NPF Project

NPF Project

The Niwano Peace Foundation was chartered in 1978 to contribute to the realization of world peace and the enhancement of culture by promoting research and other activities, based on religious spirit and serving the cause of peace, in such fields as thought, culture, science, and education.

NPF and BISWA :

Aim of the project is effective and sustainable approaches to eliminate poverty and ensure food security adopted in drought-prone area of Sambalpur district.

Content and Method of Research / Activity :

• Regular and extensive Village/SHG Meeting
• Training to the Core Committee on Livelihood Pattern Analysis
• Theme Meeting
• Focus Group Discussion on different Issues
• Quarterly Meeting of Core Committee
• Awareness Component
• Training to the potential women on Skill Development
• Weekly Review meetings at project level
• Construction of Water Harvesting Structure
• Enhancement of role of SHGs as Peer Health Educators (PHE)
• Staff Training on Effective Water Management
• Sensitisation of Community Leaders
• Promotion of Role Play & Dance
• Booklet and IEC materials

Course of Actual Events :

• Regular and extensive Village/SHG Meeting The SHG meetings were conducted regularly at fortnightly interval. The SHG meetings were conducted extensively in presence of our animators who facilitated the meeting conductance.
• Training to the Core Committee on Livelihood Pattern Analysis The core committee was trained on the process and procedure of livelihood pattern analysis. The training programme primarily dealt with the concept of livelihood and the need of livelihood pattern analysis. Further there was a brief analysis of existing natural resources available in the project villages those are largely influencing their present livelihood pattern. The analysis of capability of human resources for deriving optimum output from available resources with conservation of biodiversity. The emphasis is on existing human potential and required skill development for producing contemporary market demand products. The community organizers as well as animators learnt about livelihood pattern and its analysis for the project villages.
• Theme Meeting There are in total 20 themes have been discussed in each of the 10 project villages. The themes are chosen based on the local issues of concern. Each theme meeting is arranged in each of the project villages every month. So far 20 themes as under were discussed in theme meetings conducted in each of the project villages.

Themes of Meetings:

1. Role of SHG in community development
2. Necessity of unity in rural community for their socio-economic development.
3. Role of women in life stock farming
4. Rural women in dynamics of agriculture and food security
5. Empowering rural women through water-shed project
6. Need of public participation in local administration
7. Need of public participation in rural development
8. Water conservation- in tandem with nature
9. Income generating opportunities
10. Prevention of substance abuse
11. Micro finance for women’s empowerment
12. Water management in irrigation
13. Joint forest management
14. Conservation of wild animals
15. Role of youth in rural development
16. Grain banking in rural areas
17. Rural Sanitation
18. Benefit of herbal medicine
19. Social use of easier life
20. Women participation in local administration

• Focus Group Discussion on different Issues Two numbers of Focus Group Discussions were conducted every month in each of the project villages. The respective animators regularly facilitated each of these Focus Group Discussions required for village development process. The other aspects involved largely on identification of small problems those have greater impact on their livelihood pattern, the petty things like backyard of houses, waste disposal of houses, location of compost pit of domestic animal waste, cleaning of community pond and its renovation.
• Quarterly Meeting of Core Committee The project in the second year of intervention has conducted quarterly meetings of the core committee. All the core committee meeting discussed the progress of the work against the target of the quarter end. The quarterly meeting also discussed any desirable change if necessary from the projected strategy
• Awareness Component The awareness camps in the project villages have brought much awareness among the villagers about different schemes and agencies available for development and welfare of tribal and underdeveloped communities. These villagers were also aware about various life aspects related to their safe health and secured society. In each village, one awareness camp was organised in every month. The subject for awareness camp was same in all the villages in a particular month. The various issues discussed in the project villages for awareness are as mentioned below;

1. Panchayat Raj ( Local Self-Government)
2. Public Distribution System
3. Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana( self employment scheme)
4. Functional literacy
5. Adult Education
6. Effective Veterinary Practices
7. Girl Child Education
8. Availability and utility of non-timber forest produces
9. Child rights and education
10. Role of mother in establishment of a healthy society
11. Management of domestic animals
12. Benefits of Breast Feeding

• Training to the potential women on Skill Development The skill upgradation training that was started in the month of August 2004 has been successfully completed in the month of October 2004. There were in total 50 artisans got trained in the above training programme. However on request of trainees, BISWA provided support for hands on experience of the trainees till the end of March 2006.There were in total 12 new items were learnt and produced by the trainees during the entire training period.
• Weekly Review meetings at Project level The regular weekly meetings were conducted at the village level for ensuring coordination among the project staff and also made all the project staff well aware of overall progress of the project.
• Construction of Water Harvesting Structure The water harvesting structures in the villages of Budapada & Jhankarbahali were to be completed by the end of 1st year, i.e. by 31st March 2005. However the above time line could not be met due to the setback caused by the major land slides. The Budapada WHS and the Jhankarbahali WHS experienced one land slide during the period. In addition to the above problems, the scorching heat of the locality that experiences an unprecedented heat of about 50 0 C this year has prolonged the construction period beyond the stipulated timeline. The above two WHS were completed in the month of June 2005. The expenses exceeding the budgeted amount had been borne by BISWA as organisation contribution. Apart from these two nos of water harvesting structures another structure at Tangarjuri which was to be constructed by the end of 31st March 2006 has been constructed successfully. Now these water harvesting structures are in a position to harvest rain water in the rainy season and will enhance the water retaining capacity of the soil which will ultimately help in cultivation for the local people.
• Enhancement of role of SHGs as Peer Health Educators (PHE) As the project villages are far off from the primary health centre and devoid of any kind of health infrastructure, we have tried to develop the SHG leaders as Peer Health Educators through this training programme. There were in total 100 members being developed as PHEs in five such training programmes. These PHEs will attend to the health ailments in their respective villages for generic health problems of the villagers. The generic medicines are also supplied to these villages through the SHGs for timely availability.
• Establishing and Managing Grain Banks in the Villages In the villages of the project area, 10 number of grain banks has been formed in each village to meet the stress period demand of food grains and mitigate the food scarcity. The villagers contribute a certain amount of food grains towards the reserve amount and whenever necessary they would lend grains from the reserve to the needy person or persons are in distress. The grain bank in a certain way is a cushion provided to the community to meet their lean period difficulties as far as food grain is concerned.
• Staff Training on Effective Water Management The sustainable livelihood programme has greater emphasis on the effective water management for water is most precious for survival of life and livelihood. The core committee of project was imparted training on effective water management. This training programme enhanced the knowledge base and also improved the insight of the members on water use as well as their effective management in terms of storage, seepage, ground water recharge, etc. the training programme will ultimately help in implementation of the same at ground level.
• Sensitisation of Community Leaders BISWA has organized workshops at periodic intervals for sensitizing the community leaders on various local issues and seeking their solutions. The workshops are attended by most of the local leaders along with the staffs and community organizers of the project. The major issues discussed in the workshops are as under

1. Food security for the local villagers round the year
2. Alternative livelihood sources for the villagers
3. Water management in the Panchayat.
4. Electrification of Villages and energy conservation
5. Child education and child health
6. Participation of women in developmental process
7. Conservation and regeneration of environment

• Promotion of Role Play & Dance To sensitise the local community of the project area BISWA organised a role play based on the local issues with the help of professional artists. The role play was based on the issue of roles and responsibilities of different persons in a community towards integrated and sustainable livelihood development of local people.
• Booklet and IEC materials BISWA has published Information Education Communication materials based on health and related aspects for protection of human lives from frequent and harmful diseases. The booklets contain various preventive measures as well as medical treatments required to get rid of such life taking diseases.

Achievements

• Regular and extensive Village/SHG Meeting The extensive village SHG meetings have developed a tendency of group dynamism among the villagers and also they are now aware about the advantages of collective effort.
• Training to the Core Committee on micro planning & PRA and Livelihood Pattern Analysis The core committee members are now capable enough to successfully carry out the livelihood pattern analysis, micro planning, PRA for the project area villages.
• Theme Meeting The theme meetings have empowered the villagers to identify & prioritise major issues concerning their livelihood and have made them think about these issues.
• Focus Group Discussion on different Issues The focus group discussions have made the villagers identify little things in their villages which causes major hurdles at times and still they were not paying any heed to those little aspects.
• Quarterly Meeting of Core Committee The quarterly meetings of core committees has given opportunities to the team members to analyse the progress and desired target at quarterly interval, which has made the project implementation in right and targeted direction.
• Awareness Component The awareness programmes have made the villagers well aware about various schemes and agencies available for their sustainable development. They have also become able to meet the district administration, local governance and discuss their problems as well as needs.
• Training to the potential women on Skill Development The skilled women and men of the bamboo craft have now become able to produce very attractive products those consume fewer raw materials and fetch better price than earlier products. This helps conserve the natural bamboo forest for their future generation.
• Weekly Review meetings at project level The weekly meeting of project staff at field level has resulted in better coordination and cooperation among these staff for effective project implementation.
• Construction of Water Harvesting Structure The WHS at Budapada & Jhankarbahali village which were scheduled to be completed by the 31st March 2005 could not be completed due to the land slides. Both the structures have been completed successfully by June 2005. The land slides at both the sites occurred because of heavy rain. This has also demanded for extra expenses in the above two WHS. The WHS at Tangarjuri which was scheduled to be completed by 31st March 2006 has been completed successfully. However BISWA has incurred excess amount on construction of WHS’ exceeding the budgeted amount, which would be considered as organization contribution. The local Panchayat and also the villagers are very much optimistic for its benefits in their sustainable livelihood.
• Enhancement of role of SHGs as Peer Health Educators (PHE) The PHEs are providing generic medicines to the patients of their respective villages at the time of any kind of generic disease. This helps the villagers get immediate relief from pain or arrest the aggravation of disease and they get time to reach the health clinics situated at a far away places.
• Staff Training on Effective Water Management This has made our staff well verse with the water management and increased ability in forming the village water management committees for effective management of the scarce and most specious resource of the locality.
• Sensitisation of Community Leaders The Community leaders are now sensitised enough about the interventions taking place in the locality with support from NIWANO PEACE FOUNDATION, JAPAN. The local leaders now are much interested to come forward and integrate other development aspects with the present interventions.
• Promotion of Role Play & Dance The role play displayed by BISWA in the local language has motivated the villagers very positively to be more actively involved in the present project interventions.
• Booklet and IEC materials The booklets published and distributed among the villagers were very effective as the children of the villagers who are going to school and those who are drop outs read these booklets carefully with much interest. This gives them preventive measures to get rid of some common diseases as well as teaches them how to intake nutritious and protein rich food. This has reduced the number of cases of malaria and other water borne diseases in the locality.

PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTIONS

• The project has been implemented in the project area since April 2004. The major problem faced during the first year of project was the rain causing land slide while constructing water harvesting structure. In the second year, we faced a lot of problem while constructing the Water Harvesting Structure at Tangarjuri because of the rocky surfaces at the ground level after certain layer of depth. However we managed to construct the WHS successfully. The other challenge included the training of the artisans in modern skill within two months. We have thus extended the additional support for a longer period as a process of handholding.
• The project has become a real support for tribal poor in the locality. The sustainability of the project requires fully operationalisation and utilization of the water harvesting structures in the project villages. The real effect and impact of the project will be felt substantially after the completion of the project. However due to the vigorous and continuous intervention by BISWA, the people of the project area has become aware of the socio-economic process and necessary interventions. The combined and overall effect of the project will definitely help the target households make head way progress in achieving their desirable socio-economic status through infrastructure as well as social development.

Contact NPF

Niwano Peace Foundation
Shamvilla, Catherina 5F 1-16-9 Shinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku,Tokyo 160-0022,
Japan
Tel: 81-3-3226-4371 Fax: 81-3-3226-1835
Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website : http://www.npf.or.jp/english/english.html