MALEGAON CLUSTER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ttl~JIICI ~ ttl~cfI fCl4iH'I !14iW The Institute of Cultural A The Institute of Cultural Affairs : India Committed to the service of human deoelopment The Institute of cultural Affairs (ICA) : India's programmes enable people to recognise and respond to the real opportunities for shaping their future. The ICA has been in the work of village development since 1975. Now it is deSigning and faCilitating various programmes to motivate and equip individuals, organisations arid local communities. ICA is a 'voluntary noHor-profit organisation, registered under the Societies Act, 1860. The overall work is overseen by the Board of Directors and the onging activities are planned by the staff in the various locations. The ICA: India is a registered member of the Institute of Cultural Affairs International (ICAI) in Brussels, Belgium, and has consultative status Category II with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The ICA : India has its offices at four places in India. Each office has been engaged in one or more activities, the ICA focusses on. SUSTAINABlE DEVELOPMENT: The ICA is assistlnq the local communities with income generation schemes, leadership development and social services, as catalytiC forces towards the The Institute of Cultural Affairs : self-developing process. " India is a voluntary ~ organisation working for LIFELONG EDUCATION : The ICA is engaged in new socio-economic renewal. It is experiments and model building in order to provide services to one of 30 nationally the "education system, which emphasises human development autonomous affiliates in as the key to the teaching-learning process. developed and developing countries. ORGANISATIONAL TRANSFORMATION: The work involves working with Corporation, public and private organisations in seeking ways enabling individuals within the organisation to Tile uniqueness of ICA's more clearly act out their functions and to become facilitator of approach is its emphasis on the transformation process. human development-on creating the desire and methods, PLANETORY ECOLOGY : The ICA is researching to discern whereby local people themselves new ways of caring for the environment. The thrust is upon plan and bring about lasting educating the people to establish a positive relationship with the development in their own earth's resources and integrating social and ecological communities. development at grass root level. BACKGROUND AND SITUATION The project are (3 , which is about 75 krn, north-west of . demonstrate that development is possible even in Pune, consists of the villages of Malegaon Khurd, such an isolated area. Pimpri, Talpewadi, Malegaon Budruk, Kune, Ansute and Inglun/Parithewadi in Maval Taluka of Pune 5. The major problems that were highlighted by the District. It is an isolated area having predominantly villagers during the sessions with them are given tribal population. The percentage of literacy is below below: . the average percentage for the district, and it is lower still for women in this area. The local schools generally (1) Insufficient water for drinking and irrigation. teach upto fourth standard. For further education they (2) Inadequate transport and communication facilities are to go either to Vadeshwar, where there is Ashram - , Shala (residential school for tribals) upto tenth standard (3) Lesstacmnes for education and training. or to Vadgaon or Taleqaon. (4) Non-cooperative attitudes of the village residents. 2. The villag~s are isolated and underdeveloped. (5) Less effective organisation and planning. Main crops are rice and nachani (sorgam). The quality of milch animals is poor. The population engaged in 6. The project is on the way of becoming self small business and household industries is negligible. developing-economically, socially and politically - and They are unable to raise crops even adequate for' it is hoped that the villages in the surounding area will • their own needs due" to infertile land and absence of come and learn from the process of development that waterfor irrigation. Drinking water also becomes scarce 'the project has gone through. The Malegaon would in the summer. then become a teaching village for the area. 3. Both health and nutrition are poor, with malnutrition 7, In addition to the Institute of Cultural Affairs, the and stunted growth seriously affecting children and Voluntary organisations with different skills and women. Girls are discriminated from boys in nutrition resources that are working to develop this area are and education. (a) Janakidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha (b) Sevadham Trust and (c) Bharatiya Agro Industries 4. With the active assistance of social institutions, Foundation (BAIF). private businesses concerned government departments and the initiative of the local people, we set out to 000 J - 1 - I Malegaon Cluster Project Villeges : 1) Inglun / Parithewadi 2) Ansute / Mankuli 3) Kune 4) Malegaon Kd. 5) Pimpri 6) Talpewadi 7) Malegaon Bk. TO BOMBAY .. ~ NORTH INDEX ~ Railway Line --~-- Road ~ Dam o Village ICA'S APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT H)il communiujuuu. has tfie opportunity to participate in the creation of its own deuelopment plan. wi£[ 6e committed to the implementation of tha: plan, is a core belie] of IC)il ". The Institute's approach to development is based on 3. ICA staff play the role of a catalyst, taciutator, the principle that the people of a community have the organiser and trainer and let the villagers do their own right, the ideas and the resources to plan and direct development. The focus is more on developtnq he their own development processes with temporary help Human Factor, making people understand and enlarge from the outside. The initiation of any ICA projeot, their capacities so. that they become agents of their therefore is a substantial participatory planning and own development. consensus building event or series of events involving the entire community, assisted by those outside people 4. The following are the basic principles which have the village invites. guided all the ICA works for the past over thirty years: 2. The implementation phase of the. process, ICA (a) Concentrate development efforts within a delimited staff work closely with the villagers so that they geographical area. experience the work they do, understand the methods (b) Deal with all the problems, promoting a and acquire the skills to do it themselves. While· comprehensive approach. _doing a project every effort is made to involve all the sectors such as Government, private sector, voluntary (c) Deal with the people (all ages, both the sexes, all organisations, educational institutions and the local the communities) so that every one can participate. people, fn roles of assistance in creating and (d) Promote the self-image of the people as being implementing the schemes the _villagers themselves confident and capable. .. decide. -3- MALEGAON CLUSTER HUMAN DEVELOPMENT PROJEC~ MAVAL, PUNE BRIEF PROGRESS OF WORK DONE From May, 1989 to March, 1994 1. General: 3. Education: The Cluster consists of the vmages Malegaon Khurd, The villagers have now realised the importance of Pimpri, Talpewadi, Malegaon Budruk, Kune, Ansute education and hence they are sending their sons and and Inglun in Maval Taluka of Pune District. The daughters to schools regularly and the adults have villages being isolated were so far' deprived of many started learning, alphabets. Additional classes have facilities and even day to day needs of the villagers. also been opened in some villages. Initially all villagers were brought together and made aware the need for their coming together for Training programmes for motivating Primal)l Teachers, development of their own villages. Gramsabhas and Teachers and students in Ashram School, (planning meetings of the villagers in a village) and Vadeshwar were organised. Mahasabhas (meetings of the villagers of all the villages in the duster) were organised. These meetings The primary school at Malegaon Khurd had! started were very essential for preparing a document giving classes upto seventh standard during the year 1994- the visions and the contradictions in their ways, of all 95, and hence 8th class has been started in the the villages. It was stressed that 1he development in village Ma~egaon Khurd from the year 1995. Now the all the fields - social, economical and cultural - would students wishing to go for further education are not be achieved, mainly on the strength of the villagers. required to go to Vadgaon or Vadeshwar for further The voluntary organisations including ICA: India would education. be approached by them for technical or financial assistance, whenever needed. 4. Educational trips 2. Organisations: Education trips of the enthusiastic villagers were With a view to bringing all the villagers together for arranged to observe the developments taken place in village development it was proposed to form other villages. Such trips were taken to 'Jawate (Satara organisations of (a) the youths and (2) the women. Dist.), Adgaon (Aurangabad Dist.), Baramati (Pune Such organisations infused confidence in them. The Dist.), Sonori near Saswad ( Pune Dist.) and to Khadi women and the youth who were hitherto practically & Village Industries Board, Pune. By seeing the neglected had come to limelight by forming the achievements made by others the villagers get organisations. They are now carrying out activities confidence. for the welfare of the villages by offering their labour and/or funds. The works done by them are cleanliness in the villages, to keep the surrounding of drinking 5. Tree plantation water well clean, soak-pits, construction/repairing of social buildings, etc. Under watershed afforestation project about 50 ha of land in four villages and 48 farmers are partiCipating Women's organisations in all the villages of the cluster in the programme. About 60000 trees of different are actively participating in all the development varieties ( fruit trees, trees for firewood, etc.) have programme taken in the villages. been planted and are taken care of by the farmers. -4- 6. Small businesses : training. Generally workshops on such topics are arrangedso as to give them practical experience.