Jee-news Spring 2010
Letter from Andrew
So the Pru, UK’s most venerable insurer, is set to eat a fish almost twice its size - the Asian insurance business of stricken AIG - funded by the biggest rights issue London has ever seen, and bankers’ and lawyers’ fees of over $1 billion. Corporate gigantism, and the Gargantuan appetite for economic power, seem unabashed by the global recession. ‘Small is Beautiful’, Schumacher’s seminal study of economics ‘as if people mattered’ was much occupied with questions of size. The perils of forgetting human scale, man as the measure of all things, were never more real than today.
The vast size of India, with more very poor people than sub-Saharan Africa, invites vast government, but even after the 40 years of socialism governments have continued to fail rural India. Gandhi’s version of socialism via village republics was fatally ignored, and today the people who truly work at ‘grass roots’ level for village livelihood, the human vitality of rural communities, the wherewithal for a dignified and hopeful existence, are the voluntary sector.
This mosaic of tens of thousands of NGOs, big and small, Indian and foreign, all across rural India, is government’s best ally. This is how ant-hills are made – myriad small and patient interventions. Doing what is appropriate in response to observed needs. Identifying those most in need. Our report on rural India below illustrates how Jeevika, working with and through our NGO partners, is touching more and more lives, on a human scale.
While we have kept up this work, it has been a very tough year for funding. This year will again be a struggle. We look to you, our growing body of supporters, to help us through this year of our Fifth Anniversary as Jeevika Trust (see below)!
I want finally to say a special thank you to three people - Angie Windle and Michael Connellan, who have now returned to London after their year seconded to work as volunteer Communications consultants with Dr Giri and his team at Schumacher Centre in Delhi, and our trustee Catherine Purvis and her partners at Westminster-based Ellwood & Atfield, who took great care and pains to recruit them for us. It has been a very successful pilot scheme, and we are indebted to all concerned.
Andrew Redpath
Executive Director, Jeevika Trust
Letter from India
Launching of Tri-sector Partnership (‘TSP’) in India
Working with our UK sister organisation, Jeevika Trust, and the UK-based The Partnering Initiative, we organised an International Conference in New Delhi last November on Tri-Sector Partnerships (‘TSP’) for rural development. The Planning Commission of India has been promoting ‘PPP’ or Public-Private Partnership for sustainable development, and Companies have long paid lip-service to ‘CSR’ or Corporate Social Responsibility.
But in both these, it is People who are missing from the table: Schumacher Centre believes that without the ‘people’ represented by civil society organisations like NGOs inclusive development cannot occur. Genuine, healthy and equitable partnership between state, market and NGOs is the way forward, where authority of governments, resources of the market institutions, and the social capital of NGOs will be synergized.
The Conference drew encouraging responses from the stakeholders present, and the Centre is now promoting TSP through training workshops, consultancy and advocacy. Please contact giri@schumachercentre.org for further information on TSP.
Dr D. K. Giri
Director, Schumacher Centre, Delhi
Rural India Awakening
Jeevika Trust’s October 2009 monitoring visit was focused on Orissa, and was a very positive trip for Andrew and our Programmes Officer, Judith Crosland. The purpose of the visit was two-fold: firstly, to meet the beneficiaries of our four projects with our Orissa-based partner Jeevan Rekha Parishad (JRP) and, secondly, to meet representatives from all of our six partner organisations in Bhubaneswar for a second Jeevika Stakeholder Workshop.
The first day was spent with the beneficiaries of Project Eco, located on Mahinsa Island in the Chilika Lake sea-lagoon on Orissa's east coast. The project, which has broad ecological aims for this island of 750 people, is funded by the Miss K.M.Harbinson Charitable Trust, the Southall Trust and Friends of Jeevika in France; it includes water and sanitation improvements, and planting of 'shelter belts' of coconut and mangrove trees as protection against sea and wind. The primary livelihood being undertaken in Project Eco, by the 100 women of six Self-Help Groups (SHGs), is the rearing of crabs; the SHGs purchase young crabs which grow rapidly in large purpose-built ponds to a huge size of up to 750 grams, for export to Thailand. Between July and March as many as 18 harvests can take place, and the SHGs are already covering their costs and loan repayments, and making healthy savings.
A visit to Project Pani in the Chandaka Tribal Forest area saw the 250 students and six teachers celebrate the completion of one year of project activities. The rainwater harvesting system is now installed on the Daruthenga High School roof and students and teachers are benefiting from access to safe drinking water and new sanitation facilities. Eco-club students have also prepared vermicompost pits from organic waste, the soil of which benefits the kitchen gardens and produces vegetables for school lunches. Fruit trees now line the front of the school.
We are grateful to Monsoon-Accessorize Trust for funding this important pilot project. We are now, with help from Belgium-based Versichel Bequest Fund, replicating it in another Chandaka village school with 750 students—which has for years made do with one tap and one staff toilet.
Project Mousmi is at the end of its first of three years, funded primarily by innocent foundation. By harvesting monsoon rains in a large new stone-built tank, recharging the groundwater, improving physical access to water from both streams and wells, and by repairing village hand pumps, we have been able to provide safe and reliable water for household use and sanitation to the 1,600 villagers of Sundarpur and Baramana. The women in both villages have learned to use a hand-operated soil block-making machine to produce 500 blocks per day, while five young men, trained as masons, have been constructing toilets for school and household use. In three more villages downstream, a further 1,500 people are benefitting from the improved water availability.
The final field visit was to Project Madhu. This project is nearing the end of its second year of beekeeping with 150 Tribal women in the Chandaka Forest area. As well as beekeeping, the women have developed large kitchen gardens which support their household requirements. The women use the honey for home-consumption and medicinal purposes and sell the surplus, along with any extra kitchen garden produce, locally. At the time of Jeevika’s visit, selected beekeepers were participating in a Paralegal Training Programme: tribal people have specific needs due to their lack of land-rights and financial resources - this programme will teach the women how to use existing laws for their own benefit so they better understand their basic rights. Jeevika is now exploring the feasibility of a Women Bee-keepers Association to bring together up to 1,000 individual, often isolated, bee-keepers across a wide area of coastal Orissa, and support them in marketing and exporting their honey: we are currently seeking funding for this.
In the second week, Jeevika’s six partner organisations took part in a further 3-day Stakeholder Workshop. The workshop focused on microcredit and livelihood development to build on partners’ skills and to offer suggestions for improvement and solutions to challenges. During the workshop participants visited JRP’s Project Madhu and Project Eco to swap information with the beneficiaries about their activities and plans for the future.
The Workshop started with a cultural evening whose highlight was a dazzling group of Orya dancers and a wonderful song recital. Both Jeevika and our other partners are grateful to Manu and Madhu Mishra, who run JRP, for their hospitality in making our visit, and the Workshop, a useful and memorable success. One partner said: “It was helpful to learn more about microcredit and how it is happening in other partner organisations. I also got a lot from visiting JRP’s beekeeping activities to see how it compares with our own beekeeping project.”
Volunteering with Jeevika Trust
Are you looking for a new challenge? Do you have some skills you’d like to either share or develop with us?
Then here’s your chance. We are looking for enthusiastic and committed people to join our team in the UK. Whether you’d like to organise events, give talks in schools or you have great networks in the local community that you’d like to share with us, we have a position for you. We are currently looking for:
Business Champions
Challenges Co-ordinator
Community Networker – Kingston, Twickenham and the Hamptons
Events Organisers
New Media Co-ordinator
PR Co-ordinators
Schools Co-ordinator
Student Co-ordinator
Full details of each of these positions can be found on our volunteering section. None of these positions match what you’re looking for? Don’t worry, these are just some of the skills we’re looking for, if you have an idea, skill, interest or network you’d like to share with us, we’d love to hear from you. Just email Rosemary - rosemary@jeevika.org.uk - with your CV and tell us how you think you might be able to help and we’ll be in touch.
Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, get experience but, most importantly, have fun.
Jeevika Trust is turning 5!
Having had a long and active history as India Development Group, in June 2005 we took a new direction. To better reflect our mission of ‘tackling the roots of poverty… through revitalising rural communities’ we adopted the name JEEVIKA TRUST. This June marks the Fifth Anniversary of Jeevika’s ‘launch’ on the Thames at Kingston, and we want you to help us celebrate!
Over the last five years we have…
- Worked with 6 partners in over 20 different projects in 4 states
- Helped more than 47,000 people
- Improved access to safe water and sanitation for 22,000 people
- Supported over 1,600 women to start and participate in Self Help Groups
- Given over 500 beehives in 36 different villages
We will be having several events going on over the summer to celebrate, check out our diary section for just some of the things and keep an eye out for lots more to come. But why not put on your own event to celebrate? Our website has lots of ideas for things you can do and offers some help on getting started. But to get you started here are a few ideas…
However you decide to celebrate our 5th Anniversary with us, thank you – without you the last, and hopefully the next, five years couldn’t have been possible!
Dragon Boat Challenge - Team Jeevika 2010
What do you get if you put 16 hairy men in saris and wigs on the River Thames in July? A fantastic day out and an even better way to raise money! We are looking for 16 exceptional individuals to join us in Team Jeevika 2010 and take part in the 10th annual Kingston Rotary Club Dragon Boat Challenge.
Team Jeevika 2009 did so well last year - 6th out of 34 crews - that we are taking part again on Sunday 18th July and we want you to help us win. You don't need any previous experience (training will be given), just a bit of competitiveness, a great sense of humour and a willingness to dress up in a sari and a wig and get a bit wet. All we ask is that you get your friends and family to sponsor you for minimum of £150 (go on, try and raise a bit more though) to help support our projects in India.
Interested? Have a look at our information pack or email Rosemary (rosemary@jeevika.org.uk) if you have any questions. We only have limited places so don't miss your chance - download your Dragon Boat registration form today!
A Big Thanks!
The final total for Team Jeevika in the 2009 Dragon Boat Challenge is in – an amazing £5196 was raised by our team getting dressed up and rowing for your lives – thank you! Entries for Team Jeevika 2010 are now open, don’t miss your place and help us see if we can do even better this year…
A massive thank you to all our walkers and supporters who helped us raise an enormous £5320.99 from our 3rd annual Walk for Water in September. The weather held out, the lemon drizzle cake was to die for and everyone had a great afternoon. Keep an eye out for our 2010 Walk for Water, details will be coming soon.
16th September for a very long day for some but thank you to everyone who held a bucket, donated or cheered us along at our collection in Waterloo Station, you helped us raise £507.04.
Once again Sophia Surjadi has organised another sell-out gig. Sophia raised £547.60 in September to support Project Mithra. Thank you Sophia and everyone who came along.
Jeevika supporters Uma and Mahul reached the big 4-0 earlier this year and to celebrate, they asked their family and friends to donate in their names to us. Thank you Uma and Mahul, your friends and family generously donated £220.
Put it in your Diary
The Last Civilisation? The Living Past in South India – an Illustrated Lecture by Michael Wood and Bazaar – Tuesday 8th June, Royal Geographical Society, London
We are privileged to be hosting an illustrated lecture given by historian, filmmaker and broadcaster Michael Wood at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington. In this lavish lecture, which is accompanied by a DVD clip, writer and presenter of many critically acclaimed series on television, Michael Wood takes us on a journey of discovery through the tropical landscapes of India’s deep south, describing the Tamil world as the last classical civilisation to survive in the modern world.
This evening promises to be fun-filled with an exclusive Bazaar selling lavish Indian clothing, jewellery, artefacts and much more. More information and how to order your tickets can be found by clicking here.
Dragon Boat Challenge - Sunday 18th July, Kingston, Surrey
Rowing in a sari and wig may not be your thing but why not come along and support Team Jeevika. For more details either about taking part or coming along to support us, please email rosemary@jeevika.org.uk.
Benefit Gig - Coming soon!
Back by popular demand, Sophia Surjadi is organising another benefit gig in London for us. Keep an eye out for more details over the next few weeks.
Walk for Water – Coming in September!
Back for the 4th year, our Walk for Water near Hampton Court Palace will be returning in September. Full details will follow soon but if you’re interested in helping us promote the Walk by becoming one of our ‘Top Ten Walkers’, please get in touch by emailing rosemary@jeevika.org.uk or calling 020 8973 3773.
