Village Upliftment Programme 18-Month update Melkathirpur ... hjalper/Hand in Hand/Indien/Rapport...

Address: Hand in Hand, SEED Trust Training Centre, Nasarathpet Village, Opp Pachayappa’s Men’s College, Little Kanchipuram, Kanchipuram District 631 503, Tamil Nadu, India

Phone: +91-44-420 293 60 • Fax: +91-44-272 693 01 E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.hihindia.org

Village Upliftment Programme

18-Month update Melkathirpur, Tamil Nadu, India

Submitted to

Lions Club Ahus-Sweden

Submitted By

Hand in Hand India

December 2017

Ophthalmology camp beneficiary with clear vision



Introduction

Thank you for your support for Melkathirpur Panchayat. Please find below the 18-month’s

report covering successful stories of people benefiting from Hand in Hand India’s

interventions as well as challenges in implementing the programme.

Empowering people

Situated in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, Melkathirpur Panchayat is known more for its

proximity to its block Kanchipuram

Eighteen months ago, Hand in Hand India introduced the Village Upliftment Programme-VUP in

Melkathirpur Panchayat. Since its launch, the VUP has implemented interventions in the areas

of self-help group and microfinance, education, health, environment, and IT and governance.

The integrated development approach has not only brought out a progressive change but has

also laid the path for a better quality of life for villagers in Melkathirpur Panchayat.

Empowering women through Self Help Groups (SHGs)

Poverty affects women and children the most. Illiterate poor women in rural India have, for

long, confined themselves to the conventional way of life — household chores, working as

labourers, or assisting in family-based enterprises. By forming self-help groups and providing

affordable microcredit they are now away from the web of poverty in Hand in Hand India’s self-

help groups (SHGs) and microfinance programme has helped poor women emerge from a

cocoon existence and carve out an identity of their own. With the backing of the microfinance

programme, women have received business training, and enterprise creation initiatives and

marginalised women have emerged as change agents in their communities. Based on the need,

Hand in Hand India also conducts skill training to self-help group women. For many women, the

SHG programme has given them the life of hope, dignity, and choice. Women receive

microfinance loan to create and strengthen their family based enterprises and some women

were linked with banks to receive loans.



IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO Dayanidhi belongs to an agricultural family engaged in rice cultivation in their three acres of

land depending on water resource. Dayanidhi’s husband, who attends to the agricultural duties,

tried cultivating chillies which proved to be unprofitable. While Dayanidhi’s husband looks after

agriculture work, she runs a

small grocery store for some

time now. For over a decade

now, Dayanidhi has been a

member of a government

facilitated SHG, Roja, which

was added to Hand in Hand

India as all the members

unanimously felt that they

have favourable advantages

in doing so and they are

happy that they made the

shift. “Not only do we receive SHG training and other skills development training, but we also

receive trouble free, low-cost loans,” says Dayanidhi. Earlier the group had received just INR

50000/- for 12 members together. With the INR 4000/- that was her share in the loan amount,

Dayanidhi could buy a calf and she waited for three years for it to grow into a cow, which is

pregnant at the moment.

Dayanidhi in her petty shop



STEP BY STEP

Rajani, 26-year-old, spent her

first few years in Kanchipuram

town, did not have an

opportunity to go around in the

town. Her parents did not let

her step out of their small

suburban home. She was

married immediately after

completing her 12th standard

examination. Shifting from big

town to a small village was

rather a challenge for Rajani.

She felts liberated, to move

around the place freely, to leave home every once in a while, to fetch water, to buy provisions,

to visit the temples and visit her in-laws living in the same neighbourhood. Her family felt

complete with Vedavashini and Hemaprashant, her two children.

Her life turned sweeter after she joined the Shreeshakti SHG, a year ago. It was more than just

receiving small loans. She could learn tailoring, which she could never learn from her father

who happens to be a professional tailor. She has also purchased a sewing machine with a loan

from Hand in Hand India and has become quite a professional after the training. She stiches

blouses, petticoats, baby wear, salwar kurtas** and shirts. Working for just four to five hours a

day, Rajani makes about INR.2000/- a month. While she earns through stitching clothes for

neighbours and relatives, she saves quite some amount making clothes for herself, for her

children and other family members.

** A traditional outfit worn by both men and women

Next plan of exploring embroidery skill training



Rajani’s husband, Jyotiprakash, makes about INR 10000/- to INR 15000/- through the long and

especially demanding month, by plucking coconuts from trees and selling them on the

Kanchipuram highway. The one-acre land owned by the family is given on rent for cultivation,

depending on rainfall. The family could certainly do with the small earnings and savings that

Rajani makes. She is keen about learning stone work and embroidery on clothes. Jyotiprakash is

very supportive of Rajani’s plans to enhance her tailoring skills. She is also open to get tailoring

orders from the shops in Kanchipuram town; she hopes that her father, who is a tailor, would

support her in that. But right now her hands are full with household responsibilities and taking

care of her young children. As they grow older and become independent she would certainly

venture into getting wholesale tailoring orders.

WELL BEGUN!

Devaki, 45, an SHG member, bought a cow with the INR 10000/- loaned by Hand in Hand India.

The cow produces five liters of milk daily and that is sold at the door step of neighboring houses

at INR.22/- per liter, which yields her an income of a little above INR 3000/- per month.

Devaki with her son (28) look after a herd of 50 goats for a large scale goat meat seller in

Kanchipuram town. Half of the kids delivered by the goats is given to Devaki by the owner in

return for her services. During the past year, she received just about five goat kids which she

sold immediately for INR.2000/- each. We asked Devaki about why the offspring were less in

number compared to the population of goats on the farm. “A lot of goat kids and the mother

goats die of some diseases or during birth”, says Devaki. She was not able to take the goats to

the veterinary camp organized by Hand in Hand India. However, the veterinary doctor has

provided vaccination to all the goats. Devaki is now interested in attending a soon to be

organized day-long training session conducted by Hand in Hand India on goat rearing. That will

reduce the mortality rates among goats and will increase her earning. “Then I will look after the

goat kids a little longer and sell them for a higher amount”, she added.



At the infertility

camp, 21 cows were

diagnosed with

reproductive health

issues and treated.

Thirteen among the

treated cows have

already delivered

calves and some

others are pregnant

at the moment.



Radhika and Balasundaram at the loom

WEAVING THEIR WAY TO A SILKY SERENITY

Radhika, an SHG member has inherited the art of weaving from their forefathers. Radhika’s

husband Balasundaram parents; siblings also pursue the same business. However Radhika was

introduced to weaving after her marriage that is seven years before, Balasundaram has been in

practice for past 20 years. Earlier he used to be employed at a loom in Kanchipuram where he

received INR 5000/- as a salary. With encouragement and support from Radhika, Balasundaram

bought a loom. The Hand in Hand India loan of INR 20000/- was used to buy a loom as well as a

sewing machine. Radhika supports Balasundaram in rolling the silk threads and maintaining the

loom. Radhika also does tailoring work and earns about INR 2000/-. The family earns about INR

15000/- per month only from weaving, weaving three silk sarees in a month. The thread and

the design are provided by the silk merchants. The couple now plans to buy another loom so

that Radhika could also take up weaving full time.



Child Labour Elimination Programme-CLEP

"Making a “Child Friendly Panchayat” is the primary focus, where all 6 to 14 year old children

are in school, initiate Children Learning Centers (CLCs), having transit schools where

necessary; and create awareness on Child Rights and child protection. Also train School

Monitoring Committee (SMC) members on Right to Education (RtE) and monitoring 100%

children enrollment in school, providing quality education by the teachers and general

function of the school. Hand in Hand India works with such committees and provides them

capacity building training for regular and effective functioning.

Children Learning Centre is run in the villages for needy children in the age group of 7 to 10

years. These classes help first-generation learners, children from disturbed families and others

cope with school work and prevent future drop-outs. Transit school is run for 8th, 9th and 10th

grade dropouts and 10th grade failures, at the age group of 15 to 18". Here the wards are

coached to pass out of the 10th grade exam so that they shall get into any vocational training or

go for higher studies.

Awareness camps are conducted using programs like rallies, street plays, dance and theatre

workshops, poster campaigns etc., to motivate the community to minimize child labor,

strengthen education, and regularly send children to school."



BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG Kaveri, a 7-year-old girl, and Batsha, a 13-year-old boy, children of brick kiln workers were ever

so attached to their parents, since Shanthi, their elder sister was married. When the parents

travelled from one brick kiln to another, the children chose to move along with them rather

than going to school. In all

probability, Shanthi never went to

school or she possibly discontinued

her education to look after her

younger siblings. Dropping out was

the easy way out. During the follow-

up visit to the school, Satya from

Hand in Hand India Mobilizer

identified this and promptly met the

parents. After weeks of persuading

the parents and the children, Kaveri

and Batsha are both back in the school with new uniforms and books. They promised not to

continue their school.

Back in the bay of letters



THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GO - ALOFT

The CLC at Melkathirpur runs in

the government premise .The

CLC is headed by a dedicated

teacher, C. Kavya, who helps her

students Ridhima, Pooja and

Priyanka upgrade from the ‘C

Group’ to ‘A Group’ and Yukesh,

Shyam, Kishor Kumar, Elamaran

and Manikandan from ‘C Group’

to ‘B Group’. The visible improvement in the learning has prompted to beeline other curious

kids, not necessarily slow learners, at the CLC such is the level of confidence that CLC has

generated among the villagers.

Health

One of the indicators of a developed community is health of the people and efficiency of health

care systems. HIH India understands that duplicating government systems and building parallel

structures are not sustainable in the long run, so we work towards filling the gaps in the

government initiatives. Preventive health and attitude change is the key area of focus of the

health project. VUP works with the local people in identifying the prevalent health problems

and create awareness about them amongst the public and help them in finding a solution.

It has been noted and experienced by Hand in Hand India that basic health care services

continue to elude large parts of rural India. Many villagers have to travel a long distance to visit

the nearest medical facility; this often means forgoing a day’s wage, a factor which prevents

villagers from seeking immediate medical attention. The health interventions of Hand in Hand

A proud moment for Kavya and her students Ridhima, Pooja and Priyanka Who were promoted from group C to group A



India focuses on making health care services accessible and affordable to the rural population.

Attention is also given to sensitize villagers on basic health and hygiene, malnutrition, anemia,

and other health concerns which are often neglected by villagers.

SIGHT FOR ALL

Melkathirpur does not have any healthcare services available within the village. The nearest

private or government healthcare facility is 15kilometers away. Some families have motorcycles

to commute, but others have to use cycles, share autos or the minibus service to reach a clinic

or the hospital. The health camp was very well received with about 200 people attending it. A

special eye camp (Ophthalmology) was also conducted for free eye-checkup, provision of

eyeglasses and referral for cataract removal surgeries. Valli, 40, was finding it very hard to read

small letters. She could neither use her mobile phone, nor help her school going children with

their studies because of her farsightedness. Her eye power was minimal which was identified

during the special camp and Valli is a happy person, back to her communicative best on the

phone and in complete control of her children’s homework. Nagappan and other elders in the

village were also diagnosed with the cataract and were referred to a nearby private hospital in

Kancheepuram, where they got cataract surgery for free of cost. Munnuswami was diagnosed

with an unnatural growth in his eye and low vision. He too was referred and operated at the

Apollo hospital based on recommendation from the eye camp.

Valli, Nagappan and Munnuswami and scores of other people have gained improved vision



Separate functional toilets with water facility for girls and boys; Safe drinking water and extracurricular activities help

children focus on the classwork

THE BLISSFUL SCHOOL “Toilets here were not in a good condition and water was not

available inside the toilet” said Mr. Elangovan, a teacher at the government middle school.

Children had to carry water in a bucket. Hence, most of the children avoided using the toilets. If

their homes are close by they would rather go home and lose their time which could otherwise

be used productively .Through school health awareness programme, children were oriented on

personal health, hygiene and sanitation. “The children’s personal hygiene practices have

certainly changed”, observes Mr. Elangovan. “Even the little ones from the first standard report

if there is no water in the overhead tank and request to put the pump on”, he added further.

The school has also been provided with

an RO unit to ensure clean drinking water

for the children. Earlier the school

depended on the bore well on premises

that does not have quality water for

drinking and washing purposes. While

drinking water and toilets ensure

children’s physical well-being,

recreational facilities like carom, chess,

football, volleyball and frisbee make sure

that children have recreation to facilitate

their all-round development. Sports are a

good leveler where children with low

levels of learning can perform better, by

boosting their confidence and their focus

in the classroom.



AT HOME IN ANGANWADI

Anganwadi, the government

run day care center and

learning center for children

under five years of age, was

upgraded with colourful and

catchy drawings. Cooking

vessels were also provided to

help the teachers make

nutritious meals for the

children every day.

After the meal, some of

them prefer to take a nap while others just enjoy the enriching, protective atmosphere as they

wait for their parents to pick them up.

Citizens’ Centre

Bridging the urban-rural digital divide, the Citizens’ Centre Enterprises are helping rural

communities reap the benefits of the digital age. The social component of this initiative

focuses on promoting grass-roots level democracy in villages. The Citizens’ Centre not only

helps spread e-literacy in the village but also provides a gamut of services, including online bill

payments, photocopier, internet service, to name a few. While the Government offers several

welfare schemes for the underprivileged, many remain ignorant of it. The Citizens’ Centre not

only spreads awareness of the various welfare schemes but also facilitates the process for the

poor. Empowering rural communities with access to information and technology, the Citizens’

Centre is spearheading the IT revolution in rural India.

At home in the Anganwadi; children resting, learning and having fun



IN THE WORLD OF THEIR OWN

Durai, the former Panchayat President and also a VDC member, observes that, “a decade ago,

the village was very backward in technology, so much that it did not even have a photocopy

machine.” People had to travel a long way to make copies of application forms for various

government schemes, job applications, etc. Hand in Hand India installed a photocopy machine

at the CC that has been a

blessing in disguise for the

villagers. The computer center

and the classes were a big hit

among the people, equally

young and old. After the school

hours, children are eager to hit

the key board and maneuver the

mouse and enjoy enchanting

visuals on the screen. They did

not quite have the patience for

our questions and answers and paid attention to the photo being taken. The children were

completely engrossed in their virtual companion, that they were not aware of the activity in the

large room full of people, teachers, Village Development Committee members and Hand in

Hand India staff. The Computer Instructor, Deeladevi, did not have to do any talking to tell us

about the children’s progress in the computer class. Eight students have completed a certificate

course in basic computer functions and programs.

At Functional CLC Melkathirpur



OPPORTUNITIES GALORE

Several community members have received

PAN Cards* through Good governance

camps organized by Hand in Hand India,

which gives them entitlement to a higher

order loan for their business requirements.

Some members got their names corrected

in their Aadhar cards**, the mandatory

identification card recently introduced by

the government of India. The Centre has a

good library with books for children of all ages. At least forty youngsters have benefited from

the guide books that helped them write the government examination conducted for

employment within the state government of TamilNadu.

*PAN Card : Permanent Account Number Card, :: a unique 10-digit alphanumeric identity allotted to each taxpayer by the Income Tax Department, Govt of India

** Aadhar cards : 12-digit unique identification number issued by the Indian government to every individual resident of India.

Environment

A poor environment has a profound impact on people’s health. Simple measures can go a long

way in ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment and preserving the natural resources of a

place. Hand in Hand strives and commits to a GREENER pastures through a combination of

effective solid waste management practices and natural resource management projects, Our

Solid Waste Management or SWM intervention strives to facilitate local bodies to handle the

garbage waste. Villagers are encouraged to segregate waste, reduce the use of plastics, and

keep their environment clean. Through our Natural Resource Management (NRM) programme

we guide poor and landless farmers in villages to build on the existing resources as base and

The PAN Cards will open a window of financial resources



create livelihood options from them. This is done through developing the existing natural

resources (especially water and soil) and conserving them by various kinds of interventions. We

conduct awareness camps on Environment and mass cleaning programs with the support of

village community. Dustbins indicating degradable and non-degradable waste segregation are

installed and awareness on segregation is done for villagers. We provide horticultural plants

and facilitate in planting them in vantage locations. Through our SHG members kitchen garden

units are promoted and "Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit (mini) is installed in village middle schools"

based on the need. Added to these, we promote model vermi compost units and Azolla (zero

cost, protein rich feed for milch cows) units in the panchayats.

THE GRITTY GREEN

For a village at a short distance from Kanchipuram, the district headquarters, the busy

commercial town bustling with devotees and silk-lovers round the year, Melkathirpur is quiet,

clean and astonishingly green. The tender neem {a tall, tropical evergreen tree (Azadirachta

indica) of the mahogany family}, mango, guava, tamarind trees curiously interspersed with tall

palm trees and fast-growing, evergreen eucalyptus belied the aftermath of Cyclone Vardah

(Recently happened in South India) where the green cover in all the affected areas was

devastated. Joint efforts by Hand in Hand India and community members, horticulture and

avenue trees were planted and nurtured in large numbers. A pond has been renovated

resulting in recharge of wells and bore wells in the surrounding areas. The farmers are able to

take three crops a year without

much worry about irrigation.

People are also able to take their

cattle to the pond for drinking

water.



Subramani and Parameshari are a few among the people, who have been maintaining kitchen

gardens ever since Hand in Hand India promoted them in the village. They both maintain small

patch of assorted vegetables each, with spinach, papaya, ridge gourd, brinjal, ladies finger and

bitter gourd. After getting a bumper harvest with the first cultivation, for Subramani, it is the

second time. After all, during the peak time, he had a steady supply of fresh vegetables to the

kitchen. Parameshwari too was able to provide nutritious meals to her children round the year,

but for the kitchen garden.

Pond renovation

Pond is deepened and renovated as

per the request from the people

through the Village Development

Committee (VDC). The pond has

been deepened and renovated

after 10 years and it becomes

source for 70 acres of paddy fields.

The pond is filled with rain water

and it is expected to provide water

for the cultivation and drinking

water for the livestock for eight

months. The pond which was covered with thorny pushes has been converted into essential

source for the villagers. The pond will also be useful for increasing water table in the area.

Neighbouring farms too are benefiting from the pond water. Pond has now become the major

source of non-saline water for daily needs especially for milch animals and helping during the

village rituals and public functions of the village.

Renovated pond stowed with water (1962 Cubic meter)

Parameshwari’s in her vegetable garden and her well-nourished children



Challenges and lessons

• Durai, the former Panchayat President and others in the village have tendered a request

to HiH India to run a weekly clinic in the village so that the recurring health care needs

of the community could be promptly addressed.

• Involvement of a village elder and a community leader like Durai was also beneficial

while designing the project and envisioning a long term plan. Being the former

Panchayat President still shoulders the responsibilities on his own volition as the village

has not elected its new Panchayat President.

• Community gathering was a great challenge faced by the HiH India’s Staff members but

forthcoming month’s people integrated and realized the values of HiH India’s

interventions.

FURTHER PLAN OF ACTION

- Strengthening Village Development Committee

- Social audit exercise

- Working towards sustainability mechanism

FUTURE REPORTS & INDIA CONTACT

We look forward to submitting the final 24-month report March 2018. Should you have any

clarifications to seek or suggestions to offer, please feel free to contact Mr Sandip Mookerjee at

[email protected] or +91-95000 41800.

Thank you for your generous support to Hand in Hand India.

Village Upliftment Programme 18-Month update Melkathirpur ... hjalper/Hand in Hand/Indien/Rapport...

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