too experienced that the rapid schools, good health, house to live in and self-esteem (Barik, expansion of branch network was not contributing to an 2012). Micro credit is liquidated through women institutions at increasing volume of business to meet high transaction costs and habitation level (Rao and Barik, 2008). risk provisioning, which even threatened the viability of banking Micro credit in India and particularly in the state of Andhra institutions and sustainability of their operations. At the same Pradesh is rooted through formal self-help groups. Self Help time, it was not possible for them to allow a population of close Group (SHG) mode is, in fact, the most dominant form of to 300 million-even if poor-to remain outside the fold of its microfinance in India and constitutes the next best alternative business. The search for an alternative mechanism for catering safeguard to the marginalised. Organization of women around to the financial service needs of the poor was thus becoming thrift and credit has emerged as one of the more effective imperative (Rajat, 2007). There are several factors leading to methods for poverty reduction and women empowerment. Over none accessibility of formal credit to all people living in the the past 10 years, close to a million SHGs have been formed in country. As an alternative micro credit by formal, semi-formal India, with almost half of them in Andhra Pradesh (Reddy and and voluntary organization has been ventured as a means to Prakash, 2003). Agency areas of the state of Andhra Pradesh Tele: E-mail addresses: [email protected] © 2013 Elixir All rights reserved 12831 Susanta Kumar Barik/ Elixir Soc. Sci. 55 (2013) 12830-12837 have given special focus and approach to bring all habitants of study had undertaken PRAs to introspect the real development the agency in to the fold of self-help group. The self-help groups scenario vis-à-vis the projection. in the ITDAs of Andhra Pradesh blossomed during 2004 under Study Outcomes: the stewardship program of IKP and STEP. Sustainable Tribal Quantifying development in quantitative terms is easy to say Empowerment Project 1 (STEP) is a process oriented multi- but difficult to interpret in words of heart and soul. Development sectoral project, executed in four coastal ITDA’s of the state of is by far a relative concept; though has been measured through Andhra Pradesh. It had formally started in November 2001 by some parameteric tests. It is neither development of good road, CARE STEP, aiming at sustainable livelihoods for marginalized provision of health facility, available of good number of tribal communities under the GO-NGO collaborative effort. institutions, implementation of schemes and programmes of state Study objective: and central government, area with good infrastructure facilities The study is aiming at assess the process as well as the and services nor good governance alone. It is a sum total of all impact of the “ Sustainable Tribal Empowerment Project- ensuring ‘ quality life ’ to people and ‘ sound environment ’ to the (STEP)” executed in four ITDAs of Northern districts of Andhra area. Hence, the current study has attempted to depict the Pradesh to restore the life and livelihood of tribal following the development scenario of tribal living in a contiguous area called in-situ approach to rural development. The overall objective of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) in the following the project was development of tribals of coastal Andhra Pradesh sections. by taking into social-ecological-institutional and livelihood Inclusive Development Strategy and Mechanism: The AoL aspects of development. The project follows a unique approach Adhering to the principle of ‘bottom-up approach to rural to community needs assessment and diagnosis. The study development’, community issues, which in most of the cases therefore explores the suitability of the strategy and possibility defined as sum and substance of individual issues, are identified of its replication in other parts of the globe. and diagnosed through peoples initiatives and participation Methodology: effectively using the available natural resources. Inclusion of A study of this kind is exploratory as well as action research marginalized is initiated in the process of formulation of village in nature. Therefore information available from secondary level institution. Detailed household survey on asset holding, sources needs validation with the information gathered from the livelihood options of the family, resource potentiality etc forms primary sources. It is understood that STEP has designed and the profile of the households and is the first stage in the process executed a data package for day-to-day monitoring of project of mapping out family as well as community economic well- activity and its impacts at various level. It is called ‘Community being and vulnerability condition. The mapping process gives a Based Monitoring System’. The software package use to collect thorough look into the income kitty of the households of the information on health, education, PRIs functioning, self-help families and provides enough information on the economic group activities, village level meetings and re-visiting of wellbeing and the ability to have two squares meals a day, Community-Action-Plan on a daily, quarterly and monthly basis. capability of sending children to schools, accessing basic health The information collected from each village across the operating care provisions