VOL 1 / NO 4 April 2003 www.worldbank.org.in News & Views Quarterly 33487 Public Disclosure Authorized the Public Disclosure Authorized World Bank in India yesterday out of school tomorrow a teacher Public Disclosure Authorized amesh is 12, and a victim of polio. His ○○○○○○○○○○○ Velugu (Eternal Light) works with 2.6 million parents had decided that he had no need poorest households in the districts of Anantapur, Rto go to school. But members of the Adilabad, Chittoor, Mahboobnagar, Srikakulam parent support group in his village of Medipally and Vizianagaram on the principle that in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh communities can enhance their economic and convinced them that he should. And so he does, social capital if they build their own using an improvised ‘walker’ made of locally organizations and take decisions on issues available wood. He does well, seldom needing ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ concerning themselves. It is the first project of its help with his homework, and he wants to be a type to invest in empowerment and income teacher. generation of disabled people, and Hakimpet- Medipally is one of the villages where the When Judy Huemann, the World Bank’s Adviser initiative of integrating disabled people, with on Disability and Development, came to India in their own active involvement, into the February to gain a better understanding of the mainstream of rural poverty alleviation programs Public Disclosure Authorized country’s disability issues and programs, she is being attempted. About 40 persons in visited Andhra Pradesh to observe the disability Medipally, which has 600 families, suffer from component of the Andhra Pradesh District disabilities associated with cerebral palsy, polio, Poverty Initiatives Project (APDPIP or Velugu), and blindness, and other ailments. to help integrate its lessons into the recently approved Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty It is here that Huemann met with the ‘Sangam’ Reduction Project. (self-help group) of 21 disabled people – a CONTENTS 2 ABCDE in Bangalore 3 A healthy partnership 5 Cut down red tape 6 News and Events 8 A message for all women 9 Recent Project Approvals 9 Forthcoming Events 10 New Additions to the Public Information Center 12 Contact Information the 2 World Bank in India News & Views Quarterly combination of women and children,including ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ project, the District Primary Education Project. Ramesh. The group was initiated two years ago. Disabled children who are out of school are It has saved about Rs 16,000 so far and is being identified, regular teachers are being working on setting up a Community Investment trained to teach them, aids and equipment are Fund. This will enable members to get into being provided, and school buildings are being income generation activities, and they are also fitted with ramps and suitable toilets. keen to establish a rehabilitation center. “Before no one called us by our name, they called us by Huemann says the Bank’s ultimate goal is to our disability,” they say. Now they feel less alone integrate disability into all its projects. Adds because they have been able to talk to others Michael Carter, the World Bank’s Country working in the community, share their common Director for India, “The Bank’s interventions can ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ concerns, and have come together to improve make a difference. We’ve seen that happen with their lives. gender and our expectation is that it will happen for disabled people as well.” The disabled form Most of the children, however, are still out of part of the Diversity Agenda of the Bank’s own school. “If you deny disabled people education, hiring procedures. then it is the lack of education and not their disabilities that limits their opportunities,” says During her interactions with NGOs, government Huemann. “Bringing parents of disabled children officials and Bank staff in New Delhi, Huemann into the group is an important step as it spoke of her own childhood. “My parents were empowers them. It gives them a voice and great. I was one of three children and wasn’t support from other parents, and it gives the allowed to go to school. Since they couldn’t disabled children confidence, recognition, accept that, they became advocates opportunity and hope. APDPIP is helping do just themselves.” this.” Addressing the needs of disabled children is an Ramesh of Medipally village, Andhra Pradesh: important part of another Bank-supported Happy to be in school “If you deny disabled people education, then it is the lack of education and not their disabilities that limits their opportunities” the 3 World Bank in India News & Views Quarterly Bangalore, May 21-22: First ABCDE in a developing country ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ “This conference will provide a valuable opportunity for local researchers to contribute to and benefit from with India’s National Institute of Applied interactions with the wider Economic Research and other development institutes based in India and other countries in research community.” the region. Conference topics include: • Fostering Entrepreneurship, Innovation ne of the world’s best-known and Growth conferences on development, the World • Challenges of Development in Lagging OBank’s Annual Bank Conference on Regions Development Economics (ABCDE), will be held • Participation, Inclusion and Results this year for the first time in a developing • Scaling Up and Evaluation country. During the 2003 ABCDE, to be held in Bangalore on May 21 and 22, eminent scholars Nicholas Stern, Senior Vice President and Chief and development practitioners from around the Economist of the World Bank, will open the world will present new research findings and conference and deliver one of the keynote discuss key policy issues related to poverty speeches. He previously taught at the Indian reduction around the theme of “Accelerating Statistical Institute in Bangalore and Delhi and Development”. leads an a unusual research program that has tracked development for more than five decades “India and Indians have been at the forefront of in a single village in Uttar Pradesh. “I am very research in development economics,” says pleased that the first ABCDE held in a Michael Carter, World Bank Country Director for developing country will be in India,” he says. “It India. “This conference will provide a valuable is especially fitting that it will be held in opportunity for local researchers to contribute to Bangalore, a global knowledge centre.” and benefit from interactions with the wider research community.” A second keynote address will be by Azim Hasham Premji, Chairman of Bangalore’s Wipro The ABCDE has been held annually in Corporation. Washington DC since 1989; for the past four years, a similar conference has also been held Other speakers include Francois Bourguignon of each year in Europe. Starting with this year’s the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences meet in Bangalore, each of these conferences Sociales, Possiy, France; Partha Dasgupta of will be hosted by a developing country every Cambridge University; Justin Lin of Hong Kong ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ other year. The change reflects the growing University; Rakesh Mohan, Deputy Governor of importance of research done in developing the Reserve Bank of India; Jean Philippe Platteau countries, and the desire to bring the of the University of Namur, Belgium; Karen conferences closer to participants in the Polenske of the Massachusetts Institute of developing world. Technology; T. N. Srinivasan, of Yale University; and Anthony Venables of the London School of The ABCDE conferences are sponsored by the Economics. World Bank Development Economics Vice- Presidency (DEC). This year’s gathering in For more information, please visit: Bangalore is being organized in collaboration http://econ.worldbank.org/abcde/ the 4 World Bank in India News & Views Quarterly Family Welfare Urban Slums Project: A very healthy partnership A vocational training session in Kolkata his is a story of an effective partnership ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ that has helped to improve Reproductive Tand Child Health (RCH) outcomes for the workers, who were drawn from the same urban poor in Kolkata. Besides measurable community they served, were supported by changes like lower fertility and infant mortality paramedics and part time medical officers rates, there have been several crucial qualitative contracted from the private sector. gains such as strong community ownership, and development of a political consensus on making Maternity and obstetric care, diagnostic facilities, reproductive and child health a social priority. and specialized care were provided at outpatient departments at a modest cost through specialists A total of 3.8 million poor people (family income whose services were scheduled during their lean less than US$ 32 or roughly Rs 1500 per month) hours. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development from three municipal corporations (Howrah, Authority fully decentralized the program, Chandannagar, and part of Kolkata), and 37 limiting its role to technical oversight and smaller municipalities benefited from this troubleshooting. This made the elected partnership, supported by the World Bank- representatives of local bodies fully accountable financed (US$ 71.4 million) Family Welfare Urban for program implementation. Slums Project. The project was implemented in four metro cities under the stewardship of the Some conclusions from the Kolkata initiative are: Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare over 1994-2002. The model