In
Rajasthan Caritas India with its partner organization’s in Rajasthan region worked with deprived community through
LIFE programme intervention. We have started this project in Feb 2010 and it has ended in Jan 2013 ! LIFE is 1st of its kind and the 1st result
based project of Caritas India which not only focus on better implementation of
the project, but also focuses on regular handholding the project partner in
terms of its capacity building, strengthening systems in the partner
organization and establishing and strengthening strong linkages with other
stake holders like NABARD, KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendera), Panchayats and
Agriculture department. LIFE is being considered as one of the best livelihood
based model project of Caritas India and delivered not only mere result but has
impact on entire Programme designing of programmes in development sector!
Caritas
India, Caritas Spain and Caritas Italiana entered into a partnership agreement
to jointly work for the development of BPL SC, ST and OBC community living
under the most vulnerable situation in Bundelkhand region, India. This
commitment is translated in to a project titled ‘LIFE-Livelihood Initiation For
Empowerment for securing
livelihood in 20 villages of 2 districts ( Ajmer-Rajasthan and Banswara-Rajasthan ) of Rajasthan region’
implemented by the local partner RCDSSS-Ajmer and SJVS-Banswara with funding support from Caritas Spain.
LIFE
as a result based Programme till Jan 2013 able to achieve 91% of total
set results and .In terms of reach although programme is being implemented in
20 villages, but its impact is been reached to more than 50 villages and interestingly even after one year of
completion of Programme, it is being managed by community based institutions
and other technical institutions like KVK and NABARD. Impact could be largely
seen in terms of following:
1. A model of Rozgar Dhaba at Ajmer (a form of Village
Information Center under LIFE Programme) been awarded by as one of the top ten
model of sustainable livelihood. It is also officially acting as Panchyat
Resource Center
2. Official Linkages with MDS-Ajmer University and
KVK and NABARD ( 100% approved farmers club from NABARD)
3. Strengthening organization capacity and team capacity
4. Mitigating Migration up to 40% in boarder districts like
Banswara.
The
project directly caters 1572 small, marginalized and landless SC, ST and OBC of
households. The deliverance of the project is through Community Based and
Community Managed Organizations, (CBMOs) and other stake holders as Krishi
Vigyan Kendera (KVK) and Panchayats.
The
program envisages to achieve Improved socio-economic status amongst the
deprived community (SC/ST and OBC) in Ajmer and Banswara districts of Rajasthan
through optimized use of locally available resources, skill development and
full access over the entitlements” with the following set specific results to
be achieved during the project period
In
terms of Impact we can understand LIFE impact through popular line of a Hindi
poem by by a Hindi poet Dushyant Kumar as:
sirf hangama, khada karna, mera maksad nahi
saari
koshish, hai ki ye, soorat badalni chahiye
mere
seene mein nahi, to tere seene mein sahi
ho kahi
bhi aag lekin, aag jalni chahiye
Poet Dushyant Kumar wrote above lines on
bringing change-describes that its not only we talk or shout about change…but
instead we must bring change! And with
Caritas LIFE project we have tried to bring out some of the changes at grass
root and at institutional level (which probably not happened earlier)! Lets see
that in 36 months of the LIFE project implementation with 92% of total result
achievement, what all are the changes (mainly 100%) in thought process, and in
practice has visualised at both grassroots and at institutional level (Both
partner and donor agency)
Changes
at grass root/community level!
Sustainable agriculture:
- Usage
of HYBRID SEEDS is 100% out from the project field, not only that target
community is not using it, also none of the community members in the
project villages are using it. Certified seeds from KVK and local seeds
are in use. This in turn is making farmers not
to depend on market for farming, every year to purchase hybrid seeds
- 100%
of target community started
practicing cultivation with mix of synthetic inputs ( mainly DAP, but no
UREA). This
in long run is improving the maintaining the optimum level of pH of soil and thus
improves the soil heal on hand and on other hand reduces the input cost up
to 80%
Entitlements:
- with the expenditure of 559000 ( in 30 months) on strengthening the function of
Panchayats , we are able to systemise the operation in 8 Panchayats , this
expenditure per panchayat is on an average 750000 , and with that now all
these 8 Panchayats are functioning
effectively . If
with an average of 75000 (in 30 months) investment Panchayats operations
could be strengthen, then why not
the similar model of LIFE could be
adopted. By the Rajasthan
- 20 micro-plans have developed and presented in gram
Sabaha and 15 out of 20 get approved by gram Sabha. Community
participation in development planning has begun in the region.
- 100%
of target community in all the 20 project villages have access to NREGA
and now 70% of the target community submit ritten application to demand
work under NREGA. This in long run is spreading the impact and also
mitigating the migration pressure from the villages to the near by
citities. In Banswara no migration after Kharif crop soweing.
- Godiyawas
Panchayats ( LIFE project village & Panchayat in Ajmere) has become
one of the best Panchayat in the state for implementation of NREGA (
almost 100% HHS have 100 days of work).
- If we compare the total budget of NREGA in last two
years with the amount we have spent through LIFE project i.e. 159000/- its
just .04% of the total budget of NREGA for the concerned 8 Panchayats, but
with .04% amount we are able to strengthen the budget of INR 390600000
. From
this we can easily understand that how it is important to have programmes
like LIFE in strengthening the implementation of NREGA, else the amount of
INR 390600000 is hardly used for building sustainable resources ( one of
the key mandate of NREGA). Also it is worth to note that this amount is
now reaching to the community and in other way it is mitigating migration.
- 100%
of the eligible target community have received the benefits of government
schemes.
- Rozgar Dhaba at Naulakha (Godiyawas Panchayata0 has
officially become the part of of Panchayat as Panchayat Resource Center
(PRC). It has become the 1st Village Information
Center in India to be as PRC. And has
strengthen the Panchayat process
Community based & Managed organisations:
- Now
100% the CBOs ( farmers club, Women SHGs) are self managed and operates
without any support from the project field staff
- 100% of farmers club formed under LIFE project are
approved by NABARD and also started getting financial support. Its 1st
time that 100% of farmers club formed in any of the project at any of the
partner organisation has get approved from NABARD.
- 100%
of SHGS are linked with NABARD/bank and started availing loan for the
livelihood based activities.
Changes
at partner organisation level!
Fund
leverage
- In
last 30 months approximate fund
release ((through Caritas India) is about INR 6000000 (approx round figure)
and is able to cater 1572 target families ( 614 at Banswara and 958 at Ajmer) , where as fund leveraged from
the various government institutions is about INR 6900000 and is able to cater
1777 deprived communities (
including target communities). From this its easily observed that in LIFE
project till July 2012, not only INR 6000000 has been invested rather its
INR 12900000 has been
invested and thus the results are in front that almost 6 months in advance
LIFE project is able to achieve the set results.
- Support/projects
from government institutions: With Linkages and support in
the project, it’s not only that it has impact on the community, but
organisations also get support from the government institutions, SJVS
Banswara has received two projects from NABARD.
- It
is important to know that SJVS-Banswara has grown up with LIFE project in
terms of establishing linkages, where as RCDSSS-Ajmer has grown up in
terms of establishing systems like LIFE project. Now both the partner organisations are developing the
projects for other agencies keeping LIFE as the base model for project
development as well as project implementation. Now all the projects with
both the partner organisations are result based and on monthly reporting
systems ( which was earlier limited to activities and quaterly reporting )
- Visibility
of Partner, the project , community and the donor agency has reached
throughout the globe with LIFE blog
( www.liferajasthan.blogspot.com )which is India’s
1st development project blog and has now crossed 30000 of
viewership with daily updates.
Changes
at Caritas India
level!
- Now
projects in Caritas India’
is also being developed on the base structure of LIFE project considering
the Result Based Approach and thorough hand holding for the project at
field level.
- With
the initiation of LIFE blog and on social media, now there are around 9
development projects of caritas India have blog and are on
social media sites.
Now the
development scenario in the LIFE project field has changed , capacity of
partners has enhanced , probably we are reaching at the end , where the
sustainability of project has already begun 6 months in advance!
